* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Magic New Zealand * www.watson.co.nz/ezine.html * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Issue Number: #225 Date: Sunday 28th December 2003 Editor: Alan Watson www.magicianz.com www.alan-watson.com e-mail: AW@Alan-Watson.com ================================ Hi here is the latest news ================================   1. Editor’s Message   2. Roy Is Home   3. Open Letter To the Entire Magic Community   4. Hey Tim, Are You Going To Appleton This Summer? Dunno   5. My Company's Broadband Web T.V - http://vegaswebcast.com   6. Mysterium Global Productions Pty Ltd   7. 120 Hours Flying Time Getting To And From Shows!!   8. Dove From Any Were - By Jamie-G   9. Gordon Jeppesen Passed Away On Christmas Eve   10. The Amazing Orchante Saga   11. e-zine archives   12. Subscription Management ------------------ 1. Editor's Message ------------------- Message from Alan Watson - The Magic One A BIG thank you to all those subscribers who shared news items and articles over the last 12 months with our readership. Michele and I would also like wish you all a happy and prosperous New Year. ---------------- Remember if you have any magic news drop me a line: AW@Alan-Watson.com ----------------- 2. Roy Is Home ----------------- Message from Steve Dacri (US) Message forwarded on by Tony Wilson (NZ) Hello friends: Happy to report that Roy was released from the hospital yesterday morning. A helicopter took him from Los Angeles to Vegas, and he is now at home at "Jungle Palace" with Siegfried for Christmas. He is still suffering from left-side paralysis, his speech is slowly improving, and he has a long way to go in his recovery, but we are all delighted that he has finally left the hospital and will now be cared for with rehab at his home here. This is great holiday news. ----------------- 3. Open Letter To the Entire Magic Community ----------------- Message from Scott Wells The World Alliance of Magicians (W.A.M.) has been in existence for just over five years. During that time, we have had our successes and failures as we have battled for the preservation of ethics in magic, the protection of the mystery of magic and the defense for the inventors, creators and manufacturers of proprietary illusions. But to borrow a quote from the Oracle in the movie “The Matrix Revolutions”, “Everything that has a beginning has an end.” And so, the end has come for W.A.M. The many accomplishments of our organization are listed on our website http://www.magiciansalliance.com where you are encouraged to read all about what we have done over the years. The few of us officers who have “fought the good fight” have decided that the most important goal that we have accomplished was to raise interest among the magic organizations in regards to ethics in magic. Now the I.B.M., S.A.M. and The Magic Circle, along with many other organizations around the world have “changed the focus” of their own ethics committees toward dealing with the topics of magic exposures, rip-off manufacturers and the protection of magical inventor’s rights. The officers of W.A.M. have decided "our work here is now done" and we are going to return to the pursuit of our other interests. These past several years would not have been scattered with success stories without the assistance of many of you who are reading this now. Your ranks around the world are legion. You have helped with your words of encouragement, your letters and your financial support. Some of you have even posted the W.A.M. icon on your website attesting to your genuine support for our joint cause. And for your support and individual work, we sincerely thank you. Among the many whom we would like to thank, we send our appreciation to two key individuals; we want to thank Rossini for handling our “Latin America” office and Jun Kotani for his work with our “Japan” and “Pacific Rim” office. We are encouraged with the knowledge that a Magic Inventors Database is being independently developed by Bruce Chadwick and Larry Brown. In a short time, you will receive an announcement of an interactive Database that will serve as a living history and ultimate repository of proprietary magic effects. We say “living” because it will be interactive. There will be someone who will update it as necessary when and if there are contested matters of who should properly be credited for what. In the meantime, if you have any questions regarding W.A.M., then we again encourage you to visit our website or to write to one of the officers listed there. Again, we thank you for your support and we look forward to seeing many of you down the road. Sincerely, Abb Dickson - International President Walter “Zaney” Blaney - President Emeritus Scott Wells - Vice President Chuck Jones - Treasurer Frances Willard - Secretary Timothy Drake - Webmaster ----------------- 4. Hey Tim, Are You Going To Appleton This Summer? Dunno ----------------- Message from Tim Quinlan www.insidemagic.com Have you been? Are you experienced? Have you gone to Appleton, Wisconsin? Have you seen this sacred ground where young Erich Weiss and his family moved after leaving Budapest, Hungary and where his father Mayer Samuel Weiss served as Rabbi for the reformed Synagogue? Have you seen the Houdini Museum in this bucolic hamlet? It is truly a magical experience. You can walk the streets where young Erich walked and see the Synagogue where his father served until supplanted by a younger Rabbi. Soon, you'll be able to see how Houdini's most famous effect, The Metamorphosis, was not only performed but also how it was accomplished. That's right, you'll be able to see and crawl through the trunk and learn the secret of the effect that fed Houdini and his brother, Hardeen and later Houdini and his beloved Bess. In Jim Steinmeyer's new book, Hiding the Elephant, he credits Houdini with improving Metamorphosis by increasing the speed of the effect. And what an effect it was and still is. For background, Houdini described the trick as follows: "All the apparatus used in this Act is inspected by a Committee selected from the Audience. Mons. Houdini's hands are fastened behind his back, is securely tied in a bag and the knots are sealed, the placed in a massive Box which is locked and strapped, the box is then rolled into a small cabinet, and Mlle. Houdini draws the curtain and claps her hands three times, at the last clap of her hands, the curtain is drawn open by Mons. Houdini and Mlle. Houdini has disappeared, and upon the box being opened She is found in his place in the bag, the seals unbroken and her hands tied in precisely the same manner as were Mons. Houdini's when first entering the bag. "Just think over this, the time consumed in making the change is THREE SECONDS! We challenged the World to produce an act done with greater Mystery, Speed or Dexterity. "Respectfully yours, THE HOUDINIS." The Outagamie Museum in Appleton will offer a display taking away the mystery of the effect in their new presentation set for June 2, 2004 "A/K/A Houdini." According to one report, the presentation will allow children to crawl through the trunk and encounter the use of the gimmick that permitted the effect to occur. Say it ain't so, Joe. First of all, the name is Tim. But it is so. But Joe, why would they do this? After all, who would care more about Houdini than the Outagamie Museum? After all, this is the museum that owes its existence to Houdini's fame. The Metamorphosis is still performed by many of our best Magicians, including the Pendragons. So it's not an antique to be examined with the help of a curator. It is not King Tut's burial sarcophagus or Van Gough's ear. But I'm biased. What does the Outagamie Museum have to say. They must have a reason. Terry Bergen is the Executive Director of the museum: "They perceive our museum role to be a shrine for Houdini. We don't see ourselves that way. We see ourselves as an educational institution that explores local history. It's not a point of view that magicians understand at all. The entire industry of magic is based on deception and withholding information. It's been a match made in heck from the beginning." Ms. Bergen may be right. I do perceive the museum's role to be more shrine-like and less exposure-like. The exciting thing about the Metamorphosis is not the mechanics that make the trick possible, but the effect it had on audiences and its very special place in Houdini's career. I've been racking my brain to think of an appropriate analogy. It's tough because I have such a small brain. I tend to see this issue as a clear-cut, black & white, no-brainer. Clearly the concept of Magic is lost Ms. Bergen and the Museum folk. Recall her statement, "It's not a point of view that magicians understand at all. The entire industry of magic is based on deception and withholding information." Yes, but that's what audiences have sort of expected Magic to be. It is deception and withholding information but not in a bad way but an entertaining way. Houdini was very clear in his public statement that he did not perform any of his effects through the use of spiritual or true magical powers. Can we agree that if the secret to Metamorphosis is exposed - say, it was put into the front pages of the program you'd receive when attending the Pendragons' show - it would kind of take away from their ultimate effect. You might still be impressed by their speed but no more than you would be impressed by the speed of a Kerry Woods' fastball or a very talented typist. Criss Angel also uses the Metamorphosis and has replaced the curtain with a puff of smoke. To expose the secret of the effect would make Mr. Angel's incredible skill simply interesting and the puff of smoke unnecessary. So what is the proper analogy by which we can argue against the exposure? Hmm. The Coca-Cola Museum in Atlanta shows the history of the wonderful drink that greets me each morning and never disappoints. It shows the effect the elixir has had on our nation and the world, it shows those that have tried to imitate or steal the formula, and even chronicles the changes made to the packaging and some of the ingredients - it no longer contains cocaine, for example. But no where in the museum can you find the chemical compound used to make Coca-Cola syrup. Why? Because it is a secret and really irrelevant to the story the museum tells. Sure, you can read the secret formula in a book if you want. (Check out For God, Country and Coca-Cola: The Unauthorized History of the Great American Soft Drink and the Company that Makes It, by Mark Pendergrast. The secret ingredients contained in Formula 7X is detailed in the appendix.) But the secret to the taste is not the reason we love Coca-Cola, we love it because we love it. We love it because of the marketing, the tradition and the positive associations we have made with drinking the brown, liquid love. It should be noted that Coca-Cola does not have a patent for Formula 7X - a patent would not have protected the secret. To have a patent, the formulation would have to be disclosed and the patent would have expired at the beginning of the last century. Formula 7X is just a secret, a trade secret. Coca-Cola resisted two court orders to disclose the formula. Why did the resist? This secret allows Coca-Cola to employ millions directly and indirectly and keep its stock in the portfolios of institutional investors. It is hard to be unbiased about this issue. The Museum folk have their backs up and the magicians have their silks in a wad. Curator Kim Louagie is quoted as saying, "This exhibit is not about magic. It's about the life and times of Harry Houdini and magic is used as a tool to tell that story." Magicians on the web have proposed boycotting the town and there is consideration of moving the Houdini Days festivities from Appleton. The Magicians count for about 200 hotel rooms and 5,000 visitors during the Labor Day weekend. Some Magicians have written or called the Museum to voice their objection. Walter Blaney reports that both David Copperfield and Mark Wilson have called Ms. Bergen to seek compromise but to no avail. It is unfortunate that some Magicians have lowered themselves to ad hominem attacks on Ms. Bergen. Ms. Bergen told the local Appleton papers, "One magician referred to my 'whorish' behavior." She likened the publicity she'd received to "having your name on the bathroom wall." We're much better than that. There is no need to attack or flame the people involved. It demeans all Magicians more than exposing our secrets. So here's to finding a solution that elevates our Art rather than tears down others. I don't know that more publicity helps our cause, though. It turns the issue into one of the "public's right to know" - whatever that means - instead of the appreciation of a well-kept secret. If you ask most lay people, "Would you like to know how that trick is done?" The answer is usually affirmative. They may or may not really want to know but what the heck; if you're willing to tell them, why not? There is still time to work behind the scenes - something we do best - and try to convince the powers that are to change the presentation. Perhaps it is in our best interest to work with the Museum to contribute to the exhibit and protect the secret. Rather than threaten a boycott, we could promise an increase in visitors to see a truly unique exhibit featuring items and memorabilia on-loan from all of us who have benefited from Houdini's legacy. If the Museum's desire is to show how this effect was part of Houdini's life and career, we must be able to offer the posters, news items and reviews of the Metamorphosis as well as video of how the effect is still used today without exposing the secret. Imagine the publicity that could be gained if the Pendragons, Criss Angel, Mark Wilson, David Copperfield and others not only contributed exhibits or videos but also promoted the Museum the place to visit for those interested in Magic or Houdini. I am hopeful there is a solution and confident that if any group of people can find it, Magicians are the best equipped for the job. ----------------- 5. My Company's Broadband Web T.V - http://vegaswebcast.com ----------------- Message from Peter Shield Great news - visitors to my company's broadband web T.V (http://vegaswebcast.com) can now view programs 'on demand' - a new menu has been added and viewers world wide can select the program they wish to view by simply clicking on the title. Two shows feature Dixie Doolie - "Houdini" and "Spirit communication" - enjoy and please forward any comments - I'd like to hear from any of your readers who are able to receive our programs. If there is enough interest I'll include more magic profiles from Vegas. ----------------- 6. Mysterium Global Productions Pty Ltd ----------------- Message from JohnTaylor (Aust) John Taylor will be performing on national TV LIVE, on NHK TV JAPAN on the 26th of December, he will be performing a 10min spot including his original creation Suspended Animation, along with an audience routine the Guilded Cage, and the Bo Staff illusion. This will be John's 3rd LIVE TV spot in 2 months. John Taylor has been producing and starring in his own show John Taylor - SUPER ILLUSION at Huis Ten Bosch Japan since Oct 1st, and has had his 3 Month contract extended to 6 months, this being the longest term contract ever granted to a artist in the 12 year history of Huis Ten Bosch. 3 million flyers and poster are seen everywhere around Japan. Huis Ten Bosch are so happy with the attraction, and what has been produced for them that John's contacts in Japan have asked him to produce other shows through is company at HTB. So we are now looking for other Illusionists/Magicians/Dancers/and other act, for 3 month contracts, We are also pitching and looking for other acts for a 10 day International Magic Festival in 2004. + other project? Anyone interested should contact John Taylor ASAP. And send there video CD, Promo tape, CV, and photos etc, to the following address below. John Taylor C-403 Huis Ten Bosch Haenosaki-Ryo 253-2 Haenosaki-cho, Sasebo-shi Nagasaki-ken 859-3236 JAPAN John Taylor performs and speaks his whole show in Japanese, and will assist in teaching any hired talent, the required Japanese needed for there act. John Taylor Mysterium Global Productions Pty Ltd. Elite Enertainment Events John Taylor's email: MysteriumGlobal@aol.com ----------------- 7. 120 Hours Flying Time Getting To And From Shows!! ----------------- Message from Paul Romhany (NZ) Over the next few months I have over 120 hours flying time getting to and from shows!! Just thinking of all those air points the company is collecting for me. It was my good friend Ricki Dunn who said "Show business is all about waiting .. you are always waiting to go on stage .. waiting for the pay cheque .. waiting to catch a flight .. waiting, waiting waiting!!! It's a crazy schedule but that's the way it has worked out. At the end of December I am flying down under to appear on the STAR PRINCESS then back here to Vancouver, then back down under towards the end of January, then back here to Vancouver, then fly down for a few weeks work in Australia and New Zealand before returning back to Vancouver which will keep me busy until the end of February. It's a bit of a whirl wind tour so I don't know if I will get the chance to catch up with anybody, but keep your eyes open for a little man with a bowler hat, moustache and cane and answers to the name of Charlie Chaplin. See you on the road .. or on the high seas! Paul Romhany www.comic.co.nz ----------------- 8. Dove From Any Were - By Jamie-G ----------------- Message from Jamie-G EFFECT: You show a handkerchief front and back, you tell everyone that you are going to do a great piece of magic just like David Copperfield. You tell them that you are going to produce a dove from the folds of the handkerchief. You fold up the hanky wave your hand over it and say some funny magic words. When you reach into the folds of hanky some thing went wrong you actually produce a dove but not the dove every one thinks but dove soap. (a bar of soap in its box) PROPS: You need a devils handkerchief and an unopened box of dove soap. METHOD: This trick is quite easy all you do is put the soap in the devils hank do the by play show the hanky front and back fold it up and pull out your dove. This is great comedy for any type of show. TIP: If you have a sponge dove you can say your going to change it in to a real dove and when you fold the devils hank up exchange one for the other this is just a little bit of a different method to try something new. I like this kind of comedy magic because you are really doing what you say you are doing just not what the other people think. Lets keep people on there toes and keep them laughing at the same time. Hope you guys like this one. Its on me..................JAMIE-G ----------------- 9. Gordon Jeppesen Passed Away On Christmas Eve ----------------- Message from Bill Bishop - President, Ring 161 The last of the founding members of the Akron Magic Club, Ring 161 - Gordon Jeppesen passed away on Christmas Eve at the Laurel Lakes Retirement Community in Hudson, Ohio. Gordon was a steadfast member of the club, rarely missing a meeting throughout the decades. Even over the last year, despite strokes and frailty, he made it to a number of the meetings, and even performed a trick when it was his turn. Over the years he had served in most of the elected offices of the club and was made an honorary lifetime member in 1997. He had won the Magician of the Year award so many times, his name was added to the award title itself. He had a voluminous knowledge of magic and magicians, had developed many of his own effects and routines and even authored a basic instruction course on the art. Gordy had an impeccable sense of humor and timing. The last time I saw him, on his birthday a couple of weeks ago, he was cracking jokes and working on developing a close-up act which could be done from a wheelchair. The following day club members and friends gathered to honor him with a small party and performances. I know this meant a lot to him. It was a great honor for me to have known Gordon. He was a gentle spirit, whose interest in the art never wavered over half a century. I learned from him as did countless others over the years. The AMC banquet on January 24th, was to have been a tribute to Gordon and his legacy. Now, it will be all the more so. His funeral service is scheduled for Monday, Dec. 29, 2003 at 3:00, at the Pilgrimage Church, 130 Broad Blvd, in Cuyahoga Falls. A broken wand ceremony will be conducted also. On Saturday his Death Notice will appear in the Akron Beacon Journal. Please pass this notice on to all of his friends in magic. ----------------- 10. The Amazing Orchante Saga ----------------- Message from Tommy Orchard (The Amazing Orchante)(UK ex-pat Kiwi) Page 124 ‘The ‘Voodoo Girls!’ At various times in the Saga I have mentioned the name David McKee, a promoter and record producer from Auckland. I don't know what David is doing these days or even if he is still around, but I would sure like to get in touch and have a chat about the ‘Good Old Days’! What a character, about 5ft 8in – long fair hair and a face that reminded me of an impish pixie. He looked like he had never seen the light of day, and I always imagined that if he ever tried to sunbathe, he would vanish in a puff of smoke - he was also an inveterate chain smoker! He came up with some great ideas at times - well, HE thought so. One of the ‘classics’ that I ‘fondly’ recall, was when he decided that my ‘Yogi Act’ needed some ‘spicing up’. This entailed getting me not just One, but TWO - ‘Make The Men Drool All Over The Place’, very attractive, Very Naked stage assistants, courtesy of Rainton Hastie, the infamous owner of the two equally infamous strip joints on Karangahape road - the ‘Pink Pussy’, and the ‘Pink Panther’ clubs! During this ‘moment of madness’, Dave also came up with a ‘New Title ’ for my act: ‘THE HELLFIRE SHOW’ with the Psychic Witchdoctor ORCHANTÉ And His – ‘VOODOO GIRLS’! To make absolutely sure that every body knew what they were getting, in this ‘Unprecedented Presentation’, he ‘tastefully’ had large black dots inserted in the middle of the ‘O’s of the word - ‘VOODOO’, in all the publicity posters and leaflets – It was most, TIT-illating. ‘Psychic Witchdoctor? – I ASK YOU!’ “Bloody hell Dave, what were you thinking of, even worse, why did I let you get away with it! Perhaps it had something to do with us both being - ‘NUTTERS”! I’m not quite sure, even to this day, just exactly how these two ‘strippers’ were supposed to ‘assist’ me. All they had to do was bump, grind and gyrate their voluptuous bodies in time to my music; Now if they were to have done this during my magic show - I mean, just think about the ‘misdirection’ possibilities; I could have created miracles! The first show that David organised, that incorporated ‘The Girls’, was at the Great Northern Hotel, which was situated down the bottom of Queen St. just up from, and on the opposite side of the road from the main Post Office. With all the rebuilding that has gone on in downtown Auckland City since ‘I left home’, I wouldn’t be surprised if it has long since been torn down. Now I had worked that hotel on many occasions in the past – and also, it was where I used to meet my old friend Al Horobin (now deceased), for drinks. With two characters like Al and I, it didn’t take long for the Manager to get to know us and vice versa, especially with my close - up magic sessions in the bar, that just seemed to ‘kinda’ happen, apart from my shows in the main lounge room. The thing is, the ‘Great Northern’ was a very nice hotel, with a very respectable clientele, which included various International guests staying in the house. It wasn’t until an hour or so before ‘Show Time’, that the Manager (whose name I can’t recall) became aware that TWO STRIPPERS were in the show as well. He nearly had a fit! He grabbed hold of Dave and told him there was: “No way the show was going on, with those ‘Two Birds’ In It’!” “Orchanté can do HIS show, but NOT with those ‘Slappers’, in it!” OOPS, PANIC STATIONS! ‘What ya gonna do! ‘Call ‘Ghostbusters?’ ‘NO, Call Sally Phillips!’ I have mentioned elsewhere in my saga that, back in the sixties, Sally occasionally stepped in as an ‘emergency’ assistant for a few select artists/magicians when the need arose. Following a frantic telephone call, Sally arrived at the ‘Northern’ in record time, dressed to kill and looking every bit the Lady, which she is. After a very quick rehearsal - of sorts, the show went on. No problems - well what do you expect, when you have two Pros’ on hand! I MUST relate Sally’s story one day, and that of her husband Derek Metzger, a very well known N.Z. singer. Sally and Derek now reside in Sydney. Delving into the depths of my ‘bottomless’ aluminium trunk, (which holds over 35 years worth of magazines, newspaper clippings, posters, leaflets and God only what else), a poster ‘floated’ up, advertising The ‘Hellfire’ Show - complete with the ‘Naked Voodoo Girls’, at the Thunderbird Valley Inn, together with the ‘Impressions’ Show Band. I guess the Girl’s, and their ‘knockers’, finally got to - ‘knock the punters socks off’ – I don’t think anybody really noticed me, even though I did try to keep ‘abreast’ of things! Think I had finish this now, before I make any more - ‘boobs’ ------------------ 11. Magic New Zealand e-zine archives ------------------ Back issues of the Magic New Zealand e-zine go to: www.watson.co.nz/ezine.html Both the User Name and Password MUST be entered in lower case to gain access. User Name: magic Password: kiwi When you enter the archive the e-zines are in issue order and are coded. Eg 001 Nov06 1999.txt first three numbers (001) denote issue number, then the date (Nov06) and the last figures the year (1999) ------------------- 12. Subscription Management ------------------- Our subscriber list is NOT made available to other companies or individuals. We value every subscriber and respect your privacy. To subscribe or unsubscribe from the Magic New Zealand e-zine: www.watson.co.nz/ezine.html Magic New Zealand e-zine is published weekly, on Sunday. The opinions expressed in this e-zine are those of the individual contributors and not those of Magic New Zealand. Neither Magic New Zealand or Alan Watson can vouch for the accuracy or reliability of any opinion, message, statement, or other information reported via Magic New Zealand e-zine. Subscribers to this publication and authors who contribute to it by doing so agree that they will not hold Magic New Zealand and or Alan Watson liable or responsible in any way for the opinions expressed herein. We reserve the right to edit, correct or, in our discretion, choose not to publish any submissions provided to Magic New Zealand for potential publication. Magic New Zealand welcomes readers to submit timely articles or news items which appear to be of interest to our readers. Those submitting to this e-zine agree that we have permission to publish their submissions and that they have the full copyright to the material submitted. All works published by Magic New Zealand are fully protected by international copyright as provided by law, and articles cannot be published for profit by anyone other than the individual author without the written permission of Magic New Zealand. This publication may be freely redistributed (but not sold) to other magicians if copied in its ENTIRETY including the copyright notice below and the above disclaimer.<< © Copyright 2003 Alan Watson