* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Magic New Zealand * Proudly sponsored by International Entertainment * www.watson.co.nz/fezine.html * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Issue Number: #599 Date: Sunday 24th August 2008 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. I.B.M./S.A.M. Combined Convention Review 3. I.B.M./S.A.M. Combined Convention Is Now A Memory 4. I.B.M./S.A.M. Combined Convention Competition Results 5. 2008 DRAGON Awards - Michael And Hannah Ammar 6. Willard: A Life Under Canvas 7. Remarkable Magic #61 - Nick Lewin 8. The Magic Convention - #83 - Kyle Peron 9. Entertaining On The Ocean #34 - Paul Romhany 10. Las Vegas Magic - September, 2008 11. Billy McComb Auction, Sept 7 12. Article About Vanni Pule' 13. British Ring Convention 14. Kohl & Company's Rebuttal 15. International Magic Convention In Bangkok 16. David Ginn presents his Kidbiz Live Workshop! 17. 29th New Zealand International Magicians Convention 2008 18. e-zine Archives 19. Privacy Policy And Copyright Notice -------------------------------------------- 1. Editor's Message -------------------------------------------- Congratulations to all the executive members of the I.B.M. and S.A.M. who were involved in running the combined I.B.M./S.A.M. 2008 Convention in Louisville, Kentucky, a job well done! It was an awesome 6 day experience for us to be there and share the magic with our many friends we have made over the years. --------------------------- Michele and I are thrilled to announce that International Entertainment (NZ) Ltd. (Aust) Pty. Ltd. have put together a very generous sponsorship package to offset our personal running costs for Magic New Zealand e-zine. --------------------------- Broken Wands While we were overseas three prominent English magicians passed away .. Ken De Courcy - July 24th 2008 - he was a former president of the I.B.M. British Ring 25, a prolific author of magic books and inventor of magic effects. Derek Mcfaull - August 4th 2008 - he was the Chief Welfare Officer of Ring 25 since 2003. Chris Pratt - August 11th 2008 - he served as the Secretary of the Magic Circle for twenty years. --------------------------- Congratulation to Mandy Davis and Rob Cox as they were married on Thursday, 7th August 2008. The wedding was streamed live from www.robcoxmagic.com and it was the first wedding to held at The Magic Circle. Remember if you have any magic news drop me a line: AW@Alan-Watson.com -------------------------------------------- 2. I.B.M./S.A.M. Combined Convention Review -------------------------------------------- Message from George Schindler - S A.M Public Relations Sneak Preview See it here first! Louisville 2008 Complete coverage of the 2008 I.B.M./S.A.M. Combined Convention, exactly as it appears in the September issue of M-U-M. Reports, reviews, and write-ups of all the shows, lectures, and events by John Moehring, Jon Racherbaumer, Richard Hatch, Steve Marshall, Mike Perovich, and David Michaels. A full 26 pages with 116 photos by Mike Maione. See it now at www.magicsam.com -------------------------------------------- 3. I.B.M./S.A.M. Combined Convention Is Now A Memory -------------------------------------------- Message from Dale Salwak (US) Three years of planning and anticipation and the IBM-SAM combined convention is now a memory. To judge from the many e-mailed messages I have received, the convention more than met expectations. It was a wonderfully rich six days of magic, competitions, lectures, and relaxed socializing. It's so encouraging to see the health of our craft worldwide. How glad I am that I had a chance to attend and participate. Congratulations to everyone connected with its planning. During my time there I had a long talk with the great Veronin. We talked about why we love to perform. Other magicians - including many of the contestants - later joined the discussion. Here's what we came up with: We perform because we have an innate need to perform. We perform because we want to connect with people's hearts at the deepest levels possible. We perform because we are passionate about our craft. We perform because we want to make full use of our allotted time. We perform because since childhood we have felt most comfortable before an audience. We perform because we need to take risks. We perform because we know that to stop performing would be a form of self-destruction. We perform because it is then that we are most alive. Finally, we perform because it gives us great joy to do so. One night over supper I asked my mother, now eighty-six, what music means to her. She could well have had magicians in mind when she said: "It means everything to me. It's therapy. It's pleasure. It puts me inside another world. It's the accomplishment. Something you can do by yourself. It works on the imagination. It's a deep feeling. Music reaches so deep that I can't explain it." Magic and performing touches us in just such a way. My joy that comes from this profession has sustained me through all kinds of challenges. It is a safe haven to which I can retreat and from which I emerge emboldened and clarified and confident - and very thankful. -------------------------------------------- 4. I.B.M./S.A.M. Combined Convention Competition Results -------------------------------------------- The I.B.M/S.A.M. International Championship of Close-up Magic and $10,000 in cash - Marc Oberon of the United Kingdom. Ha Lim from South Korea was awarded the I.B.M/S.A.M. International Championship of Stage Magic and $10,000. The I.B.M. presented performing contracts for its next convention to An Ha Lim, Marc Oberon, and Timo Marc. The S.A.M. also gave performing contracts to An Ha Lim and Marc Oberon, as well as Shawn Farquhar, Red Hat, Timo Marc, and David Kaplan. Columbus MagiFest contracts went to David Kaplan and Shawn Farquhar. Abbott's Get-Together awarded contracts to David Kaplan and Shawn Farquhar, who also got a contract for the next F.F.F.F. Convention. Marc Oberon and David Sousa were offered gala show contracts for F.I.S.M. 2009 in Beijing. The Festival of Illusion in Germany awarded contracts to Ah Ha Lin and David Kaplan. David Minkin and David Kaplan were given contracts for this year's MacMillan International Magic Convention, with offers to Timo Marc and Red Hat for 2009, and An Ha Lim for 2010. The Club Magico Italiano gave performing contracts to David Minkin, David Kaplan, and An Ha Lin, as did El Duco's Magic Weekend in Sweden. David Kaplan received a contract for the Japanese S.A.M. Convention. Marc Oberon, An Ha Lin, David Kaplan, Latko, and Tony Chapek won contracts to perform at the Blackpool Magic Convention. A six-week contract for the 2009 Murray Hatfield Tour of Canada went to Timo Marc, and a contract for the World Festival of Magic tour of New Zealand went to Tony Chapek. -------------------------------------------- 5. 2008 DRAGON Awards - Michael And Hannah Ammar -------------------------------------------- Message from Jane Stuart, President The J. Marberger Stuart Foundation, Inc. e-mail: magicjane@aol.com www.dragonaward.org Michael and Hannah Ammar were presented with the 2008 DRAGON Award by The J. Marberger Stuart Foundation, Inc. at the DRAGON Dinner at the Kentucky The Galt Hotel on Tuesday July 22nd at the joint International Brotherhood of Magicians and The Society of American Magicians Convention. The DRAGON Award is presented in recognition of outstanding teamwork in the art of magic. The award consists of four parts: DRAGON Award medals, the Order of the DRAGON pins, a plaque and a thousand dollar cash prize. The Stuart Foundation presented the award to the Ammars and in keeping with the custom of the DRAGON Awards, the last winners, Norm and Lupe Nielsen, welcomed the new winners into the Order of the DRAGON by presenting the medals to Michael and Hannah Ammar. The DRAGON Award name is taken from the criteria for winning. Recipients must demonstrate outstanding talent in the categories of Drama, Romance, Artistry, Glamour, Originality and Necromancy (magic). Past winners of the DRAGON Award are: Petrick and Mia Marvyn and Carol Roy Mark Wilson and Nani Darnell Chuck and Jan Jones Duo Absolon Harry Blackstone, Jr. and Gay Blackstone Glenn Falkenstein and Frances Willard Mike Caveney and Tina Lenert John and Pam Thompson Moi-yo Miller and Arturo Montes Fantasio and Monica Ed and Nanci Keener John and Kathy Daniel Lee and Helene Grabel Peter and Coral Reveen Paul and Debbie Daniels Alan and Michele Watson Norm and Lupe Nielsen Brief CV on Michael and Hannah Ammar Magic was so exciting in the early 80's! There were capacity crowds in the Magic Castle and America was finally bringing home Gold Medals from FISM. Hannah would visit her mother, Frances Willard, a previous Dragon Award Winner, and in 1983 she met Michael Ammar at a birthday party for Dai Vernon. They met again, months later at the Academy of Magical Arts Awards Banquet at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, when Michael won both the Close-Up Magician and the Lecture of the Year award. This time Michael asked her age, and the answer was "16." A southern gentleman, Ammar decided to wait until a more appropriate, i.e. 'legal', time to ask for a date. Their paths crossed a few more times, always producing the wrong number, until 1988, when a fortuitous chain of events led Hannah from Austin to LA for Spring Break to attend the Awards Banquet. Spotting her from across the dance floor, as casually as he could, Michael eventually said, "Say... How old are you?" Hannah smiled, "21." "Great! Let's have lunch!" Well, just a few months ago they celebrated the twentieth anniversary of the lunch that never ended! They've been practically inseparable ever since, having traveled to scores of magic conventions and hundreds of lectures for magician all over the world since then. In 1979 Michael won First Place in the Close-Up Competition at the S.A.M. convention in Hartford, CT, indicating the tangent his star would soon follow. In the next few years he won Close-Up Magician of the Year from the Academy of Magical Arts, a Gold Medal for Close-Up from FISM, then Lecturer of the Year followed by winning both awards from the Academy in 1983. During these years, Ammar played an important role in transforming magic lectures into a serious business, creating a win-win situation for artists as well as the clubs. Michael's revolutionary work with the Topit, combined with his quick smile and passion for magic were the perfect combination for these live, instructional performances. THE TOPIT BOOK, along with his THE COMMAND PERFORMANCE Series were some of the most successful books of the decade, establishing Michael as a great teacher, bestselling author and award winning performer. By the time they began dating in 1988, Ammar had 5 awards from The Academy of Magical Arts, appeared 10 times on the Merv Griffin Show, and twice on The Tonight Show. He had already done 6 instructional videos with Hans Zahn, the two Topit Tapes, THE MAGIC VIDEO for Toys-R-Us, one for the GREATER MAGIC LIBRARY, and created the entire outline and questioning structure for the 17 videos in the REVELATIONS SERIES, featuring his friend and mentor, Dai Vernon. Hannah was a design major at the University of Texas, so Michael moved to Austin to be with her. Right away she became indispensable to his operations, by doing the illustrations essential for teaching the techniques in Michael's MAGICAL ARTS JOURNAL. Paul Harris, Tom Mullica, Johnny Thompson, Simon Lovell, and Michael Finney have also used Hannah's skills as an illustrator or graphic artist for their projects, and she's worked with Michael since graduating from UT, using computer graphics for many things, including the development of his web site. Their marriage in 1990 was the perfect setup for an incredible decade. That year Michael also took part in a cultural exchange with Russia, helping to open the first IBM club in Moscow. Following that he won his sixth and final eligible award as the Parlor Magician of the Year from the Academy of Magical Arts. L&L Publishing released THE MAGIC OF MICHAEL AMMAR (dedicated to Hannah), and remains an all-time best-seller, currently in its 19th printing. 1992 saw the release of the first three EASY TO MASTER CARD MIRACLES; these wildly successful projects are universally acclaimed as having launched the magic video revolution. Twenty-four other volumes followed, including popular works on the Cups and Balls, Thread Magic, Magic with Business Cards and Money Magic. A lot of television work followed, including THE WORLD'S GREATEST MAGIC, MASTERS OF MAGIC, and three INTERNATIONAL MAGIC AWARDS shows. But the most fun of all was traveling together during the lecture tours. Nobody loved this more than Michael, except perhaps for the magic clubs. They seemed to like Michael's magic well enough, but suddenly there was a beautiful girl selling lecture notes and everything just seemed to sparkle! The first break from this came in 1996, when Michael helped open the MAGICAL EMPIRE at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, and stayed to work for two years. The turn of the millennium brought lots of changes. Michael began to do more production work, including The 42nd Presidential Inauguration, and several hundred shows for Universal's Halloween Horror Nights, while stunning all his old professors at West Virginia University when he was bestowed with a "Distinguished Alumni" award for international achievements in his field. Hannah still works closely with Michael, however she only travels with him once or twice a year. While the joy of their time together on the road is dear to them - something even more precious has taken a higher priority in their lives: the birth of their two children, Savannah and Evan. Savannah Grace Ammar (November 28,2000) and Evan Anthony Ammar (August 5, 2005) are keeping life at the Ammar household a bit more 'exhilarating', shall we say. Savannah has shown an interest in magic, and has made a few brief appearances for real audiences! Evan is a chip-off-the-old-block, with blue eyes, a big smile, a fun-loving spirit, and blond hair! Unfortunately, his Dad's hair looked the same when he was Evan's age, but we've got faith that science will come up with something over the next 40 or 50 years! Magic in Hannah's family is 5 generations strong (Frances Willard, Harry Willard, James Willard, etc...), her sister Margo has assisted the Pendragons as well as having performed on her own; and Glenn Falkenstein is her award-winning step father. So with Hannah for a mom and Michael for a dad -- these kids have magic blood coursing through their veins and a 50-50 chance to be good looking! With these little dragons waiting in the wings, who knows what the future of magic will hold! As for current projects, this year Hannah became the lead graphic designer for a new art book for Anthony Hopkins, due out in 2009, and Michael is completing work on his most involved curriculum ever, MagicWorks University. The legacy continues... For more information, please contact: Jane Stuart, President The J. Marberger Stuart Foundation, Inc. e-mail: magicjane@aol.com www.dragonaward.org -------------------------------------------- 6. Willard: A Life Under Canvas -------------------------------------------- Message from Mike Caveney (US) To celebrate the publication of David Charvet's new biography on Willard the Wizard there will be a special event at this year's TAOM convention in Ft. Worth, Texas on August 31. Harry Willard's son Gene and daughter Frances will join author David Charvet and publisher Mike Caveney for an once-in-a-lifetime interview. Here is a rare opportunity to see magic history come to life. Details on Willard: A Life Under Canvas can be found at mcmagicwords.com Details on the TAOM Convention can be found at www.taom2008.org. -------------------------------------------- 7. Remarkable Magic #61 - Nick Lewin -------------------------------------------- Message from Nick Lewin (US) Gerry McCambridge is making mentalism fun. I recently had the pleasure to watch Gerry McCambridge performing his show 'The Mentalist' in Las Vegas. It was an interesting and highly rewarding experience to watch someone redefine the experience of watching mind reading. I was first aware of Gerry as a performer when I watched his NBC television special. Like many people I was more than a little surprised to see him go from being a low-key name in the magic world to becoming a star in his own special. It was a curiously orthodox special and all the more effective because of it. Next I caught up with Gerry through his appearances on the series 'Phenomena' where I thought him impressive in a show that I found totally underwhelming. What seemed the most interesting to me was the way Gerry seemed so comfortable in his role as a mentalist. How many other performers in the mind reading world are willing to use this strange 'magiceese' term to describe what they do? Now McCambridge has brought his show 'The Mentalist' to Las Vegas and it is getting a huge reaction. Maybe most of the mind readers around the scene got it all wrong and in the general rush to define themselves as psychological, master of human nature, NLP experts etc. may well be missing the point. Gerry runs with the term mentalist in spite of lay audience's ignorance of the term and the jaded reaction of magicians to this hybrid term. I suspect that the definition of what they do becomes a self limiting factor. One thing I can tell you is that almost every mind reader would run a mile from the audience in front of Gerry night after night. For starters he is located at the 'Hooters' casino - yes, that Hooters! At the show I attended the audience looked like a Nascar overflow crowd. This was not an audience of serious minded people wanting to revel in psychic subtleties and obscure material. This was a very different crowd. With an opening video Gerry showed highlights of his television work and it certainly went a long way towards letting the audience realize what they were about to see. Before he even walked onto the stage the audience could tell you what a mentalist did. The showroom was certainly ready and excited to see what was going to happen live. The show ran somewhat over an hour and never for an instant did Gerry loose his hold over the crowd. There was no sense of pretension or that slightly patronizing cloud that hangs over so many mental magic presentations. Gerry looked like a very regular guy doing some unusual and fun things. Way to go! There was certainly some very strong mentalism in the show including the human phone book, a blindfolded Q & A segment and a lottery prediction. However it was the show's drive and pace that made it such a winner. He adapted his work magnificently to the audience in the showroom not just through what he did but the relentless nature of his approach. Without telling a bunch of jokes Gerry kept the crowd laughing throughout the show. Potentially boring moments in a mindreading show turned into highlights in 'The Mentalist,' including good-natured audience involvement that brought each and every spectator into the action. Every time something new and magical succeeds in Las Vegas there are a dozen magicians waiting to tell you how they could have done it better and I am sure there are many mindreaders convinced they could do what McCambridge does in his show but they are wrong. They should all be sat down in his showroom and allowed to observe the sheer elements of involvement and identification he so easily achieves and blends with his mentalism. I was certainly surprised that a mindreading show could work this well in Las Vegas. Surprised and delighted. I believe that the current huge interest in this aspect of magic is a wonderful swing towards a new appreciation of the diversity of our art form. As always send any bricks or bouquets to nicklewin1@mac.com and check out my website at http://www.NickLewin.com -------------------------------------------- 8. The Magic Convention - #83 - Kyle Peron -------------------------------------------- Message from Kyle Peron (US) magic4u02@aol.com http://www.kyleandkellymagic.com I just got back from the I.B.M./S.A.M. Combined Convention and what a wonderful time I had. There are so many words that could convey what it is like being at a convention like this. Words such as, Amazing. Incredible and Outstanding are just some that would come to mind. But as I started thinking on the way home, I wondered what is it about magic conventions in general that get people so excited? What is it about them that gets you smiling and gets you energized just to be there? I thought about this a lot as we sat in the airport since our flight was delayed 3 hours. The more I thought about it the more ideas ran through my head. Is it the lectures where I am learning from the best? Is it the powerful stage shows in the evenings? Or is it possibly the dealers or the magic auctions? What is it that drives me to attend a convention and brings out the inner kid in me? Then it dawned on me as I was saying my goodbyes to folks in the airport that afternoon. One word came screaming to my mind and it really made sense. That one word was "FRIENDSHIP". I know it sounds weird or sounds like an answer found in a Hallmark card. But to me it summed up exactly what is the single key reason I love magic conventions. Sure the evening shows are amazing and wonderful. Sure the lectures teach me things that I can learn and grow with my magic. But somehow nothing has more meaning to me then hanging out with old friends and getting a chance to meet new ones. To me personally, I feel that every magician needs to stop and remember that being a magician is both an honor and privilege. To be able to share this love and passion for our art is what it should be all about. What a better place to do this then at a magic convention. Here are folks who share the same love and interest in prestidigitation, and I have the ability to talk and share with them. Does it really get any better than that? Some of the best experiences I have ever had at conventions were not found on the convention agenda. They came from sitting in the lobby or in the hallways late at night talking with fellow magicians. We share magic, effects, stories and good times. This is where we bond together and where we learn so much more then could ever be found on a DVD. I am not sure what your favorite thing is at a convention, but I hope the next convention you go to, you stop to think for just a moment just how powerful friendship in magic really is. As always, I encourage you the readers to let me know your thoughts. So if you have any thoughts on my articles or suggestions or comments, please feel free to e-mail me directly at magic4u02@aol.com. I would love to hear from you. -------------------------------------------- 9. Entertaining On The Ocean #34 - Paul Romhany -------------------------------------------- Message from Paul Romhany (NZ) The past few weeks have been very busy as Natalie and I do some much needed work on our home before we head out for another season coming up mid-September traveling the world yet again. I never take what I do for a living for granted - to think that this has been my dream since I was eight years old. Technical sheet for performers: There was a time in cruising when the acts would use the band on a cruise ship, but due to many cut backs the cruise lines are cutting back on bands and have made major cut backs on the number of musicians. This doesn't bother me because my act is all on CD, however I know several top instrumental acts who have chosen not to take on any more work on ships due to the amazing hassle of getting good musicians who can play the charts. These type of cut backs are really affecting everybody in the industry, especially variety acts. I get loads of emails from magicians asking how to put together a technical sheet that you can give the lighting and stage manager. On my BLOG dated 14th August I put up my own personal technical sheet for my short version of my Chaplin Act. I try to keep everything on one letter size sheet (or A4 for you Kiwis), so that the tech people are not fumbling around. In most cases where I perform the stage manager will make copies of the tech sheet and hand it out and pin it on the theatre wall where s/he stands and can cue my act. During rehearsal this is the most important information and I take time to go over it in detail so everybody understands. Be sure to check out my BLOG for more information at : http://romhanyreport.blogspot.com/ One true story that happened several years ago on the old Pacific Princess (the original Love Boat). The company had just hired a sound technician, who also had to operate lights on that small ship. He got the job over the phone and his only experience was working in Night Clubs in LA. He turned up to the ship drunk and stoned - not a good start! They asked me if I would mind if he did my entire show as his first trial on a ship. I am usually relaxed at these rehearsals and will have a few jokes, as long as they understand my show. In this case I told him when I get to the Chaplin part of the act, he can take a coffee break and just press play on the CD. Come show time I get to my Chaplin act and all the cues were thrown out the window. I was furious after the show to learn that he felt he needed a cigarette break during my show so left the sound and lighting booth and went outside for a smoke!! Not one of my lighting or sound cues happened. Needless to say that two days later, they did give him one more shot with another act but he was too drunk, he was fired. Since then I make sure everybody understands what is needed during my technical rehearsal and they all get technical sheets. -------------------------------------------- 10. Las Vegas Magic - September, 2008 -------------------------------------------- Compiled by David Neubauer - www.dnmagic.com Magic Production Shows: Amazing Johnathan 9 pm (Dark Wed. & Thur.), Harmon Theater - Planet Hollywood. Criss Angel - Believe Previews Sept. 12 - Oct 9. Opens officially Oct. 12. 7 & 10 pm (Dark Wed. - Thurs.) - Luxor http://cirquedusoleil.com/crissangel David Copperfield Through Oct 1. Nov. 20 - Jan. 12, 2009 7:30 & 10 pm (and 4:30 Sat.) MGM Grand. www.mgm.admission.com/cgi/guide.cgi?l=EN Dixie Dooley - Master Mystifier 7:00 pm (Dark Sun. - Tue.), Royal Resort and Hotel. www.houdiniexperience.com 2 for 1 Tickets: http://www.vegas4locals.com/coupon_dixie_dooley.html Jeff McBride - Magic at the Edge 7:30 pm (Dark Tues.) Limited Engagement: August 20 - Thanksgiving Sound Trax Showroom - Palace Station. Jeff McBride's "Wonderground" Opening August 22nd. 10 pm - 2 am Fri. & Sat. Sound Trax Showroom - Palace Station. Gerry McCambridge - The Mentalist 7:00 pm (Dark Fri.), Hooters Casino Hotel. Special Comp tickets: http://comps.mentalist.com Lance Burton, Master Magician 7 pm Tues - Sat & 10 pm Tues. & Sat. Monte Carlo. www.montecarlo.com/entertainment/lance.aspx Mac King Comedy Magic Show 1 & 3 pm, (Dark Sun. & Mon.) - The Showroom, Harrah's. www.mackingshow.com Free tickets (buy 1 drink) are usually available at the concierge desk or handed out occasionally by showgirls. Nathan Burton Comedy Magic Show 4 pm. (Dark Thurs.) Main Showroom - Flamingo. www.nathanburton.com $10 off: http://www.vegas4locals.com/couponnathanburtoncomedymagic.html Penn & Teller 9 pm, (Dark Tues.), Rio. www.harrahs.com/our_casinos/rlv/entertainment/entertainment_detail_00.html Scarlett: Princess of Magic 2:30 pm Fri. - Mon. 4 pm Tues. - Wed. (Dark Thurs.) V Theater - Planet Hollywood Resort. http://www.varietytheater.com/scarlett.htm Stars of Magic Showcase of Prestidigitation Dixie Dooley hosts. 7:00 pm Sunday, Royal Resort and Hotel. www.houdiniexperience.com Steve Dacri: Impossible Magic 7 pm, Sat. & Sun. $300 includes gourmet meal. 30 seats only. Six Tables Restaurant at Summerlin. 2110 N Rampart, Las Vegas. www.vegasinsidetips.com/MAGIC_impossible.html Steve Wyrick 7 & 9 pm. (Dark Fri.) Steve Wyrick Theater - Miracle Mile, Planet Hollywood. www.stevewyricktheatre.com Will Roya - Master of Variety 6-10 pm, 4th Fri. each month - Free - Town Square Park. www.townsquarelasvegas.com World's Greatest Magic Show - **CLOSING SEPT. 1st** Joseph Gabriel, Dan Sperry, Roy Shank, Jason Baney, Losander, Jeff Hobson hosts. 7 pm each night - Greek Isle. www.greatestmagicshow.com Free tickets: Call the day of the show, request them, leave your name at the box office 702.734.0711 for pick-up that evening. $2 "printing" charge. 50 available per day, limit 4 per name. Xtreme Magic Starring Dirk Arthur Tiffany Theatre, Tropicana 2 and 4 pm. (Dark Fri.) Magic In Production Shows: Bite (Vampire Strip Revue) Antonio Restivo - 10:30 pm (dark Thurs.) Stratosphere. www.bitelasvegas.com Crazy Girls Tony Douglas - 9:30 pm (Dark Tues.), Riviera. www.rivierahotel.com/entertainment_crazygirls.asp Crazy Horse Paris Stephan Vanel 8 & 10:30 pm, (Dark Tues.), MGM Grand. www.mgmgrand.com/entertainment/crazy-horse-show.aspx Haunted Vegas Show and Tour Jac Hayden, Robert Allen, Adam Flowers 9:30 pm (Dark Fri.), picks up from the Greek Isles & Royal Resort. www.hauntedvegastours.com The Ultimate Variety Showcase Christopher Karpiak and "S". Roxy's Live - Sam's Town 6 pm - Midnight every Tuesday. Free. www.samstownlv.com/entertainment/event.cfm?EventID=332 V, The Ultimate Variety Show Jason Byrne (most Tues. - Sat.) & various others. 6 & 7:30, Planet Hollywood Resort - www.vtheshow.com Viva Las Vegas Max Clever and Katalin - Plaza. 2 & 4 pm (Dark Sun.) www.plazahotelcasino.com/entertainment/special-events.php X Burlesque Seth Grabel (pre-show) 9:30 pm, Mon. - Wed. - Flamingo. Other Vegas Magic: Craig Keith performs behind the bar at various times - Dick's Last Resort, Excalibur. Paul Draper strolls at various times - Grand Canal Shoppes, Venetian. Jamie Porter's Radio Side Show Sat @ 5 am, KLAV FM 1230. Las Vegas Magic Organizations Fantasma I.B.M. Ring #257, 7 pm 1st Monday each month. www.ibm257.com Amazing Clowns, 3525 E. Flamingo. Darwin's Magic Club, meets 10 pm Wednesdays. Boomers, 3200 Sirius Ave. KIDabra Las Vegas, 7 pm every 3rd Monday. Amazing Clowns, 3525 E. Flamingo. www.kidabralasvegas.com Magic Lunch Club meets every Thursday at 11:30 am - Sizzler, 307 S Decatur. Hosted jointly by IBM 257 and KIDabra Las Vegas. YMS (Young Magicians Society) 7 pm every 2nd Monday each month, IHOP Boulevard Mall on Maryland Pkwy. News The International Magicians Society awarded Gerry McCambridge the prestigious "Merlin" award. Gerry is the first Mentalist to receive the Merlin and it will be presented on August 25th immediately following his performance at Hooters Casino Hotel. Steve Wyrick will celebrate his 1000th performance at Planet Hollywood on Sept. 12th. TLC's "American Chopper" will unveil the SW1000 chopper, built to commemorate Steve's 1000th performance, on the Planet Hollywood Plaza with an after party at Hawaiian Tropic Zone. The episode of American Chopper that features Steve will air in October. August, 2008 August 25-31: Extended Master Class, McBride's Magic & Mystery School with Jeff McBride - Eugene Burger www.magicalwisdom.com. September, 2008 September 12-14: Master Class, McBride's Magic & Mystery School with Tobias Beckwith - Eugene Burger www.magicalwisdom.com. September 16-18: Focus on Martial Artists, Special Guest: Aaron Crow. McBride's Magic & Mystery School. www.magicalwisdom.com. September 22-23: Focus on Stage Magic and Manipulation, McBride's Magic & Mystery School. www.magicalwisdom.com. October, 2008 October 10-12: Focus on Street Magic with Jeff McBride, McBride's Magic & Mystery School. This special 3-day class, Jeff will share his insights and special magic effects the are best suited for today's "STREET MAGIC" venues. Both real "STREET Performance" And "Street Magic For Television" will be covered. www.magicalwisdom.com. October 22-24: McBride's Magic & Mystery School's Magic and Meaning Conference. www.magicalwisdom.com. November, 2008 November 2-4: MINDvention - Palace Station. November 6-9: Magic and Medicine, McBride's Magic & Mystery School - with Eugene Burger. A special seminar for medical practitioners of all sorts: physicians, nurses, therapists, holistic practitioners, and other professionals who wish to understand how to apply the powerful skills of performance magic to enhance the healing relationship. www.magicalwisdom.com. November 12-14: Mentalism Master Class, McBride's Magic & Mystery School. Presenting their third annual Master Class aimed exclusively at mentalists, with special guest, Ross Johnson. Jeff McBride's Master Class is the premier program in contemporary magic where YOU and your performance take center stage in a safe and supportive setting. At this Special Master Class all of the performances and all of the talks and breakout sessions will be on the subject of MENTALISM. Eugene and Jeff will share their thoughts on Mentalism for Magicians. www.magicalwisdom.com. December, 2008 December 1: IBM 257 hosts its annual Magician of the Year Gala at the Orleans Hotel and Casino. Honoree to be named soon! February, 2009 Seigfried and Roy are set to perform for one show only at the Lou Ruvo Brain Institute's "Keep Memory Alive" Fundraiser in Las Vegas. This might turn into a television special. Details to follow. April, 2009 April 27-30: Steve Kissell presents the Performance Skills for the Family Entertainer, a four-day working seminar which includes "America's Funniest Magician" Competition. Trixie Bond, Steve Kissell, Marcella Murad, Dave Risley, Dave Hill, Glen Bailey, Ralph Metzler, B-Rad, Ron Conley, Tom King and Will Roya. Special interview with Stan Allen. Orleans Hotel. www.familyentertainersworkshop.com Please email any Las Vegas magic updates/news to David through his website: www.dnmagic.com. -------------------------------------------- 11. Billy McComb Auction, Sept 7 -------------------------------------------- Message from David Goodman forwarded on by Annabel Gray I am pleased to announce that I have been retained by The McComb Legacy to auction the estate of Billy McComb on September 7th, 2008 at the Magic Castle starting in the morning (the start time will be announced soon). This should prove to be a great sale with something for everyone with an interest in magic. Highlights include: Early McComb Scrapbooks, Photographs & Posters A Great Collection of June Merlin ephemera A Martin Card Rise & a Willman Jumbo Rising Card Billy's extensive Magic Book Collection Vanishing Bird Cages including a rare Lindhurst cage A set of Billy's own color-changing silks A unique set of Tarbell's Course in Magic with each volume inscribed by Tarbell to McComb with animated line drawings A complete bound file of Stanyon's Magic signed by Stanyon - believed to be Stanyon's last autograph Plus much, much more - 304 magical lots!! A complete catalog of the offering is available on-line at The McComb Legacy as well as Terms & Conditions of Sale, Bidder's Registration Form, and Absentee Bid Form. Hard copies of the catalog will be available to purchase for $20 from The McComb Legacy by contacting legacyauction@dslextreme.com. -------------------------------------------- 12. Article About Vanni Pule' -------------------------------------------- Message from Chris Gove Maltese magician and illusionist, Vanni Pule' was featured prominently in a full-colour two page spread on the Maltese Sunday paper 'Kull Hadd' of the 17th August 2008. Based on an interview journalist, Ramona Portelli had with him, the article outlines the thirty years of popularity stemming from thousands of 'live' performances and regular appearances on Television. It traces the first show that Vanni and Mary Anne had together in 1970 and how they worked together until they got married in 1975 and then continued to perform in full force as a duo for three decades. Vanni admits that he loves wonder and amazement but he has his feet firmly on the ground and he is very sceptical of anybody who claims any paranormal powers. In the title to the article she quotes him as saying, 'Real magic does not happen'. In fact she concludes that Vanni, although keeping a lower profile than before, and dedicating some time to painting too, still learns new tricks and keeps practising old and new material. A picture of the actual article can be seen here: http://www.magician.org/member/vannipule/latest An online version without the photographs can be seen here: http://www.kullhadd.com/?task=2§id=10&articleid=11829 -------------------------------------------- 13. British Ring Convention -------------------------------------------- Message from Bob Hayden PRO to the British Ring Those of you who read American magic magazines will be familiar with the name of Denny Haney. He's the one who advertises on the back covers the magic wares of Denny and Lee. They are among the largest magical dealers in the USA whose shops can be found in Baltimore and Las Vegas. Denny is very much in the mould of Edwin Hopper of Supreme Magic who sadly is longer with us. Both, before becoming successful magical dealers, enjoyed careers in performing magic. However unlike Edwin Denny was a vaudevillian and still looks like one with his puckish fun filled face, it being suggested he looks a little like that old time comedian Max Wall. His fun advertisements completely capture his personality. Denny Haney is a strong performer who concentrates on the classics. What can be described as his 'party piece' is the Multiplying Martini Bottles. Because this effect has for so long been associated with Tommy Cooper, its popularity with a large number of magicians has been lost. You will find, after seeing Denny's presentation, that with the application of skill and thought, this classic can still be a hit in any show. No doubt you will notice how the influence of Ken Brooke's routine shines through in Denny's presentation. This is not surprising since it was Ken who sold him his original set of bottles at the same time giving him a tutorial on it's working. This happened when Denny, a Vietnam war veteran, took a leave in London and paid a visit to Ken's studio. We predict that after watching Denny perform this first-rate trick a whole host of Multiplying Martini Bottles, instead of laying dormant on the shelves of many magicians, will be coming out of retirement and given a new lease of life. Paul Shone describes Denny Haney as a respected performer, dealer and all round 'magical nut'. If he is, as we have suggested, in the mould of Edwin we know what we can expect! Mark Mitton probably is a name not known to many British magicians. He was born in Moncton New Brunswick Canada, grew up in Superior Wisconsin and now lives in New York. He has trained with the greatest masters of magic and comedy and has worked around the world for 25 years creating customized and magical presentations that make corporate and private events meaningful and memorable. His strength is his ability to get a crowd going and to provide the right magical touch, in the right place at the right time. His clients like Pepsi Co and AT&T keep coming back to Mark for his astonishing sleight-of-hand, his hilarious humour and his easy going style that enchants and dazzles audiences. He also holds an Economics degree from Haverford College. This is Mark Mitton's first appearance at a British Ring Convention. The British Ring is fortunate having among its members those who are willing to step into the breach whenever a crisis arises. One of these is Steve Evans. Bryan Atherton, after suffering poor health just before Christmas last year, felt it better if the responsibility of organising the Close-up Competition and International Close-up Gala at the Convention were passed to another. To undertake this important role he recommended to the Committee Steve Evans, who had expressed a willingness to do so. It was a recommendation that was gratefully accepted. We are pleased to report that Bryan has now regained his health and will be on hand to provide valuable help. Those of you outside the Midlands may not know Steve. He became a member of the British Ring in 1992 and attended its Convention the same year. The following year he joined the British Magical Society and has to date won their annual Close-up Competition twice and is the only member to win their Stage competition on four occasions. He also is a member of the Wolverhampton Circle of Magicians winning their close-up Trophy three times and serving as their President on two occasions. What motivated Steve to become involved in the Convention? Quite simply he would rather be a doer than a watcher. This he was able to do when Bryan Atherton (who is a fellow member WCM and BMS member and a close friend of Steve's) took over the running of the Close-up Competition and International Close-up Gala. He came on board as a member of the support team working through the ranks from Runner to Room Host. Last year he stepped in at the last moment to run the International Close-up when Bryan was laid low with a damaged ankle, it being emphasized the accident was in no way alcohol related. It is a comfort to know that both events Steve is organising are in capable hands. Steve works as a professional magician covering the range of Close-up, Cabaret and Children's Magic, his interest in magic initialling growing from working on the Comedy Club Circuit. Two years ago he competed in the Close-up competition and has participated in the Fringe Events organised by Fay Presto. It is not only the Close-up events that Steve will be involved with. He will also be hosting the Shield Competition and is introducing an innovation into the show, a running theme in the form of a joke competition. He is asking for members to submit to him the sort of jokes you would hear in a pub, are told at work or you have received by text. They need to be short and not used in your (or anyone else's) act. Throughout the competition he will read your jokes and the one the audience likes the most will win a prize (donated by Keith Bennett) plus a trophy. It will be a bit of fun and another chance for you all to be involved. Please e-mail your jokes to Stevemagicbloke@aol.com or by text to 07900 191958. You can submit them by post to Steve Evans, 22 Fallings Lane, Wolverhampton WV10 8BH There is still time to register for the Convention. Hundreds of you have already done so. What is stopping you from joining them? For this is the Convention where not only do you see spectacular magic, learn from world-class lecturers but yet have time to socialise with your fellow magicians. So get in touch with the Registration Officer Neville Johnson by phone on 01202 873234, by e-mail at nevillejohnson25@aol.com or by using the Payments page on this website. Our Public Relations Officer Bob Hayden is on hand to answer any queries you may have or give any further information. Give him a ring on 023 8032 0277 or e-mail him at bobring25@aol.com -------------------------------------------- 14. Kohl & Company's Rebuttal -------------------------------------------- Message from Dick Kohl and Company Kohl & Company's Rebuttal to comments made in Genii Magazine Kohl & Company's rebuttal to Dustin Stinett's review of their I.B.M./S.A.M. show Dustin Stinett Genii Magazine Dustin, I don't know if we will get a fair shake on trying to state our side concerning your review on us or not... unfortunately because you command the print, you get the final say, but since others seem to feel the same way, I should at least be able to state my side. I have never 'blogged' before so if you could post this I would appreciate our friends at least seeing what we have to say. In any event, here is all I have left to say.... Dustin: It's too bad you feel the way you do about us. I at least vented my frustration to you personally & directly, and did not try to embarrass you in a public forum. I was indeed overtaken by your critizism of us because I did not see it to be constructive at all, only destructive because you simply do not like our act & are tired of seeing it. Certainly you are entitled to your opinion, but I am protective of all the hard work we have put into this act over the years & felt the need to react. We have indeed been seen way too many times, but producers of these shows come to us because they feel we are liked & want us on their show. I don't want our act to be put down for no good reason during our waning years. It is amazing that someone like Norm Nielson could come up to us after the show and say he absolutely loved our act and we were one of his favorites. Just a couple of other things.... I wrote to Craig Mitchell through Genii and told him that I appreciated what he said about us and it was fair. He made some criticism like we were old and dated (and we are), but he didn't try to embarrass us. Using a "no offense" line doesn't cut it especially if the vast majority of the audience is enjoying what they are seeing even if you aren't. This certainly was not one of our better shows, but I make no excuses... we could have done better, but the audience was certainly kind to us. I also said that you have taken away the pure joy of working magic conventions and the desire to work them again. Yes, I said that we might just stay in the corporate world of performing, but if changing my mind will make you distraught then I just may have to reconsider. We've never tried to rest on whatever laurels we have gained over the years ... we have always tried to make our audiences laugh and be entertained, unfortunately an act can never please everyone. You too will be 'old and dated' some day, and since I'm 70 now, I probably won't be around to critique you. Lastly, I appologize for my harshness in my email to you.... I'm not trying to kiss up, I was just caught up in the moment and probably over-reacted. If you have some constructive advice besides asking us to get out of the business, I would welcome it. Sincerely, Kohl and Company -------------------------------------------- 15. International Magic Convention In Bangkok -------------------------------------------- Message from John Teo (Singapore) The 5th AMA Magic Convention will be held in Bangkok, Thailand:  Dates: 10th to 12th October 2008 Venue: Emerald Hotel Registration Fee: US$250 (include 3 dinners for the 3 nights) Stage Competition: 1st prize winner receives US$2,000 plus trophy -------------------------------------------- 16. David Ginn presents his Kidbiz Live Workshop! -------------------------------------------- Message from David Ginn (US) He's Coming Your Way Only Once This Year! David Ginn presents his Kidbiz Live Workshop! 3 Hours of Comedy, Magic & Fun for Kidshow & Family Entertainers Saturday, Sept. 6 . 10 am - 2:30 pm . Phoenix AZ Best Western Airport Inn, 2425 South 24th St, Phoenix AZ 85034. Contact: R. Thomas Woltz: 480-495-8600 or Register Online at: https://www.ticketleap.com/member/list_events.aspx?event_company_id=F4347C69-187E-49C6-BAED-309EECD0E72 Sunday, Sept. 7 . 2:00 - 5:30 pm . Tucson AZ Hogan School of Real Estate, 4023 East Grant, Tucson AZ 85713 Contact: Mike Bekedam 520-320-1967 Saturday, Sept. 20 .10 am - 2:30 pm . Middletown NJ King of Kings Lutheran Church, 250 Harmony Rd, Middletown NJ 07748 Contact: Dick Swandby 732-291-9457 or Steve Mamchak 732-492-1838 Sunday, Sept. 21. 2:00 - 5:30 pm . Northboro MA Northboro American Legion, 402 West Main St, Northboro MA 508-393-3641 Contact: Fran Flynn at 508-615-3570 Saturday, Sept. 20 .10 am - 2:30 pm . Springfield IL First Church of the Nazarene, 5200 So. 6th St. Frontage Rd, Sprfld 62703 Contact: Tim Gallaher 217-341-0807 or clownbiz@gmail.com Registration: $35 advance or $45 at the door. Only one person registers per family attending. Spouses & children FREE. Each registrant receives a FREE book, three FREE tricks, and a FREE David Ginn Magic Kit PLUS three hours of magical show & tell. Credit Card Registrations: Contact David Ginn at 770-466-8421, line #1 or Email: Ginnshow@comcast.net. Give name, phone #, location you wish to attend, number attending, and your credit card number with expiration date. This new workshop will never be repeated in your area. Plan to attend to have fun and learn plenty! Please Tell Others! -------------------------------------------- 17. 29th New Zealand International Magicians Convention 2008 -------------------------------------------- The 29th New Zealand International Magicians Convention will be held in Auckland, New Zealand from the night of December 27th 2008 to January 1st 2009, 1.00am. The venue will be the Waipuna Hotel and Conference Centre in Mount Wellington where we last ran a successful Convention in 2001-2002. Bookings can be made for convention accommodation by contacting: Waipuna Hotel & Conference Centre, 58 Waipuna Road, Mt.Wellington, PO Box 14 164, Panmure, Auckland, New Zealand. Phone: +64 9 526 3000 Fax: +64 9 527 1937 Toll Free Reservations (NZ): 0800 924 786. http://www.waipunahotel.co.nz/ We have been able to secure a very attractive room rate of $NZ110 per night (Incl GST) for single or double rooms with registrants being able to book direct with the hotel. *************************** PLEASE NOTE that 87% of the ALLOCATED rooms have already been booked by conventioneers. If you are planning to attend best to book NOW! This convention will be a SELL OUT! *************************** Six Confirmed Headliners John Shryock (USA), Marty and Brenda Hahne (USA), Ross Skiffington (Aust), George Schindler (USA) and Steve Walker (Aust). The official registration form for the convention can be downloaded from: http://www.ibmring160.com/ If you don't have internet web access contact Ross Harlick, Secretary, 91 Panapa Drive, Meadowbank, Auckland 1072, New Zealand Or by: Phone: +64 (09) 521 3327 Fax: +64 (09) 521 3327 -------------------------------------------- 18.Magic New Zealand e-zine Archives -------------------------------------------- Back issues of the Magic New Zealand e-zine go to: www.watson.co.nz/fezine.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) -------------------------------------------- 19.Privacy Policy And Copyright Notice -------------------------------------------- Our subscriber list is NOT made available to any other companies or individuals. We value every subscriber and respect your privacy. You can subscribe to or unsubscribe from the Magic New Zealand® E-zine at www.watson.co.nz/fezine.html. Magic New Zealand® E-zine is published each Sunday. The opinions expressed therein are those of the individual contributors and not necessarily those of Magic New Zealand®. Neither Magic New Zealand® nor Alan Watson 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 they will not hold Magic New Zealand® or Alan Watson, jointly or individually liable or responsible in any way for the opinions expressed therein. Magic New Zealand® reserves the right to alter, correct or disregard any articles submitted. Readers are encouraged to submit timely articles or news items which may be of interest to subscribers. By submitting articles to this e-zine, the authors grant Magic New Zealand® the right to publish such articles and such authors confirm their copyright of the material submitted. All works published by Magic New Zealand® are protected by international copyright legislation and articles must not be published for profit by anyone other than the individual authors without the written permission of Magic New Zealand®. Notwithstanding the foregoing, 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 2008 Alan Watson