* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Magic New Zealand * Proudly sponsored by International Entertainment * www.Alan-Watson.com * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Issue Number: #633 Date: Sunday 11th January 2009 Editor: Alan Watson www.magicianz.com e-mail: AW@Alan-Watson.com ================================ Hi here is the latest news ================================ 1. Editor's Message 2. The Marvels Of Technology 3. IBM Convention 2009 - Nashville, Tennessee 4. Registration Pricing Extended For The 2009 I.B.M. Convention 5. Remarkable Magic #77 - Nick Lewin 6. Working A Dead Audience - #101 - Kyle Peron 7. Cruising With Paul Romhany #51 8. Entertaining On Cruise Ship 9. Larry White Obituary, By Ben Robinson 10. Apology From Nick Nickolas 11. Broken Wand - Bill Coomer 12. The Magic Of You! 13. Inside Jokes For A magician 14. Bangkok International Magic Extravaganza Thailand 2009 15. Never-Before-Seen "Burning Man" 16. Fantasma Magic Happenings 17. John V. Cooper Wife Needs Help 18. Next NZ Magicians Convention?? 19. NZ Convention Material For "Magicana" 20. e-zine Archives 21. Privacy Policy And Copyright Notice -------------------------------------------- 1. Editor's Message -------------------------------------------- Magic New Zealand is also published weekly on the I.B.M. Portal in colour. Go to www.magician.org Remember if you have any magic news drop me a line: AW@Alan-Watson.com -------------------------------------------- 2. The Marvels Of Technology -------------------------------------------- Message by David Yee (US) Go to the link below and a playing card will appear on your screen...wait a few moments for it to load, then scroll down below the card and you will see a line that has a little red slider bar in it. Move the slider gradually to the right and stop and watch the show take place, then move it a little more to the right and stop and another show will take place and keep doing this till you are to the end. This is sooooooo cool. The marvels of technology. http://www.adobecards.com -------------------------------------------- 3. IBM Convention 2009 - Nashville, Tennessee -------------------------------------------- Message by Dale Salwak (US) IBM Convention 2009 to be Held in Nashville, Tennessee June 30-July 4 Now is the time to register for the International Brotherhood of Magicians' annual convention, to be held in Nashville, Tennessee July 1,2,3,4 with pre-convention activities on June 30th. Terry Richison, Convention Chair, has announced that the special $210 registration fee has been extended until the end of January. After that, it will jump to $250. For full information on the convention including registration forms and accommodations as well as the latest news, please visit www.magician.org. Dale Salwak, Executive Producer of Shows, has announced that the talent this year will bring a truly international flavor to the convention and will feature as guest of honor, Shimada, who will be celebrating fifty years in show business. Here is the tentative schedule with more to come: Wednesday - July 1 Banquet Charlie Frye (magic) - Las Vegas Thursday - July 2 Gala Jorge Blass (as emcee/performer and under whose artistic direction the show will be produced) - Spain An Ha-Lim - South Korea (winner IBM/SAM Competition, stage) Yugi Yamamoto - Japan Kyle Eschen - Hollywood (brilliant 15-year-old comedy magician) Jason Latimer - Los Angeles (cutting edge illusions) Friday - July 3 Competition Night Rich Bloch as emcee - Washington, D.C. Charlie Frye (juggling) - Las Vegas The six finalists for the stage competition (over $20,000 in cash, prizes, and trophies including the Gold Medal) Saturday - July 4 Gala Shimada - Japan (doves) Juliana Chen - China (world champion magician with a surprise act) Timo Marc - Germany (finalist, IBM/SAM Competition, stage) Scott Land - Los Angeles (brilliant marionette parody of Carl Ballantine) Oscar Munoz - Texas Shimada (parasols, dragons) July 2, 3, 4 Close-Up Ed Ellis - Ohio Hayashi - Japan Marc Oberon - England (winner IBM/SAM Competition, close-up) Shoot Ogawa - Japan J.C. Wagner - Arizona Lectures Rich Bloch Juliana Chen Charlie Frye Hyashi Oscar Munoz Shoot Ogawa J.C. Wagner Yuji Yamamoto Big-3 Lecture B. J. Hickman - New Hampshire (kid show magic) You may register online at www.magician.org at the special rate of $210 (good until the end of January) or call the international office at 314/845-9200. All daily events will take place at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville. Evening shows will be held at historic old Ryman Theater and at the Grand Ole Opry Theater Those interested in competing in either stage or close-up categories may apply online at http:///.magician.org/portal/en/node/423 or by calling IBM Contest Chairman, Don Greenberg, at 330-457-2345. -------------------------------------------- 4. Registration Pricing Extended For The 2009 I.B.M. Convention -------------------------------------------- Message by Terry Richison I.B.M Convention Chairman The Early Registration Pricing for the 2009 I.B.M. Annual Convention in Nashville, Tennessee, has been extended until January 31, 2009! If you thought you had missed the deadline last month to save some money and register to attend the Greatest Annual Magic Convention on Earth, this is your lucky day. The convention will be held at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville, The early registration fee was to end on December 31, 2008. The price freeze means that the $210 dollar registration is good until the end of January 2009, saving you $40. On February 1st the registration jumps to $250 per person. You can register online at www.magician.org or by emailing Registration Chairman, Bob Patterson at magic.bob@comcast.net. The convention opens June 30 and runs through July 4th. The talent line-up that has already been booked to appear on the stage of the historic Ryman Auditorium and at the Grand Ole Opry House Theatre. The Ryman Auditorium is where the Grand Ole Opry began many years ago and the Grand Ole Opry House Theatre is the current home of the Grand Ole Opry! You can see all the performers that are scheduled at www.magician.org. This is one convention you don't want to miss as the I.B.M. turns Music City USA into Magic City USA! Don't forget to register now to receive the special pricing for spouses, kids and non-magical parents! See ya'll in Nashville! Terry Richison I.B.M Convention Chairman http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=Os7OSaCZTCfvPWknq5eUTA_3d_3d -------------------------------------------- 5. Remarkable Magic #77 - Nick Lewin -------------------------------------------- Message by Nick Lewin (US) Year's Eve with Peter Reveen It is curious the cycles that exist in a performers working career. I remember a time when December was the busiest month of the year. Much of the month was spent racing around from gig to gig, sometimes doing two or three office parties in a night. By the time you reached the third gig you were running perilously late and beginning to look at the travel directions that had seemed so clear when you scribbled them down in your datebook. Suddenly you began to panic and wonder if they were actually directions for the same city you were driving in! All the excitement/exhaustion peaked on New Year's Eve with the final big show of the season. I would say that 90% of the time I hated those New Year's gigs, but I never remember refusing the check. Now my career has changed and December has become rather a quiet haven in my work schedule and I have had the luxury of being able to refuse New Year's gigs and the crowded rooms of amateur drinkers living it up for the night. Not to mention avoiding those same drunken folk weaving around on the freeway en route home. This year I enjoyed the quietest and most enjoyable New Years Evening that I can recall. My daughters had left Las Vegas after the Christmas holidays and Susan and I were planning to enjoy a 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' marathon. We had hosted a highly enjoyable party for our Vegas friends a few days previously and thought our socializing was complete. Then the phone rang.... On the phone was Peter Reveen and he had remembered a conversation we had during our party about my lifelong fascination with hypnosis. I actually became a magician not through the usual chance viewing of a conjurer but because of my repeated attendance of the wonderful hypnotism show of Edwin Heath. I have written in this column before about my respect for the enormous talent and charisma of Reveen as a magician. I have always considered his version of the Knights Tour to be one of the great theatrical magical presentations. I mentioned to Peter that one of my great regrets was never having experienced his legendary hypnosis shows. Peter has just finished yet another tour of Canada and on my recent tours I saw an old record album of his in a music store in Halifax. The young man who sold me the album told me that he was going to be attending the Reveen show in a few days. In fact he told me he had grown up attending Peter's shows since his early childhood! Now that is the kind of fan base to be really proud of. On New Year's Eve Peter arrived at our home with some DVD's filmed during his hypnotic show over the years. We sat down, had a glass of wine, ate some simple food and I got to see the reason that Peter is a legend in the world of hypnotism. The skilled manner in which Peter handled the audience was a real eye opener and his pacing was a true lesson in show business. To see the style with which audience members were brought onstage, his induction and the speed at which non-suitable volunteers were returned to the auditorium was breathtaking. Peter along with his wife Coral and son Tyrone formed a well-oiled and perfectly calibrated machine as they turned what is often the least interesting part of a hypnosis show into fascinating entertainment. Once the show began it was pure entertainment all the way. Peter's command and presence was magnetic as he turned that group of strangers into a display of world-class entertainment. Everyone was treated with a dignity that in no way interfered with the fun. These days Las Vegas is home to nearly as many hypnotists as magicians. Most of them present a dirty show that ultimately demeans its unpaid stars. Sure it gets laughs, however compared to the funny but family friendly Reveen experience this new breed of hypnotists kind of want to make you take a shower after watching them perform! It was a wonderful New Years Eve: quiet, sober and in the company of a good friend from whom I learned a lot. Perfect! Please feel free to contact me at nicklewin1@me.com -------------------------------------------- 6. Working A Dead Audience - #101 - Kyle Peron -------------------------------------------- Message by Kyle Peron (US) magic4u02@aol.com http://www.kyleandkellymagic.com You are starting your show with your musical opener and having a great time doing it. The music is perfect, the magic is dead on and you are energized. You end your routine and strike your applause pose and ...... NOTHING! You can hear crickets chirp or even a pin drop. You are a bit puzzled and taken back by it and it starts you thinking as you head into your introductions and the rest of the show. It may even affect your performance. Sound familiar? It probably does as I am sure many of us have experienced this from time to time. It is just this sudden realization that the audience is just really "dead". But how can we deal with this and what tips and techniques can anyone use to change the course of the show, get more reactions or stop this from happening in the first place? I would like to talk about this a bit more in hopes that some of the ideas and suggestions mentioned may be of help to you are at least get you thinking. - Weather Conditions or Being Miserable: This typically is just an understanding that audiences want and need to be comfortable in the area where they are watching you. If an audience is not comfortable, it affects their enjoyment of your show and their interaction towards you. If you are outdoors the heat, cold or even sunlight in their eyes can affect how an audience reacts to you. If you are indoors you want to be conscious of lights from lamps etc aimed in the eyes of the audience watching. As I arrive at any venue or home, I always scan the area first and see if there is anything that may make the audience uncomfortable. I ask for lamps to be moved or turned down if they are in the eyes of the audience. If I am outdoors, I try and make sure my audience is in the shade. - Being Told To Behave: This is a big one for the children's performer. In many instances a dead audience can happen simply because the children have been told ahead of time to "sit quietly and behave themselves". The parent thinks they are doing you a favor and it is a nice gesture on their part. However, this causes the children to not react at all simply out of fear. If you sense this may have happened you can combat it several ways. First, I try and make sure to inform my clients that my show is very interactive and that I encourage the children to be involved and react from their seats. I also inform them that I have a set way of setting fun ground rules at the start of my shows. Another way to combat this at the performance is by doing a warm up exercise. There are many of them out there and you can find many listed in the best children's books. The idea behind the warm up is to simply show (in a fun way) how the kids are to react and encourage them to try it and do it along with you. It is a controlled process but gets the children knowing they can react and how to react. - Fear: This is a big one as well, especially for younger child audiences. In many cases younger children simply will not react out of fear of you being a big scary adult figure. They are not used to you and have not seen you before. They need to get comfortable with you before they are relaxed enough to react. You can tackle this problem by trying to get to know the kids early on and through your warm up at the beginning of the show. Get them laughing and giggling and let them see you as a funny guy who is there to help them have fun. - Not Warmed Up: We talked about this briefly already. However a big factor for some audiences being 'dead' is because they have not been properly warmed up. In many cases the audience has no idea what you will do or your personality. They tend to wait a while until they get to know who you are and what you will be doing. This is why it is important early on to convey your character and style well. Get them to know you and get them involved early on. Once they get to know you, they are more inclined to want to react because they start to connect with you. - Distance From Audience: This one may surprise people as many do not think about it. However, the distance between you and your audience can make a huge difference between how an audience will react to you. If an audience is further away from your performance area there is less of a connection between you and them. You will notice that on larger stages or in areas where the children are further away from you, they simply will react less often. If you are conscious of this, you can make sure that before your show starts, you set up a good performance viewing area and discuss this with your client. This will help you out a lot at larger style venues. - Being Able To Hear You: Because I am a deaf entertainer, this is a big one that I am always conscious of. If an audience cannot hear you, they simply will not react to what you are doing. The audience must be able to hear every word you say clearly as well as the music you are using. This means if you must wear a mic or bring a sound system, then that is what you do. I always have mine in my truck so that I can ensure that every show can hear me perfectly well. I do sound checks at larger venues to ensure quality of sound. - Giving Time To React - This is a big one as I see so many magicians falling victim to it. Many times an audience will not react towards what you are doing because you are not giving them enough time to do so. You know your show inside and out and when you get to that stage, we all end to rush things too much. An audience needs that time to react to what they have just seen. If you are doing something funny, let them laugh. If you did a great effect, give them time to applaud you. It can be as easy as doing a 3 second count in your mind and pausing. This simple 3 second count is enough time for the audience to realize you are done a segment and gives them proper time to react to it. These are just a few of many techniques as to why audiences do not react and what you can directly do to remedy it. Many of the solutions are very easy but just require an entertainer to think of them and be aware of them at every performance. 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. - "Encore! Creativity in the Art of Magic" Ebook. Order online now at: http://www.magicenhancer.com/Encore.html - "Tips and Techniques on the Chair Suspension" Ebook. Order online now at: http://www.magicenhancer.com/ChairSuspension.html -------------------------------------------- 7. Cruising With Paul Romhany # 51 -------------------------------------------- Message by Paul Romhany (NZ) Traveling is part of many a magicians lifestyle. Whether it is on ships, on a plane, train or car. As many readers are aware, in 2008 the airlines managed to lose or misplace my luggage fourteen times. They also lost my wife's luggage several times. As a traveler you are entitled to claim up to approx. $1500 US from the airlines if they fail to find your luggage. Unfortunately in many cases this does not cover what was lost. My agent recently emailed me some information that I am going to share with readers of Magic New Zealand. While this is based in the UK, I think it is more than likely available in most countries and well worth checking out. If you travel you are really going to find this useful. The American Express Platinum Charge Card, I think, is one of the most beneficial additions to any acts life! It costs £300 per year and you can apply for one as long as you earn more than £20k per year. The benefits are extraordinary and include: Year Round Travel Insurance - everything you need. Priority Pass - Full membership with no extra charges of over 400 airline lounges worldwide. Hotels: Gold Membership to most Hotel chains giving upgrades on check ins. Car Hire: Elite Status of Hertz and Avis Car Hire Programmes And many more. You can check out the whole benefit package at www.americanexpress.co.uk However - the most beneficial part of the card is the coverage for lost and delayed bags. If you arrive at your destination and your bags do not arrive with you and will be delayed for 4 hours or more AMEX will give you £300 credit on your AMEX card to go and buy anything you need to make up for the missing bags. If your bags are delayed for 48 hours or more they will give you another £300. So a total of £600 to help pay for any clothes etc you need. In the past 6 months alone I have had my bags delayed 4 times and each time AMEX have paid out with no questions asked. I cannot tell you how helpful that was when most airlines might give you £50 if you are lucky. Also each claim has no effect on your membership fee of £300 each year. Again, check out your own credit card company and see what they offer regarding travel. I actually have private travel insurance which covers any health costs that might occur while I travel. In my case, the company I use is based out of New Zealand and I pay $1400 NZ a year for a workers travel insurance. This includes any lost baggage or missed flights plus costs that might be incurred if something happens to me and I end up in hospital or seeing a doctor. Knock on wood I have not used them for hospital issues, however I have had claims for lost bags by the airlines. Quite often, if cruising the company requires you to have some type of travel insurance. In Canada my wife gets hers from her bank at a very reasonable rate. On ships, you are generally not covered for free medical like the crew, you have to pay to see a doctor and this can be very expensive. This is often up to the discretion of the ship's doctor or nurse, so it pays to become friends with them:). -------------------------------------------- 8. Entertaining On Cruise Ship -------------------------------------------- Message by Paul Romhany (NZ) Well it's finally finished. After almost ten years of putting this book together I'm proud to announce it is now on the market. I took my original manuscript that I printed myself for a few years, and that sold for $79.95 and have re-worked it, edited it and made a lot of new additions and changes. This new book will be available from all good magic dealers (and probably some not so good), or direct from my website at www.paulromhany.com If you have ever wanted to work on a cruise ship, this book will show you the way. What is more, I got an email from somebody who purchased the original manuscript and they told me it helped them get work on a ship as a magician. This is the biggest accolade I could get for the book. Pages: 270 Size; 7" x 10" Cost: $29.95 Available: direct from www.paulromhany.com or any good magic shop Entertaining On Cruise Ship - The ultimate guide By Paul Romhany "What you have here is the Definitive Work on working in the Cruise Industry." - TC Tahoe "This is the type of book that contains the "Top Secrets" you will need to know to be part of this great entertainment lifestyle. Name a question about working Cruise Ships and it is answered in this massive book. His section on Do's and Don'ts is worth the price of this incredible book." - Tony Blanco "This book is AWESOME!! Paul has done the leg work for you. He has assembled the latest information through his professional sea legs experience. Buy this book, digest its material and you cannot go wrong! Paul's book is way under-priced! "-Matthew Fallon, Fallon Magic - Cruise ship magician "The information in this book is worth thousands of dollars to anybody wanting to perform on cruise ships...I wish I had this book when I was trying to get in to the cruise ship industry!" --  Den West, Cruise ship entertainer. "With more than 20 years of experience and knowledge gained both on land and while entertaining audiences afloat, Paul Romhany has created a wonderful resource and story-telling guide. In short --Great read, informational, and inspirational!" - Jonathan Levey "Every magician knows that great feeling they get when they buy a magic DVD or book and find a piece of advice or a new effect which enhances their show - that piece of gold that we all look for. Every page of Paul's book has wonderful golden moments in it. Thanks Paul for sharing your secrets of success with us." Jim Gray - purchased this book and is now working on cruise ships! The most comprehensive book ever produced for entertainers who want to work in the cruise ship industry. No stone is left unturned as Paul shares the inside secrets in to becoming a guest entertainer on board a high-end luxury cruise liner, and more importantly how to keep your job. Learn how to go about working in the cruise industry, life on board a ship, what to expect, how much money you can earn, how to get your DVD in front of the right agent or cruise line, and a bonus chapter of some of Paul's pet magic routines from his act. Learn facts about ships and ship life and details about day-to-day life as a Guest Entertainer on a ship (the good times . and the not-so-good times). Plus, in a further effort to share the richness that a career in cruise ship entertainment might offer, Romhany has included beautiful photos from around the world, and even excerpts from his very own personal journal --which draw the reader into this fascinating world and illustrates the author's very own life on board ship in ways which most other authors might not be willing (able) to share. Included are up-to-date web addresses, a glossary of ship terms and cruise ship contact information that will surely accelerate the learning curve for those that have the true spark, desire, and talent to pursue launching their career as a successful cruise ship entertainer. For more seasoned entertainers, this guide should also prove both interesting and informative. This 270 page book is also packed full of photographs and stories from Paul's career as one of the most sought after cruise ship magicians, giving you a true insight in to the real world of this type of work. The book is also interlaced with stories and advice from other veteran cruise line entertainers and valuable lessons they have learned. -------------------------------------------- 9. Larry White Obituary, By Ben Robinson -------------------------------------------- Message by Walter Zaney Blaney (US) Bravo to Ben Robinson for his splendid and loving obituary on the recent death of Larry White, one of the truly greats in magic... a "behind the scenes" great. It was my pleasure to have an ongoing conversation with Larry about things both magical and scientific via our emails over the years. Larry and I both very much wanted to meet each other face to face, but never quite made it. Still we were good friends and my thanks to the computer for that. I learned so much more about Larry's life that I did not know, and my thanks to Ben Robinson for that. Many years ago when Larry was trick editor and reviewer for Tannen's Magic Manuscript I wrote him about an idea I had. Since it was easy to send a reviewer a close-up trick or a book to be reviewed, there was no way to send a stage illusion to a reviewer, and so they were very seldom reviewed. VCRs were relatively new back then, and I wrote and asked Larry if he could see a VHS of an illusion in live action, would that be a good way of solving this problem of magic illusion inventors. He wrote back that he loved the idea and wanted to give it a shot. I sent him my videos and ended up with some very nice reviews by Larry of a few of my stage trick inventions. It led to the other magic magazine reviewers following suit. It seems like such a simple thing, but it was Larry who immediately picked up on a new idea that hadn't been tried. And though I enjoyed getting my illusions reviewed, it was the fact that It bonded me and Larry to begin a long and beautiful friendship over the ensuing years via our emails about magic and science, and about philosophy in both realms. Larry's wife Doris meant a great deal to him and was such an important part of his success he told me. My condolences to Doris. Long live our friend Larry White, one of the really "good guys" in magic. Walter Zaney Blaney -------------------------------------------- 10. Apology From Nick Nickolas -------------------------------------------- Message by Nick Nickolas (Aust) After a reviewing of my review last week, I would like to say yes it was a touch harsh. Though I do like to say what I see, this time I admit I went a tad over the line. Therefore I publicly apologize to all concerned for these comments **************************************  "The acts were average all did self working stuff"  In hindsight, this should have read,  "In spite of these bad conditions the acts worked the room well. Ron Gallagers juggling was a highlight for me, top skills in the dark! The others, a few too many self working tricks for my liking, but hey everyone to themselves." ***************************************  "the shamble of a show"  It defiantly wasn't a shamble, I've seen and been in shambles of shows  It was a show with good acts, but the bad sound and lights made the whole production quite shameless.  Let that be a lesson for all of us no matter what we do, Comedy, Music, Magic, Juggling etc, if the audience can't see you or hear you, you are facing an uphill battle. ***************************************** Once again I humbly apologies to all concerned for my errors,  I wrote the body of the review returning home that night after a few whiskeys and didn't proof read it enough before I sent it to Alan. I just expected better at the 70th Anniversary of the Victorian Magic Circle and got a bit emotional when I was tapping the keypad. Regards Nick Nickolas -------------------------------------------- 11. Broken Wand - Bill Coomer -------------------------------------------- Message by Steve Schlanger With great sadness I have to inform the magic community to let you know that Bill Coomer of Cape Girardeau, Missouri passed away, and there will be a funeral Saturday. 01/10/09 With a visitation on Friday the 8th. It will be held at Ford and Sons. (573) 275-8017 He will be missed by and the people that knew him and loved him. Bill was a speaker at a recent collector's seminar. He spoke about autograph collecting. He was the catalyst in starting more than a few people to do magic for a living, or starting magic collections. He was more than happy to share anything that would help you in magic, and his patter was in a league of its own. Not only was he a top notch magician, he touched your heart as well. He was also a motivational speaker. While Bill was in the Military in the 60's he worked under Leo Behnke at the magic shop in Disneyland (pre Steve Martin) landing the job by showing Leo "The Coomer Aces" a trick he invented when he was 14 years old, and a great trick to say the least..Bill would see Walt Disney walking down Main street and say "hello" to him. While working for Leo Behnke, Bill found out that his wife was pregnant and asked Leo "Who is the greatest magician in the world?" Leo told him, "Dai Vernon," and Bill told Leo that if his wife had a boy that would be his name. Dai Vernon Coomer. She had a boy!. Years later Bill saw Dai Vernon at a convention and when he told Vernon that he named his son after him, Vernon said, "I have had a race horse named after me, but it never won any races, I hope your son wins races!" Bill had tricks and articles in The Linking Ring, Pallbearers Review and was mentioned in his favorite book on magic "The James File." with "Greater Magic" coming in second. Bill loved to be at magic conventions, doing magic into the wee hours of the morning. He celebrated his 69th Birthday at the Louisville IBM/SAM convention. I felt lucky 29 years ago when I met Bill, he treated me like family from the start, as he would anyone that he met. He was a friend of David Hoy, Larry Jennings, Goodlite Doodson, Bill Bowers, Kevin King, Wiz Wingo, Dan Fleshman, Ken Klosterman, Don (Mende) Mendenall and anyone who shared his passion for magic. He was my mentor in magic and I feel lucky now to say I knew Bill, he taught me more about life, love and magic than I can ever express. I will never forget you, Thank You Bill for everything you have done, for strangers, amateur magicians, and people who needed to hear a kind word. The world is a better place due to your life. -------------------------------------------- 12. The Magic Of You! -------------------------------------------- Message by Barron Stringfellow (US) Educational Lightning Strikes for the third time with "The Magic of You!" Horton Kansas Magician, Barron Stringfellow, designs programs: Gambling Programs, Tradeshow Programs and Educational Programs! Designs, Builds, and Performs.but let's go back in time, just to get the feel for this! Schools Without Drugs was a very successful Drug Awareness Program geared for grades K-8; the assembly portion of SWOD was a 45 minute show using magic to deliver messages of Substance Awareness, Dangers of Alcohol and Other Drug Use, and Alternative Behavior to Avoid Substance Use. In 4 seasons, the show itself was performed for over 800 schools, Festivals and Educational Events and nearly 350,000 Kids! Funded primarily by Donations and Grants, the show was virtually free to the schools.even the shows handouts were provided by the Department of Education. The entire show fit into one footlocker, and some carrying cases! The biggest hit of the show besides the Doves was the Head Cremation..performed on the Principal! Previously, Barron had designed a show for the Washington State Department of Ecology called "The Eco-Magic Show", which generated about 15 Legal size bankers' boxes of Fan Letters, Posters and Drawings from the nearly 150,000 kids and teachers who saw it! Revise, Reuse and Recycle were the magic words used to clean up litter and teach the principles of recycling and ecology to grades K-6. Armed with car litter bags with rabbits in hats inside the recycle symbol and all the educational materials the Department could provide, the show was a full production with Backdrops, Lighting and Sound..even 3 major illusions were used (Zig-Zag, Sword Temple and Chair Suspension). The Eco-Magic show ran for just one season, discontinued because Barron wouldn't frivolously use the remaining $16,000 dollars of budget money to prevent the size of the budget from going down "we just figured we were saving the tax payer some money.who knew it would cost us the show! They (the DOE) wanted us to just go out and buy stuff we didn't need. and we couldn't buy anything for use in the following year! It all had to be used up in 2 weeks. We had already done our final shows, so I couldn't justify spending my tax dollars that way!" Would he do it differently if he could? "Sure! I would have increased our salaries early on in the program, so we could use the budget in a timely manner. We weren't overpaid, So it would have been nice to make a bit more!" In 1997, Barron and his family (Wife Athena, Sons Richard and Christopher and Daughter Marriah) toured the Washington State Fair circuit with a Family Values show called "The Stringfellow Family Magic & Illusion Show". The Production won multiple awards and was highly regarded by the Fair Boards! Named the "#1 Family Fair Show" by the Washington State Fair Association, and "#3 Overall Best Fair show" (That's out of over 4500 acts!), they were invited to perform at the World's Fair in China! Now let's zoom to the present! Barron has designed, and is implementing a new show for schools called "The Magic of You!". It is everything its' predecessors were, and more. After Writing, Producing and Performing Ecology, Family Value and Substance Awareness programs, it became obvious to Barron what the missing link is that creates the continuing need for such programs. The boy/girl who litters or seems not to care about their surroundings, the young person who becomes involved in Substance Use, the bullying youth who eventually finds a Gang to enforce the violent behavior as "Okay". ALL these at risk behaviors share a common missing element: Each of the participants is running on low or negative self-esteem; none of them have true self-awareness. What should become "Self Realization" is quickly becoming societies' actualization. After much research, Barron and his team determined that Substance Use is just one aspect of the perils plaguing our school age youth that we fight Ddaily. Gang Influence, Peer Pressure, Youth Suicide, Youth Homicide, Teen Pregnancy, Bullying and Drop Outs; are all revolving around the central issue of low self-esteem and lack of self-awareness. The Magic of You! Is a revolutionary production that addresses the whole risk spectrum, by educating youth on Issues of Self-Esteem & Self-Awareness? Using the 6 Pillars of Character, this 45-60 minute Colorful, Fast Paced Magic Show illustrates each of the lessons being taught; Grades K-6 and 7-12 (the delivery/length changes for the older group, but the theme stays constant throughout) are given tools to help each individual attending become Pillars of Society. This is not JUST a magic show. As with all of Barron's presentations, this educational assembly uses magic as a delivery device! As with the other programs produced by Barron, this program is being reviewed by Master Educators, Mental Health Professionals and members of other Substance/Health Programs. They are also members of The National Association for Self Esteem, which puts this program in an elite position of National Recognition! The U.S. Department of Education supplies all the educational materials for the Assemblies! Each presentation will be evaluated using US Department of Education DFSCA Criteria. Already the program has its own stamp, and of course a Wiz Smiley logo! Geared to begin in earnest in the 2009-2010 school year, it may make some maiden voyages this year throughout Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska for evaluations; what Barron calls tweaking the product: "Even though everyone so far says the program and script are great, ultimately it is up to the kids to accept or reject. I am confident that the program has the style and look it needs to succeed.but I have been out of school a long time now! We will see what the audiences say." Barron and his lovely wife Athena are members of Society of American Magicians Assembly 38, the R.W. Klamm assembly in Independence Missouri, and The International Brotherhood of Magicians Kansas City Ring 129. Barron has been doing magic since he was 7, and working professionally since he was 13. They continue to perform their Gaming Demonstrations, Seminars and Tradeshows, Athena acting as office manager and all around support group! Another show Barron is working on is the Casino Cabaret Show, set to appear in Casino Show lounges. The economy has put this on the back burner somewhat, although the casino bookers are telling Barron they need the show to bring in more people to the establishments. Barron has teamed up with other magicians to perform these revue style shows, and says even though the casinos are ready, he doesn't want the idea to fail due to a shaky economy. He'll be patiently waiting for an upswing in stability so the show has some chance at longevity! Meanwhile the economy has had little or no effect on the school program; in fact, it may be the very cause of the programs immediate success! There is even a Performing Unit on Standby in California so MOY can cover the West Coast, too! "In times of need, there is no better way to spend our Cat 1 funding than bolstering the children up! Being able to offer matching funds, full grants and community supported funding is a blessing in the economic darkness we are seeing!" says Barron, "The Magic of You is the Social Vaccine of Young People's Mental Health &  Wellness!" For questions about The Magic of You, Barron and Athena can be reached at: themagicofyou@rocketmail.com or write them: Post Office Box 28, Horton Kansas 66439. Barron Stringfellow ~ Master of All That Is Magical! For Bookings/Info Athena at (785) 741-0767 Post Office Box 28 Horton, KS 66439 -------------------------------------------- 13. Inside Jokes For A magician -------------------------------------------- Message by Barry Khoo You might be a magician if. 1. Your best pickup line is "Pick a card." 2. You use the word "effect" rather than "trick". 3. You pay $50 for a $1 coin. 4. A "shell" is not something found on a beach. 5. All your friends call you when magic is on TV. 6. You never play card games with your cards. 7. While watching a movie or TV, you have cards in your hands. 8. You pose for a photo with one eyebrow raised! 9. You pay $60.00 for a book and get, possibly, one or two useful things out of it and you're happy. 10. Your Christmas/Birthday wish list looks like a magic catalogue. 11. If you've ever been asked the question "can you make my wife disappear"? 12. You're back-ordered for rabbits and doves at the pet store. 13. 75% of your patter consists of lame one-liners. 14. You drive 300 miles round trip to visit a teeney-tiny store. 15. You have over 100 responses to the phrase "How did you do that?" 16. There's a pack of cards in sight as you read these words. 17. You're holding a fan of cards in every photo that you're in. 18. You actually want to go to a lecture. 19. You record every magic special on TV. 20. You have a tie with playing cards on it. 21. You get emotional when shuffling a new deck. (So true!) 22. Anytime you see someone you want to meet, you start rolling a coin or doing one-handed shuffles with a deck. 23. You have more than three decks of cards on you at any given time. 24. Your idea of the perfect proposal is Copperfields 'Rose to Ring' 25. You think David Blaine sucks (c'mon how true is this!!!). 26. The post office calls to tell you that you have ANOTHER package in. 27. Your entire friends name starts with "The Amazing" or "The Great". 28. After viewing magic on TV, everyone in the room looks at you asks, "How'd they do that"? And, all you do is smile and say, "It's really easy if you think about it, but magicians can't tell." And you're really thinking "How the heck did they do that"? 29. You have your local magic shop on speed dial. 30. You can lose your thumb and you visit the magic shop instead of the emergency ward. 31. You pay to see a lecture, buy a written version of what was just demonstrated to you, and then buy a manufactured version of something in the notes. 32. You know who Brad Christian is and you always wonder if he's gay or not. 33. You have so much magic stuff in your room that it's considered a fire hazard. 34. You have more elastic bands than a stationary shop. 35. You spend hours trying to rearrange the letters in your name to use on stage (only to come back years later using your real name). 36. You've thought of bringing your topit or pull to class on exam day incase you need to make an "emergency vanish". 37. You don't mind kissing a dove. 38. It really matters to you how someone shuffles your deck. 39. You expect people to think 'it's magic' when it took you half an hour to set up. 40. You own a top hat, cape and cane and have never gone to the opera. 41. You began demonstrating the mysteries of ancient China at the age of 9. 42. Someone actually hands you a fork and says please bend this. 43. You say 'how's tricks?' to a friend and get a 2 hour lecture. 44. You pretended to be insane just to get the straight jacket. 45. You can say "I will now penetrate ..." with a straight face. 46. "Bikes and Ho's" is not a funny phrase to you. 47. Most of your English papers are about magic. 48. You have one or more chipped teeth from biting the wrong quarter. 49. You never throw out old decks because you "can make something out of it". 50. You carefully watch a card-playing scene in a movie only to see what kind of cards they're using. 51. If you know everyone in the L&L audience by name. (Davey Richardson - Joel Dresnick) 52. You've convinced yourself that feathers actually look like flowers. 53. Your handwriting is better with a Swami gimmick than it is with a real pen. (Lee Darrow) 54. You have to do a 20 minute show at the airport security station because they don't believe what's on your business card. (Lee Darrow) 55. If you owe more to Jim Steinmeyer than your annual income. (Jordan Allen) 56. You buy your son a ball and vase instead of a ball and glove. (Ray Kosby) 57. You mail-order something that the supplier says will vanish and don't for a second think it might be some sort of a scam. (Rory Burdack) 58. You have used lame jokes such as: "Hold out your hand... no the clean one!" "Pick any card... anyone you like... no! not that one!" 59. Every time you pull out your credit card you instantly tenkai. (Davis Mueller) 60. You have enough playing cards to host a world series poker competition. (Troye Keuvelaar) ---------------------------------------------------------------- Just for the male magicians: Your girlfriend knows the sound of riffled cards over the phone. You see an attractive woman and think if she will suit your act. Magic turns you on more than women do. You spend more time in front of a mirror than your girlfriend does. You show your girlfriend the same trick everyday insisting that "I've improved it greatly". You are the only one of your male friends that has a nice "silk collection". You ask every waitresses you meet "do you have a minute?" -------------------------------------------- 14. Bangkok International Magic Extravangaza Thailand 2009 -------------------------------------------- Message by Barry Khoo Bangkok International Magic Extravaganza 2009 Fashion Island Plaza Thailand 2009 19th - 22th February 2009 Any further inquiry please e-mail: mamada_magic@hotmail.com or at +66816187520 -------------------------------------------- 15. Never-Before-Seen "Burning Man" -------------------------------------------- Message by Barry Khoo Master Illusionist Lawrence Khong and his daughter Prisilla will attempt the never-before-seen "Burning Man" during the annual street parade Chingay this year. Known for their death-defying acts, the father-daughter pair recounts their journey into the magical world. As a pastor, Lawrence has to handle the controversy for being involved in magic which some associate as the dark arts. And also, Shi Ting learns the 'strangulation' act. Find out the secret behind that trick. http://www.razor.tv/site/servlet/segment/main/lifestyle/18582.html -------------------------------------------- 16. Fantasma Magic Happenings -------------------------------------------- Message by Roger Dreyer (US) Fantasma Magic Proudly Presents the one and only Rich Marotta Lecture for Magicians ONLY! Thursday January15th - 7pm Rich Marotta, Headlining Comic Magician for 20 years will be presenting a new lecture which will emphasis comedy close up and walk around magic. The lecture will cover a range of magic from easy to difficult, but all of which is very commercial. He will also have some commercial effects to sell. All seats are $25.00 www.Fantasmamagic.com -------------------------------------------- 17. John V. Cooper Wife Needs Help -------------------------------------------- Message by David Ginn (US) Dear Friends: John V. Cooper - magician, author, educational speaker, performance coach, and friend of many - died Sunday night, December 28, after a year-long struggle with heart and kidney problems. He was 52 years old. Due to a 20-year long heart condition that started with strep throat, John was never able to get health insurance or life insurance. Cathi, his wife of 25 years, is now in a serious financial situation. Let Me Explain: John was a fulltime magician and public speaker. Cathi, worked in the performance business with him, having quit a fulltime job years ago as his health required her. During the last year of his life, Cathi had to be with John 24 hours each day, even presenting many of his teacher in-service programs when he could not stand and do them. John could only sit at the back of the room and help with sales. By June 2008, when he attended my Greenville SC workshop as my guest, John was so weak that he could not stand and work at all. Indeed, John and Cathi had virtually no income for the past six months. By September 2008 John's heart condition worsened. He needed a heart transplant, but could not be placed on the list due to kidney problems. By November he was placed on dialysis three times weekly - during which time John & Cathi had their 25th wedding anniversary, and he stabilized enough to return home two weeks before Christmas. Prior to this time, with hospital bills mounting to over $100,000, John and Cathi had applied for medical financial assistance. They were turned down by Medicare and Medicaid because they had "a little money" in their checking account and because "their credit cards were NOT totally max-ed out," they were told. The hospital put them at that time on a payment plan. I spoke to John and Cathi the Sunday before Christmas. He was weak but "hanging in there," he said. Both Cathi & John were extremely thankful for gifts of cash and books (to resell) sent by many friends. I assured them of our prayers via family, church, magic and clown groups. The next morning John got worse. I will spare you the details, but he was rushed to the hospital and hovered for the week between life and death. Like the fighter he was, John made it through Christmas on Thursday, still conscious and coherent. Then on Sunday evening, with wife Cathi, brother Jeff, and 27-year-old son John Jr at his bedside, John Cooper joined his maker in Heaven. On December 31, Cathi held a memorial service for John at the funeral home in Anderson, SC. About 70 people attended, friends from church, magicians, and speakers that knew John. Speakers included brother Jeff, Tim Sonefelt, Max Howard (for himself and reading an email from Sammy Smith), David Ginn, Mark Daniel, Tom Sikorski, Steve Spanks, Rhett Bryson, as well as Al Walker, past president of the National Speakers Association, of which John was a member. The service was full of funny stories and happy memories - a celebration of John's life. Cathi kept a box of tissues in her lap for tears cried due to heartfelt stories and plenty of John Cooper style corny jokes. All guests were given red sponge clown noses to take home and remember that funny John Cooper. It was amazing how one life touched so many different people. John Cooper, everyone agreed, was a one-of-a-kind guy! For the past two months Cathi has been under tremendous stress, as you can well understand. Now John is gone, and Cathi has no income and no insurance whatsoever. Book sales from her online store (see below) have been very low in recent months, which was something she tried to do while tending to John at home this fall. Have you ever wished YOU could really help someone you don't even know? Someone who is truly in need? Have you ever wanted the real spirit of Christmas to work in the real world? Well, friends, here is your chance to make that happen! The time to help that someone is NOW - and that someone is Cathi Cooper. How can you help? Honestly, Cathi needs money to pay medical bills and house bills. Gift cards will NOT work for those needs. She needs cash. Let me suggest several different ways you can help her: 1. Send Cathi A Sympathy Card and pray for her. If you can spare $5 - $10 - $20 or more with the card, yes, that would help. Here is her address: Cathi Cooper, 101 Beulah Drive, Anderson SC 29625 USA. 2. Send a financial contribution to the John V. Cooper Fund, % Regions Bank, 3404 Clemson Boulevard, Anderson SC 29621. Cathi will use this to pay medical bills and personal expenses. It's tax deductible, if you need an excuse. 3. Make A Contribution using PayPal. Cathi has an account. Go to https://www.paypal.com and long on to your own account. Then click on "Send Money" and type in Cathi's email: wwinc@mindspring.com. Think of it as "Wonder Woman Inc @ mindspring.com." 4. Order Something from the store: http://sunnysideupbooks.com/. There are all kinds of books in the store, including magic books. 5. Send Cathi Some Books. If you have new or used books around the house, pack them up and ship to Cathi via Media Mail (the cheapest book rate) in the USA only. Maybe she can sell them on the website. Magic and clown friends, especially You Guys - under different circumstances, this could be the wife or mom of any one of us. How would YOU want her treated if YOU passed away in this situation? Consider that and act accordingly. Whatever you do - please act now, this week, this month, to help a very nice lady out of a jam! Personally, I believe that helping Cathi right now is living out the Golden Rule. Sincerely, David Ginn / myself at home -------------------------------------------- 18. Next NZ Magicians Convention?? -------------------------------------------- Message by David Ginn (US) Seeking Expressions of Interest for Next NZ Magicians Convention I'd like to hear from any club in NZ that is considering running the next NZ International Magicians Convention. I know that Palmerston North Magic Circle have mentioned a Magic Day later this year, is there a club considering mounting the 30th NZ International Magicians Convention in 2010? Email me privately please. - Mick Peck President Shore City Magicians Club micknz@ihug.co.nz -------------------------------------------- 19. NZ Convention Material For "Magicana" -------------------------------------------- Message by Michael Woolf Managing Editor, Magicana Magazine A request to all people with Convention material for "Magicana" - reports, comments and photographs - please send to Michael Woolf as soon as possible. The next issue is being prepared. Thanks Michael Michael Woolf Managing Editor, Magicana Magazine Box 38046 Wellington Mail Centre LOWER HUTT 6332 New Zealand Tel. 64 4 587 0045 Fax 64 4 587 0042 mobile 027 4577774 -------------------------------------------- 20. Magic New Zealand e-zine Archives -------------------------------------------- Back issues of the Magic New Zealand e-zine go to: www.Alan-Watson.com 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) -------------------------------------------- 21. 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.Alan-Watson.com 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 2009 Alan Watson