* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Magic New Zealand * Proudly sponsored by International Entertainment * www.Alan-Watson.com * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Issue Number: #669 Date: Sunday 21st June 2009 Editor: Alan Watson www.magicianz.com e-mail: AW@Alan-Watson.com ================================ Hi here is the latest news ================================ 1. Editor's Message 2. When Your Intellectual Property Is Stolen 3. David Copperfield's Project Magic 4. Remarkable Magic #99 - Nick Lewin 5. Strolling Magic For Children - #123 - Kyle Peron 6. Cruising With Paul Romhany #73 7. KIDabra Conference News Update 8. The Auction Of Master Craftsman Leslie C. Smith 9. Lying Cheating Bastard 10. Brad Jacobs To Perform At Convention 11. Patent On New Instant Reset Alpha ITR Design 12. Gala Show At Treasure Island June 27 13. Magic And Mystery To Melbourne's Eastern Suburbs 14. British Ring Convention 15. Palmerston North Magic Circle - Mini Convention 16. e-zine Archives 17. Privacy Policy and Copyright Notice -------------------------------------------- 1. Editor's Message -------------------------------------------- Update on Magic New Zealand's NEWS FLASH service. As I mentioned Magic New Zealand has been a victim of its own success! We now have over 14,500 members worldwide and when I send out an important **NEWS FLASH** it can now take up to 10 hours for all subscribers to receive it! New Zealand's Internet is very slow on international standards! Magic New Zealand **NEWS FLASHS** will only to be sent out for MAJOR news items which will be of interest to the majority of subscribers. We are now offering two other ways to receive **NEW FLASHS** 3,302 have now joined my Facebook friends and 1,373 have subscribed to the Magic New Zealand's  **NEWS FLASH** group. Around 2,000 have yet to register for the New Zealand's **NEWS FLASH** group. If you want to join Facebook go to: www.facebook.com  then to join my group of friends, do a search on Facebook for Alan Watson.  There are number of Alan Watson's - you can identify me as I am the one wearing the blue coat. From there you can do a search for: Magic New Zealand's **NEWS FLASH** and apply to join the group. Second option: If you want to join Twitter go to: www.twitter.com Click on find people and search magicnewzealand You can join the group from there. In the setting file you can set up how you would like to receive the **NEWS FLASHS** by email or by a text to your cell phone. Remember if you have any magic news drop me a line: AW@Alan-Watson.com -------------------------------------------- 2. When Your Intellectual Property Is Stolen -------------------------------------------- Message by Tim Ellis (Aust) What to do when your intellectual property is stolen Last week a colleague alerted me to a user on a file sharing website who had uploaded our DVD 'Ellis In Wonderland' so that other users on the site could download copies for free. I wrote to the user and he was adamant that he wasn't doing anything wrong as he'd paid for the DVD and was sharing it for 'non-profit use'. However, in April a Swedish court jailed 4 people linked to the popular file sharing site Pirate Bay. Further, Pirate Bay has been asked to pay $3.6 million to various entertainment companies for damages. The charge was "promoting other people's infringements of copyright laws". Because he ignored my request to remove my DVD, I filed a DMCA infringement demand letter to the file sharing website. Shortly after, my DVD was removed. Unfortunately this user has uploaded 217 other magic DVDs as well. If you find someone has posted one of your files on a sharing site without your consent, below is a sample DMCA letter you can use as a template. You can read more about them here: http://www.dba-oracle.com/t_official_dmca_removal_request.htm -------------------------------- Sample DMCA official copyright infringement demand letter Official Digital Millennium Copyright Act Infringement Demand Dear Sir or Madam: I hereby swear under penalty of perjury that the information provided herein is accurate to the best of my knowledge. This letter is an official notification under provisions of section 512(c) of the U.S. Digital Millennium Copyright Act to effect removal of the detected infringement listed in this location www.infringing_url.com which infringes on copyrighted content from www.legit_copyright_web_page.htm, wholly copyrighted by my company, without knowledge or consent. We hereby request that you immediately remove or block access to the infringing material, as specified in the DMCA, and insure the user refrains from using or sharing with others my company materials in the future. Please send us a prompt response indicating the actions you have taken to resolve this matter. This link verifies that the infringing content was detected by the Copyscape software: http://copyscape.com/link_to_verify infringement Nothing in this letter shall serve as a waiver of any rights or remedies of Burleson Enterprises Inc. with respect to the infringement, all of which are expressly reserved. Should you need to contact me, I may be reached at the following address: Mr. John Doe 1301 Copyright Ave Dmca, NY, 12345 -------------------------------------------- 3. David Copperfield's Project Magic -------------------------------------------- Message by Graham Justice (Aust) A couple of years ago I started the ball rolling on establishing Project Magic Australasia, this would have been a branch of David Copperfield's Project Magic in the USA. Unfortunately at the time David became embroiled in a sordid scandal that forced him to cancel his Asia tour .  This matter has been resolved and David's good name is still intact. It was a stressful time for him. I thought whilst this was being resolved it was better to put Project Magic Australasia on hold. David is now touring Australia and whilst he is in Sydney we are launching Project Magic Australasia. David will attend the launch on Saturday the 8th August. For more details go to: http://www.digiquick.com.au/Intro.html I would like this to be a project run by magicians, not Digiquick - I invite all magicians throughout Australia and New Zealand to become part of this, I also invite all Magic clubs and other dealers to join in. Magic should be one big family bringing magic into people's lives. To get this rolling I do need your help. I will set up a dedicated web site where all project Magic News can be posted. We will hold seminars in all states over the next few months. Fund raising Magic Shows will be held and you are all invited to participate. Ross Rahman will head a committee and keep track of accounts, I am opening a project Magic Account that will be open for inspection. So let's hear from you, can you help? Would you be on the committee. We need sponsors. Do you have any influential friends in business that would like their name associated with Project Magic? Let me have your views please - also do spread the word, e mail your friends in Magic and tell them about this. -------------------------------------------- 4. Remarkable Magic #99 - Nick Lewin -------------------------------------------- Message from Nick Lewin (US) My adventures with David Carradine. Part Two. The shooting schedule on Kung Fu went surprisingly smoothly and in spite of his many eccentricities I realized that Carradine was the ultimate professional. When David was on the set he liked to make it appear that he was unprepared and unsure of what was happening next. This was far from the case and in fact not only did Carradine know his own lines but everyone else's lines as well. One of David's favorite things to do on set was to secretly touch off flash paper with one of his ever-present oval cigarettes. He seemed to really enjoy the resulting explosion. I use the word explosion advisedly, as David liked to fire up huge wads of flash paper that often resulted in the smell of burning flesh permeating the air. I hatched a plan and took off for the magic store where I purchased enough flash paper, flash cotton and flash string to arm a third world nation. The next day I greeted Carradine on the set with a cheery, "I have some extra flash paper. I thought you might have a use for it." Carradine's eyes lit up like a child at Christmas or, more to the point, like a pyromaniac at a house warming party! The next day I introduced David to flash cotton and it was a huge success. The next day I trotted out the flash string and explained to him that if you had a wad of flash cotton concealed in your hand with a length of the cotton hanging down it would act like a fuse. David's eyes sparkled intensely and he quickly corrected me, "No, it IS a fuse!" From that moment on we became the best of friends. I can honestly say that David Carradine is one of the most unique and extraordinary men I have ever worked with and he still had a surprise in store for me. On the final day of shooting in the middle of a scene David jumped up onto the stage set and addressed the audience of extra's crowded on the set. In a dramatic manner that made Max Maven seem understated, David gave an impromptu mind reading performance for the entire audience and showered them with juicy details about me. Really inside material that I was shocked he knew! With a flourish David concluded his performance by asking a spectator to reach into his jacket pocket and inside was a piece of paper with my mother's maiden name written on it. Game, set and match to Carradine as I was left speechless. I puzzled about how he discovered all this information but Carradine just smiled his Kwai Chang Caine smile and refused to tell me. He had really surprised me and fooled me and wasn't ready to give away his methods! Postscript. About fifteen years after the events described I was attending a ceremony dedicated to my very dear friend Billy McComb. After the Ash ceremony took place all those present adjourned to a local pub for bangers and mash and English beer. As we were eating our food and trading stories about our favorite Irishman I noticed an intense looking gentleman sitting on his own at the side of the room. Since he was one of the few people in the room that I didn't recognize I went over and introduced myself. To my delight it was Patrick Culliton and the two of us found a quiet corner and drank a couple of pints of beer together. Needless to say the conversation focused on our mutual relationship with David Carradine. Suddenly Patrick became very animated and remembered back to an early morning call from Carradine who asked him to run a 'make' on me for his mind reading stunt. "How did you know all that really personal information about me?" Then the final piece of the puzzle fell into place. "Oh, that was easy." Said Pat "All I did was phone McComb!" We smiled and toasted Billy with our beers. As always, without even being there McComb had the final word in clearing up a puzzle. I first saw David Carradine from the confines of Irma's secret control centre. I was sitting with my friend Professor Dave Bourne and the occasion was the wedding reception of David's younger brother Kieth. My last meeting was in Toronto when he asked me to hang around as his guest to talk magic and deplete the Canadian supply of Stolichnaya. I wish I had said yes. I would say RIP Grasshopper but I am sure that wherever you are you are already giving them hell. I love to hear from my readers so drop me an email at nicklewin1@me.com and check out my website at www.nicklewin.com -------------------------------------------- 5. Strolling Magic For Children - #123 - Kyle Peron -------------------------------------------- Message by Kyle Peron (US) magic4u02@aol.com http://www.kyleandkellymagic.com I think the beauty of being a magician is the ability to adapt to situations as they present themselves. It also is about constantly learning and improving yourself and the magic you do. A successful student of magic will always remain a student. However, we as magicians can often become blinded with what may seem like an obvious solution to a problem we may not even notice. As I was performing at a grand opening for a Toys-R-Us, the above observation came to my mind immediately. I was hired to perform strolling-style magic in and around the store for folks and to work as a roving MC to make announcements they wanted patrons to know about. Now this may not seem like a major deal to any of you as is appears to be a standard strolling magic gig that anyone may come across. You prepare your strolling cases and have everything all set to go. You are eager to show your new cards across routine or the new ACR you just learned. The problem occurs when you get there and realize the audience age level you thought you were performing for is not the typical teens, adults and seniors. Your average audience age has turned immediately to toddlers and day care age kids ranging from infant to 7 or 8. Many magicians perform strolling-style magic but seem at a loss when it comes to performing for younger children. In many cases the strolling magician will concentrate on the older kids, teens and adults. The problem is that if you are total solutions provider, you want the ability to perform for all ages and be able to do so even in a strolling style event like the one I just mentioned. There are many strolling situations where you will have a younger audience watching you. As an entertainer, I feel it is important not to leave them out of the fun. This is why I have concentrated on making sure my strolling magic can appeal to anyone regardless of age. I need the ability to be able to customize what I do to those who watch me. So how can you adapt yourself and what you do to perform strolling style magic for children? What are the things you need to be aware of when you do strolling magic for kids? - The first step is simply realizing that children want to be involved. It is then preparing yourself to make sure you can involve them in some way. Always have effects with you that are perfect for young children so that you can engage with them when the situation comes up. - If you are performing a strolling set for younger children, try and get down on their level. Be aware that they want to see magic but may be a bit timid or scared of you. Approach with caution and always make sure a parent is nearby for the little ones. I always will come down to a sort of kneeling position when I perform for them. The reason is that being at their height makes them 1) feel comfortable and 2) allows them to see the magic better. I can also engage them better because the magic and my eyes are closer to them. - Realize that the same rules used at children's birthday style shows can still be used when doing strolling magic for children. Nothing has changed except the stage situation you are in. You may not have the big props, but what makes children laugh still remains the same. - Have routines that are fun for the children and allow the journey to be as much fun (or more fun) then the actual trick itself. Principles of children's magic (such as "See Don't See" and "Magician In Trouble") still work well and can be used in your strolling effects. - Card tricks can still be used. However, you will want to change the cards to alphabet cards or picture cards. These are images and letters that children can remember and you can have fun with. Now all of a sudden a cards across effect can be done with butterfly cards. The blue butterflies can easily be seen to change to red ones. This simple process can work well to take standard card effects you do and have them play for children. - Keep your routines easy to follow and fun. Try not to get overly complicated. The kids want simplicity and comedy. They simply want to have fun with what you do. One way to do this is through storytelling and through the usage of giving a name to a common object. Suddenly a sponge ball named "Bob" becomes fun for the children. What happens to Bob makes for a fun story the kids enjoy. - Do not forget about simple children's effects or tricks. What I mean is a simple trick like Zig-Zag-Rope or even Cubio or a Coin Tray can be fun for children and easy for them to follow. Remember it is not so much the trick but what the magician does with it that makes the difference. Use these standard props because they are easy to travel with and are visual for the children. Then develop a fun routine that gets them involved. - Be careful not to touch children when performing. Even with parents there, you want to be conscious of this as you stroll. Always ask before grabbing a hand or asking them to hold onto something. It is a little thing that makes a big difference. - You can also use puppetry when you stroll. I have a rabbit in the hat puppet I always keep with me when I do strolling magic. It is ideal for the younger children and I can develop great interaction and fun with it. It is a wonderful way to get families with children to stop and watch and engage with you. I hope these few simple ideas will get you thinking the next time you set up for a strolling event. Do not forget the children and engage and involve them in what you do. 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. - I would like to let everyone know that I just released a NEW book and E-Book to the magic Community. "Blue and Gold! The Complete Guide to Working The Scout Market!" is now available as a soft cover printed book as well as an ebook download. - "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 -------------------------------------------- 6. Cruising With Paul Romhany #73 -------------------------------------------- Message from Paul Romhany (NZ) Warning To All Magicians Wanting To Work In Australia We all learn things as we go, and I like to pass on information that will help other acts when they travel around the world. As you may be aware, I recently toured with a variety show around Australia. It was one of the most enjoyable gigs I've done in quite some time. I found something out that the producers didn't know until the last day when I was to get paid. The law had changed since they had last used overseas acts and so were not aware until it was pointed out by their accountant in Australia. Recently the Rolling Stones toured Australia and walked out with millions of dollars - without paying tax. This lead the Australian government to crack down on all entertainers - from speakers, presenters to sports stars, musicians and of course variety acts. What I was told by the producer was that they would have to take 62% out of my fee due to the new tax law!! You could have heard my shouts from the other side of the world if you listened close enough!! I was in shock to say the least. This of course, was through no fault of the people that produce the show, they weren't aware of the law change either. The upside of this saga is a lesson for us all. When you travel to Australia as an artist to work you must have an Australian TFN (tax number) and an ABN number. This way, they won't take out the 62%. There is no way around it. To be able to do this I had to send my original passport and drivers license to the Australian tax office -so this has meant I've been without a passport for the past few weeks. They won't accept copies - just originals! I must say that the tax department who was handling my case has been fantastic in keeping in touch and letting me know my passport is safe and have sent it back registered mail. So - a little warning to anybody who wants to perform in Australia - make sure you have your Australian tax details sorted out before you do the job. I am pleased to report I now have all the numbers I need and the company can now pay me in full - I had to wait two months to get all this sorted but now it's done it means I can work in Australia anytime - which is what we are planning on doing. We now have a manager who is looking after the corporate side of business for us in Australia and we are planning our time down under now. Of course, for anybody who is a non-New Zealand resident you will need special working Visas to work in Australia as well so make sure you have all this in place. -------------------------------------------- 7. KIDabra Conference News Update -------------------------------------------- Message from Mark August 12-15, 2009 Hilarious, entertaining and informative YouTube videos promoting the KIDabra Conference are up featuring Kimmo, David Kaye, Bruce Bray, and Brad Ross. View them now and at www.kidabra.org and please keep checking back as we add more throughout the site as they come in. Contest Deadline July 1, Reminder: You still have time to enter The First Ever KIDabra International Family Performer of the Year Pro/AM Invitational Competition. We have several high quality contestants from Europe and the US, however there may still be a spot for you. Info and register at kidabra.org We hope you will join us in August in the resort area of Pigeon Forge, TN (the home of Terry Evanswood, Barry Mitchell, Duane and Mary Laflin and Dolly Parton) for the Only Place on Earth where the KIDshow World Gathers Annually! -------------------------------------------- 8. The Auction Of Master Craftsman Leslie C. Smith -------------------------------------------- Message by David A. Goodman I thought that the following information would be of interest for next Sunday's issue of Magic New Zealand - as the auction will take place one week later on June, 28th starting at 9:00 a.m., P.S.T. A number of people have inquired about the different ways to bid at this auction. I wanted to clarify that we will be accepting four types of bids at the auction on June 28th - next Sunday. 1.) Absentee bids may be placed by filling out the Absentee Bid Form and then either faxing or mailing the filled out form to: (626) 969-4614 Fax 734 North McKeever Ave, Azusa, CA 91702 Simply state your maximum bid that you would want to pay and a representative will bid on your behalf, as if you were present bidding and will try to buy it for you at the lowest possible bid. Please call (626) 969-4519 to confirm that your absentee bid was received. 2.) Bid via the telephone the day of the auction in real time as the auction is being conducted. A representative will relay to you where the bid is at and will execute bids on your behalf per your vocal instruction. Please call (626) 969-4519 prior to Friday, June 26th to arrange telephone bidding. 3.) Bid from anywhere in the world on your computer as the live auction takes place and advance your bids against the activity in the auction room or against other internet bidders. To do so, please register at MagicAuctioneer.com and click the link. This technology will also allow you to place an absentee bid ahead of time and will have the system bid upon your behalf to try to obtain the lot for lowest possible bid. 4.) Join us in person at Owen Magic Supreme and experience the excitement of live bidding in what should be a truly fun filled, memorable event. The setting will be magical, as the sale will take place at this historical institution. Directions, local hotels, and registration forms go to: http://www.owenmagic.com/Auction2009/index.htm If I can answer your specific questions or assist in any way, please do not hesitate in giving me a call directly at (773) 883-0243. David Goodman The MAGIC AUCTIONEER www.magicauctioneer.com -------------------------------------------- 9. Lying Cheating Bastard -------------------------------------------- Message by Christopher Pratt (Aust) 18 months in the making, Lying Cheating Bastard is the collaboration of magician James Galea and Nicholas Hammond (The Sound Of Music, Spiderman) about Australia's most successful con-man - Jimmy Garcia. Co-written by Galea and Hammond, Lying Cheating Bastard will premiere in Sydney, Australia for a month run before going on tour. Lying Cheating Bastard is the intriguing tale of a young man being drawn into the seedy underbelly of Sydney, the story of infamous con-man Jimmy Garcia aka 'the Cricket', and how he became the most successful con-man in Australia by the age of 27. Part mystery, part coming-of-age story, part demonstration of the finer arts of trickery, Lying Cheating Bastard is the extraordinary story of Jimmy's induction into the murky world of gambling, gangsters and grift. Featuring close-up projection of Jimmy's card scams live on stage, Lying Cheating Bastard stars Australia's Magician James Galea and his increasingly astonishing feats of skill with cards and sleight of hand. "a modern morality tale, it is funny, humorous and entertaining without losing a sense of purpose, and the demonstrations of sleight of hand are totally intriguing and an absolute revelation!" - ABC RADIO Lying Cheating Bastard opens July 2nd and plays till July 25th at The Old Fitzroy Theatre Check it out on facebook - http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=207900690723 -------------------------------------------- 10. Brad Jacobs To Perform At Convention -------------------------------------------- Message by George Schindler S.A.M. Public Relations June 15, 2009 -- New York - Society of American Magicians Brad Jacobs To Appear On Stage In Buffalo Producer John Apperson announced that Brad Jacobs has been added to the roster of the "Past and Present Presidents" show at the S. A.M. Convention in Buffalo (16-17-18) July 15. Brad was National President in 1970-1971 and while producing over 17 convention Shows has not performed on one in many years. Brad has been a member for over 56 years, and is our current Ambassador or Magic in addition to being a Life Member, an Honorary Member and is in the SAM Hall of Fame. He was the 2008 Parent Assembly #1 "Magician of the Year" More info see www.magicsam.com -------------------------------------------- 11. Patent On New Instant Reset Alpha ITR Design -------------------------------------------- Message from James George Inventor of the ITR. ITRMagicTricks.com James George of Sorcery Manufacturing is very proud to announce being awarded a patent on his new Instant Reset Alpha ITR Design. This basically renders all the prior models of the ITR Levitation obsolete when you consider that you can reset the device in literally seconds. This Represents huge Break Through in the Field of Levitation Magic, I believe this information will be of much interest to those who subscribe to your list and enjoy the fine Art of Levitation Magic. Due to most dealers stocking knock off versions of our invention, this item will only be available directly through our Web-site. -------------------------------------------- 12. Gala Show At Treasure Island June 27 -------------------------------------------- Message by Steve Dacri (US) A Night Of Magic, Music, And Awareness... A first annual event is being produced by Grant Griffin for The Colors of Lupus organization in Nevada, and I am honored to be a part of the show as the emcee. Get your tickets NOW as it will surely sell out given the amazing line-up of talent. The Colors of Lupus Gala being held on June 27 at the TI-Treasure Island Ballroom will honor nine community leaders whose support of Lupus has been invaluable. The inaugural fundraising event is being presented by The Colors of Lupus Nevada, a local non-profit community organization dedicated to providing services to Nevadans infected by the Lupus disease, and the Las Vegas Hispanic Council. The 2009 The Colors of Lupus Courage Award winner will be announced the night of the event. Guest of honor: Sen. Dina Titus. The Colors of Lupus Gala will include a cocktail reception, silent auction, food-on-foot, dinner, awards ceremony and entertainment. Featured performers include: magician Steve Dacri as emcee; Terry Davis, Jr. and band; singers Grant Griffin, Jeneane Marie, Tony Sacca, Kelly Clinton; contortionist Samson The Great; violinists Olga Breeskin and Willy Wainwright; and Jose Fajardo's troupe of Mexican folk dancers with mariachis. Tickets are only $50 per person. Call Julie Gibbs at 702-831-3414 for tickets. You can also give me a call and I can have seats reserved for you with a credit card or check, or you can pay at the door, but call me ahead of time so I can reserve great seats for you. Thanks a bunch, hope to see you there. -------------------------------------------- 13. Magic And Mystery To Melbourne's Eastern Suburbs -------------------------------------------- Message from Nick Morton (Aust) Mitcham Magic - June 22nd Mitcham Magic continues to bring magic and mystery to Melbourne's Eastern Suburbs. As usual we have a fantastic line-up of magicians and mentalists to entertain you this June 22nd. I will be back doing some mind reading this month as well as hosting the show. Jo Clyne is back with a whole new act that mixes a little magic and a little mind-reading into a terrific mix. Jo never fails to entertain with her fantastic routines and this month will be no exception. Glenn the "Magic Man" Hamilton returns with his own brand of Magic and Mayhem sure to get you laughing. Those that saw Glenn last time are still talking about it - just where did that balloon go? Come along and see for yourself! Our good friend David Jones is also back by popular demand. David lights up the stage with his magic and is a favorite of all - especially the younger audiences. And speaking of youngsters, many people have asked me about the suitability of Mitcham Magic for younger audiences. Well rest assured that as well as being highly entertaining, Mitcham Magic is also suitable for all age groups. And the show always finishes before 9.30pm so it's not too late on a school night. So if you've been wondering, please come along! Mitcham Magic tickets are a steal at only Adults: $10, Kids: $5. That's fantastic value for unique entertainment! As usual, you can book tickets by calling Helen on 0414 626 358 or you can buy them at the door - subject to availability. (Please note, anyone pre-booking ticket receives priority seating on the night). We are on at the Mitcham RSL, 26 McDowall St, Mitcham. Doors open at 7.00pm and show starts at 7.30pm. To make a Bistro Booking please call 9873 1792. The bistro will be open from 5.00pm and bookings are strongly recommended. Come along, have a great night, and help keep live variety alive in the suburbs. -------------------------------------------- 14. British Ring Convention -------------------------------------------- Message from Bob Hayden PRO to the British Ring What an impact Richard Cadell made on the audience when he closed the Gala show at the 1992 Eastbourne Convention. Previously he had generally been known as the youngest of The Magic Circle's 'Young Magician of the Year' at the age of only 15. He just stunned the audience with his illusions especially his presentation of the 'Dizzy Limit' when he and his motor bike vanished in mid-air only to appear seconds later at the back of the theatre on his motor bike and riding down an aisle to the front of the stage. It is no wonder that for the next eight years as one of Britain's top illusionists he appeared on stage and television all over the world and we were indeed fortunate that he was able to return to our Convention stage for our Diamond Jubilee celebrations of 1996 with another brilliant performance. Richard will be with us again this year at Southport but not as an illusionist but as the hand of that beloved TV puppet Sooty. How did the transformation of presenting large illusions to becoming a puppeteer come about? It happened in 2000 when Matthew Corbett, son of the revered Harry Corbett decided to retire from actually performing. Matthew had taken over being the right hand of Sooty in 1976 both on TV and in theatres across the country after Harry stopped touring and had retired to Weymouth. Sooty had been discovered in Blackpool 28 years earlier by Harry while on holiday with his family when he spotted a teddy bear puppet in a craft shop and decided to purchase it for the princely sum of 7/6d. Harry immediately introduced his new partner into his amateur magic act, the silent little bear being simply named 'Teddy' and assisting with the tricks and immortalising the spell "Izzy Wizzy let's get busy!" In 1952 they were spotted by a Television Producer and were invited to appear on BBC's 'Talent Night'. But Teddy's appearance would not stand out on black and white television so a black felt nose and mouth were hastily sewn on and his ears blackened with soot..and it was at this moment that he was renamed .. Sooty. After being regulars on 'Saturday Special' the nation became captivated by Sooty's naughty antics, the BBC in 1955 decided to make Sooty the star of his own weekly TV programme. Two years later Harry introduced a best friend for Sooty, a little grey dog with long floppy ears. His name was Sweep and ever since they have been in separable. It was not until 1964 that the little Panda Soo was to become the next full time family member. However the BBC frowned upon Sooty having a girl friend so the gang moved to a new home at Thames Television with Sooty remaining with ITV ever since. But Sooty's popularity kept on growing with millions of children watching The Sooty Show both on TV and in theatres throughout the country whether presented by Harry or Matthew. With Matthew retiring a hunt was on to find a new partner for Sooty. Matthew recalled that in 1985 a young magician Richard Cadell had been a guest on a Christmas Special TV show. As it was discovered that Richard had also worked as a radio DJ and a TV children's presenter on Sky TV this combination of skills gave him the perfect qualifications to take on Sooty and the gang. For the past 8 years Richard has been Sooty's presenter. A new look TV show for a new younger generation saw Sooty and the gang running the "Sooty Heights" hotel. The performing rights for the Sooty Empire were put up for sale in 2008 and were acquired by Richard's new company Cadell's Ltd with his brother David as a silent partner in the business. Richard acknowledges that watching Sooty as a child was the first time he had seen a magic wand or tricks being performed and it was Sooty who had inspired him to do magic himself. Richard is determined to make Sooty soar again and has some big plans in store for him. A brand new TV series is now in development where the emphasis is to go back to the early inspirations of Harry and Matthew. The yellow bear with of course Sweep and Soo are currently touring the country with 'Sooty in Space', a show full of traditional values. The show has been written by Matthew Corbett who remains in close contact with Richard. Since becoming the presenter of Sooty has Richard noticed any difference in his life style? There is one most definitely, one which he gives with a broad mischievous grin on his still boyish face. With illusions at the end of a show it took hours to dismantle and pack. With Sooty and Co. it's done in minutes and that's quite a difference. At Southport Richard is one of the acts in Children's Showtime. For his spot he is planning to use as a background Harry Corbett's original TV set of houses which will be so well remembered by a large number of our senior members from the early Sooty shows. Further news of this year's Children's Showtime will be released shortly. At this Convention it will be staged in the Southport Theatre at 10.30am on Saturday 26th September. -------------------------------------------- 15. Palmerston North Magic Circle - Mini Convention, New Zealand -------------------------------------------- Message from Robin Lucas P.N.M.C. Sec., Palmerston North Magic Circle - Mini Convention Labour Weekend 24th to 26th October 2009 Registration is $65 and if you would like to attend the Saturday night cabaret it will be an additional $21 Pleased to announce that Terry Herbert has been booked as the mini convention headliner Check out Terry's website by going to: http://www.comedymagic.co.uk/ Please note no banquet is on the programme as we are having a cabaret meal at a Chinese restaurant which is close by. Special meals catered for if you note requirement on registration form. To register or for more information contact: Robin Lucas P.N.M.C. Sec., Mr.Lucky@xtra.co.nz -------------------------------------------- 16. 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. 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