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TOPAS
and ROXANNE “MAGIC AFFAIRS” COMING TO NEW YORK From Stuttgart to Lisbon, to Monaco and Blackpool., this exciting young couple has brought their magical repertoire to a level that has left audiences breathless and on their feet. Their first appearance in this country captivated their peers at the Society of American Magicians convention in St Louis in 2004.
Tickets
may be purchased for $50.00 on line or by email
or by calling Mr. Tom Klem at
1-212-725-5258. To see a preview of the show go here
.
BLACKPOOL
MAGICIANS CONVENTION Report by PETER ELDIN
Dealers Galore
Loads of Lectures
The Championships
The
finale in which a bird cage transformed into a girl was truly magical.
What Else?
top
Six home town Dallas professional magicians will be featuring everything from illusions , comedy , and magic , plus a “Bull Whip” act at this performance. Emceed by Carl Jones, the show stars Rick Walker, Mike Squires, Jeff Lee, Mica and Judy Calfee and Dal Sanders. All will be followed by the city of Dallas Fireworks, What can be better, Register Now! Muthukad’s magic brings jubilation for jubilees Magical commemoration LATEST NEWS FROM STEVE WYRICK AND "REAL MAGIC" LATEST UPDATE: (Poster January 15) The newly announced opeing date of January 29th is now changed. No new date has been released. Steve Wyrick's show, as well as the afternoon show of Ron Lucus are not selling any tickets yet, the complex will open "sometime in late February, we think".
PREVIOUS POST ON SW: FInally, after delays that spread out over an entire year (he was orignally scheduled to open his new show at the Aladdin/Planet Hollywood last December), the opening of his new show looks to be happening for sure, the new date is coming fast, it's December 15th, and I will be there, cheering him on and enjoying the new theatre in the $35 million Steve Wrick Entertainment Complex. Construction delays have kept this thing from opening on time, which is to be understood. It is a huge complex, built from the ground up, involving many floors, lots of stairs, elevators and planning, none of which is easy to predict and coordinate. Steve has patiently watched and waited, practicing his tricks and routines, and scoping out the scene as the joint slowly became a reality. He is very excited and proud of the place, and I can honestly saya that the magic world has never seen anything quite this elaborate for a single magic act. Will his show live up to the hype and anticipation? We shall see. I know he has a lot riding on this, not just his reputation, but his pocketbook. Although the money came from a few well-heeled investors, he has a lot to lose if this show doesn't start out as a hit right out of the box. Complimenting Steve Wyrick's "Real Magic" show will be an afternoon show by ventriloquist Ron Lucas, who will be bringing his show from the Rio over to this new theatre, hoping the crowds will materialize. We wish SW well in this undertaking, and we will report on the opening night show right here... HOWARD
SCHWARZMAN NAMED “MAGICIAN OF THE YEAR 2007” EIGHT
LECTURES - PLUS- IN DALLAS S.A.M. ANNOUNCES
LECTURES FOR JULY CONVENTION Rarely seen corporate performer Bob White tips the commercial effects he uses in the “real world” , An unique Cruise Ship Panel answers questions and gives you tips on how to book yourself and what to do on cruise ships. This group is made up of performers from the “Oceans 7” gala show ,so you know it will be great.- But wait there’s a plus - Author Jeff Crilley is a working journalist with a lecture that teaches you how to get free publicity for your show or Assembly. Guarantee your
best seating by registering now. There are surprises in store before
and after the “fireworks” - July; 4-5-6-7 - register
online at www.magicsam.com or e mail - sam@appsmagic.com SAM CONVENTION ANNOUNCES A TONY BROOK FEATURE In
Conversation With Maria Elena - A Talk Show Hosted by Tony Brook
Maria Elena Ibáñez – The President Elect, is a truly fascinating and wonderful person. Not only has she risen to International star status but is considered by many of Magic’s elite to be an excellent choice as President for The Society of American Magicians. The accolades have been outstanding in content and from many well-known names including Past Presidents of the S.A.M. Starting in July 2007 at the S.A.M convention in Dallas, she will assume the mantle of President and preside for a year. She is, quite literally, one of a few women to be elected President of the SAM and the only woman of ‘Latin’ origin. A 100% American in mind, body and Spirit, her husband and sons have served in the US Navy and US Marines. In her own right, she has been recognized for her dedication to the US Armed Forces and received several awards, usually reserved for military personnel, including a Certificate of Commendation from the US Marine Corps; several Letters of Commendation and the recipient of a US Outstanding Military Volunteer Service Medal. She has been honored no less than three times by Miami Dade County Mayors and had October 31st in 2004, 2005 & 2006 named in her honor and given the Key to the County. On December 12, the city of Hialeah declared it Maria Ibanez Day. To date, she is the only magician to be featured on the cover of the Latin American version of The Readers’ Digest. A close personal friend of the legendary Cesareo Pelaez of Le Grand David for over 20 years she has, and still has as her friends and Mentors, many leading magicians including the incomparable Fantasio who incidentally, was also instrumental into transforming Maria Elena into Merlina. Tony
Brook, a S.A.M International Deputy and Co-Host of World Class Magic
(and the DIrector of International Operations for MagicWebChannel),
is an experienced interviewer and broadcaster who has, over the
years, had several International celebrities and many of magic’s
leading names as his guests. He decided that Merlina’s background
and rise to prominence was best described as mesmerizing, inspirational
and enticing. He felt that it was too good a story to confine to
just an article. Make a date to attend this Special Session at the
Dallas Convention. A unique Talk Show that will reveal the true
story of an American dream that became reality in a world of illusion.
Some Quotes: - Maria
is one of those rare individuals who has taken on every task, not
only in the SAM, but in the World of Magic. I have known of Maria
and all of her work for nearly a decade. When the SAM was seeking
the type of individual needed to lead our organization into the
21st century, the choice was easy. -- Craig Dickson - Past National
President
But for magician Chris Baldwin, the nexus between reality and illusion can be as far away as a world apart or within arm’s reach for the audiences he performs in front of. While much of his routine specializes in various card tricks, Baldwin’s powers of prestidigitation include coin and fire illusions as well. He’s just as much at home performing his magic act with his close friends Ben Treadwell and Meagan Wilson, but typically you’ll find Baldwin, 20, flying solo as he puts on his small shows for church and school groups. But well before he knew who David Blaine and David Copperfield were, Baldwin was first introduced to magic as a pre-teen, when his mother purchased his first magic kit for him. "I guess she was trying to spark my creativity," said Baldwin,a theatre student at Auburn University. It’s a fair bet to say she got the job done. Baldwin typically practices his magic tricks anywhere from two to three hours a day, incorporating elements from what he’s learned in his theater classes in his performances. And while one might think all that practice is just to ‘get the trick right,’ that’s not all his tireless preparation is about. "A good magician is able to capture that magic effect," said Baldwin, as he shuffled a deck of cards he uses in most of his magic routines. "A good magician will focus 99 percent of his attention on the pattern of action associated with a trick as opposed to the trick itself." But preparation does play its part in what he does. Recently, Baldwin performed a magic show for what he thought would be about 30 elementary school students. When he arrived at the LaGrange school, he was greeted by 300 students. His magic show, which he now calls Redefined Reality, went off without a hitch, and Baldwin understands exactly why that was the case. "Perfect instruction leads to perfect practice and perfect practice makes perfect," said Baldwin. "Hey how did you do that?"and "Can you do that again?" are questions Baldwin, who switched to Theater from Engineering course study at AU, fields at most of his shows, but like any good magician, he’s not giving away any trade secrets. "When someone asks me how I performed a trick, I just ask them if they can keep a secret and when they say ‘yes’ I tell them that I can too," joked Baldwin, who hopes to work as a magician professionally after he’s done with college. "If the person knows the secret behind the trick, then the trick’s not worth anything." However, the tricks behind his trade were very much up for discussion at an International Brotherhood of Magicians (I.B.M.) convention Baldwin recently attended in Tennessee. The I.B.M. is the nation’s largest magician group with more than 13,000 members. "It was a very humbling experience to be in a room where everyone’s a magician and understands every trick you know," Baldwin said. And while he’s always looking to add a new trick to his magical arsenal, for Baldwin pulling off the perfect trick is just as much about psychology as it is about magic. "You make them (audience) see what you want them to see," said Baldwin as he turned both his palms face up to show that had nothing in them before performing a card trick where he guessed what card an onlooker had plucked from the deck. "You give no footholds to suspicions about what you’re doing." With the card handling skills Baldwin displays it’s no wonder why he has a tough time getting any of his buddies to play poker with him. He may have been in the magic game for only a few years now, but in that time Baldwin already understands that when it comes to magic, there’s not a whole lot of new tricks out there. "There is however, a lot of good, old stuff people may have forgotten about," Baldwin said. "If you want to figure out how some of the newer tricks are done, all you need to do in most cases is look back to the originals like Houdini, Dunninger and Vernon." Perhaps those great magicians of yesteryear were looking for the same thing in the faces of their audiences as Baldwin looks for in his. "I love to see their reaction of amazement," Baldwin said. " I love to make the trick as personal as I can for them."
Our dearest friend Nicky McAllister writes from London regarding the freak accident that Jonathan Pendragon experienced. Several people have asked for information on Jonathan’s current condition, so he and Charlotte have asked me to write an update and circulate it around the magic world. Jonathan is doing very well and continues to amaze all his doctors not only with the speed of his recovery, but also by the fact that he survived the accident at all. Three of his vital organs were pierced and each of these individual punctures was potentially fatal. As one of his surgeons said,“He truly has a STRONG life force.” An unfortunate by-product of the surgery, though, is that he now suffers from deep vein thrombosis – deadly blood clots. He is being treated with anti-coagulants in order to prevent further clots from developing, and the condition is being monitored with blood tests on a weekly basis. However the prognosis is good and it is believed that, in time, he will make a full recovery. He and Charlotte are spending most of the holiday period at home now, having completed their Fall tour. Jonathan performed on all the dates and, although they had to make a few temporary changes to some parts of the show, his performance was as good as ever, and they received rave reviews and standing ovations at every show on the tour. Their Samoyed dog, Kashmere, who essentially saved Jonathan’s life by licking his face until heregained consciousness following the accident and thereby enabling him to call 911 on his cell phone, is enjoying her new-found fame. The story of her actions has been picked up by the Associated Press and appeared in many publications throughout the US, and she is also being considered for awards from Petsmart and the Milkbone Dog Biscuit Company.Read the story here.Jonathan says, “I want to thank everyone who has sent thoughts, prayers and messages my way. The e-mails, letters, flowers and gifts have given me hope and I am happy to be a part of the greater Magic Family.”We send along our best wishes to Jonathan for his continued recovery and hope that he keepsthose arrows stored safely away from now on...
MYSTERY MAGICIAN
- The press has been abuzz here in Vegas about a new magic show
by Hans Klok who, according to his website, is one of the entertainment
world's leading stage magicians. Says who? All I could find out
was Hans was born in a small town in Holland on February 22nd 1969.
The rest is questionable.
VINCE CARMEN - a long time pro and excellent performer, based in Florida where he opened a dinner theatre and was doing great business. That is, until his landlord decided to double his rent on the place, making it impossible to continue. He's closed the joint, and he is said to be looking foranother location. I hear he's got a couple places in mind, so look for him to open another magical dinner show soon... CHRIS ANGEL is still set do do a Cirque-type show at the Luxor, desspite rumors that the hotel is thinking about getting out of the magic business, due to the overly-exposed Chris, who seems to pop up in gossip columns all over the place here in Vegas and he may be wearing out his welcome. Not so, we hear. The show is still on track to open sometime in 2008. A SECOND MAGIC CASTLE? This one's been floating around for years (make that DECADES) and it never seems to lose steam. Word is out that Milt may be looking to finally open another Magic Castle in another place, not California... FANTASMA MAGIC - THE WORLD-CLASS MAGIC SHOP - which opened in Manhattan recently, is hurting big time. Sales are way off, the profits (what profits) are killing Roger, who is thinking about closing the place soon, as he is not on the ground level, which means that theere is very little foo0t traffic in the place. Once inside, the place is amazing, and behind the counter, professional magicians, like David Roth and Simon Lovell pop in, but the bottom line is, this place just may be too much of a cash drain on the otherwise successful business known as Fastasma. Was that MarvinBerglas lurking in the shadows recently? He may have been checking out his one-time associate, Roger Dreyer, who got started as a magic business operator while working for Marvin's Magic... THE ORLEANS is not happy with ticket sales for Rick Thomas' afternoon show. Rick always did well before, both at Tropicana and most recently, the Stardust, but both of those places were on the strip, which means there was always a lot of foot traffic. At the Orleans, there is no such thing, which means he has to count on the locals crowd that the casino caters to. Hopefully he will come up with some new magic tricks to make people appear in the seats, or he may be looking for another place to keep his kitties. Speaking of the Stardust, we hear that the date of the implosion will be March 12 or 15, and it will happen at 2 AM, to eliminate crowds. Either date is possible, but we know the permit people, so we will get word of the exact date, just in case some of you want to be there for this piece of history to be destroyed. JON ALAN, the British close-up magician who got himself into hot water with The Magic Castle (again) had to go before the Council to explain why his website states that he is THE one and only CLose-Up Magician of the Year, even though he won that title many, many years ago...The Magic Circle doesn't take these things lightly. He's rumored to be on the way out, as they just may decide, in light of his recent illegal websites (according to the rules ot The Magic Circle) that he is causing trouble and refuses to change the websites. Funny part of all this, the head of the Internet Committee is himself doing the exact same thing, using websites with the words "The Magic Circle" in them to gather more traffic, and one would assume, more business by trading on the good name and reputation of The Magic Circle. Talk about the pot calling the kettle BLACK. ODD COUPLE - Aldo Colombini left his wife of many years to move to Florida...and Rachel Wild, who has been around the block with several magicians already, such as Boris Wild (whom she was married to) and Tom (who may or may not have been married to her, and Harry Allen, who was never married to her), left her current beau, and she has moved in with Aldo to make home sweet home. TANNEN'S MAGIC - once this was the largest and most respected magic shop in the world. Run my founder Louis Tanne, then assisted by his brother Irving, and then joined by Tony Spina, the place thrived along at 1540 Broadway for years and years. Then Irv and Tony bought out Lou who wanted to retire, and they ran the joint for many more years. Then Irv decided he had enough cash, so he sold his share to Tony Spina, and he moved to FLorida to enjoy his retirement until he pqassed away a couple of years ago. Tony sold the place (finally) to Steve Brown, a nice guy who knew absolutey nothing about the business. He was a great businessman, however, I hear, and he just figured that he could apply all of his business knowledge to Tannen's and it would continue to grow. The place is no longer the biggest and best, and it is not even open as a retail shop anymore. It is strictly mailorder, and we hear it could be gone by the end of the year, as business is so bad, and nothing new has come out of the place since Tony sold it. What a shame, if such a grand institution disappears after all these decades of supplying magic to the greats, near greats and the nobodies. To add to the misery, it seems some well-heeled magic lover is preparing to open another magic shop in New York City, which will hurt Tannens and Fantasma even more. GINO MUNARI, owner of Houdini Magic Shops (all of 'em) and the recently shuttered "Houdini Museum" in the Venetian, has been looking at real estate near the strip here in Vegas to open another Houdini museum. He bought most of Sid Radner's massive Houdini collection and wants to preserve it in a museum that is open to the public. GARY DARWIN may have lost his toes but he hasn't lost his sense of humor. At a recent event honoring Norm Nielsen in Vegas, Gary performed the vanishing toes routine, which ended with his removal of his shoe and displaying his foot, sans toes... Darwin is happy that the book he wrote for Steve Wyrick on Sponge Ball Magic will finally be released, this time with his name on the cover, as it should. Seems that when Wyrick first realeased the book, somehow Darwin's name disappeared as the writer. This reprinted and updated version of the book, which also contains some of Steve Dacri's original material, is due to be sold in the Steve Wyrick Magic Shop, but we hear that Darwin's name was not on the proof copy that ws sent to the printer. Could be that Darwin will not be pleased if it comes out without his credit on it again. Heard any good ones lately? Email us...
FIVE
STAR TEACH- IN SHOW ADDED TO S .A. M. CONVENTION SHOWS. MARS 2006 - The Review
Although only in its second year, Roei Zaltsman worked hard to top his previous year’s efforts. Without detracting one iota from the excellence of last year, this year attained, albeit in a different way, the same level – not always as easy feat in any endeavor! Apart from a selection of some of better Israeli magicians, the headliners saw the return of World Class magicians Anthony Darkstone and Menny Lindenfeld. Joining them this year was the quintessential Quentin Reyolds, the legendary Pavel and the ubiquitous Gregory Wilson. Those who are familiar with my articles on magic and magic conventions will know that I always do my utmost to remain objective. However, what good is a rule if one can’t bend it once in a while. In order to do full justice to MARS 2006, I must, of necessity wax lyrical and be a touch subjective in parts. For that reason, this review will, at times, read as if I were writing a letter to a friend. The splendid King Solomon Hotel in Eilat is literally a two-minute walk to the shores of the Red Sea. In common with many of us, who travel Internationally, I have experienced all kinds of hotels and service. Therefore, I am not lavish with praise unless it is deserved. However, I must sing the praises of the staff of this hotel. Although, at magic conventions we are focused on the shows, the lectures and the celebrities, it is also important to have all of this in good and efficient surroundings. Without wishing to read like a colorful travel brochure, I can state that the King Solomon hotel excelled in service and cuisine. During a private conversation with the Manager, I complimented him on his staff and told him how it had taken a mere two minutes to meet my request of alterations to sound and lighting in one of the lecture halls. To my amazement, he apologized and assured me that any further requests would only take a minute next time. Moreover, he wasn’t joking either. He meant every word. When you get that kind of response and that similar attitude is followed by every single staff member whose only aim was to please, you can bet it’s going to be a great Convention. Although the Convention wasn’t due to start until the 22nd November I arrived in Tel Aviv on the morning of the 19th. I was met by a very good friend who drove me thru the Negev desert to Eilat. The 5-hour drive was a deeply magical, mystical and soul awakening experience as I got to see many places in Israel that is not on any Tourist brochure. Exactly on the same level as the previous year when Menny Lindenfeld drove me to the Dead Sea through the Judean desert. That magical story is told elsewhere. The convention began on the 22nd with a Teach-In/Workshop by Anthony Darkstone. He discussed the principle of stacked decks, a card force based on a mathematical concept by Pythagoras, the theatrical nuances within a magical performance and the role that music has in the performance and presentation of magic. He was followed by a lecture by Amir Lustig. He lectured in Hebrew and I was told that he tipped the workings on some of his act and delivered a lecture that was rich in content. Amir, in common with everyone else, also spoke English. I had the opportunity to converse with him on several occasions, watch him perform live and also on an Israeli TV show after the convention. He is a most affable person and an excellent performer. I believe he has all the necessary ingredients to be a great magician in the making. Equally interesting lectures were delivered by the other Israeli magicians. To discuss each one in detail would not be necessary but suffice to say that the standard was of a very high quality. The very elegant and precise Quentin Reynolds delivered a flawless lecture that was extremely useful and insightful to any Children’s Entertainer. Apart from the effects, he offered some excellent methodology regarding the routining of an act. He drew tons of applause when he demonstrated his signature effect, ‘Five Minutes With A Pocket Handkerchief’. A highly experienced professional who generously shared his wealth of talent and experience. Incidentally, he is also a phenomenal Mentalist and author of a definitive book on Intuition entitled, ‘Intuition – Your Secret Power’. I never tire of watching the legendary Pavel perform and lecture. I just love his sense of mischief. By his own admission, “ I just love fooling magicians”. It was a joy for me to spend time with him again. From the moment he spotted me in the lobby and rushed over to greet me until the end of the Convention we had loads of fun over dinners and generally just kidding around. His lecture elicited gasps, jaw-dropping and tons of admiration. Any detail that I go into regarding his effects would not do them justice. Yes, of course, ropes were involved but some ingenious card and balloon ideas had me intrigued and badly fooled. A true Master at work. I had never met Gregory Wilson before but his exploits and background preceded him and he did not disappoint. Anyone who stars in a Tony Clark Production and writes his biography as follows, “ my parents were professional gamblers and they lost me in a crap game when I was four. By the time I was nine I won myself back “ is going to be a fun person to be with. Throw in the fact he is a FISM winner, several other awards plus the fact that it is easier to list the countries where he hasn’t performed and you can bet that you are going to know when he is in the room. And yeah, he is also good-looking and over six feet tall. And no…he did not pay me to write this …I ASKED HIM BUT HE HAD ALREADY RUN OUT Of cash!!!!!! Seriously, his magical skills are finely honed, his sense of timing finely tuned and his mis-direction so precise that even during his lecture when he was explaining the “how to” he had to do it over and over as he was fooling everyone badly. I watched him lecture, I watched him perform, I watched him entertain the hotel staff, people in the lobby and he just kept on WOWing everywhere he went. He has tons of charisma and knows how to use it. Nobody gets this good by accident. I viewed it from a different perspective and could see the painstaking hard work and sheer discipline that went into making Gregory Wilson the Entertainer. In more tranquil moments when I had an opportunity to converse with him, I found him to be an extremely erudite man. I was asked to MC the Close-Up show and apart from some juggling with mikes and a bit of over enthusiasm by three or four people who should have known better, the show went down very well and was also attended by Galina and Sonny Hayes who were still headlining in the WOW show next door. It was good to see them again after last year.
Fortunately, when I pointed out that we had some World Class acts to follow, everyone obliged and settled down. Menny Lindenfeld, Quentin Reynolds and Pavel delivered outstanding performances as befits their status in Magic. The show closed with Gregory Wilson whose high-energy and excellent skill got him a standing ‘O’. Following on from the successful Talk Show last year entitled “ Tony Brook In Conversation With Max Maven”, both Roei Zaltsman and I decided that we would vary the format somewhat and we gave the show a more TV chat show feel and created a studio type set. This year, my guests were Pavel and Quentin Reynolds. The show focused on the careers of each guest and how they got started and more importantly, what it took to keep going in the competitive world of show business. Quentin was especially forthcoming with many excellent examples of lessons he had learned in his career. Pavel, likewise offered many useful insights into various aspects of magic and both of them spoke at length on the art of creativity in magic. I was especially pleased that we spent some time on this topic as, sadly, it is not on the priority list of many performers. I am happy to state that via the show and my guests we kindled a spark and most certainly stimulated much discussion. This was observed during the Q and A session that followed and also after the show and indeed throughout the rest of the Convention I received a number of complimentary comments. One item that is certainly noteworthy, is an effect that Pavel performed during our Talk Show. Although Quentin and I were sitting mere inches on either side of him, he fooled us both badly with a brand new rope effect that he had created. Later that evening, over dinner, Pavel could not conceal his Pixie like delight that he had fooled us both……...and badly!!!! Being the gentleman that he is he did eventually tip us the method and in so doing, increased my admiration for him. Not because he tipped the method but because of the skill in which he managed to fool us. Anyone who truly appreciates excellent magic and has seen Pavel work will agree with me when I refer to him as a genius. The gala show as held at mid-day as it was also open to lay people and guests at the other Isrotel hotels in Eilat. In addition, it was a Friday and nightfall was earlier and Shabbat needed to be observed. The show was held at the same theater that Galina and Sonny Hayes were starring in the WOW show. Shay Nassi opened with fast paced illusions and doves. A personable young man who with the right amount of coaching and real training could develop into a good act. The first half saw Menny Lindenfeld duplicate a drawing on an A2 easel that an audience member had drawn on a A4 pad on the other side of the stage. It was a very complex image of a man playing a guitar but Menny brought huge gasps of amazement at the revelation. Members of the S.A.M will recall that Dan Garrett and I featured him in World Class Magic twice. A very talented inventor and accomplished International performer. Pavel was the master of impeccable timing and stagecraft. In a silent act set to music and sound effects involving thunder and rain he delighted the audience with superb magic involving confetti and of course ropes……….but the usage of ropes and an umbrella to create rain and snow. A thrilling performance. I was backstage and watched his act from the wings. I had to resist the urge on more than one occasion to burst into spontaneous applause. Gregory Wilson performed in front of the drapes and as I was backstage helping out I didn’t catch his gala act but the level of cheering and applause was a good indication of the caliber of his performance. He came off beaming and I guess he must have had a great performance. The second half saw the Israeli magicians who turned in some good performances. Unfortunately, some of them didn’t quite understand how to work in a theater and there was some difficulty in organizing their props. Striking off at times, was more demanding than need be…asking for a mike one minute prior to going on ………forgetting that loud gestures in the wings didn’t help the on-stage performer ……….all good and likable guys but sadly lacking in theater etiquette and experience. The audience loved him and he did an outstanding job as MC. Despite fighting a sore throat and having to speak in English, Quentin Reynolds had the audience right there in the palm of his hand. Watching him work was a Master Class in the art of Emceeing. Despite unnecessary backstage incidents brought about mostly by inexperienced performers, he stoically held the show together and dealt out tons of Irish charm that kept the audience enthralled and pulled off a successful gala show. Ori Livney. I have saved his name for last but he was most certainly not the least. This multi-talented young man created all the balloon sculptures at the convention. Huge balloon creations filled the lobby at the hotel and the centrepiece was a giant rabbit some 15 feet tall pulling a magician out of a hat. Conceptually brilliant and technically superb. I have seen some of the best balloon artists and he certainly ranks right up there with them. I was fortunate to spend quality time with him and his fiancée Michal Betito at the Convention and afterwards in Tel Aviv. Michal is a very talented Balloon artist in her own right and she helped create the balloon sculptures at the Convention. Ori’s lecture was the talk of the Convention as it didn’t just involve creating balloon designs and sculptures - it actually involved new ideas of magic with balloons. The balloons actually became the props and the effect. Things like revealing the chosen card not inside a balloon but actually have the balloon alter its shape into the chosen card …the number and suit!!! A wand that disappears and then is found inside a balloon dog. I found out that he is also a talented magician, an Israeli darts champion who has won International trophies, a great percussionist ( drums, congas and a strange spaceship like melodic instrument) and the Host of an American TV series called ‘ Bobby’s Balloon House’. Ori’s hands are well known on Israeli Television as he is seen creating complex balloon sculptures in a TV commercial for Orange, a well-known cell-phone company in Europe. He also took all the official photographs at every lecture and performance. Prior to closing, I must publicly thank S.A.M compeer Doron Levinson and his family for their special friendship and for making my stay at the Convention and afterwards in Tel Aviv very meaningful. It was in every aspect a good convention and I enjoyed it tremendously. It was a very real pleasure to meet up again with folk I had met last year, meet new people and spend quality time with kindred spirits. MARS 2006 Addendum One item that was a major talking point during the Convention was the fact that a current TV Show on Channel 2 in Israel was currently featuring many of the Israeli headliners at MARS 2006 and also the MARS Producer, Roei Zaltsman. Loosely translated, the show entitled, ‘The Heir To Uri Geller’ was a competition involving various Mentalists before a studio panel consisting of Uri Geller and three Israeli celebrities. Although, the show has nothing directly to do with the MARS convention, it is nevertheless closely connected and I feel that for me not to comment on it would be somewhat negligent in my duty to the International Magic Community. My principal reason for including this narrative within the context of the MARS review is because of the buzz at the Convention relating to this show and that the fact that many of the participants were on the MARS bill as well. Another reason is to help clear up any misconceptions arrived at by those who only saw the show on their TV sets. The basic concept was the usual Television format of competing, having people call in and vote for the one they like best. However, this show was slightly different, as the competitors were not allowed to state they were magicians. The Producer and station wanted to create the idea of psychic phenomenon in the minds of the audience. There are various views on this as professed by various magicians. I have participated in similar TV performances but I have never made any claims of super powers. As I have already stated, in several places and on many occasions, I never claim to be anything other than an Entertainer and tell my audiences they must believe whatever they choose to believe. Whilst I personally don’t subscribe to the format of the above-mentioned TV show I can, as someone closely associated with TV, understand the need for ratings. The first show took place on Saturday 18th November and involved performances by Roei Zaltsman, Menny Lindenfeld, Shimon Nahmani and others. At the end of the show depending on the phone votes and Uri Geller’s decision some stay on and are asked to compete once again and the rest are dismissed. The idea is that after a series of shows, the one remaining will be given the title of Uri Geller’s Heir. As I have stated before, agreeing or disagreeing with this type of show is a matter personal opinion and of necessity involves some excellent spin. However, as we all know, TV is about ratings. Ratings mean advertisers lining up to buy air-time. Those who read my MARS 2006 preview article will know I wasn’t at the first show as I was literally 35,000 feet in the air on my way to Israel at the time. After MARS 2006 was over Roei invited me to join him on the flight back to Tel Aviv and soon after we landed at 3 PM we headed straight for the studio. Roei had been invited to participate again. The show went out live at 9 PM. At this point, I must express my personal admiration for Roei Zaltsman. He had put a convention together, ran it almost single-handed and no sooner it was over he was participating in this show. In a lesser vein, but also demanding, the same could be said of Amir Lustig. I was graciously allowed into the dressing rooms and Green Room. I ran into Uri Geller in the corridor and we chatted about the time we had met many years ago in London. Later on, I was introduced to the Producer and the Co-Host of the show and we exchanged views on TV shows. Amir Lustig and Roei Zaltsman were busy in wardrobe and from I was standing, it would be remiss of me not to mention the excellent help and advice that the wardrobe lady gave them. During the course of my stay behind the scenes, I was interviewed and befriended by one of the TV crews and Studio Manager and they graciously invited me to join them on the studio floor in a special location. I explained I had already been given a seat in the studio audience but they kindly insisted I join them. Having been around TV studios I can safely say that everyone involved with the show was of the highest professional standard. I will not comment
too much on the show but apart from Shimi Atias, Roei Zaltsman and
Amir Lustig there wasn’t very much to write home about. Shimi
Atais gave a very dramatic and convincing performance of stopping
his heartbeat/pulse…… complete with monitor and ambulance
standing by ….excellent theatrics and even better TV drama!
Amir Lustig had told me earlier what he intended to do. He was going to change the taste of a chewing gum that he had given to one of the celebrities. Although it was in Hebrew and because I knew what to expect I joined in the applause when the celebrity spat the gum out. I lost some of the nuance in the translation but it was a good performance. This was followed by some mediocre performances, which frankly, had no business being on TV. Roei Zaltsman was up again for the second time. This time he asked one of the celebrities to think back to an incident in her childhood that had influenced her life. Roei had told me what he was going to do. In addition, one of the young ladies in the studio crew was sitting next to me and kindly simultaneously translated. Roei’s performance brought lots of audible gasps when he began to narrate the incident from her childhood. The show ended with a choice of two contestants. Roei Zaltsman and someone called Asif Nassim ( apologies if I have his name spelt wrong) who had asked for a favorite song to be written on a pad which was placed on the back of his guitar as a rest whilst the song title was written. He then played the song. My only comment is that he needs to rehearse his act a bit more in order to make it less obvious. Nevertheless, for reasons best known to the Gods of Television he was selected and Roei Zaltsman was eliminated. During the show, Uri Geller also removed a drawing of a fish from a prediction envelope. It matched the drawing that he had asked an El Al pilot to make in the air. In conversation with many of the station staff during and after the show plus lay people during the following days I found that they almost unanimously agreed that whilst the concept was interesting, they may have enjoyed it a lot more if it was presented as magical Entertainment. Incidentally, the show is still running. During my last night in Israel, in Tel Aviv, after a sumptuous meal, a group of us were chilling at a café next to Roei’s home and discussing the past Convention and future plans. Roei informed me that he has some great ideas for MARS 2007. All I am allowed to say at this point is that MARS 2007 will involve a Peace theme. Depending on timing and logistics, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if the Headliners included a high profile lady magician from the USA. I’ll bring you more information in the New Year. Tony Read Tony's
recent interview with Roei Zaltsman here.
2008
COMBINED CONVENTION
Rick tells me he will be soon moving into my old haunt, The Orleans, another of the Boyd properties, because, as CEO Bill Boyd stated, "We love Rick and would like to keep him in our family."
He's got a few months off, if you want to call it that, as there are so many logical details to work out so that the tigers are comfy in their new showroom. I keep hearing rumors concerning the Dirk Arthur show over at the Tropicana. As you may recall, Arthur suddenly found himself in demand when the Tropicanan lost Rick Thomas, who had moved over to the Stardust. Rick moved because he was told that the Trop was about to become a pile of dust, and he didn't want to be there when it was imploded. So, he moved over to the Stardust, and guess what happened? The Stardust is now closed, and set for imminent implosion to make way for a brand new ultra resort, leaving Rick in the dust! Rick will do fine, however, as Boyd Gaming decided to keep Rick around, moving him into their newly acquired property, the Orleans. Back at the Trop, however, not wanting to lose out on all of their afternoon ticket sales for a magic show with tigers, they found the unemployed Dirk Arthur sitting around and just changed the name on their ads and put Arthur's picture in the same place whene Rick Thomas' head used to be, and voila! The Trop gets back into the after magic show with tigers without even missing a beat, it seems. Of course, the big difference is Rick Thomas is a master showman, and it is impossible to compare him to Arthur. The reviews for Rick have always been upbeat and solidly positive, as they should be. Rick is one of the best. Top of his game. Dirk Arthur's stage personna is...well...let's just say he has lovely tigers and pretty props and leave it at that. The reviews reflect that. We are hearing that the Tropicana is not pleased, and will soon be making a change that will involve a vanishing act that wasn't in the cards when Arthur signed on. He may soon find himself selling pencils down on Fremont Street to support those wild cats. We shall see. Back down the South end of the Las Vegas Strip, Steve WYrick is pulling out more hair as he received yet another delay in his uqest to open the much-anticipated Steve Wyrick Entertainment Complex at the soon-to-become Planet Hollywood Casino. Now he gets the keys to the showroom in December 1st, or at least that is the date the construction company gives as the day for all to be finished. He has been busy overseeing the construction at every stage of the project, and practicing his back palms and dove work in between his numberous meetings and active social life. He just held a job fair for his nightclub, oh, sorry, make that his "Ultra Lounge" called Triq. Tough job, interviewing watresses and bar maids and hostesses and assorted other positions. He likes to make sure all of the positions are well covered. He hopes to be open before the calendar on 2006 runs out. Anyone taking bets on that? We wish him
luck, whenever he does finally open. Make sure I have a private
booth. |
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The First International Magic Convention in Israel Took place September 25th - 27th, 2005. It was so successful, a second one is happening this month...For details and complete story, and interview with Roei Zaltsman - MARS Convention Producer, click here. Magicians
have new clubhouse HERKIMER - The Mohawk Valley Magicians Club has a new clubhouse, although members still have the same goal in mind - keeping the art of magic alive and well in the local area. The club is set to hold the first meeting at the clubhouse, located in the basement of club sponsors Wizards Tattoo and Amendolare Magic Productions at 131 N. Main St., on Tuesday, Nov. 1, from 6-8 p.m. Beginners interested in attending the Nov. 1 meeting are asked to bring their own deck of cards, and they will in turn be taught their first trick. Amendolare said parents are welcome to attend with their children, noting that meetings will be supervised by himself and the club's other instructor, Paul Montgomery. The club will meet the first Tuesday of each month, offering hands-on lessons in close-up magic and small stage magic and apprenticeships. Beginners start with card, coin and rope tricks, while some of the more advanced feats involve escapes and illusions such as the famous sword-through-the-neck and others. “Magic is performance art. This is not just teaching students some tricks and then they run out the door. The concentration is on showmanship and performing; this is actual teaching of how to become a professional magician,” said Amendolare. The two-room clubhouse offers plenty of space for stage magic to be performed and gives the club, which has been in existence for more than a year, enough room to house all of its resources. The clubhouse is home to a small library full of books and pamphlets, videotapes featuring instruction by professional magicians, various study materials, and a wall-full of magicians' paraphernalia from handcuffs and chains to flowers and fake doves. “We want to have little shows down here, and give kids some experience performing in front of groups,” said Amendolare. The club is free and there are no dues; members should be at least 10 years old and be able to attend one meeting a month. In addition, new members after Nov. 1 are to be sponsored and they must be voted in by existing members. New members are required to do a 10-minute audition. Members are asked to bring their own refreshments (no alcohol) to meetings, and are also required to keep club business confidential to members only. Amendolare said the clubhouse will also be open at different times during the week so club members can practice and learn magic in their spare time. Amendolare, who performed the feat of escaping from the historic Herkimer County Jail a few years ago, said the goal of the club is not only to promote magic as a profession, but to give local youngsters another recreational outlet. “We're out to start teaching kids the art of magic. It's about getting kids to think, create and invent,” said Amendolare, who trained his son Raymond James to become a magician. Amendolare said the club is also looking to hold community fund-raisers
where members can display their skills in public. Abracadabblers First there's shock tinged with disbelief. A moment of wonder follows. Then, a desperate scramble to rack your brains and work out just how you've been had. There's no denying the effects of a good magic trick. From the great escapes of Houdini and the surreal mental trickery of Derren Brown to the conjurer at children's parties, the appeal is universal. "Magic's been around for a very long time and it improves over time," says Richard Wiseman, a professor of psychology at Hertfordshire University in Britain. "What you're looking at when you see a finished piece of magic is a great deal of expertise, and I think psychologists have a lot to learn from that." But, not content with just enjoying the tricks, psychologists are using their effects on the mind to work out how we handle the floods of sensory information coming into our brains and process it into a mental picture of the world around us. Magic is a deception, a disruption of that orderly mental picture, where things seem to float in mid-air, or coins and cards vanish in front of our eyes. Scientists believe that by mapping out how our brains are deceived, they could even help to unlock some of the mysteries of consciousness itself. "Over the last five years, there's been a reawakening as we look at things like change blindness [a failure to see large changes in a visual scene] and at the fact that consciousness is a construction and may even be an illusion," says Wiseman, himself an accomplished magician and member of the Magic Circle. "Now there's a recognition that magicians are doing something very special." Some of the founders of modern psychology were fascinated by magicians. Throughout the 1890s, Alfred Binet, inventor of the modern IQ test, and Max Dessoir wrote about the ways in which magicians used suggestion and misdirected attention to get their illusions to work. In 1896, Joseph Jastrow published articles in Science on the mechanics of some tricks by contemporary master magicians. But, aside from describing what the magicians were doing, they were at a loss to explain why magic tricks had the effects they did on the audience. As a result, interest in studying the psychology of magic faded for nearly a century. But, as Wiseman says, a renaissance is in full swing. Magic is all about persuading others that the impossible has just happened. And that deception is achieved with a high degree of skill and showmanship. "We're starting to realise that magicians have a lot of implicit knowledge about how we perceive the world around us because they have to deceive us in terms of controlling attention, exploiting the assumptions we make when we do and don't notice a change in our environment," says Wiseman. "There is an enormous amount of really detailed instruction on how to perform magic. People are always blown away by how detailed a description you'll have." A card trick that lasts four or five minutes, for example, might have 20 pages of detailed text to describe exactly where to look, what to say, what to do and so on. And a lot of the understanding of a trick has to be from the perspective of the audience. While the magician's dexterity is important, the audience is also a vital participant in the deception. After all, it is in the mind that the illusion is created. "Magicians seem to be able to carry out secret actions in front of their audience without being spotted. I'm interested in why people don't perceive those actions," says Gustav Kuhn, a psychologist at Britain's Durham University. A simple example of misdirection is used in the coin-drop trick. "What you're doing there is pretending to take the coin from one hand to the other but, in fact, leaving it in the original hand," says Wiseman. "What's important is that you're looking where you want the audience to look. You're not looking at the coin, you're looking at the empty hand. In terms of movement, you're moving the hand that doesn't contain the coin to attract people's attention over to that hand." Another trick, where a magician pretends to throw a ball up in the air, takes the misdirection a step further. "People often experience the ball moving up in the air even though there is no ball present," says Kuhn. "They claim to see a ball moving but obviously it's not there so it must be in their mind." Psychologists can use these tricks to catch a glimpse of how our minds interpret the world around us. "Magicians are manipulating your consciousness. They are showing you something impossible," says Wiseman. "They're getting you to construct a narrative which simply isn't true. So that means they know how to make you aware of certain things and blind to other things. What I'm hoping is that magic, this entertainment vehicle that has been around for a long time, will give us a real insight into the deep mysteries of consciousness." Our brains filter out a huge amount of the mass of sensory input flooding in from our environment. Kuhn says that we see what we expect to see and what our brains are interested in. "Our visual representation of the world is much more impoverished than we would assume. People can be looking at something without being aware of it. Perception doesn't just involve looking at an object, but attending to it." In Kuhn's recent work, he performed a trick where a cigarette seems |
Boyd
Gaming just closed their aging Stardust property (yesterday, Nov.1st),
which left Rick Thomas and his tigers out of work, but not for long.