FUN
AT THE MAGIC CASTLE
August 3, 2001- Greetings from Hollywood, California� Backstage
at The Magic Castle, actually. I am finishing (finished) my week
working in the Parlor of Prestidigitation, but first a word about
last week:
I was busy, didn't get to the column until
the night before, and the computer froze, making it impossible to
get it complete. So wewent to the beach (wouldn't you?). Jan says
she hope the computer freezes more often! Anyway, we had dinner
with The Amazing Ballantine, then we slipped into the Magic Castle
to watch The Amazing John Calvert work his magic in the Palace of
Mystery. Such a great performer, a classic, living legend. He introduced
Ballantine from the audience, they are both admirer's of each other.
For one of the illusions, he brings me out of my seat to join him
onstage. I tried to resist, really, but there's no way to refuse
Calvert. So, before you can say "stage whisper", I find
myself in the role of stooge, promptly obeying his every command,
no matter how stupid I knew I would appear. When he got to the point
where he revealed the huge blade that was going to be used on my
neck, I was told to run like crazy off the stage and into the crowd.
Off I go, and as I get to the very rear of the theater, I stop at
the exit door and wait. A few fellow magicians were standing by
the door, and they casually said, "Hi, Steve, working tonight?"
as I stood there and watched the rest of the act. It reminded me
of doing the same for the late great Russell Swann a thousand years
ago. I was his in-audinece assistance for many shows, and that's
going to wait for another week. Remind me.
So, back to the dressing room in the Parlour
in the Castle. Packing up the sponge balls and cards, reflecting
on the week; great crowds, old friends, lots of fun. Guests included
world class actor Don Knotts, the World's Greatest Magician, Carl
"The Amazing" Ballantine, superstar rock drummer Carmine Appice,
America's magic superstar Mark Wilson, and lots of pretty women
(all approved by Jan first). Then there was Jules Lenier and Billy
McComb, who set a new record for the most scotch consumed in a 4
hour period. He says he enjoyed my act, I'm not sure he was there�
On the final night, two of my dear friends, and my favorite magicians,
Aldo Colombini, working in the close up gallery, and Fernando Keops,
working for the first time in over 7 years, in the Palace of Mystery
with a new act, joined me downstairs in the Peller Theatre for a
bit of foolishness in front of the cameras. This was the first time
that the 3 of us were working together, and we thought it would
be good to capture it for posterity. Both Fernando and Aldo (along
with Guy Bavli) appear in my new magic infomercial that is now being
edited. It will begin airing on television in late August, followed
by national airings in the US starting in September. TOP
Earlier in the week, John Calvert was at
the Castle, wowing them every night, but without ever breaking a
sweat. One night we taped an interview with John for the Castle
and Magic Web Channel archives. Just as we were about to start the
interview, in walks Carl Ballantine, a fan of John's for many years.
The 2 had never met. What followed was a fun session with both of
these legends talking about magic and such. Then, in walks Mark
Wilson and Nani, and they sat to watch for a bit. Suddenly, John
Calvert notices them, and they invited the both of them onstage
as well for a brief chat�Nani was once an assistant in John's act
long before Mark stole her away. It was great to see all of these
luminaries together, laughing and talking about the good old days.
Priceless, really.
progress report: Infomercial: Footage I've seen looks fabulous,
editing has begun, and next week we will shoot the remaining footage
around Los Angeles. We'll have a full report on this when it is
finished. The editing and shooting schedules for this infomercial
project prevented Jan & I from attending either of the big 2 conventions,
but we are planning on featuring reviews from both the IBM and the
SAM conventions shortly. Tony Brook is working on the SAM gathering
in New Orleans, and promises some really cool photos to go along
with his report. Bev Bergeron is threatening to review the IBM.
Good friend, and magic advisor Marvin Berglas
called today from Santa Barbara where he and his family have moved
for the summer months, to relax, create and soak up the sun before
heading back to Marvin's Magic HQ in London. We will be getting
together with him over the next week to smoke a few Cubans and trade
card tricks. The so-called Internet worm hasn't bothered us�how
about you? A repeated word of caution: don't open any attachments
unless you are sure you know where they came from. When in doubt,
hit DELETE and you're hard drive will be safe. New magic to practice,
a few hundred emails to write and a wife that's waiting for me to
take her to dinner. We're off to Malibu Beach for a dinner by the
sea�until next week, stay happy, and keep those emails coming, ya
hear? Magically yours, SteveTOP
ENCOUNTER WITH A BEATLE
JuLY 16 Hello, this must be Monte Carlo� Greetings! So,
I am in the middle of editing the infomercial (it looks really good!)
when I get a call from the producer, the money guy, who says, �Stevie�we
want to introduce the show in the International market, and the
largest convention of Infomercial buyers and sellers takes place
next week in Monte Carlo, would you like to go? �Sure�, I say, and
the deal is sealed. The next thing I know, I am flying home to California
to change clothes, then the next day I�m on a plane that takes me
to Paris, then on to Nice, France, and a short taxi ride drops me
in Monte Carlo � my goodness�what a trip! Hot sun, beautiful women
everywhere, soft sandy beaches�this is the life! I have a whole
briefcase full of props and I am ready to perform at the opening
event of the ERA (Electronic Retailing Association) convention.
First, I attend a cocktail party to meet the big shots�I assume
these are big shots, they all look, act and talk like big shots!
And they all love magic. It seems they all agree that magic is a
worldwide language, enjoyed by all ages, and they all think that
this new magic infomercial program, called �Steve Dacri�s Magic
Secrets from Around the World� is got all the ingredients of a winner.
Let�s hope they�re right! Tonight, the night before the show, they
take me out to dinner, you know the drill; lots of people, all at
a big table, lots of laughs, and a few well-placed magic tricks�
So, I�m sitting back, after the meal, relaxing when all of a sudden,
I spot a group of people walking by and in the middle of the group
is a guy who looks just like Ringo Starr. I don�t say anything.
Suddenly, someone at our table says, �Did you see Ringo walk by
just then?� That did it for me. Now I knew it was Ringo. I thought
about it for a few seconds, then I was on my feet. Excusing myself
from the table, I headed up the hill. At the top of the street,
across from the Casino de Monte Carlo, there, standing on the corner,
waving good-bye to his guests, was Ringo. He was less than 10 feet
away from me. He said his good-byes, then everyone walked away from
him, and he was left standing on the corner, completely alone, aside
from me. He turned to walk away, and I said �Ringo�, and waited.
He stopped, turned towards me and smiled. I introduced myself to
him, told him I was a huge fan. He was so gracious, he said �Thank
you�, and I relaxed. We shook hands, then I told him about my recent
visit to Liverpool and the gig at the Cavern Club. �I sat right
where you sat, on that stage, and played drums�etc��
He was dutifully impressed, and we shared a laugh about it, and
this funny coincidence. I then told him how much The Beatles influenced
me, and what a big part of my life they have been. He thanked me
again and told me how much he appreciated my saying that. It was
a really sincere response. (How many times does one get the chance
to meet someone like that and express your gratitude to them? This
was a cool moment, I must say!) After a few more moments of polite
conversation, I bid farewell to Ringo, and returned to the restaurant
and my guests. It took a while for this wonderful thrill to sink
in, but when it did, I promptly picked up the cell phone and called
Jan, 6,000 miles away in California, and told her about my chance
encounter. We both agreed that this was the highlight of my trip!
(You non-Beatles fans obviously wonder if I�ve lost my marbles!)
The next night, yes, I performed for this distinguished group at
the Casino de Monte Carlo. A great crowd, wonderfully energetic
and enthusiastic. I�d rate them a 10. Honestly. A perfect show,
and a perfect audience. What fun. The next day was spent on pool
duty, that is, keeping track of all the bathing suits that seemed
to have been defective � many of them, it seems, did not include
tops. Don�t worry, I took copious notes and a few well-hidden shots
from my camera � and I intend to report these issues to the proper
authorities (Billy McComb and Paul Daniels). A day or so later,
I boarded an Air France flight back to Los Angeles�with many pleasant
memories, but none as delightful as my meeting with a Beatle. Magically
yours, Steve NEXT WEEK: The Amazing Ballantine watches a magician
who is OLDER than he is�a rare occurance. LAST WEEK'S COLUMN: Greetings
from Paris, France. What am I doing here? A long story that I'll
tell ya about next week. But now here's Part TWO, sorry I missed
last week, it's part of the same long story. Thanks for the kind
words about Part One, enjoy the rest.
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