Trevor Lewis Lecture Scheduled

Trevor Lewis to lecture

The Funny Paper presents...
An Evening with Trevor Lewis

Direct from Wales a legendary Master of Magic and Comedy

FISM Award Winner

Author of PARTY PIECES, MORE PARTY PIECES, STILL MORE PARTY PIECES, FURTHER PARTY PIECES, FAVOURITE PARTY PIECES, and FINAL PARTY PIECES

A rare U.S. Appearance by one of the legends in magic and comedy!

Trevor Lewis will charm and delight you as he performs and teaches some of his most amazing magic. You'll laugh and learn as he shares his favorite routines,

including hilarious children's magic and astonishing routines for adults. Don't miss your chance to see one of magic's masters while he's on this side of the

Atlantic!

Date: Friday, August 25, 2006
Time: 7:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Location: Trinity E. Free Church (in the Common Ground room) 890 Abrams Road, Eustis, Florida

Tickets Only $20 in advance; $25 at the door

Reservations Recommended

To register, call 1-800-810-0722

A Hot Outdoor Show

Outside "HOT" Show

Did a show last night at the JW Marriott. Was told three days before the show that they decided to move the show from the ballroom to "outside". Yikes!   Florida heat in August! I was ready to pass out from the heat while setting up (two hour set up) in the 100+ weather. Actually, the weather turned pretty nice once the sun dropped and we went on at 7:45pm. But the humidity was bothersome. The Zombie and cloth kept sticking to my arm which caused problems for some of the moves, although I think most went fine. The mic kept cutting out on me but...most went fine. All the time I'm thinking....I can't wait to get into the Sub Trunk in this heat. Sure enough, the wind picked up and not only could I not do the costume change inside (humidity would not allow me to get even one arm into the sleeve), but we had to "pause" during the switch as the wind swept the cloth into the trap...thus slowing down the switch...although I doubt that any of the audience was aware. To most people...even a slow switch looks fast to them. My feet got tangled in the costume that laid on the trunk bottom so I nearly tripped (I think I did) jumping out of the trunk. To top this....the Events Manager tried to make it "better" for the band and I by deciding where (he felt) the stage configuration should be...even though we were trying to explain how it would work for us....he was a very bad listener!

Here is the bottom line and lesson: No matter these problems the audience (200) enjoyed the show and seemed to be having a good time. With the dinner being also outside, I was amazed at how attentive they all were. The show lasted 45 min. and no one got up to leave...even in this heat. Just goes to show that no matter the challenges we endure in doing some of these shows, the audience is non-the-wiser most times...the show must go on. Never let them see you sweat....or swear...which I was doing both quite a bit last night.
PS- Club member Jerry and Paula Darkey were also present at this function doing "sand dollar art". Nice to have friends sharing in my discomfort.
Dan

New Comedy Show

The Best Damn Comedy Show, Period

Last weekend I went to see a new comedy theatre named "The Best Damn Comedy Show, Period".  It opened just two weeks ago at 7052 International Drive, Orlando.  It is billed as "The Only Three Headliner Comedy Show Outside of Las Vegas".   
There were three comedians who have all worked Vegas and cruise ships world wide. The first two were Tom Drake, a sort of low key guy and Tommy Blaze, a loud boisterous guy challenging the battle of the sexes.  
The third performer was an old friend from Long Island, New York, Comedy Magician John Ferrentino.  John does some stock magic, and some original things, but all in a comedy vein.  He's a wild man on the order of the Amazing Jonathan. When I was there the room was only about 1/2 full.  It was only their second week of operation and it was the "early show".  But the comedy was fun and the price not bad, which includes drinks.  You can call 407-226-3680 for details and reservations.  I have a stack of discount cards to distribute at the next  monthly meeting.
     Magically,
          Roger Reid

MagicIan Lecture Report

MagicIan Lecture

Saw a great lecture the other day. I have seen Magic Ian (Ian Stutz) lecture before but this was his finest. Lots of wonderful stories of famous magicians  with Ian's encounter and how certain tricks developed. Those are what make lectures interesting.  He had some very clever coin and rope effects that fooled us all. Two very good production coin effects and a Prof. Nightmare con that fools magicians.  His silk in bottle was a stunner and what he does with the old Steel Ball and Tube and Ring on Coil standard puzzle... you will want to go back to the bottom  of the drawer and start playing with both of these items.
The lecture was void of any difficult card or coin tricks...everything was commercial and what he had for sale was reasonably priced.  The lecture reminded me of what magic shop owners might come up with after playing with the stuff he has sold in his shop for many years. And it would take  many years to be able to arrive at these twists and turns.
Don't miss Ian's lecture if it comes your way....two wands up!
Dan Stapleton

In Memoriam

In Memoriam

The year was 1962 and I was 12years old and "working" at Don Masters Studio of Magic formerly Marvins Magic shop on the 8th floor of One North Orange in downtown Orlando.       Don and his wife Betty had decided to move the shop to a larger location between Church and Pine street in the Magruder Arcade. The shop now had 4 store fronts and one of the rooms was used for magic IBM and SAM meetings.     Don and Betty also put together the Orlando Jr. Magicians club and Orlando Magic Maids for the girls interested in magic.   At the close of 1962 I was selected asJunior Magician of the year  and my 12 year old magic buddy was selected as The most creative Junior Magician of the year.  We both recieved trophys , magic tricks and a certificate.   We were both so proud and we laughed and carried on like 12 year olds often do.       We remained good friends although I left Orlando for a number of years.    I returned in 1967 and ran into my magic buddy many times and I still possess a small magic wand he gave me as he knew I collected wands.I always knew when he was around as I would here him call out "Hey, Mickey" as he was one of the few that called me by my first name.   Only childhood friends knew that.    I am going to miss my 12 year old magic buddy - James Sherill.    I'll also miss his infectuous laugh.  When he would laugh, mostly about anything,you would just have to laugh with him.   Our magic club,the magic fraternity,his family - we all have lost a wonderful human being.   I still can see him,a skinny kid of 12 with his homemade flipover boxes and other home made effects - but most of all it's the laughter.       So long magic buddy - We'll miss you!

swapmfoxfl@aol.com

Broken Wand

Bev Bergeron reporting:

We lost two good members this past month.  The Broken Wand Ceremony was held for Donald Scudder and James Sherrill.

I’m so very proud of our Ring members who turned out for their brother magicians.  Donald service was held at Baldwin-Fairchild Funeral Home in Altamonte Springs.  The family was very appreciative for the ceremony.

James’s ceremony took place during the public viewing on Friday night.  At 7:00 P.M. Over 30 members of our Ring and other magicians from around the state plus members of James’s family gathered for the Broken-Wand Ceremony.

Many members of the Ring got up and told stories of how they first met James and what he meant to them.  It was a very emotional period.  There was laughter and sorrow, but in the end the spirit of the room was enlightening.

After the wand was broken and placed with James for save keeping, the members did not rush out of the building.  They stayed to tell more stories about James and his magic.
The next morning, Saturday, about 20 members of our Ring gathered at the church for James’s final services.  Eight of our members served as pallbearers

The Art of Connecting

The Art of Connecting by Magic Ian
 
You just did the best center steal anyone has ever done, you have the jumbo coin finale ready to produce, you look up and your audience is gone. You lost your crowd, somewhere when your patter started they drifted off. Worst of all, you probably didn't notice they were gone because you didn't connect. Your never took your audience along with you on the ride.
 
What I find lacking in most acts is the theatrical mechanisms to connect your subjects to your zone. If you don't have their undivided attention and then keep that attentive focal point, you have lost the game.
 
Magic is like selecting music in a Juke Box*, select the wrong song and half your audience is gone. The style and patter you use must be carefully chosen,

the speed of your speech, the focal cues where you emphasize the effects you will be working on, the eye contact, how you use your surroundings, clothing, and misdirection of your hands.
 
When I start my performances, I introduce my props as if they were associates I want the audience to meet them. Sort of, “allow me to introduce you to my little friend, this coin, and his partner the card”. I give them full and royal entrances. I personify my props so as to give them the attention of someone who is talking. If the audience is not introduced to the props, they will not care what they do. If a feature of the cards is to change, I take great care to describe that feature so that when the change or effect takes place it is fully noticed. A color change is a costume change, a change in the suit is like changing night to day. It is startling and impossible, not just a color change.
 
All during the act, I constantly reinforce the features of my friends so when there is any difference, it is appreciated. It stuns and affects the spectators. The finale, is built up, not just revealed. All of the moves have the audience waiting for the revelation, anticipating something is going to happen and the audience will not leave, but will lean in close, and watch and listen like the conclusion to a great suspense film.
 
Anything less than this is just doing a trick.
 
-Magic Ian
aka Ian Sutz
www.tricks.ws
 
*long before ipods and MP3 players there were devices in diners* where you could play your favorite song for a fee.
*Diners were popular before fast food restaurants, they were distant relatives to Denny’s or Ihop.
 

SAM National Convention

A Report on the SAM National Convention

I have been member of the IBM for over 24 years and have been to many regional and four national IBM conventions but I have never been to a SAM national convention, so I had no idea what to expect. To sum up my experience, the convention was more about the magic than the tricks. There were only four lectures and none were card or coin close up workers. Instead, the convention was more of a big picture look at magic.

Lee Grabel spoke about his years on the stage and television and showed old black and white footage of his famous act featuring a piano that floats upside down while a pianist is still playing up side down. When asked why he never gave anyone permission to do the trick today, he said that he designed the effect and the steel used with a significant margin of error. With today’s litigious society he is concerned that someone doing the effect will have a failure and someone will get hurt and sue (everyone in sight). He also talked about receiving the mantle from Dante and then passing the mantle on to Lance Burton forty years after he received it.

Another legend in magic, Harry Riser, performed his linking rings and egg bag for his part in the Close up Gala. Both effects are featured in his new book, Secrets of an Escamoteur. He talked about learning the Malini egg bag from Charlie Miller and how his wife made the first one from Charlie’s recollection of seeing Malini’s bag.

Youth make up a big part of SAM and six young magicians put on a show at the convention. One young magician in the show came from Shrewsbury, England, accompanied by two other magicians, his father and grandfather. One of the young ladies in the show, Kayla Drescher, even helped emcee the first night’s stage show which was a stage contest. The contest had contestants from Macau, China, Japan, Korea, as well as the US. It was the best contest that I have ever seen.

A big part of the convention was the Special Sessions. R. G. Smith talked about entertaining our troops in Turkey, Yugoslavia, and Mogadishu. He was not paid but got $60 a day to cover expenses ($120 today); which he said is not always enough. He traveled with a country and western band and they went where most other entertainers would not. They had sand bags piled higher than their cots to stop incoming rifle fire. They were the last entertainers in Mogadishu and left just before “Black Hawk Down” occurred. It was a very sobering look at the world today and how magic can bring a smile to our troops and the villagers who support us.

The first big stage show was an all guy evening billed as Bargatze’s Boys, with Steve Bargatze doing his usual crazy antics. Ardan James is the consummate performer and closed the show with a terrific performance.

The second night was an All Gal Gala. Young Farrah Siegel is multi talented and enthusiastic with a very entertaining act. Luna Shimada was much better than I expected and Arian Black was not as good. Lynn Trefzger is a ventriloquist. I did not particularly like her characters but she stole the show with three “volunteers” who “spoke” when she touched them. One of the “volunteers” was Mac King and what she had coming out of his mouth had the place in stitches.

Juliana Chen closed the show with an absolute flawless act. Later she gave a lecture and said that she has never lost a competition that she has entered. She spoke of being chosen at an early age by the Chinese Communists to train as an entertainer. In her case it was as a juggler until she blew out her knee, and then she learned magic. She is a very strong and determined woman.

The convention was billed as Mac King’s Homecoming. I lived in Louisville in the 70’s and bought magic from Mac when he worked at the local magic shop while he was in high school. Mac did all of his bits and thanked Terry Seabrooke, who emceed the show, because without adapting Terry’s act Mac said that he would not have a show. Some local group ran a contest to select one of Mac’s “volunteers”. Unfortunately the “volunteer” did not have any money or a watch, so Mac got a volunteer to help the volunteer, who had both the $20 bill and a watch. This made the whole bit funnier, especially to the magicians who knew what was going on.

The theater is a great venue and Louisville has made their downtown a real convention town. The combined SAM and IBM convention will be there in two years and it should be a good one.

Gary Adams

Dennis' Deliberations

Dennis' Deliberations

I am deeply saddened by the loss of two of our brothers, Don and James.
 
James was a very old friend. We first met at Clarence Godwin's "Funway" magic shop in the mid 70s. James worked there for a while. When Clarence died suddenly of a heart attack in 1986 James and I were two of his pall bearers. We always stayed in contact. James would often come by for lunch and we would go out to my warehouse where my illusions were stored and he would help me move crates around. He is in many of my instructional photos showing how the illusions are packed and set up. James and I also played many shows together.
 
James was a dear friend and loyal club member and never refused to help me and the club in our activities. He will be greatly missed.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

In this column last month I expressed my dislike for the style of magic done by David Blaine and Criss Angel and their use of  TV trickery to create their "Reality TV" specials.
 
FAMULUS, our little Ring newsletter is read all over the world by way of the Internet!   So from Western Canada comes this response  to what I wrote from a 60 year old full-time working magician and 38-year consecutive member of the IBM.  I am printing it this month in its unedited entirety because, unlike Fox News, I am "Fair and Balanced".   I will let YOU , THE READER, decide what to believe on the issue of Blaine and Angel... This is actually a lengthy E-Mail debate with some back and forth, so grab a cold one and have fun!  This is almost as bad as Jerry Springer...where are the chairs to throw at each other?

By the way, I've been given permission to mention my 'antagonist's' name and place: Larry Thornton, from Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Like me, he stands behind his words!
 
Here goes:
 
(Larry begins with a quote from my last FAMULUS "Deliberations"  article)
 
> "Criss Angel appears to me to be a long haired, dope-smoking, bug-infested,
> strung-out, burned-out metal head in desperate need of fumigation and detox."
                                                                                                             -- Dennis Phillips
 
I regard this inflammatory rhetoric as a rather overblown reaction towards what I take to be mostly Angel's physical appearance. It suggests to the reader, in a rather mind-jarringly graphic manner, that Criss's chosen style of apparel (reflecting a so-called "heavy metal" music persona) constitutes direct evidence that his character  must also be in dire straits.  Let me play devil's advocate by rebutting what I consider a rather hysterical contention. I'll be in two parts:

PART ONE:

While I personally see Criss Angel as a magician-and-stunt-guy dressed to appeal to the mostly neophyte "heavy metal music" crowd, there seems no obvious evidence from the A&E shows that he [quoting Dennis ] "smokes dope, is infested with bugs, is strung out or burned out, or in need of detoxification."  Part (if not all) of his physical appearance is not a manufactured put-on, because he came from an actual background of heavy-metal-type music, being a musician of that genre himself. Testament to that fact is that he had a hand in the creation of his own theme music, and you can purchase other music on CD, created by the man. Criss, as far as I can tell through all I've read, is an outgrowth of his own environmental, contemporary, urban-American "musical and cultural" roots (he has been in a band or two in his earlier years);  and so hasn't merely manufactured his "image" solely as a gimmick to succeed in magic. That it IS succeeding brilliantly, in conjunction with no small measure of  charisma and talent -- is as much a bonus as an actual forethought "plan".  For those familiar with Criss' background rise to fame, they'll know that he had developed a successful stage illusion show before the A&E stint (themed along the lines more of, say, Alice Cooper, rather than conventional illusions shows); and his reputed income was said to be some $3,000 per week from this show.  

Still, this left him creatively unsatisfied. He yearned to climb to higher heights, and the A&E series "breakthrough" became a part of his master plan to achieve this dream.

TO BE FAIR:  I've been around for sixty years now, so it figures-- While (due to my age) I understandably do not personally care for his greasy-looking hair (not to say it IS greasy!) and hip-hop style of dress (or whatever its called) with the hanging chains and large jewellery dangling, I have nothing against an honest character (as Criss is) sporting long hair and choosing to be uncompromisingly himself.   I wouldn't consider that a negative reflection on the rest of his character, anymore than I'd judge a man by the color of his skin or his religious affiliation. I hardly see his appearance as reflecting (as Dennis allegedly suggests) an unhygienic person.  I'm sure he bathes regularly and doesn't stink, or the enraptured audiences he attracts would not want to get near the guy.

I also don't believe his appearance reflects negatively on magic.  The public in the main, already laughs at our antiquated stereotypical image:  The "top-hat-and-tails" penguin suits of a past age, the gaudy sequinned jackets, and the overly-macho leather-clad Copperfield wannabe illusionists dancing and prancing on stage. Penn & Teller have gone to great lengths to point this out. This antagonism by the public is buttressed further by so many television talk-show hosts (most notably Leno and Letterman) who never miss an opportunity to put-down magicians. (It is a well-known fact that unlike Johnny Carson, or Dick Cavett, Jay Leno clearly hates magicians.)

Dennis tells us that every magic pro and amateur in his area  (all of Florida? or just Orlando?) agrees with his assessment. That's a pretty wide-sweeping statement gone unchallenged.  But then he should know: he lives there, and I don't.  And I'm sure he has no intention of lying to you.  Are there any magic aficionados in Florida with the guts to speak up  -- if they DON'T agree with Dennis?<Editor note: see my editorial>  Surely some of my rebuttal hear (there's more to follow) appears sensible enough to carry some weight!   

My viewpoint (as opposed to Dennis's) has august company.  Perhaps none of the people in magic (that I name here) live in the State of Florida.  But just ask magic stalwarts Johnny Thompson, Banachek, Lance Burton, Jonathan, Penn & Teller, and any other close friends or technical/magic advisers to Criss -- ask them if they think Dennis's over-the-top assessment in any way makes sense.  Ask ace magic innovator and highly-respected long-time magician Paul Harris (advisor to David Blaine) if HE thinks Blaine is a loser or a "freak" in magic.   I'm sure these legends in our field would disagree with Dennis's assessment vehemently; as do the elite of the Magic Castle who voted Criss Angel "Magician of the Year."  

I'll end Part One here (that we could perhaps mean-spiritedly and disingenuously label "One Man's Opinion")  by going on to Part Two: a collaboration to my rebuttal that maintains Criss Angel is a force in magic to be reckoned with. But more -- a person of integrity and "charismatic humility" (not an oxymoron), in spite of his apparent negative attributes to the "older set" (myself included, but in a far milder and more tolerant fashion) with regards to his "metal head" style of dress and seemingly bombastic sense of theatricality.    Angel's burning aspirations to succeed beyond the norm (i.e. being dissatisfied with a "paltry" three grand a week in his own prior illusion show) is nothing less than an attempt to "push the envelope" as far as it will take him, and in doing so, to realize his ULTIMATE POTENTIAL.  Did Houdini rest on his laurels as an early escapologist?  No! He constantly searched for new opportunities to climb  ever-higher heights. That he failed to commercially "make it" with his silent films (which he wrote and acted in) was a testament more to his willingness to try new things. Being the first to fly an airplane in Australia was further testament to his indomitable courage and sense of adventure. Considering Criss Angel (and David Blaine - only an arguable "heartbeat" ahead of Criss) selected magic as their primary entertainment medium, this was no mean feat, considering how little respect the medium gets these days.  (A minor digression: You'll notice that in most of Angel's stunts - unlike Blaine's - Criss works out some "magical angle" that leaves everyone jaw-droppingly baffled; it wasn't enough just to pull an "Evil Kinevil" by jumping through the air on a motorcycle [been done before!]--- Angel chose instead to vanish in a puff of smoke two-thirds of the way across the divide! This is a strong testament to his love for magic, over just doing crazy stunts for their own sake. Same with his disappearing magically after setting himself on fire, in a first-season episode. )
 
PART TWO
Criss Angel Named 2005 Magician of the Year
From: Wayne Kawamoto,

Criss Angel, creator and star of A&E’s popular  CRISS ANGEL - MINDFREAK, was named 2005 Magician of the Year by The Academy of Magical Arts (AMA) at a press event at Hollywood’s Magic Castle. We had the opportunity to attend the event and talk with Milt Larson, co-founder of the Magic Castle; Dale Hindman, president of the AMA; Irene Larson, co-founder of the Castle and Gay Blackstone, vice president of the AMA, and even Angel himself, which will form the basis of an upcoming, stand-alone story.

"Criss Angel is going to be a huge superstar in the world of magic," said Dale Hindman.

"I predict that he will eclipse David Copperfield at some point because he is brilliant, he cares about magic and is willing to think outside the box.”

According to Hindman, Angel is appealing to a youthful crowd, which has resulted in younger visitors at the Magic Castle. "He's the only guy who is out there on A&E, with huge ratings and is known...he's the logical choice," added Hindman.

"He is the most important person in magic this side of Doug Henning," said Milt Larson. “Criss is presenting a new and different form of magic. He’s
definitely bringing it into the future and I can’t think of anybody who’s doing it better.”

"Doug Henning and Siegfreid & Roy were forerunners, but Criss is now," said Irene Larson. “Criss Angel has elevated the art of magic to new heights.”

According to Irene Larson, Angel is successfully bringing the fun and wonder of magic to a new, younger generation.

Gay Blackstone told us that she has known Angel since he was eleven-years-old, and that he still owns the poster that was signed by her late, legendary husband, Harry Blackstone, Jr. "He is now the leading edge and the epitomy of magic,” said Blackstone. “We try to advance the art and the science of magic and he was the absolute perfect choice this year." According to Blackstone, Angel is good for all of magic and all of entertainment and is responsible for broadening A&E’s demographics.

The Board of Directors and the members of the Academy of Magical Arts annually honor the best and brightest magicians. Past award winners include Harry Blackstone Jr., Harry Anderson, Lance Burton, David Copperfield, Doug Henning, Penn & Teller and Siegfried & Roy.

Source: http://magic.about.com/od/biosonfamousmagicians/a/2005magicyear.htm
 
So, Dennis, are you to believe that Milt Larson, Academy of Magical Arts president Dale Hindman, Irene Larson, Gay Blackstone, and the entire AMA board of directors (one being at the time, the late and great Billy McComb) are all wrong on the matter of Criss's worth to magic?  --And that YOUR assessment (and allegedly all of your cohorts in the Orlando area, if not all of Florida) constitutes the only sensible opinion?? ... Is yours even a majority opinion among magicians?  I'm sure that if that were so, a storm of protesting letters, phone calls, and emails to the Castle - objecting to Angel's award - would have resulted had most magicians felt as you do. (Assuming of course, that they care a whit about Castle awards...)

Simply put and with all due respect (we're friends), I think the preliminary evidence clearly shows Dennis is "out to lunch" on his Ring newsletter blast of inflammatory rhetoric towards the likes of Criss... and very peripherally... David Blaine. I would even hazard the "uninformed guess" (not having taken a formal poll) that the majority of the magic world would agree with my rebuttal here today. The evidence on Dennis's side, seems to me,  scant at best.   -

Larry Thornton

I answered his E-mail with the following:
> I regard this inflammatory rhetoric as a rather overblown reaction
> towards what I take to be mostly Angel's physical appearance... etc. etc.
 
Thank you for your rebuttal... I will print it next month in the club newsletter and send you the article. You obviously took my hyperbole and literalized it.  I did not say that every magician in Florida agreed with me. I said that I could not find any that disagreed. There may be a lot that disagree with me, but I could not find them.  That won't change my opinion, however.
 
> So, Dennis, are you to believe that Milt Larson, Academy of Magical Arts
> president Dale Hindman, Irene Larson, Gay Blackstone, and the entire AMA
> board of directors (one being at the time, the late and great Billy McComb)
> are all wrong on the matter of Criss's worth to magic?

It is my conviction that almost all of big-time show business is run and managed by organized syndicates. (There may be organized crime involved in some parts).   Before Angel, the syndicate all put their money on Darren Romeo- Big Bucks were sunk into making him the "new face" in magic.   He could sing, he could act ,he was charming, he had teeney bop appeal...   He played at Busch Gardens in Tampa where I am told his handlers paid young girls to scream and pass out when he sang ( The old Sinatra and Presley promotion gimmick). 
 
Romeo , the new clean cut kid flopped for a variety of reasons...
 
Thus Angel now is the latest annointed by the syndicate and all the shills have either jumped or been forced on board endorcing him.
 
So I don't care what anyone "says"...They can say anything...for any number of reasons.(Usually because they are told to say it.)   In my opinion neither Angel or Blaine are worth a flip .  But again, that is my opinion and the opinion of almost every magican (young and old) that I talk

to in Florida.
 
To which Larry answered:

It doesn't matter what local magicians think, IF the likes of Blaine and Angel are a credit to magic (I, and the names above, think they are!) and IF the public goes wild for their efforts (as they have!).   Being commercially successful in magic is every professional magician's dream.  It is what it is all about -- and carries far more weight than that of a few disgruntled (conventional) hobbyists and pros who might be disgusted seeing their beloved magic set in a revolutionary new paradigm.    A helluva a lot of magicians would like to be making the kind of loot Blaine and Criss are pulling in, instead of struggling financially with an antiquated style of magic that today's public routinely ignores.  Dennis's local boys might agree with him, as he asserts, but apparently many of the heavyweights in magic do not, as evidenced by what I laid out in the previous email [above].  I'd like to know what others have to say about this alleged disparity of opinion.

I responded:

>Being commercially successful in magic is every professional magician's dream.  It is what it is all about --

The public buys what they are sold...

Part of the problem with the music industry is that with technology (i-pods, file sharing etc) and the end of dominance of broadcast radio and variety shows there is no way to get a song forced on people like old fashioned payola did..

99.9% of " the public" won't cross the street or bother pushing the remote button to "see a magician"...  Name me more than 3  magicians that at "box office" bankable.    The vast majority of  magicians making it work it destination resorts when they have mostly a captive audience.

>  A helluva a lot of magicians would like to be making the kind of loot. Blaine and Criss are into, instead of struggling financially with a style of magic that today's public routinely ignores.

The public doesn't give a flip  about Blaine and Angel. They are mindless 'Narrowcast' fodder for the boob tube and targeted demographics (young metal heads and urban low-rent types).

> Dennis's local boys might agree with him, as he asserts, but apparently many of the heavyweights in magic do not, as evidenced by what I gave laid out in the previous email.

Aren't you being a self-contradictory??? The "heavy weights in magic" are all "magicians" . Then you said, "it doesn't matter what local magicians think"!!! 
I don't believe for a moment these people really appreciate these two dudes. The "heavyweights" are just trying to make a buck or be with the latest thing to get any public attention in an art that had little direction since the 2nd Golden years.

Larry came back with
 
Ah, very good! You are a feisty one, but I do respect your integrity: that being, you're willingness to defend your position by sticking to the subject and not getting personal. That's a rare commodity these days.  (Now that this maudlin bit is out of the way -- ONWARD!)

> The public buys what they are sold... - D.P.

Yes... and no.
Take the television industry: They're a graveyard of (tens) of thousands of shows that failed because the public would NOT buy what they were sold. A lack of viewers meant a lack of eyeballs to watch commercials, and so the shows tanked. You and everybody else knows that.  Not exactly germane to our topic, but a little digression may be in order: Witness the meteoric successes of the "scum below the barrel", year after year: Murray Povich and Jerry Springer dreck.

This pathetic testament to abysmal taste shows that the public is the LEAST able to tell us what is either "good" or "bad" in the world of entertainment.  (Either that, or it awakens the "trailer trash" mentality lurking under the psyche of us all.) And television writers pander to these mindless couch potatoes by biting the hand that feeds them, in pretending that television sucks and you, Mr. Couch Potato, know it too!  --Wink wink, nudge nudge. It's all a lame game of collusion and farcical fakery in a "Junk-Cultured World" gone mad.
 
But then--- (how do I steer this back on track) along come Blaine and Angel with refreshing new angles to an old paradigm (conventional magic) -- and it
goes over brilliantly,  causing a jaded, entertainment-saturated public to *wake-up* to the startling realization that --- HEY, MAGIC CAN ACTUALLY BLOW
MINDS!     ...Put the "same old stuff" in brand new clothing, and it causes the wearied channel-flicker to sit up and take notice, as they swallow hard on the insane notion that all magicians are a boring stiffs in out-dated penguin suits.  To my mind, the work of Blaine and Angel have smashed through this myopic banality of people's thinking: they've given magic a brand new lease on life, as a performance art-form able to transcend its old familiar paradigms (e.g. sawing women in two, rabbits in hats, birds from the air, dumb card tricks, etc.).    ....After years and perhaps even decades of public abuse (people 'vote' by staying away) this sudden turn-of-events could rightfully be thought of as our very own "Magician's Revenge".  --- So we should be smiling and applauding the likes of C and B, and NOT tearing them down!
So the public doesn't always buy what they are sold. Take the music industry (which Dennis brought up): It is one of the greatest crapshoots in the history of entertainment. What DOES the public want in music? The music moguls still haven't figured that out! In the first 50 or so years of recorded music, they thought they pretty-much had it locked up with the old Tin Pan Alley paradigm, but nothing is a sure thing. If they had a fool-proof formula, every dweeb that ever approached a microphone or picked up a guitar (and were sanctioned by the record moguls), would be rich today. The record company execs would be able to tell most hopefuls far in advance, "Forget it, dude! You haven't got a prayer!" Bob Dylan would have been an early casualty, as would dozens of other "oddball" musicians (with strange voices) we could name today, who persevered and beat the odds. The Nashville dictators wouldn't give a geeky young newcomer named Willy Nelson the time of day, other than buying his early songs he wrote, to be sung by other established artists. When he finally evolved into the music legend he is today, he decided one day to put out an album of classic old standards (Irving Berlin, Hoagy Carmichael, etc.). The "know-it-all" music hacks told him to forget it, it would be creative suicide. They said it would become the biggest career mistake of his life. But he persisted, and his collection of classic songs (album name: "Stardust") became his biggest selling album to date. Dennis tells us he believes in something I find totally absurd:  [quote] "It is my conviction that almost all of big-time show business is run and managed by organized syndicates." Do you, Dennis, seriously believe a "crime syndicate" actually engineered-and-supported all of myriad vagaries and unpredictable events of show business  -- that occured serendipitously throughout the 20th century?  I doubt it!

It hardly makes sense to blame some "organized syndicate" for the failure of (so many) magic entertainers to make a decent living in show biz. Or to suggest that something totally bizarre and unexpected (like Blaine and Angel breaking into television) was deliberately and methodically produced by an
"Entertainment Mafioso."    It doesn't wash.

I could of course "play the other side" by agreeing that there is a narrow sense in which "The public buys what they are sold". It couldn't be more accurate with regards to Copperfield. Nobody is twisting the public's arms to make them go take their families to a Copperfield illusion show. As far as I can tell, there are no greasy-tongued boiler-room operators spamming the public with phone calls begging them to bpurchase block tickets "for charity" for a David Copperfield show. (But then--- I've never been phoned!)
 
And granted, the public also  "buys what they are sold" when they are made captive to what is put before them:  Cruise-ship magicians aren't heavily
advertised before the fact; they constitute a kind of novelty "filler" that tourists are stuck with nightly on any ship that hires magicians.  As are the sometimes mediocre comics, jugglers, ventriloquists, and the obligatory entourage of highly choreographed young dance troops (I know: I've been on a couple of Caribbean cruises, strictly as a passenger).

> The public doesn't give a flip about Blaine or Angel. They are mindless "Narrowcast" fodder for the boob tube. - D.P.

What DOES the public give a damn about? Nobody ever lost money by underestimating the public's intelligence. Or attention span.  Magicians are caught between a rock and a hard place:

They can pontificate all kinds of hi-falutin' theory (Dariel Fitzkee in The Trick Brain; Paul Harris in The Art of Astonishment; Tommy's Books of Wonder; Ian Jamy Swiss ragging on what's wrong with magic and magicians; Max Maven allegedly denegrating damn-near everything) -- but the BOTTOM LINE seems to be the public's tendency (or not) to open their wallets and fork over the green. Conventional magic acts being what they are, the public forgets about most of it by the next day, if not sooner. Could our intellectual magic theorists have predicted a HENNING, a BLAINE, or a CRISS ANGEL? --Or for that matter, the (former) iconoclastic "bad boys of magic", PENN & TELLER? Whenever someone comes along to alter the conventional magical paradigm, there inevitably arise a crock of old farts in magic who get their noses all in a knot. "That's not the way it's supposed to be!" they grumble.  The rule breakers' inevitable response is to quietly ignore the "nay sayers",  while laughing all the way to the bank. Many such rule-breakers turn out to be a credit to magic, while an iconoclastic few (Uri Geller springs to mind) are not.

You watch Angel closely (as some of us have), and you'll see an apparent contradiction: He swaggers, he gesticulates, he sells himself larger than life!  It's called "showmanship".  He even has veteran professional magicians of both a contemporary and an alleged "bygone era" lending further praise -- right on his shows.  After all, there's absolutely no POINT at all to walking on water... floating from building to building high in the sky... and shoving salt shakers through tables (without covering!) -- only to mildly assert, Huckleberry Finn-like, "Awe, shucks, it weren't nothin." If you're going to play the role of an over-the-top "Superman," able to cavalierly flaunt the laws of nature, then do it with all of the assertiveness of a "Superman"!  Nothing less will do.  And Criss carries it out with aplomb: He punches the air dramatically in triumph after his miracle takes place, while scowling, "That's what I'm talkin' about!!" Meaning: "I don't mess around, people! When I set-out to do something incredible -- I DO IT!"  Okay, so it may rub some of the more reserved magicians the wrong way -- but it is still showmanship of the first order -- to today's young audiences! ... Anything less would be a false modesty that wouldn't ring true.

The reason Angel or Blaine succeed with their "performance personas" is partly (to my way of thinking) because they don't wear it like a permanent mantel once they've left the stage.  Criss admits to doing tricks. And he exhibits an honest humility when interviewed: On Good Morning America he told the interviewer (and us at home), "I'm amazed to realize I've done 45 A&E shows so far, and I hear I may be renewed for a third season. It truly blows me away."

He had the maturity to be able to humbly acknowledge his own good fortune, realizing as he does, that television is a crap-shoot no matter what kind of
talent you may have. And it rings true.  It allows the television audience to see him as a forthright human being, and not just as some kind of bizarre  magical blowhard.  And when he accepted his award at the Castle, he told the audience sincerity (quoted in Magic Magazine), "I promise you guys never to let magic down." -- or words to that effect. He's the real McCoy: as Gay Blackstone (and others in magic) told us, Criss has been into magic since he was a young kid; and Blaine has been described (Ellusionist website) as a guy "who was obviously born with a deck of cards in his hands." ... It's not like these two dudes came out of left-field and "stole our magic" and then bastardized it into something totally unconventional. What they DID do, is rise out of a conventional background in magic, and then stumble across a "formula" that *clicked* with contemporary young audiences. Like Robert Houdin and Doug Henning before them, (and to some extent Copperfield), they are  ingeniously adapting to changing times with new and refreshing presentation ideas.

But more than this, they are also DOING MAGIC A BIG FAVOR: They are proving conclusively that conjuring nay-sayers (not any magicians so much as lay critics of the art) are wrong: By carving out a unique performing style that blows minds anew, they've shown us that our classic old effects and routines can still have the power to amaze and enthral.

> I don't believe for a moment these big-time magic people really appreciate these two dudes. - D.P.

I can speak from experience: I got on the bus the other day and was startled and pleased to hear a couple of kids in the back enthusing over David Blaine. I loved it!!  And at my family and kids shows (while preparing or packing up) I routinely get asked if I can do Blaine's magic, or what do I think about Criss Angel? That, to mind, constitutes living proof that people not only remember, talk about, and wonder about the work of Blaine and Angel -- but they appreciate them as well!  --And as far as I can see, that flies in the face of what Dennis is telling us. The huge success of Criss Angel's second season (going through the roof as they say) speaks for itself: A&E has upped the advertising budget for his show and they're very enthused by its success. In short, it pulls-in the viewers, and so attracts eyeballs to the  commercials; and that is the mark of "television success", whether for magic or any other branch of show business.

> The "heavyweights" [Castle cohorts, other professionals] are just trying to make a buck or be with the latest thing -- D.P.

What the heck is wrong with that? We know that the Magic Castle is a very expensive place to run (just read all the financial troubles they've had...).  Is it possible for them to remain an anachronism for old-timers dedicated to glorifying the past, and  forever bemoaning the state of entertainment today? There are no wealthy, magic-loving benefactors willing to support that kind of  luxury. They have to advance with the changing times, or perish.  As one astute journalist said about the Castle, a guy who doesn't know a double-lift from a monkey wrench:

"The Magic Castle looks like a cross between the Disneyland fairytale palace and the house of Psycho. It still has the same old and dusty smell that it
presumably had then.  Which is appropriate, as the place is really a museum, housing a nostalgic collection devoted to the world of magic. Every wall is  plastered in posters, playbills, and props form the 'golden age' of conjuring -- we're talking Harry Houdini rather than David Blaine here -- when magic
tricks were the stuff of dreams and nightmares, advertised by posters employing images of he devil, monsters and the 'other side'." (Source:
http://www.forteantimes.com/articles/202_magic1.shtml )

This "lay perspective" on one of our most prestigious institutions of magic, shows us the place is not exactly in tune with the times! What would attract new blood to such a "musty old building" that obviously smacks of a bygone age? This journalist's impressions don't paint an image that would have today's younger set running towards magic -- but away from it!  One brief "channel click", and any magician on TV instantly becomes --- history!

>[To reiterate] --The "heavyweights" are just trying to make a buck or be with the latest thing,
> to get any public attention to an art that had little direction since the 2nd Golden Age years.(1975-1995) - D.P.

If all we want is for magic crystallize into a "living museum" full of nostalgic barnacles bemoaning the "good old days" -- all because they refused to let magic adapt to the times -- then by all means, Stay with the old paradigms. And then it'll have to be supported by "hot-air and stale dreams", as the cash-flow just won't be there any more. Today's technological age of over-hyped, computerized special effects and ever-louder and gaudier stage shows will soon shove magic into the dark corridors of show business obsolescence. --At which point, a century-or-so from now, history won't be kind: It will see magic as part of the vast forgotten lore of show business along with Vaudeville, the big touring shows, night club acts, and the dawning age of television magic.  
'Tis a shame our little dialogue here isn't getting a wider audience.....
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Well....it did get a wider audience!
 
I print, YOU decide. (Unlike Fox News, I am fair and balanced)
 
Join in on the debate and send to me your responses. I will forward them on to Larry.
 
I get the final word...I doubt that Larry ( primarily a Children's Entertainer) would be instantly welcomed into the homes of children having birthday parties if he dressed like Criss Angel.  Imagine doing David Blaine's "String out of the Belly" at a 7 year old's birthday party!    No one would ever have objected to Doug Henning or David Copperfield performing at any venue.
 
But, the point remains that I just don't enjoy watching Angel or Blaine and I don't think that they will come anywhere close to having the fame and money
that either Henning or Copperfield made.
 
Dennis
 

Ring Report

Ring Report    Ring #170  The Bev Bergeron Ring

Two dozen seats were filled when president Harvey Brownlow gaveled the meeting to order. We had one guest, Mark Vergo, new to Orlando from Omaha, Nebraska.
Craig Fennessey gave an update on planned lectures. Treasurer Art Thomas gave a big thanks to past president Richard Hewitt and Kerry Pierce for their public show at the Marks Street Center. This show helps to assure us of a meeting place. The show was a big hit with the audience.
 
Tom Salvadore has moved his magic shop from Kissimmee to a spot across from The Fun Spot. Kostya Kimlat continues to wow audiences at The Garlic in New Smyra Beach.  Roger Reid gave an invitiation to perform for a fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity.
 
Following the business meeting Art Thomas served as MC for the monthly ring show.  James Songster presented an original children's effect with a book that had children's book covers in it. The child flipped through the book and the chosen cover matched a prediction Jim had in a previously shown envelope.  He followed up with a delightful routine , done to music, with the Axtell Drawing Board.
 
Charlie Pfrogner gave us a demonstration of the Vernet "Psimbol deck". The effect is that a spectator can freely cut to any one of 40 different cards and the mentalist duplicates the selection by drawing on a paper tablet. Just like the old acrobatic circus acts, Charlie built up the suspense and finally, at the height of suspense, revealed the unknown symbol. Newcomer, Mark Vergo, presented a polished act. A sharpie pen changed from red to blue and was given to a spectator to mark the selected card . The card ended up in Mark's pocket and then in an attempt to demonstrate the effect again, every card went to Mark's pocket with the selcted card being left in Mark's hand. Mark continued with a Chop Cup routine and lemons-under-the-cup as a finale.
 
Capping the show was J.C. Hiatt with his slick card magic. Three cards were selected by spectators and used to locate a 4th chosen card.  Finally 4 aces appeared in completely shuffled deck.
 
Another monthly show was wrapped up and a successful July ring meeting concluded. When you visit Orlando please plan to be with us. Good things are always happening in Ring 170.
 
Dennis Phillips

Dear Fellow Ring Members,
 
If you have been looking for our Ring Reports for Ring 170 in the back of TLR ( the publication formerly known as "The Linking Ring") you will notice that none have been printed for several months.
 
Please be assured that I have been faithfully submitting them on time since I assumed the role of  Secretary in the late 90s. This month's report was sent on time.  Why they are not printing them is a mystery to me. I have had no luck getting an answer.
 
Our Ring President, President Harvey Brownlow, has offered to contact Mr. Barnes , the editor of the reports , and see what the problem is with getting our reports published. Hopefully, we will be back in TLR ( the publication formerly known as "The Linking Ring").
 
Dennis, your faithful scribe
 

From the editor

From the Editor

Lots of contributions this month, inlcuding some "old" ones, thanks to everyone for them.

In the last few weeks we managed to take some time off and drive up the East Coast.  I managed to squeeze in 2 Monday Night magic's, as we were just outside New York twice on a Monday night.  I attended a couple of their shows a number of years ago, when they were in a small theater in Greenwich village. At that time there were about 30-40 in the audience. Now they have moved uptown to the theater district and both of the shows that I attended were sold out with almost 200 seats. Ther reason for their success is obvious, the show is professional, but different every week and so there are many repeat visitors.

Although they have moved, they continue with one of their traditions, close magic during the interval. However now they have three magicians performing in different locations in the theater, including the producers, Micheal Chaut and Ian Jamy Swiss. Just before my vacation I also attended another performance at the Comedy and Mystery Society (formerly Wednesday Night Wizardry), a cousin of MDM in the Washington DC area.  I was glad to see that thier performances are also much better attended than in the past, also growing from 15-20 to 50-70.  I do not know whether this is due to the weather, or might it be due to more magic on TV, and specifically that of Criss Angel?  I know that many have berated his shows in the past, and I would agree that much of his first season was more of the extreme stunts than magic.  However, this second season he has focussed on true magical effects, and his shows are far more entertaining. There is some discussion about the use camera angles to assist with effects, but as we always say, the method should not be the measure of success, but the entertainment factor.  And to judge by my own family, they find it very entertaining and have placed him on our DVR list.  See also Dennis' Deliberations below for further discussion about Criss!

The ring was saddened by the loss of two magicians in the last few weeks. Personally I had met and talked with James at club functions.  He was always very friendly and I am sorry that I never made it to SeaWorld to see him perform there. Both of them will be missed.

Stefan

Get published

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Board of Directors

Directory

Harvey Brownlow, President - harvini@yahoo.com
James Songster, Vice President - JjTjMagic@aol.com
Dennis Phillips, Secretary - Dennis@alliedcostumes.com
Art Thomas, Treasurer- Art.Thomas@disney.com
Charlie Cox, Sgt. At Arms - charles_c2000@yahoo.com
Joe Vecciarelli, Director at Large - talkingmute@tampabay.rr.com

Stefan Bartelski, Editor Famulus - Famulus@illusioneer.com

Famulus - August 2006

FAMULUS

Next general meeting Wednesday, 08/18/2006 at 7:30 PM SHARP

Meeting theme: Hot Magic

Marks Street Center, 99 Mark Street, downtown Orlando
If you visit with us and do not know the room we meet in , please be aware that some of the people in the office at the Senior Center may not be aware we are meeting there! At the last meeting one visitor asked where the "IBM" was meeting and the management apparently thought they were asking for the International Business Machines group!  They said that there was no "IBM" on the schedule.   So, if you have never been to our ring meeting , please say "magicians" or "FAME" and if that doesn't get the room location , just walk around looking for us. The Senior Center is a public building.

Lunch meetings every Tuesday at noon at Goodings (next to the Mercado)


Website: www.ring170.com  
F. A. M. E. is the Florida Association of Magical Entertainers