Posts
When I was in my teens, some 45 years ago or so, I used to frequent the Hornman & Martinka Magic Shop in Manhattan on Saturdays. At that time it was owned by the late, great Coney Island Fakir... Al Flosso!
One Saturday morning, after riding in to Manhattan on the LIRR, (Long Island Rail Road, for those of you who have never been to "the island") I climbed the stairs to the 2nd floor landing and opened the door to that musty, dusty world of wonders ... Hornman & Martinka. As I entered Al quickly caught my attention with his heavy Brooklyn, Jewish accent...
"Here kid, watch what I'm gonna' do!"
I turned to see him behind the display case holding up a walking cane. He held the ends of the cane and in a flash it was gone and a bouquet of brightly colored feather flowers appeared where the cane had been! I was completely taken by the effect! (Bought the cane on the spot. Couldn't afford the flowers!)
Al diverted his eyes, and looked past me, to a man sitting in the big easy chair in the corner. I had not noticed him there when I entered the shop.
Al asked the man "Well, what do you think Joe?"
Joe answered something to the effect of "Pretty nice."
Then Al Flosso had the good graces to introduce me to one of the worlds most famous magicians & mentalists...Joseph Dunninger!
Mr. Dunninger was in New York for an appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show.
Needless to say, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to meet Mr. Dunninger. After spending a few hours "talking shop" with Al & Joe, I left for home that afternoon with an autographed copy of one of Dunningers books on magic.
Yes, it really happened!
Magically,
Roger "Cigam" Reid
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
2008-02 Dennis' Deliberations
My Friendly Tet Offensive 2008
Saturday January 26th was when many Vietnamese here in Florida celebrated “Tet”, the Vietnamese New Year. Actually, the official date for Tet will be on February 7th this year. The New Year begins on the first night of the first moon after the sun enters Aquarius. We are moving from the 2007year of the Pig to the 2008 year of the Rat. I guess for people of my generation the Tet holiday will forever be linked to form the words “Tet Offensive”. The North Vietnamese Communist Army staged a massive military offensive against U.S. forces in February of 1968 on the Tet holiday. It utterly failed and American troops in Viet Nam mopped up all resistance in a couple of day but the psychological damage was done in the minds of the American people and we lost interest in the Viet Nam War and 7 years later we finally got our behinds handed to us and withdrew.
That withdrawal and slow military disengagement of America from Viet Nam prompted a number of Vietnamese to apply for political asylum here in the United States and Central Florida became one area of concentration. In Orlando the area around Mills and Colonial is referred to by many as “Little Viet Nam”. I live in downtown Orlando and we have an Asian neighbor and by a series of acquaintances I was recommended to perform a stage show at the local Tet event. It was at the Central Florida Fairgrounds on a rainy Saturday night.
I was not aware just how huge this 2,500 person event turned out to be. I always carry my own sound system for a stage show and it was not needed. They had a full festival sound system run by an events company.
Oddly enough the Vietnamese Roman Catholic Church was a major sponsor. Recall the Viet Nam was a colony of France and the French brought Christianity to the country that previously had been mostly Buddhist in the cities. I find it utterly fascinating to witness religious syncretism. Vestiges of the pre-Christian religion exist in the legends, dance and graphics, but most have been Christianized. One could argue that the entire Christian religion represents a syncretism between Diasporic Judaism, Hellenistic Stoicism and the Roman Empire’s old religion. Humans tend to find the kind of god and belief system they believe they think they need.
Al Coury had seen my name in a Tet flyer and called me a couple of hours before I left the house saying that he wanted to be at the show but he also had a gig that night at another location. I carry a full carload of props since I wanted the act to be big, flashy and filled with flowers, silks and rice bowls. I would still anchor the show with my standard eight minute opening to my club act using doves and a rabbit finale. While I was loading my jumbo Phantom Tube, my wife was folding my two six-foot Rice’s picture silks and the other dozen odd silks and streamers. I inserted two Abbott’s Flag staffs into the secondary load and Cindy asked me how much the value was of all the production items. I calculated at today’s prices I was producing over $2,000 worth of items within 90 seconds of stage time.
I used the help of 3 stagehands and we got the props up on stage and off to the side as I waited for my introduction. There were a number of singers on stage before me. I was not quite sure when to load my doves into my coat so my birdies had an extended wait since I loaded up a bit early. The printed schedule handed to me was in Vietnamese and the Emcee spoke only Vietnamese. I can operate in six other languages and do know a little Vietnamese but I had to keep reminding myself that the Vietnamese have a different approach to schedules and time than we do! The show rolled on and all the cues were met and at the finale, my straight jacket escape, I bowed off to a nice hand. I am not surprised at the great success many Americans are having by taking their magic acts to the Orient. The Eastern cultures love magic!
Since we are moving into a Globalist future and all world cultures are going to be interfacing socially and economically, let me depart from talking “tricks” and help you with an understanding that could get you a future magic gig in “Nam”. Hanoi used to be a French Resort and the Pearl of the Orient. I believe that in addition to manufacturing someday Viet Nam will return to be a tourist haven with resort hotels and cruise ship ports. The magician of the future will understand how all cultures see “magic” and how they see the world.
Tet is a huge celebration lasting three days. Families save money, store food, and plan far in advance for Tet, a major holiday in Vietnam. The Vietnamese take extreme care to start the New Year out right. They buy new clothes, paint and clean their homes, cook three days worth of food, pay off all debts and make amends to rid themselves of all bad feelings. Cleaning is frowned on during Tet because one would not want to sweep out any good luck. Digging and drawing water is also not allowed so the ground and water can enjoy the holiday.
The marketplace is very busy the week before Tet, as people buy food, trinkets, firecrackers, flowers, and other items in anticipation of the holiday. At four o'clock in the afternoon on Tet eve all the markets close down so the people can go home and prepare for midnight when Tet begins.
The atmosphere is very festive. Incense is burned in the homes. The color Red, symbolizing good luck and happiness is seen everywhere. Games of gambling are in the streets, homes and in cars. If a gambler wins then he is said to have good luck gambling in the New Year. If a gambler loses, he is said to have good luck in other affairs. There are dragon dances at night. Food is plentiful, homes are decorated, parks are full of crowds of people dressed in their best new clothes, and for three days the people have an ultimate celebration.
Tet is a time for visits from family and friends. The first visitor to a home is very important. If the first visitor is rich, prestigious, or happy then the family will have good fortune that year. Usually this visitor is a relative, but sometimes the family will invite a special guest that they feel will bring them good luck. The first day of Tet is reserved for visiting family and relatives. The second day is set aside for special guests and close friends to visit, and the third day is for teachers and business associates to make a visit. Negative talk and arguments are taboo. Visitors end their visit with a farewell wish for the family such as, "I wish that money will flow into your house like water, and out like a turtle."
The Vietnamese believe that their deceased ancestors will visit the family for the holiday. Alters are decorated in the homes with incense, flowers, and photographs of deceased relatives. A tray full of fruit, coins, and a tall vase of blossoms are placed in front of the alter symbolizing good luck and prosperity. The third day is also a day to visit the graves of deceased relatives. The graves are decorated with incense, flowers, and candles. Many Buddhists go to their favorite Pagoda to pray for a good year. The Catholics go to a pre-midnight mass.
Not only is Tet the beginning of a New Year, it is also everyone's birthday. The Vietnamese do not know or acknowledge the exact day they were born. A baby turns one on Tet no matter when he/she was born that year. Children say they were born in the year of the symbol of the lunar calendar for that year. On the first morning of Tet, adults congratulate children on becoming a year older by presenting them with red envelopes that contain "Lucky Money,” These envelopes are given to the children by parents, siblings, relatives and close friends.
Families choose a Tet tree, or tac, which is a cone shaped fruit tree with miniature oranges just ripening. The more fruit on the tree, the luckier the family. Greeting cards and good luck symbols are hung from the Tet trees. Each family also has a branch of the Mai tree in their homes, a symbol of spring, which bear lucky little yellow flowers.
Food plays a major role in the Tet celebration. Tet is a time of excess, one does not enjoy Tet, one "eats" Tet. The first day a feast of boiled male virgin chicken, sticky rice, and a special soup made with clear vermicelli and bamboo shoots, boiled pork, and 3 or 5 duck eggs is offered to ancestors who have returned to their homes. Sticky rice and salt are also offered in the streets to any hungry ghosts who might be wandering in the neighborhood. A traditional food is Earth cake, a square cake made with rice beans and pork. When a watermelon is cut they believe that the redder the watermelon the more luck for the family. Several different desserts and dishes are made with coconut. On the third day another feast of chicken is served to say farewell to ancestors returning to their ethereal abodes.
In the United States large populations of Vietnamese celebrate Tet Vietnamese children do not attend school that day. Ladies wear red and yellow, the colors of the Vietnamese flag and the men wear all black. They go to church, eat earth cake, and have games, carnival rides, food booths and contests that are set up at a local college. The red envelopes are passed with "lucky money" in it. In the evening red firecrackers explode and dragon dances begin. You can check “Teacherlink” on the Internet as a source for more cultural information such as presented above.
The magical entertainer of the future will understand the global audience.
************************
Sterling Steal is an aging magician with a rather unusual magic act. He looks like a robotic character and does mostly stage manipulations with large hand held objects. I was pretty impressed by his lecture at Magic By the Bay in Tampa last year. I somehow got on his mailing list and I think you will enjoy this humor he sent me:
You might be a magician if…
Your best pickup line is "Pick a card."
You tell bad jokes 75% of the time.
You pay $50 for a $1 coin.
A "shell" is not something found on a beach.
You won’t play card games with your cards.
While watching a movie or TV, you have cards in your hands.
You pose for a photo with one eyebrow raised!
Your Christmas/Birthday wish list looks like a magic catalogue.
If you've ever been asked the question "can you make my wife disappear"?
You use the word "effect" rather than "trick".
You drive 300 miles round trip to visit a teeny-tiny store.
You have over 100 responses to the phrase "How did you do that?"
You actually want to go to a lecture.
You have a dog named "Houdini".
You record every magic special on TV.
All your friends call you when magic is on TV.
Your entire list of friends name starts with "The Amazing" or "The Great".
You have your local magic shop on speed dial.
You can lose your thumb and you visit the magic shop instead of the emergency ward.
You pay to see a lecture, buy a written version of what was just demonstrated to you, and then buy a manufactured version of something in the notes.
You pay $60.00 for a book and get, possibly, one or two useful things out of it and you're happy. You have so much magic stuff in your room that it’s considered a fire hazard.
You have more elastic bands than a stationary shop.
You spend hours trying to rearrange the letters in your name to use on stage (only to come back years later using your real name).
You don't mind kissing a dove.
It really matters to you how someone shuffles your deck.
You expect people to think ‘it's magic’ when it took you half an hour to set up.
You own a top hat, cape and cane and have never gone to the opera.
You began demonstrating the mysteries of ancient China at the age of 9.
When you come to visit, your friends hide all the silverware and bring out plastic ones.
Someone actually hands you a fork and says please bend this.
You pretended to be insane just to get the straight jacket.
You spend the most money on things that other people aren’t allowed to see.
You never throw out old decks because you "can make something out of it".
You carefully watch a card-playing scene in a movie only to see what kind of cards they’re using.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Just for the male magicians:
Your girlfriend knows the sound of riffled cards over the phone.
You force your wife to take fertility drugs, so you can do those illusions that use twins....
You see a beautiful woman and think if she will suit your act.
You spend more time in front of a mirror than your girlfriend does.
You show your girlfriend the same trick everyday insisting that "I've improved it greatly".
Your wife tells you "we are going out to dinner, now dear; please leave your toys at home".
You are the only one of your male friends that has a nice "silk collection".
Dennis Phillips
Saturday January 26th was when many Vietnamese here in Florida celebrated “Tet”, the Vietnamese New Year. Actually, the official date for Tet will be on February 7th this year. The New Year begins on the first night of the first moon after the sun enters Aquarius. We are moving from the 2007year of the Pig to the 2008 year of the Rat. I guess for people of my generation the Tet holiday will forever be linked to form the words “Tet Offensive”. The North Vietnamese Communist Army staged a massive military offensive against U.S. forces in February of 1968 on the Tet holiday. It utterly failed and American troops in Viet Nam mopped up all resistance in a couple of day but the psychological damage was done in the minds of the American people and we lost interest in the Viet Nam War and 7 years later we finally got our behinds handed to us and withdrew.
That withdrawal and slow military disengagement of America from Viet Nam prompted a number of Vietnamese to apply for political asylum here in the United States and Central Florida became one area of concentration. In Orlando the area around Mills and Colonial is referred to by many as “Little Viet Nam”. I live in downtown Orlando and we have an Asian neighbor and by a series of acquaintances I was recommended to perform a stage show at the local Tet event. It was at the Central Florida Fairgrounds on a rainy Saturday night.
I was not aware just how huge this 2,500 person event turned out to be. I always carry my own sound system for a stage show and it was not needed. They had a full festival sound system run by an events company.
Oddly enough the Vietnamese Roman Catholic Church was a major sponsor. Recall the Viet Nam was a colony of France and the French brought Christianity to the country that previously had been mostly Buddhist in the cities. I find it utterly fascinating to witness religious syncretism. Vestiges of the pre-Christian religion exist in the legends, dance and graphics, but most have been Christianized. One could argue that the entire Christian religion represents a syncretism between Diasporic Judaism, Hellenistic Stoicism and the Roman Empire’s old religion. Humans tend to find the kind of god and belief system they believe they think they need.
Al Coury had seen my name in a Tet flyer and called me a couple of hours before I left the house saying that he wanted to be at the show but he also had a gig that night at another location. I carry a full carload of props since I wanted the act to be big, flashy and filled with flowers, silks and rice bowls. I would still anchor the show with my standard eight minute opening to my club act using doves and a rabbit finale. While I was loading my jumbo Phantom Tube, my wife was folding my two six-foot Rice’s picture silks and the other dozen odd silks and streamers. I inserted two Abbott’s Flag staffs into the secondary load and Cindy asked me how much the value was of all the production items. I calculated at today’s prices I was producing over $2,000 worth of items within 90 seconds of stage time.
I used the help of 3 stagehands and we got the props up on stage and off to the side as I waited for my introduction. There were a number of singers on stage before me. I was not quite sure when to load my doves into my coat so my birdies had an extended wait since I loaded up a bit early. The printed schedule handed to me was in Vietnamese and the Emcee spoke only Vietnamese. I can operate in six other languages and do know a little Vietnamese but I had to keep reminding myself that the Vietnamese have a different approach to schedules and time than we do! The show rolled on and all the cues were met and at the finale, my straight jacket escape, I bowed off to a nice hand. I am not surprised at the great success many Americans are having by taking their magic acts to the Orient. The Eastern cultures love magic!
Since we are moving into a Globalist future and all world cultures are going to be interfacing socially and economically, let me depart from talking “tricks” and help you with an understanding that could get you a future magic gig in “Nam”. Hanoi used to be a French Resort and the Pearl of the Orient. I believe that in addition to manufacturing someday Viet Nam will return to be a tourist haven with resort hotels and cruise ship ports. The magician of the future will understand how all cultures see “magic” and how they see the world.
Tet is a huge celebration lasting three days. Families save money, store food, and plan far in advance for Tet, a major holiday in Vietnam. The Vietnamese take extreme care to start the New Year out right. They buy new clothes, paint and clean their homes, cook three days worth of food, pay off all debts and make amends to rid themselves of all bad feelings. Cleaning is frowned on during Tet because one would not want to sweep out any good luck. Digging and drawing water is also not allowed so the ground and water can enjoy the holiday.
The marketplace is very busy the week before Tet, as people buy food, trinkets, firecrackers, flowers, and other items in anticipation of the holiday. At four o'clock in the afternoon on Tet eve all the markets close down so the people can go home and prepare for midnight when Tet begins.
The atmosphere is very festive. Incense is burned in the homes. The color Red, symbolizing good luck and happiness is seen everywhere. Games of gambling are in the streets, homes and in cars. If a gambler wins then he is said to have good luck gambling in the New Year. If a gambler loses, he is said to have good luck in other affairs. There are dragon dances at night. Food is plentiful, homes are decorated, parks are full of crowds of people dressed in their best new clothes, and for three days the people have an ultimate celebration.
Tet is a time for visits from family and friends. The first visitor to a home is very important. If the first visitor is rich, prestigious, or happy then the family will have good fortune that year. Usually this visitor is a relative, but sometimes the family will invite a special guest that they feel will bring them good luck. The first day of Tet is reserved for visiting family and relatives. The second day is set aside for special guests and close friends to visit, and the third day is for teachers and business associates to make a visit. Negative talk and arguments are taboo. Visitors end their visit with a farewell wish for the family such as, "I wish that money will flow into your house like water, and out like a turtle."
The Vietnamese believe that their deceased ancestors will visit the family for the holiday. Alters are decorated in the homes with incense, flowers, and photographs of deceased relatives. A tray full of fruit, coins, and a tall vase of blossoms are placed in front of the alter symbolizing good luck and prosperity. The third day is also a day to visit the graves of deceased relatives. The graves are decorated with incense, flowers, and candles. Many Buddhists go to their favorite Pagoda to pray for a good year. The Catholics go to a pre-midnight mass.
Not only is Tet the beginning of a New Year, it is also everyone's birthday. The Vietnamese do not know or acknowledge the exact day they were born. A baby turns one on Tet no matter when he/she was born that year. Children say they were born in the year of the symbol of the lunar calendar for that year. On the first morning of Tet, adults congratulate children on becoming a year older by presenting them with red envelopes that contain "Lucky Money,” These envelopes are given to the children by parents, siblings, relatives and close friends.
Families choose a Tet tree, or tac, which is a cone shaped fruit tree with miniature oranges just ripening. The more fruit on the tree, the luckier the family. Greeting cards and good luck symbols are hung from the Tet trees. Each family also has a branch of the Mai tree in their homes, a symbol of spring, which bear lucky little yellow flowers.
Food plays a major role in the Tet celebration. Tet is a time of excess, one does not enjoy Tet, one "eats" Tet. The first day a feast of boiled male virgin chicken, sticky rice, and a special soup made with clear vermicelli and bamboo shoots, boiled pork, and 3 or 5 duck eggs is offered to ancestors who have returned to their homes. Sticky rice and salt are also offered in the streets to any hungry ghosts who might be wandering in the neighborhood. A traditional food is Earth cake, a square cake made with rice beans and pork. When a watermelon is cut they believe that the redder the watermelon the more luck for the family. Several different desserts and dishes are made with coconut. On the third day another feast of chicken is served to say farewell to ancestors returning to their ethereal abodes.
In the United States large populations of Vietnamese celebrate Tet Vietnamese children do not attend school that day. Ladies wear red and yellow, the colors of the Vietnamese flag and the men wear all black. They go to church, eat earth cake, and have games, carnival rides, food booths and contests that are set up at a local college. The red envelopes are passed with "lucky money" in it. In the evening red firecrackers explode and dragon dances begin. You can check “Teacherlink” on the Internet as a source for more cultural information such as presented above.
The magical entertainer of the future will understand the global audience.
************************
Sterling Steal is an aging magician with a rather unusual magic act. He looks like a robotic character and does mostly stage manipulations with large hand held objects. I was pretty impressed by his lecture at Magic By the Bay in Tampa last year. I somehow got on his mailing list and I think you will enjoy this humor he sent me:
You might be a magician if…
Your best pickup line is "Pick a card."
You tell bad jokes 75% of the time.
You pay $50 for a $1 coin.
A "shell" is not something found on a beach.
You won’t play card games with your cards.
While watching a movie or TV, you have cards in your hands.
You pose for a photo with one eyebrow raised!
Your Christmas/Birthday wish list looks like a magic catalogue.
If you've ever been asked the question "can you make my wife disappear"?
You use the word "effect" rather than "trick".
You drive 300 miles round trip to visit a teeny-tiny store.
You have over 100 responses to the phrase "How did you do that?"
You actually want to go to a lecture.
You have a dog named "Houdini".
You record every magic special on TV.
All your friends call you when magic is on TV.
Your entire list of friends name starts with "The Amazing" or "The Great".
You have your local magic shop on speed dial.
You can lose your thumb and you visit the magic shop instead of the emergency ward.
You pay to see a lecture, buy a written version of what was just demonstrated to you, and then buy a manufactured version of something in the notes.
You pay $60.00 for a book and get, possibly, one or two useful things out of it and you're happy. You have so much magic stuff in your room that it’s considered a fire hazard.
You have more elastic bands than a stationary shop.
You spend hours trying to rearrange the letters in your name to use on stage (only to come back years later using your real name).
You don't mind kissing a dove.
It really matters to you how someone shuffles your deck.
You expect people to think ‘it's magic’ when it took you half an hour to set up.
You own a top hat, cape and cane and have never gone to the opera.
You began demonstrating the mysteries of ancient China at the age of 9.
When you come to visit, your friends hide all the silverware and bring out plastic ones.
Someone actually hands you a fork and says please bend this.
You pretended to be insane just to get the straight jacket.
You spend the most money on things that other people aren’t allowed to see.
You never throw out old decks because you "can make something out of it".
You carefully watch a card-playing scene in a movie only to see what kind of cards they’re using.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Just for the male magicians:
Your girlfriend knows the sound of riffled cards over the phone.
You force your wife to take fertility drugs, so you can do those illusions that use twins....
You see a beautiful woman and think if she will suit your act.
You spend more time in front of a mirror than your girlfriend does.
You show your girlfriend the same trick everyday insisting that "I've improved it greatly".
Your wife tells you "we are going out to dinner, now dear; please leave your toys at home".
You are the only one of your male friends that has a nice "silk collection".
Dennis Phillips
Thursday, January 03, 2008
2008-01 Famulus newsletter of IBM Ring 170
Newsletter of IBM Ring #170
The Bev Bergeron Ring
Next general meeting Wednesday, 01/16/2008 at 7:30 PM SHARP
Board meeting at 6:30 pm
Meeting theme: Hearts and Flowers
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 food court)
Website: http://www.ring170.com/
F. A. M. E. is the Florida Association of Magical Entertainers
*************************************************************
Directory
Craig J. Fennessy – President – CraigFennessy@gmail.com
Chris Dunn- Vice President – Youngdunns@yahoo.com
Art Thomas – Treasurer – Art.Thomas@Disney.com
Dennis Philips- Secretary – Dennis@alliedcostumes.com
James Songster- Director at Large, - JjTjMagic@aol.com
Joe Vecciarelli- Sgt at Arms - talkingmute@tampabay.rr.com
Stefan Bartelski – Editor of “Famulus”- Famulus@illusioneer.com
*************************************************************
GET PUBLISHED!
Got an idea for an article to add to the next FAMULUS? Put it in the body of an email or in a Word document attached to an email. Send it to Famulus@illusioneer.com, and we will get you in print. Please, please, please, use the above e-mail address, your messages are in danger of getting lost if you do not do so.
The Bev Bergeron Ring
Next general meeting Wednesday, 01/16/2008 at 7:30 PM SHARP
Board meeting at 6:30 pm
Meeting theme: Hearts and Flowers
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 food court)
Website: http://www.ring170.com/
F. A. M. E. is the Florida Association of Magical Entertainers
*************************************************************
Directory
Craig J. Fennessy – President – CraigFennessy@gmail.com
Chris Dunn- Vice President – Youngdunns@yahoo.com
Art Thomas – Treasurer – Art.Thomas@Disney.com
Dennis Philips- Secretary – Dennis@alliedcostumes.com
James Songster- Director at Large, - JjTjMagic@aol.com
Joe Vecciarelli- Sgt at Arms - talkingmute@tampabay.rr.com
Stefan Bartelski – Editor of “Famulus”- Famulus@illusioneer.com
*************************************************************
GET PUBLISHED!
Got an idea for an article to add to the next FAMULUS? Put it in the body of an email or in a Word document attached to an email. Send it to Famulus@illusioneer.com, and we will get you in print. Please, please, please, use the above e-mail address, your messages are in danger of getting lost if you do not do so.
2008-01 From the Editor
Another Old Father Time has been replaced by a baby year, and I wish everyone all the best for this upcoming year.
Hopefully, everyone has included submitting at least one article to Famulus on their list of New Year's resolutions.
Thanks to Art, Dan and Dennis for their submissions.
Stefan
Hopefully, everyone has included submitting at least one article to Famulus on their list of New Year's resolutions.
Thanks to Art, Dan and Dennis for their submissions.
Stefan
2008-01 Ring Report Ring #170 The Bev Bergeron Ring
President Craig Fennessey opened up the December meeting with the annual election of the new board of officers. The floor was opened up for nominations and nothing was heard. Bev Bergeron made the motion to close the nominations and Roger Reid seconded the motion. It passed by voice vote. The nominated slate of current officers was re-elected for 2008 by voice vote. They are:Craig J. Fennessy-President, Chris Dunn- Vice President ,Art Thomas – Treasurer, Dennis Phillips- Secretary, James Songster- Director at Large, Joe Vecciarelli- Sgt at Arms and serving as Editor of FAMULUS -Stefan Bartelski. Jacki Manna continues as our Hospitality chairperson.
We had 43 persons in the seats and several guests. Brad and Jessica and former president M.J. Emigh's children were present and at the right age for magic and Bob Swadling and his wife were visiting from England. Bob is known in magic history as the inventor of the "Flipper Coin".
Following this very brief business meeting we began our Christmas and Holiday Tradition, our wacky, white elephant gift exchange. Jacki Manna was the MC and kept the exchange rolling along. The rules are that a person can either pick a new unopened gift or 'steal' someone else's gift. Each gift can be stolen only 3 times. This chaos does make for a lot of fun. Finally all the gifts were taken and the challenge every year is to learn your trick and present it in the show that follows!
Kerry Pierce, known as "KP" was the show MC. First up was James Songster doing a three color Card Monte. The patter was about betting and losing money in a side street game of chance. He ended up with a card appearing that said he lost $14. Bob Swadling took the stage and filled it with his English charm. The British have an elegant way of making small props look wonderful and grand. He began with some miraculous changes of cards in midair. He would toss a card into the air and it would change! He then did the classic sympathetic match boxes with drawers that open in any position. He ended with aces disappearing from a deck and appearing in various pants and coat pockets. His killer finale was a previously signed card appeared inside a brand new sealed deck. It was great magic from across the pond.
Kevin Butler, presented a silent version of his newly acquired Egg Bag and a Haunted Key using an audience assistant. Charlie Pfrogner had a Christmas card effect and concluded with a small set of Tambo Rings that produced silks and ended with a Christmas silk. Mystana (Rebecca Dillon) had a cute bunny and carrot card trick she got in the exchange. JC Hiatt was next and wearing a T-shirt he got that said, "Trust me, I am a magician!". JC's deck of cards had four aces turning face down one at a time. For a great finish he explained that he was using mirrors and when the cards were turned over they had mirror foil on the backs.
Mark Fitzgerald once again added some new bits to his ever popular rubber band routine. Mark, along with Dan Harlan were the first the popularize rubber band magic.
Mark did the penetrations and releases along with many figures and ending up with a star shape that transformed the band into a permanent star shape. Last up was Sid McWethy who did a delightful billiard ball routine with Christmas ornaments ending with the production of a mirror ball!
The evening ended on a high note with refreshments and more fellowship. Join us whenever you are visiting Orlando. Good things are always happening in Ring 170.
Dennis Phillips
We had 43 persons in the seats and several guests. Brad and Jessica and former president M.J. Emigh's children were present and at the right age for magic and Bob Swadling and his wife were visiting from England. Bob is known in magic history as the inventor of the "Flipper Coin".
Following this very brief business meeting we began our Christmas and Holiday Tradition, our wacky, white elephant gift exchange. Jacki Manna was the MC and kept the exchange rolling along. The rules are that a person can either pick a new unopened gift or 'steal' someone else's gift. Each gift can be stolen only 3 times. This chaos does make for a lot of fun. Finally all the gifts were taken and the challenge every year is to learn your trick and present it in the show that follows!
Kerry Pierce, known as "KP" was the show MC. First up was James Songster doing a three color Card Monte. The patter was about betting and losing money in a side street game of chance. He ended up with a card appearing that said he lost $14. Bob Swadling took the stage and filled it with his English charm. The British have an elegant way of making small props look wonderful and grand. He began with some miraculous changes of cards in midair. He would toss a card into the air and it would change! He then did the classic sympathetic match boxes with drawers that open in any position. He ended with aces disappearing from a deck and appearing in various pants and coat pockets. His killer finale was a previously signed card appeared inside a brand new sealed deck. It was great magic from across the pond.
Kevin Butler, presented a silent version of his newly acquired Egg Bag and a Haunted Key using an audience assistant. Charlie Pfrogner had a Christmas card effect and concluded with a small set of Tambo Rings that produced silks and ended with a Christmas silk. Mystana (Rebecca Dillon) had a cute bunny and carrot card trick she got in the exchange. JC Hiatt was next and wearing a T-shirt he got that said, "Trust me, I am a magician!". JC's deck of cards had four aces turning face down one at a time. For a great finish he explained that he was using mirrors and when the cards were turned over they had mirror foil on the backs.
Mark Fitzgerald once again added some new bits to his ever popular rubber band routine. Mark, along with Dan Harlan were the first the popularize rubber band magic.
Mark did the penetrations and releases along with many figures and ending up with a star shape that transformed the band into a permanent star shape. Last up was Sid McWethy who did a delightful billiard ball routine with Christmas ornaments ending with the production of a mirror ball!
The evening ended on a high note with refreshments and more fellowship. Join us whenever you are visiting Orlando. Good things are always happening in Ring 170.
Dennis Phillips
2008-01 Dues Reminder
Art asked me to remind members that the $15 annual dues will be collected at the January meeting. For those not able to attend, please email Art at Art.Thomas@disney.com for the address where you can send your check.
2008-01 Art's Elucidation of Ring Finances
Dear members of IBM Ring 170 a/k/a FAME,
While finalizing the records for 2007, I noticed that about one third of our current members are relatively new to the organization. This is great news because for many years the membership really didn't change very much. Now, we are finally starting to get some new members, who are very welcome additions to our club. I hope that all members share my enthusiasm for welcoming and encouraging our new members. Best of all, many of these newest members are eager to perform at club meetings. This makes the meetings more fun, since you never know what twist someone may have on even the oldest tricks. And speaking of new twists to old tricks, every month I look forward to seeing what Charlie Pfrogner is going to present. Charlie's knack for developing a unique presentation for everything that he does should be an inspiration for all of us, as well as the new members. Thanks Charlie!
Because we have some new members, and because we don't talk about it very much, I'd like to take this opportunity to discuss some aspects of our club operations and finances. We don't talk about these topics very much because, candidly, most people aren't particularly interested. That's okay. The main reason why the club has Officers and a Board of Directors is precisely to allow the administrative and financial matters of the club to be handled in separate meetings so that the monthly club meetings can focus primarily on sharing news, teaching, and performing. This is good, in my opinion, so long as everyone understands that the Board meetings are open to all members and anyone is welcome to get involved.
As your club Treasurer, I can attest that the club's finances are relatively simple. The club is incorporated as a not-for-profit organization that is officially registered with the State of Florida. In fact, F.A.M.E. stands for Florida Association of Magical Entertainers, which is the name of our corporation. Financially, we pretty much break even every year. We collect dues and take in some proceeds from the annual flea market event, and these funds pay for our lectures and video library, as well as some minor miscellaneous expenses including the loss that we incur producing our annual banquet. Because of the excellent job Craig Fennessey has been doing with our lectures, we ended 2007 with a few hundred dollars more than we began it, since many of the lectures nearly broke even and a few even made a little money.
A typical lecture costs the club about $400 to present, including the lecturer's fee, hotel room, and venue expenses. The lecture fees are kept low by the fact that the Lecturers make their money from selling their notes, DVDs, and tricks. If the club collects $10 each from 25-35 attendees, then we lose $50 to $150 per lecture. We have about 8 or 9 lectures per year for a total net loss of only a few hundred dollars. This is off-set by the proceeds from our annual flea market event, which nets a few hundred dollars. Overall, all club activities generally wash out to break even, or very close. Some years we may lose a few hundred dollars, and some years we make a few hundred. It is never very much either way, but we are able to keep operating and maintain our status as a not-for-profit organization.
Years ago, one of the constant expenses of the club was publishing the monthly newsletter and postage. Now, thanks to the internet, these expenses are no longer incurred. The fact that our monthly operating expenses have gone down is certainly good because our annual revenues have gone down as well. Thanks to E-Bay and other internet auction sites, our annual magic auction no longer raises nearly as much money as it did several years ago. So, everything balances out. Thanks to the internet our revenues are down, but so are our expenses, so it all evens out.
Last, but not least, our December meeting and Christmas party was a big success. Thanks to Jacki Manna and everyone else who brought food and/or gifts. And thanks to those who helped clean up.
Overall, 2007 was a successful year for Ring 170. As our scribe, Dennis Phillips, reminds us, "good things are always happening at Ring 170".
Art Thomas
While finalizing the records for 2007, I noticed that about one third of our current members are relatively new to the organization. This is great news because for many years the membership really didn't change very much. Now, we are finally starting to get some new members, who are very welcome additions to our club. I hope that all members share my enthusiasm for welcoming and encouraging our new members. Best of all, many of these newest members are eager to perform at club meetings. This makes the meetings more fun, since you never know what twist someone may have on even the oldest tricks. And speaking of new twists to old tricks, every month I look forward to seeing what Charlie Pfrogner is going to present. Charlie's knack for developing a unique presentation for everything that he does should be an inspiration for all of us, as well as the new members. Thanks Charlie!
Because we have some new members, and because we don't talk about it very much, I'd like to take this opportunity to discuss some aspects of our club operations and finances. We don't talk about these topics very much because, candidly, most people aren't particularly interested. That's okay. The main reason why the club has Officers and a Board of Directors is precisely to allow the administrative and financial matters of the club to be handled in separate meetings so that the monthly club meetings can focus primarily on sharing news, teaching, and performing. This is good, in my opinion, so long as everyone understands that the Board meetings are open to all members and anyone is welcome to get involved.
As your club Treasurer, I can attest that the club's finances are relatively simple. The club is incorporated as a not-for-profit organization that is officially registered with the State of Florida. In fact, F.A.M.E. stands for Florida Association of Magical Entertainers, which is the name of our corporation. Financially, we pretty much break even every year. We collect dues and take in some proceeds from the annual flea market event, and these funds pay for our lectures and video library, as well as some minor miscellaneous expenses including the loss that we incur producing our annual banquet. Because of the excellent job Craig Fennessey has been doing with our lectures, we ended 2007 with a few hundred dollars more than we began it, since many of the lectures nearly broke even and a few even made a little money.
A typical lecture costs the club about $400 to present, including the lecturer's fee, hotel room, and venue expenses. The lecture fees are kept low by the fact that the Lecturers make their money from selling their notes, DVDs, and tricks. If the club collects $10 each from 25-35 attendees, then we lose $50 to $150 per lecture. We have about 8 or 9 lectures per year for a total net loss of only a few hundred dollars. This is off-set by the proceeds from our annual flea market event, which nets a few hundred dollars. Overall, all club activities generally wash out to break even, or very close. Some years we may lose a few hundred dollars, and some years we make a few hundred. It is never very much either way, but we are able to keep operating and maintain our status as a not-for-profit organization.
Years ago, one of the constant expenses of the club was publishing the monthly newsletter and postage. Now, thanks to the internet, these expenses are no longer incurred. The fact that our monthly operating expenses have gone down is certainly good because our annual revenues have gone down as well. Thanks to E-Bay and other internet auction sites, our annual magic auction no longer raises nearly as much money as it did several years ago. So, everything balances out. Thanks to the internet our revenues are down, but so are our expenses, so it all evens out.
Last, but not least, our December meeting and Christmas party was a big success. Thanks to Jacki Manna and everyone else who brought food and/or gifts. And thanks to those who helped clean up.
Overall, 2007 was a successful year for Ring 170. As our scribe, Dennis Phillips, reminds us, "good things are always happening at Ring 170".
Art Thomas
2008-01 Dan's presentation at next meeting
Since I missed the last two meetings I will have much to talk about at the next meeting that I know the members will want to hear. What went on behind the scenes at the Daytona show, the true story of Kevin James "imploding" on America's Got Talent, my New York trip to see two long running magic shows...one horrible and one very good, etc.
Dan Stapleton
Dan Stapleton
2008-01 Dennis' Deliberations
"... there are two kinds of unknowns. There are known unknowns and unknown unknowns." -Donald Rumsfeld in testimony before Congress.
Many times, as magic performers we never know what an audience will say or do when we ask them to help us or engage in conversation.
Kendix, illusionist and Ring 170 member, has a great opening series of lines in his illusion show about the first questions people ask you when they find out that he is a magician. The first question he says is , "How did you do that" and the other question people always ask him is "Can you make my wife ( or husband) disappear"?
If you are doing walk-around magic ,there really is no good answer to the last question that will keep the mood of your performance upbeat.
You could say, "Keep asking people that question and pretty soon she (or he) WILL disappear!"... That gets a laugh but makes the person who asked the question looks bad.
Alain Nu has a classy line, 'No, I need all the audience that I can get!". Nu's line is probably the most palatable because it throws the issue back on Nu. People are then laughing at Nu and not the person who asked it.
My problem was that one time I used Nu's line at a local convention during a dining event and the guy said, "Oh she's not here, I left her back home ". Obviously it was a troubled marriage!
That led me to my now standard response, which is a bit like what Jackie Mason might say. I look them straight in the eye and with a bit of aggravation say: "Hey, Do I look like a magician or a divorce lawyer?"! On rare occasions if my remark gets a good laugh and the person asking it is past 50 years old , I might continue ( depending on gender) " Sheeze, you should have married Amelia Earhart" or if a wife asks about her husband, "You need to get him elected as president of the Teamster's Union. Remember Jimmy Hoffa?..".
I offer these ideas to you because , as Sam Goldwyn used to say, "the best "ad-libs" are structured, written and prepared "ad-libs".
Someone asked Goldwyn what it took to be a great actor. Goldwyn replied, "Sincerity. If you can fake that , you have it made."
Hecklers and wise guys and obnoxious kids:
They all require different approaches. At a Kid's show I clearly explain to a designated adult that THEY are the "heavy", the guard, the enforcer ...that their job is to keep kids off the stage and from in front of the stage and in their seats. This is due to danger and needing order for the show. The "heavy" also keeps kids from rushing the stage and fooling with my props after the show.
I also explain to the heavy that kids will yell during sucker tricks, so that the enforcer understands what will happen. If the heavy knows the kids, I try to let them give me a tip on who might give me a problem and have them speak to parents and if they are good at public speaking I give them a written introduction to read to the audience telling the audience who I am and how to behave...( no cell phones, video cams etc)
If you get a kid who insist on screaming every possible answer to everyone else...and refuses to quit ......I PAUSE the show!
I walk to the edge of the stage and I invite him to the front and give him a lecture, in front of the audience, on the virtue of being courteous. I turn the audience against his actions...
Looking at the audience, " Do you want Joey interrupting my show?" . I always add, "Joey ,maybe you really like magic and do some yourself. Then you need to learn to keep a secret and after the show bring your Mom or Dad to see me and I will give you some information on becoming a magician."
The kid just wants attention and has a very poor or distorted self image ( as a lot of people in magic do!) so I straighten them out a bit.
I do the job the kid's parents should....
I rarely have a problem like this....If you have a tight act and keep up a steady pacing, there is no time for a heckler to get going.
Adults are a different story but also require the same pre-show set up. I again designate a "heavy" to let me know if there are any alcoholics in the group and to suggest fun but sober, slightly shy people to help me. I go over what I am looking for in a volunteer assistant. I have nothing against preparing.
I do not want some drunk idiot telling me his name is: Jim Shorts or Dick Hertz. I should get the laughs not some wise-guy.
Once on stage ( back in the 70s at a Disco club) a moron tried that and I said " May I see your Drivers license and Insurance card...take them out of your wallet please and in a moment I am going to ask you to blow up my balloon...10-4... Headquarters we have a possible 10-52...." The guy was schnockered and I sent him back to his seat.
If you won't tolerate a heckler and you have the audience on your side, it won't happen.... I will not play venues that are likely to have hecklers, because in the end , unless you are Don Rickles, you can't win with hecklers without making yourself look bad.
Here is one mental effect that silences all hecklers: It is a version of Anneman's Psuedo-Psychometry. Lee Earle sells"the No Brainer Bags" and I also have a set I made from black velvet with golden pull-cords...The inside of each bag is a different solid color and you pass the bags out to people wearing the same color clothes. For example the red interior bag goes to the woman wearing the red dress. I rarely use them any more. I went to something simpler.
The basic effect is that you pass out 5 envelopes and someone secretly puts a personal object inside their's and returns it to the stage. the bags are mixed up and you accurately know whose object is in each envelope. You also know personal things about their life.
Now, here are my versions with props that seem everyday and ungimmicked (or at least to the audience)
I bought a stack of large Manila Envelopes and had a small rubber stamp made that looks like a trademark. It says, "Dunninger Security Envelope Corp."
The thing is only a half-inch square. I bought 4 different colored ink pads. Red, Green, Blue, Black, and stamped the envelopes in the middle of the bottom glued flap on the side where the open flap and clamp are! This is the typical place you would find a small trademark stamp. The unstamped one is 'white'...that gives me 5 colors...
So...now you don't have a funny little black bags to raise suspicion! Although when I use them I patter about Chevas Regal bags and expensive Scotch from a Scotland and a game kids play there with the discarded bags. ( "I was a bad kid. I played hopscotch with real scotch!".)
THEN, I discovered you could skip the stamp and just color in the little hole where the metal clasp is (on the Dennison Brand) with a cheap set of multicolored markers , available at Walgreens, and have a lot of different colors...! In pre-show work, scan the audience and if you want to use purple or brown color just color in the hole on the spot!
Oh...How do you know personal information? It is called "Cold Reading" ( verbal 'fishing' ) and I will deal with that interesting topic another time.
Dennis Phillips
Many times, as magic performers we never know what an audience will say or do when we ask them to help us or engage in conversation.
Kendix, illusionist and Ring 170 member, has a great opening series of lines in his illusion show about the first questions people ask you when they find out that he is a magician. The first question he says is , "How did you do that" and the other question people always ask him is "Can you make my wife ( or husband) disappear"?
If you are doing walk-around magic ,there really is no good answer to the last question that will keep the mood of your performance upbeat.
You could say, "Keep asking people that question and pretty soon she (or he) WILL disappear!"... That gets a laugh but makes the person who asked the question looks bad.
Alain Nu has a classy line, 'No, I need all the audience that I can get!". Nu's line is probably the most palatable because it throws the issue back on Nu. People are then laughing at Nu and not the person who asked it.
My problem was that one time I used Nu's line at a local convention during a dining event and the guy said, "Oh she's not here, I left her back home ". Obviously it was a troubled marriage!
That led me to my now standard response, which is a bit like what Jackie Mason might say. I look them straight in the eye and with a bit of aggravation say: "Hey, Do I look like a magician or a divorce lawyer?"! On rare occasions if my remark gets a good laugh and the person asking it is past 50 years old , I might continue ( depending on gender) " Sheeze, you should have married Amelia Earhart" or if a wife asks about her husband, "You need to get him elected as president of the Teamster's Union. Remember Jimmy Hoffa?..".
I offer these ideas to you because , as Sam Goldwyn used to say, "the best "ad-libs" are structured, written and prepared "ad-libs".
Someone asked Goldwyn what it took to be a great actor. Goldwyn replied, "Sincerity. If you can fake that , you have it made."
Hecklers and wise guys and obnoxious kids:
They all require different approaches. At a Kid's show I clearly explain to a designated adult that THEY are the "heavy", the guard, the enforcer ...that their job is to keep kids off the stage and from in front of the stage and in their seats. This is due to danger and needing order for the show. The "heavy" also keeps kids from rushing the stage and fooling with my props after the show.
I also explain to the heavy that kids will yell during sucker tricks, so that the enforcer understands what will happen. If the heavy knows the kids, I try to let them give me a tip on who might give me a problem and have them speak to parents and if they are good at public speaking I give them a written introduction to read to the audience telling the audience who I am and how to behave...( no cell phones, video cams etc)
If you get a kid who insist on screaming every possible answer to everyone else...and refuses to quit ......I PAUSE the show!
I walk to the edge of the stage and I invite him to the front and give him a lecture, in front of the audience, on the virtue of being courteous. I turn the audience against his actions...
Looking at the audience, " Do you want Joey interrupting my show?" . I always add, "Joey ,maybe you really like magic and do some yourself. Then you need to learn to keep a secret and after the show bring your Mom or Dad to see me and I will give you some information on becoming a magician."
The kid just wants attention and has a very poor or distorted self image ( as a lot of people in magic do!) so I straighten them out a bit.
I do the job the kid's parents should....
I rarely have a problem like this....If you have a tight act and keep up a steady pacing, there is no time for a heckler to get going.
Adults are a different story but also require the same pre-show set up. I again designate a "heavy" to let me know if there are any alcoholics in the group and to suggest fun but sober, slightly shy people to help me. I go over what I am looking for in a volunteer assistant. I have nothing against preparing.
I do not want some drunk idiot telling me his name is: Jim Shorts or Dick Hertz. I should get the laughs not some wise-guy.
Once on stage ( back in the 70s at a Disco club) a moron tried that and I said " May I see your Drivers license and Insurance card...take them out of your wallet please and in a moment I am going to ask you to blow up my balloon...10-4... Headquarters we have a possible 10-52...." The guy was schnockered and I sent him back to his seat.
If you won't tolerate a heckler and you have the audience on your side, it won't happen.... I will not play venues that are likely to have hecklers, because in the end , unless you are Don Rickles, you can't win with hecklers without making yourself look bad.
Here is one mental effect that silences all hecklers: It is a version of Anneman's Psuedo-Psychometry. Lee Earle sells"the No Brainer Bags" and I also have a set I made from black velvet with golden pull-cords...The inside of each bag is a different solid color and you pass the bags out to people wearing the same color clothes. For example the red interior bag goes to the woman wearing the red dress. I rarely use them any more. I went to something simpler.
The basic effect is that you pass out 5 envelopes and someone secretly puts a personal object inside their's and returns it to the stage. the bags are mixed up and you accurately know whose object is in each envelope. You also know personal things about their life.
Now, here are my versions with props that seem everyday and ungimmicked (or at least to the audience)
I bought a stack of large Manila Envelopes and had a small rubber stamp made that looks like a trademark. It says, "Dunninger Security Envelope Corp."
The thing is only a half-inch square. I bought 4 different colored ink pads. Red, Green, Blue, Black, and stamped the envelopes in the middle of the bottom glued flap on the side where the open flap and clamp are! This is the typical place you would find a small trademark stamp. The unstamped one is 'white'...that gives me 5 colors...
So...now you don't have a funny little black bags to raise suspicion! Although when I use them I patter about Chevas Regal bags and expensive Scotch from a Scotland and a game kids play there with the discarded bags. ( "I was a bad kid. I played hopscotch with real scotch!".)
THEN, I discovered you could skip the stamp and just color in the little hole where the metal clasp is (on the Dennison Brand) with a cheap set of multicolored markers , available at Walgreens, and have a lot of different colors...! In pre-show work, scan the audience and if you want to use purple or brown color just color in the hole on the spot!
Oh...How do you know personal information? It is called "Cold Reading" ( verbal 'fishing' ) and I will deal with that interesting topic another time.
Dennis Phillips
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
2007-12 Famulus newsletter of IBM Ring 170
Newsletter of IBM Ring #170
The Bev Bergeron Ring
Next general meeting Wednesday, 11/19/2007 at 7:30 PM SHARP
Board meeting at 6:30 pm
Meeting theme: Gift Exchange
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 food court)
Website: http://www.ring170.com/
F. A. M. E. is the Florida Association of Magical Entertainers
*************************************************************
Directory
Craig J. Fennessy – President – CraigFennessy@gmail.com
Chris Dunn- Vice President – Youngdunns@yahoo.com
Art Thomas – Treasurer – Art.Thomas@Disney.com
Dennis Philips- Secretary – Dennis@alliedcostumes.com
James Songster- Director at Large, - JjTjMagic@aol.com
Joe Vecciarelli- Sgt at Arms - talkingmute@tampabay.rr.com
Stefan Bartelski – Editor of “Famulus”- Famulus@illusioneer.com
*************************************************************
GET PUBLISHED!
Got an idea for an article to add to the next FAMULUS? Put it in the body of an email or in a Word document attached to an email. Send it to Famulus@illusioneer.com, and we will get you in print. Please, please, please, use the above e-mail address, your messages are in danger of getting lost if you do not do so.
The Bev Bergeron Ring
Next general meeting Wednesday, 11/19/2007 at 7:30 PM SHARP
Board meeting at 6:30 pm
Meeting theme: Gift Exchange
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 food court)
Website: http://www.ring170.com/
F. A. M. E. is the Florida Association of Magical Entertainers
*************************************************************
Directory
Craig J. Fennessy – President – CraigFennessy@gmail.com
Chris Dunn- Vice President – Youngdunns@yahoo.com
Art Thomas – Treasurer – Art.Thomas@Disney.com
Dennis Philips- Secretary – Dennis@alliedcostumes.com
James Songster- Director at Large, - JjTjMagic@aol.com
Joe Vecciarelli- Sgt at Arms - talkingmute@tampabay.rr.com
Stefan Bartelski – Editor of “Famulus”- Famulus@illusioneer.com
*************************************************************
GET PUBLISHED!
Got an idea for an article to add to the next FAMULUS? Put it in the body of an email or in a Word document attached to an email. Send it to Famulus@illusioneer.com, and we will get you in print. Please, please, please, use the above e-mail address, your messages are in danger of getting lost if you do not do so.
2007-12 From the Editor
One of the benefits of my itinerant job is that I am able to visit different magic locales around the country. This month I visited "Barry's Magic" store in the DC area for the first time. Barry has a large shop with an area for performances. On this occasion it was for a lecture given by Alain Chouquette, French Canadian magician from Montreal. Allain is probaly best known for his 'Glow in the Dark' Gypsy Thread routine, hich was shown on one of the "World's Greates Magic" TV programs produced by Gary Ouellet. Aso this month I will be able to attend a performance by the Comedy and Mystery Society (formerly Wednesday Wizardry) at the gaithersburg Arts Barn. So, though I will not be able to join in the Ring's festivities, I will get my fill of magic.
I would like to thank Art and Dan for posting comments in the newsletter blog. I would encourage all members to do so, if they have a (strong) opinion about any of the items. And thanks to Dennis for his usual good job in providing his Deliberations and the Ring report.
I would like to wish everyone all the best for the season and for the New year
I would like to thank Art and Dan for posting comments in the newsletter blog. I would encourage all members to do so, if they have a (strong) opinion about any of the items. And thanks to Dennis for his usual good job in providing his Deliberations and the Ring report.
I would like to wish everyone all the best for the season and for the New year
2007-12 Ring Report Ring #170 The Bev Bergeron Ring
President Craig Fennessy gaveled the ring board meeting to order and presented several tentative dates for upcoming lectures . Times were also presented to the board for our annual flea market in February and Banquet in March . All the current members of the board agreed to serve another year in their offices but nominations for other candidates wanting to run in the December election will be taken if presented. The board meeting adjourned and our regular business meeting began.
We had several guests, Charlie Zeus from Skylar Lake, New York. Charlie runs and promotes , The Hall of Fame for Unfamous Magicians, a place where many unknown but hard-working magicians have a place of honor. Bob Beck and his daughter, Amanda visited and are interested in magic.
Our Hospitality chairperson, Jackie Manna, explained next month's December Gift exchange. We will have a ring holiday party at the regular meeting time and everyone should bring a gift worth at least ten dollars. This annual event is a lot of fun in the way gifts are drawn and exchanged.
Phil Schwartz presented his Magic Moment #2. Phil was just back from the Magic Collector's convention in California and witnessed Johnny Gaughn's very rare presentation of the Dr. Hooker Card Trick. This is an elaborate series of card effects presented in a specially designed small theater room. The specific workings of the effects have never been revealed and well-learned professional magicians remained baffled at how everything is accomplished. Phil also said there was discussion about the mystery of who wrote the classic text about the expert's secrets at the card table.
With the formal meeting adjourned, Mark Fitzgerald volunteered to be the Master of Ceremonies for the monthly show. He opened with some fancy coin manipulations using silver dollars that jumped from hand to hand and appeared and disappeared. He introduced Josh Royo who did a trick with a spectator selected card using time travel as a theme. A card chosen a second time magically transformed in the spectators hand to be the card chosen the first time. Charlie Pfrogner did his cut and restored necktie with the loudest tie in town. At first we thought Charlie was explaining the trick and then he fooled us with a sucker ending. Young Sid McWethy had a card effect that featured being able to cause a spectator selected card appear and any randomly called for spot in the deck.
Mark Fitzgerald then took a minute to show a deck of blank playing cards that suddenly were found to all have fronts and then backs and finally ending all blank again. Mystana adapted some clever Thanksgiving patter to a Hot Rod type effect giving metaphorical meanings to the colors as they changed on the rod. Finally, Charlie Zeus gave us an explanation of his "Hall of Fame for Unfamous Magicians" in upstate New York . He then launched into the classic Six-Bill Repeat trick with a clever storyline and when he was finished the money changed denominations.
Join us every third Wednesday for our monthly ring meeting and show. Good things are always happening in Ring 170.
Dennis Phillips
We had several guests, Charlie Zeus from Skylar Lake, New York. Charlie runs and promotes , The Hall of Fame for Unfamous Magicians, a place where many unknown but hard-working magicians have a place of honor. Bob Beck and his daughter, Amanda visited and are interested in magic.
Our Hospitality chairperson, Jackie Manna, explained next month's December Gift exchange. We will have a ring holiday party at the regular meeting time and everyone should bring a gift worth at least ten dollars. This annual event is a lot of fun in the way gifts are drawn and exchanged.
Phil Schwartz presented his Magic Moment #2. Phil was just back from the Magic Collector's convention in California and witnessed Johnny Gaughn's very rare presentation of the Dr. Hooker Card Trick. This is an elaborate series of card effects presented in a specially designed small theater room. The specific workings of the effects have never been revealed and well-learned professional magicians remained baffled at how everything is accomplished. Phil also said there was discussion about the mystery of who wrote the classic text about the expert's secrets at the card table.
With the formal meeting adjourned, Mark Fitzgerald volunteered to be the Master of Ceremonies for the monthly show. He opened with some fancy coin manipulations using silver dollars that jumped from hand to hand and appeared and disappeared. He introduced Josh Royo who did a trick with a spectator selected card using time travel as a theme. A card chosen a second time magically transformed in the spectators hand to be the card chosen the first time. Charlie Pfrogner did his cut and restored necktie with the loudest tie in town. At first we thought Charlie was explaining the trick and then he fooled us with a sucker ending. Young Sid McWethy had a card effect that featured being able to cause a spectator selected card appear and any randomly called for spot in the deck.
Mark Fitzgerald then took a minute to show a deck of blank playing cards that suddenly were found to all have fronts and then backs and finally ending all blank again. Mystana adapted some clever Thanksgiving patter to a Hot Rod type effect giving metaphorical meanings to the colors as they changed on the rod. Finally, Charlie Zeus gave us an explanation of his "Hall of Fame for Unfamous Magicians" in upstate New York . He then launched into the classic Six-Bill Repeat trick with a clever storyline and when he was finished the money changed denominations.
Join us every third Wednesday for our monthly ring meeting and show. Good things are always happening in Ring 170.
Dennis Phillips
2007-12 Comments about comments
Dennis sent me these comments about a comment sent by one of the subjects of his previous
"Deliberations", I hope that dennis and Blair do not mind me publishing this.
"Hey, I was happy that Blair Marshall saw my story and responded. I am also happy that he is working and using some of those great Shazzam props and costumes.
I don't believe that he actually disagreed with me...because he did get my point: The days of the Full Evening , Box office , HEAVY
Touring-Routed illusion show are over.
I am not quite sure how I should ever categorize someone who lives in Quebec. When Cindy and I were in Montreal on a trip ( beautiful and fun city in the Summer) I had to drag my French out of my memory cells to drive. Cindy did much better... ( "Nord" "Sud"....)
Since the official language is French and the nation is Canada I call them all French Canadians. Toronto , to me, would be English Canadians...
ALL of them of "Lucky Canadians" with their socialized medicine..."
"Deliberations", I hope that dennis and Blair do not mind me publishing this.
"Hey, I was happy that Blair Marshall saw my story and responded. I am also happy that he is working and using some of those great Shazzam props and costumes.
I don't believe that he actually disagreed with me...because he did get my point: The days of the Full Evening , Box office , HEAVY
Touring-Routed illusion show are over.
I am not quite sure how I should ever categorize someone who lives in Quebec. When Cindy and I were in Montreal on a trip ( beautiful and fun city in the Summer) I had to drag my French out of my memory cells to drive. Cindy did much better... ( "Nord" "Sud"....)
Since the official language is French and the nation is Canada I call them all French Canadians. Toronto , to me, would be English Canadians...
ALL of them of "Lucky Canadians" with their socialized medicine..."
2007-12 Dennis' Deliberations
"Magicians are the new rock stars."--Pamela Anderson (Live with Regis & Kelly. July 5, 2007)
For me...... going into my 60th year, I don't think so! At my age, I am one key-ring short of a full set and I am always pouring out of the wrong side of my Foo Can.
Larry Thornton is one year older than me and my Calgary Canadian magician friend. He was a big help in putting together this month's column. I guess we old crabby guys enjoy sharing our mature and jaded views of the magic world?
The magic world is schizophrenic. And I'm about to prove it.
All our lives we're told: Be original. Don't copy another person's act. If you do -- so the mantra goes -- you will always end up an inferior knock-off of the original dude. Never, never, never will you be as good! A copy is a copy is a copy, and you'll be little more than a "rip-off artist", doing the magical arts an extreme injustice. --And some finger-waggers even go so far as to suggest the public will notice you're a rip-off! -- Or if they don't (what do THEY know??) the magicians sure as heck will!
Then the "gentler: side of the argument is always this: If you must copy an other magician's act and style, try to add nuances of your own; or as the late Chris Carey used to say in his lecture and booklet, "Do the stuff that's YOU!" (You should have this book in your library regardless of his jaded history)
THAT HAVING BEEN PREACHED - - over and over in the magic magazines, at conventions, at magic clubs (clubs!? I've got to be kidding!) and in magic books and all --- we then have to wonder:
Why are there so many commercial DVDs available from thousands of magic dealers that show professional entertainer's acts, right down to every subtle gesture and word? ... A case in point is the ad on page 6 of the July issue of Magic Magazine, where Harry Anderson has been enticed into selling his EXACT ACT of his hilarious "Cufflinks Supreme". He provides the DVD of his own performance. We are told Anderson has performed it everywhere, including television's Saturday Night Live, HBO, and other network appearances. BUT NOW --- for the very first time, any two-thumbed clumsy wanna -be ... or should I say more charitably, "Tom, Dick or Harry" (especially Harry!) can legally and ethically do the routine, and -- with Anderson's blessing -- DUPLICATE it word-for-word, with even the smallest bits intact. Why, you can probably even DRESS like Harry! Where's that old hat of Dads; and his tacky old pin-striped suit...
The Hocus Pocus magic company, who put Harry up to this (needed the cash after your businesses collapsed in New Orleans, Harry?) -- will likely make a small 'killing' with this routine. And they know that magic fanatics, being what they are, for every magician who turns Harry's classic comedy handcuff act into an actual PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCE (i.e. makes money with it), there will be at least ten or twenty pipe-dreamers buying the DVD and included props, and doing essentially nothing with it. But that's not the point!
The point here, in this rant, is that the magic community is fond of telling every newcomer that they must try to develop themselves into original performers instead of clones. But at the same time, they should "look the other way" when it comes to dealerships hawking every successful act they can get their hands on. What is the unsuspecting public supposed to think of all this? Okay, so they have the memory of a gnat and will never remember how it was Anderson who made the routine great...
Go on "You Tube' and you will find no less than 7 identical and exact copies of the David Copperfield version of the Head Twister illusion. "Let's twist again, like we did last summer..." every wiggle, every move, every eye glance... Even the identical Joannie Spina 50s dress! The funniest "You Tube" knock-off had an illusionist that weighed at least 300 pounds. His dancing version of The Twist was not a pretty sight.
Most magic is "Magic of the dealers, by the dealers and for the dealers"- to parody the words of Abraham Lincoln. Go to our flea market and look at the used magic on the tables. Much of this stuff was sold because it was marketed and not because it was worth anything. "People bought it because they could" - to parody the words of Bill Clinton. The typical flea market is filled with magicians and dealers "that know the price of everything and the value of nothing" - that is a direct quote from Oscar Wilde, no parody needed.
If you missed a few of those delightfully absurd superlatives in advertising flyers from the magic dealers, all of the following came out of just one recent magic supplier's newsletter :
1) "With Supercoin you can pluck coins from midair, make coins vanish into thin air and have everyone gasping for air!"
Oh joy. What about that octogenarian in the back on her tank of oxygen?! [ Wait!! I'm just warming up! ]
2) "Carry this revolutionary new coin gimmick and you'll have a concealed weapon in your pocket!"
Wouldn't that be against the law? I can see the headline: "Cris Angel exonerated, but arrested anyway for carrying a concealed weapon in his pocket. When he protested that it was just a new coin trick, he was immediately arrested and incarcerated for psychiatric therapy.
3) "With Alpha Card, the possibilities are endless!"
Unsolicited testimonial: I'm going on 60 years old, I've been doing Alpha Card since I was a kid, and I flatly REFUSE to die until I exhaust all of its endless possibilities...
4) "Fire Starter: Everyone has been asking for it. Now, Rick Haslett has created it! Fire Starter is the ultimate in utility devices. Truly, a magician’s dream!"
That's right, folks: As a bonafide magician, I can tell you I got truly SICK of everyone asking for it. But it truly IS the ultimate utility device: brushes my teeth, wipes my backside, and even shuts off my eardrums when 'George W' asks for still more cash for invading Iran and The Canary Islands. And YES-- it's a magician's dream! One performance in your sleep of "Fire Starter", and you, too, will become the Super Pyromaniac of the Night. Professor's Nightmare move over!!!)
5) "Big Bang [Exploding Light Bulb]: The ultimate demonstration of psychokinesis."
That's ULTIMATE psychokinesis, folks! If you ever should have the bizarre luck to witness Criss Angel levitating his entire staff (his disciples Banachek and Johnny Thompson are already pretty high as it is, you will love this. The exploding "bulby thingy" in the paper bag blows these and anything ELSE away as the ULTIMATE demonstration of mind over matter!
And: "You now are free to hand out the bag of broken shards ." [I kid you not, it's in the flyer!]
Wow children will love this!!! The sight of blood puts them all in stitches...
6) "Neat & Tidy: A jumbled mass of rubber bands instantly snap together to build a neat and tidy rubber band ball that can be dropped on the table or handed out to your spectators. Neat & Tidy is perfect for any rubber band routine. It creates a stunning effect out of the 'down time' moment when you introduce your rubber bands to the audience. As well as providing magic along the way [what-- on the way out the door?] , Neat & Tidy can act as both an opener or closer for your routine!
Oh great. If that's the GRAND CLIMAX CLOSER to a magician's entire show, I'd hate to have been the sorry witness to the rest of his act.
AND-- here's living proof that magic dealers dwell on a foreign planet:
"Rubber bands are familiar objects to an audience, and many of us remember making rubber band balls as kids [we do??] , so the magic has meaning to your audience."
If not meaning to their lives! Kinda brings a tear to your eye, no?? "Oh, my Lordie, Myrtle, it brought me back to my childhood where I whiled away thousands of hours of solitude playing with little rubber bands...."
AND-- "Is this suitable for a professional magician? Yes! The angles are perfect, it's an instant reset, the rubber ball is examinable, no pre-show set-up (work) is required, and it’s been tried and tested 'in the trenches'. The ball also makes a perfect chop cup load!"
1) The Golden Rule: Any trick with perfect angles is by simple fiat -- suitable for professional magicians. NOT!!
2) She: "Where are you going, dear?"
"He called me over to help him with his trick. With any luck he'll let me examine his rubber bands and his rubber balls."
3) "No pre-show work is required." That's funny--- most magicians have to spend their entire lives in "pre-show work". It's called a DAY JOB.
4) "It's been tried and tested 'in the trenches'. "
"Private, this is an order!!! Get your head DOWN, NOW ! You wanna get killed?? --And stop monkeying around with those stupid rubber bands!"
5) "The ball makes a perfect chop cup load!"
(Onlooker: "What the HECK is that??? Can't you just be like other magicians and produce those lemons and baby chicks??")
7) "Complete Course in Watch Stealing: Vol. 2 Rolex Style Watch":
Magician: "I was about to steal his watch when the guy caught me red-handed. I was drummed off the stage to gales of laughter."
Cohort: "Why??"
Magician: "Well you see, I studied vol. 2 of the complete course in watch stealing, only to discovered it was anything but complete: the dude was wearing a rotten Taiwanese counterfeit Rolex!!" What venues have men mostly wearing Rolex watches? Wall Street exclusive clubs? This is not a big market to perform in, huh?
"This DVD embodies everything about removing Rolex style wrist watches."
Including where to find a sympathetic lawyer when you're caught practicing it on the street...
8) "Miracle Shoelaces: Make your shoelaces change color!"
Walk up to someone on the street and show her your shoelaces. ... Devastating reactions every time! .... [Not again: ] Endless possibilities."
That's just what every magician should be doing these days: Walking up to complete strangers and asking them to look at their frigging shoelaces. Hank's right, many reactions to such a display of idiocy WILL be "devastating"! As for "endless possibilities", I can hardly imagine. --But Jay Sankey can!
9) "We set Matthew J. Dowden on a challenge. Learn seven world-class easy-to-do card tricks within 24 hours and then go out onto the streets of London and amaze your audiences!"
Well, if "Mathew J. Dowden" is a magician and doesn't already KNOW "seven world-class easy-to-do card tricks", then he must have spent his life in a cave. The blurb continues: " You’ll see Matthew perform seven of his fourteen fantastic card tricks that require no skill and absolutely no sleight of hand." (a) If they are HIS seven card tricks, then where does the "learn them in 24 hours" come into it? And if they indeed require NO SKILL ("and absolutely no sleight of hand" -- is redundant), why would it require 24 hours and how could they be world class?
The Newsletter summation:
"And that’s this week’s magical wonders. See, I told you it was amazing stuff this week."
Gee, thanks, Pal. And thanks also for the inadvertent entertainment.
Hey, I like the supplier mentioned above, I buy from him regularly and recommend his store. This guy and everyone else is just trying to make a buck and making a buck in magic has become increasingly harder and harder. So, keep your bucks closer to your wallet and don't believe all the advertising hype you read. No human communication is ever "fair and balanced'.
Dennis Phillips
For me...... going into my 60th year, I don't think so! At my age, I am one key-ring short of a full set and I am always pouring out of the wrong side of my Foo Can.
Larry Thornton is one year older than me and my Calgary Canadian magician friend. He was a big help in putting together this month's column. I guess we old crabby guys enjoy sharing our mature and jaded views of the magic world?
The magic world is schizophrenic. And I'm about to prove it.
All our lives we're told: Be original. Don't copy another person's act. If you do -- so the mantra goes -- you will always end up an inferior knock-off of the original dude. Never, never, never will you be as good! A copy is a copy is a copy, and you'll be little more than a "rip-off artist", doing the magical arts an extreme injustice. --And some finger-waggers even go so far as to suggest the public will notice you're a rip-off! -- Or if they don't (what do THEY know??) the magicians sure as heck will!
Then the "gentler: side of the argument is always this: If you must copy an other magician's act and style, try to add nuances of your own; or as the late Chris Carey used to say in his lecture and booklet, "Do the stuff that's YOU!" (You should have this book in your library regardless of his jaded history)
THAT HAVING BEEN PREACHED - - over and over in the magic magazines, at conventions, at magic clubs (clubs!? I've got to be kidding!) and in magic books and all --- we then have to wonder:
Why are there so many commercial DVDs available from thousands of magic dealers that show professional entertainer's acts, right down to every subtle gesture and word? ... A case in point is the ad on page 6 of the July issue of Magic Magazine, where Harry Anderson has been enticed into selling his EXACT ACT of his hilarious "Cufflinks Supreme". He provides the DVD of his own performance. We are told Anderson has performed it everywhere, including television's Saturday Night Live, HBO, and other network appearances. BUT NOW --- for the very first time, any two-thumbed clumsy wanna -be ... or should I say more charitably, "Tom, Dick or Harry" (especially Harry!) can legally and ethically do the routine, and -- with Anderson's blessing -- DUPLICATE it word-for-word, with even the smallest bits intact. Why, you can probably even DRESS like Harry! Where's that old hat of Dads; and his tacky old pin-striped suit...
The Hocus Pocus magic company, who put Harry up to this (needed the cash after your businesses collapsed in New Orleans, Harry?) -- will likely make a small 'killing' with this routine. And they know that magic fanatics, being what they are, for every magician who turns Harry's classic comedy handcuff act into an actual PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCE (i.e. makes money with it), there will be at least ten or twenty pipe-dreamers buying the DVD and included props, and doing essentially nothing with it. But that's not the point!
The point here, in this rant, is that the magic community is fond of telling every newcomer that they must try to develop themselves into original performers instead of clones. But at the same time, they should "look the other way" when it comes to dealerships hawking every successful act they can get their hands on. What is the unsuspecting public supposed to think of all this? Okay, so they have the memory of a gnat and will never remember how it was Anderson who made the routine great...
Go on "You Tube' and you will find no less than 7 identical and exact copies of the David Copperfield version of the Head Twister illusion. "Let's twist again, like we did last summer..." every wiggle, every move, every eye glance... Even the identical Joannie Spina 50s dress! The funniest "You Tube" knock-off had an illusionist that weighed at least 300 pounds. His dancing version of The Twist was not a pretty sight.
Most magic is "Magic of the dealers, by the dealers and for the dealers"- to parody the words of Abraham Lincoln. Go to our flea market and look at the used magic on the tables. Much of this stuff was sold because it was marketed and not because it was worth anything. "People bought it because they could" - to parody the words of Bill Clinton. The typical flea market is filled with magicians and dealers "that know the price of everything and the value of nothing" - that is a direct quote from Oscar Wilde, no parody needed.
If you missed a few of those delightfully absurd superlatives in advertising flyers from the magic dealers, all of the following came out of just one recent magic supplier's newsletter :
1) "With Supercoin you can pluck coins from midair, make coins vanish into thin air and have everyone gasping for air!"
Oh joy. What about that octogenarian in the back on her tank of oxygen?! [ Wait!! I'm just warming up! ]
2) "Carry this revolutionary new coin gimmick and you'll have a concealed weapon in your pocket!"
Wouldn't that be against the law? I can see the headline: "Cris Angel exonerated, but arrested anyway for carrying a concealed weapon in his pocket. When he protested that it was just a new coin trick, he was immediately arrested and incarcerated for psychiatric therapy.
3) "With Alpha Card, the possibilities are endless!"
Unsolicited testimonial: I'm going on 60 years old, I've been doing Alpha Card since I was a kid, and I flatly REFUSE to die until I exhaust all of its endless possibilities...
4) "Fire Starter: Everyone has been asking for it. Now, Rick Haslett has created it! Fire Starter is the ultimate in utility devices. Truly, a magician’s dream!"
That's right, folks: As a bonafide magician, I can tell you I got truly SICK of everyone asking for it. But it truly IS the ultimate utility device: brushes my teeth, wipes my backside, and even shuts off my eardrums when 'George W' asks for still more cash for invading Iran and The Canary Islands. And YES-- it's a magician's dream! One performance in your sleep of "Fire Starter", and you, too, will become the Super Pyromaniac of the Night. Professor's Nightmare move over!!!)
5) "Big Bang [Exploding Light Bulb]: The ultimate demonstration of psychokinesis."
That's ULTIMATE psychokinesis, folks! If you ever should have the bizarre luck to witness Criss Angel levitating his entire staff (his disciples Banachek and Johnny Thompson are already pretty high as it is, you will love this. The exploding "bulby thingy" in the paper bag blows these and anything ELSE away as the ULTIMATE demonstration of mind over matter!
And: "You now are free to hand out the bag of broken shards ." [I kid you not, it's in the flyer!]
Wow children will love this!!! The sight of blood puts them all in stitches...
6) "Neat & Tidy: A jumbled mass of rubber bands instantly snap together to build a neat and tidy rubber band ball that can be dropped on the table or handed out to your spectators. Neat & Tidy is perfect for any rubber band routine. It creates a stunning effect out of the 'down time' moment when you introduce your rubber bands to the audience. As well as providing magic along the way [what-- on the way out the door?] , Neat & Tidy can act as both an opener or closer for your routine!
Oh great. If that's the GRAND CLIMAX CLOSER to a magician's entire show, I'd hate to have been the sorry witness to the rest of his act.
AND-- here's living proof that magic dealers dwell on a foreign planet:
"Rubber bands are familiar objects to an audience, and many of us remember making rubber band balls as kids [we do??] , so the magic has meaning to your audience."
If not meaning to their lives! Kinda brings a tear to your eye, no?? "Oh, my Lordie, Myrtle, it brought me back to my childhood where I whiled away thousands of hours of solitude playing with little rubber bands...."
AND-- "Is this suitable for a professional magician? Yes! The angles are perfect, it's an instant reset, the rubber ball is examinable, no pre-show set-up (work) is required, and it’s been tried and tested 'in the trenches'. The ball also makes a perfect chop cup load!"
1) The Golden Rule: Any trick with perfect angles is by simple fiat -- suitable for professional magicians. NOT!!
2) She: "Where are you going, dear?"
"He called me over to help him with his trick. With any luck he'll let me examine his rubber bands and his rubber balls."
3) "No pre-show work is required." That's funny--- most magicians have to spend their entire lives in "pre-show work". It's called a DAY JOB.
4) "It's been tried and tested 'in the trenches'. "
"Private, this is an order!!! Get your head DOWN, NOW ! You wanna get killed?? --And stop monkeying around with those stupid rubber bands!"
5) "The ball makes a perfect chop cup load!"
(Onlooker: "What the HECK is that??? Can't you just be like other magicians and produce those lemons and baby chicks??")
7) "Complete Course in Watch Stealing: Vol. 2 Rolex Style Watch":
Magician: "I was about to steal his watch when the guy caught me red-handed. I was drummed off the stage to gales of laughter."
Cohort: "Why??"
Magician: "Well you see, I studied vol. 2 of the complete course in watch stealing, only to discovered it was anything but complete: the dude was wearing a rotten Taiwanese counterfeit Rolex!!" What venues have men mostly wearing Rolex watches? Wall Street exclusive clubs? This is not a big market to perform in, huh?
"This DVD embodies everything about removing Rolex style wrist watches."
Including where to find a sympathetic lawyer when you're caught practicing it on the street...
8) "Miracle Shoelaces: Make your shoelaces change color!"
Walk up to someone on the street and show her your shoelaces. ... Devastating reactions every time! .... [Not again: ] Endless possibilities."
That's just what every magician should be doing these days: Walking up to complete strangers and asking them to look at their frigging shoelaces. Hank's right, many reactions to such a display of idiocy WILL be "devastating"! As for "endless possibilities", I can hardly imagine. --But Jay Sankey can!
9) "We set Matthew J. Dowden on a challenge. Learn seven world-class easy-to-do card tricks within 24 hours and then go out onto the streets of London and amaze your audiences!"
Well, if "Mathew J. Dowden" is a magician and doesn't already KNOW "seven world-class easy-to-do card tricks", then he must have spent his life in a cave. The blurb continues: " You’ll see Matthew perform seven of his fourteen fantastic card tricks that require no skill and absolutely no sleight of hand." (a) If they are HIS seven card tricks, then where does the "learn them in 24 hours" come into it? And if they indeed require NO SKILL ("and absolutely no sleight of hand" -- is redundant), why would it require 24 hours and how could they be world class?
The Newsletter summation:
"And that’s this week’s magical wonders. See, I told you it was amazing stuff this week."
Gee, thanks, Pal. And thanks also for the inadvertent entertainment.
Hey, I like the supplier mentioned above, I buy from him regularly and recommend his store. This guy and everyone else is just trying to make a buck and making a buck in magic has become increasingly harder and harder. So, keep your bucks closer to your wallet and don't believe all the advertising hype you read. No human communication is ever "fair and balanced'.
Dennis Phillips
Saturday, November 10, 2007
2007-11 Famulus newsletter of IBM Ring 170
Newsletter of IBM Ring #170
The Bev Bergeron Ring
Next general meeting Wednesday, 11/21/2007 at 7:30 PM SHARP
Board meeting at 6:30 pm
Meeting theme: Holiday magic (what else?)
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 food court)
Website: http://www.ring170.com/
F. A. M. E. is the Florida Association of Magical Entertainers
*************************************************************
Directory
Craig J. Fennessy – President – CraigFennessy@gmail.com
Chris Dunn- Vice President – Youngdunns@yahoo.com
Art Thomas – Treasurer – Art.Thomas@Disney.com
Dennis Philips- Secretary – Dennis@alliedcostumes.com
James Songster- Director at Large, - JjTjMagic@aol.com
Joe Vecciarelli- Sgt at Arms - talkingmute@tampabay.rr.com
Stefan Bartelski – Editor of “Famulus”- Famulus@illusioneer.com
*************************************************************
GET PUBLISHED!
Got an idea for an article to add to the next FAMULUS? Put it in the body of an email or in a Word document attached to an email. Send it to Famulus@illusioneer.com, and we will get you in print. Please, please, please, use the above e-mail address, your messages are in danger of getting lost if you do not do so.
The Bev Bergeron Ring
Next general meeting Wednesday, 11/21/2007 at 7:30 PM SHARP
Board meeting at 6:30 pm
Meeting theme: Holiday magic (what else?)
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 food court)
Website: http://www.ring170.com/
F. A. M. E. is the Florida Association of Magical Entertainers
*************************************************************
Directory
Craig J. Fennessy – President – CraigFennessy@gmail.com
Chris Dunn- Vice President – Youngdunns@yahoo.com
Art Thomas – Treasurer – Art.Thomas@Disney.com
Dennis Philips- Secretary – Dennis@alliedcostumes.com
James Songster- Director at Large, - JjTjMagic@aol.com
Joe Vecciarelli- Sgt at Arms - talkingmute@tampabay.rr.com
Stefan Bartelski – Editor of “Famulus”- Famulus@illusioneer.com
*************************************************************
GET PUBLISHED!
Got an idea for an article to add to the next FAMULUS? Put it in the body of an email or in a Word document attached to an email. Send it to Famulus@illusioneer.com, and we will get you in print. Please, please, please, use the above e-mail address, your messages are in danger of getting lost if you do not do so.
2007-11 From the editor
This goes out after the convention at Daytona Beach, but I guess that no-one from our ring attended as I did not receive any reviews. Or if some-one did attend would they please send a summary for next month's newsletter.
This month the magical art of mentalism has been spotlighted on TV, with the (in)famous Uri Geller and Criss Angel acting as judges while 10 contestants attempt to win the big bucks. I would love to hear from the members what they think of the show, again, more meat for our end of year issue.
Finally, Christmas is almost upon us, so hopefully your diaries are filling up with plenty of holiday party gigs. And speaking of Christmas, are we going to have our traditional gift exchange again this year?
This month the magical art of mentalism has been spotlighted on TV, with the (in)famous Uri Geller and Criss Angel acting as judges while 10 contestants attempt to win the big bucks. I would love to hear from the members what they think of the show, again, more meat for our end of year issue.
Finally, Christmas is almost upon us, so hopefully your diaries are filling up with plenty of holiday party gigs. And speaking of Christmas, are we going to have our traditional gift exchange again this year?
2007-11 Ring Report - Ring #170 - The Bev Bergeron Ring
President Craig Fennessy called the October meeting to order and introduced one of our famous past members who has been doing very well out West. Jon Armstrong began the meeting with some material from his award winning Magic Castle act. He performed a 3 Card Monte with blank cards, one of which was signed by a club member. The signed card was ultimately found in Jon's wallet which was being held by another club member.
(Photos of this meeting can be found lower down in this blog - Editor)
Next was the introduction of Magic Ian, a legend in the magic arts. This was his 30th Anniversary lecture and he shared many effects that he has created and refined over the years. Ian has an informal lecture style and is very entertaining. He began with his own Rope Routine - an original version of Carver's Professor's Nightmare that doesn't use three different lengths of rope. He then presented a spectator-assisted Cut & Restored Rope. There was a Silk Vanish, utilizing a thumb tip, while the wrists were held by a spectator . He had a suggestion on how to use the thumb tip better: Place it on the non-dominant hand and it will be easier to conceal.
Everyone was given a Ring & Spring and then taught a one handed way of performing the "move" and then a magician fooler version . Ian moved to some classic props and his unique routines. He had a silk to appearing cane and a few ideas on keeping the cane hidden before the production, candle to glass of liquid, candle to silk to cane.
Coin Balloonacy, his famous Quarter thru Balloon was fun to learn. It was given five stars in Genii Magazine. Magic Ian showed how to use a Haunted Pack as a hold out device! The Stripper Deck used his Utility Move-Mechanic's Grip to deliver cards rather than the normal usage. Pip Squeak , The $500 Card Trick, was presented. Ian was given three cards from a borrowed deck. He displayed them and had then remembered by a spectator. Still holding three cards he showed that two were still there and the third was now a different card. The original third card was back in the deck still held by its owner.
Pepsilkola was a "Silk to miniature soda bottle". He showed us how he developed the idea. Red, white and blue scarves to American flag utilizing an appearing cane with an interesting set-up. Ian concluded with a Coin Matrix with flashback ending. Many items, especially the coin effects, can be seen on his website --- www.magicians.tv
We gave our thanks to Magic Ian for an informative and enjoyable lecture. Good things are always happening in Ring 170.
Joe Vecciarelli and Dennis Phillips
2007-11 Possible Tim Sonefelt lecture
Thought I would pass this by you... Tim Sonefelt is possibly going to be passing through the area and may be able to stop by and do a lecture for us. Unfortunately, since there are some other lectures going on near this date we are not able to have it as a Ring lecture. If you would be interested I would need to get an RSVP from you as soon as possible. The cost would be $15 a person, yes of course I will have the normal snacks and drinks there for your convenience. I would suggest that you check out Tim's website to see some of the things he does, also Tim is the owner of Wonder Imagery which can also be checked out on the web. The date would be around November 13Th 2007 at say 7 to 10pm.
Please pass this on to anyone that you may think would be interested in seeing this lecture.
If by chance the lecture gets canceled I will contact you by email, you can also call me at 407 599-9603, leave a message if no-one answers...
Thanks
Chris Dunn
2007-11 Disney introduces "Wizards"
Disney Channel Hopes ‘Wizards’ Will Bring It More Ratings Magic
(Orlando Sentinel) - Looking to expand on its Hannah Montana success, Disney Channel is dabbling in magic with its newest sitcom tonight. “Wizards of Waverly Place” mixes spells, special effects, child actors and a fondness for vintage sitcoms such as Bewitched. Wizards, which debuts at 9:30 tonight, is Disney Channel's most important project since High School Musical 2. The series focuses on a father who trains his daughter and two sons in magic. If Hannah Montana floats the fantasy of being a pop star, Wizards counters with another potent idea. "What kid wouldn't want to have magical powers to navigate the difficult times of being a teen?" said Adam Bonnett, senior vice president of original programming at Disney Channel.
The crucial cast member in Wizards is Selena Gomez, who plays Alex. Disney discovered Gomez when she was 12 during a national casting search in Austin, Texas. She has appeared on Hannah Montana and The Suite Life of Zack & Cody. She made three pilots for the channel. At 15, she understands the channel's appeal as a viewer and as a friend of Hannah Montana star Miley Cyrus.
Bonnett said he is not expecting another Hannah Montana with Wizards. "Hannah Montana is more than a show right now. It's a phenomenon," Bonnett said. "We're not in the business of launching phenomena. Our goal is to launch a hit show."
2007-11 Dennis' Deliberations
Recently a young guy -a wanna be illusionist-, with stars in his eyes, told me that he was going to take out a 'Big Illusion Show'. He intended to tour in major theaters with a large cast ,huge props and elaborate costumes not seen since the days of Thurston, Fu Manchu and Blackstone Sr. . He figured that 2 semis and 2 customized buses should handle the road tasks. He expected that a few ads on TV and some newspaper space would provide a guaranteed sell-out crowd because "everybody loves magic". I hate to pop some one's balloon but the days for those type of shows are over.
In 1966 Servais Le Roy's metal props had been rusting for 25 years in a New Jersey landfill.
In 1966 Lee Grabel's illusions were in storage a half a decade and he was making big money from San Francisco area real estate.
In 1966 Charles Carter's illusions in bright red crates had been bricked up behind a wall in a San Francisco basement garage for 30 years.
In 1966 Thurston's remaining collection of miracles were being slowly eaten by rodents in a farm barn in Wisconsin. 20 years later, parts would be salvaged by collectors.
In 1966 Mark Wilson was mostly doing trade shows,working on TV specials.
In 1966 The Big Show as a viable box office draw ( by itself without television help) was dead forever...
The box office full-evening theater show that emerged in 1979 with Doug Henning and with David Copperfield in the early 1980s was a different beast. Promoted like a rock concert, the show was sold by using network television exposure. Basically, the stage show was a television star in your local auditorium. Henning was promoted as a fun guru whereas Copperfield's hook was being the young presenter of large unbelievable miracles outside the theater and in National parks.. For a brief time Harry Blackstone Jr. recreated the old style big show that made his Dad famous but other than a short Broadway run and a limited national tour, Harry resorted to corporate shows and hawking Oreo Cookies.
The touring full-evening illusion shows ,made so popular in the first half of the 20th Century , the one that ran on a pure box office and 2 sheet posters was gone... Today it is buried under a mound of TV sets, DVDs, You Tube , an easy jet trip to Las Vegas or a ticket to a cruise port , and the jaded suburban American mindset.
"Sorry kid, you are going to need something other than dreams to put diesel fuel in your truck and pay for your insurance bills. You need a solid business plan and a market. History is not on your side. "
I am never going to say "never" but let me repeat what George Santayana once said, " Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it ".
Dennis Phillips
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)