Posts
We have grown accustomed to meeting in the back room of the IHOP on Kirkman Road.
I even remembered the old pun: “Where is the favorite place for a magician’s rabbit to eat?” The answer is the “IHOP”.
President Craig Fennessy opened up the meeting with 28 people in the chairs. We had one guest, Ken Hicks from Norfolk, Virginia. The business meeting was short with thanks to all who helped with the recent flea-market and auction. Art Thomas says it was a success and the biggest attendance we have had in a long time. James Songster announced that the ring will be doing shows at “Give Kids the World” on the 3rd Tuesday of each month. He invites all members to come and perform for the families with terminally ill children that are visiting Disney. Bringing a little joy to them is the best magic in the world.
Ring member Captain Brett Railey of the Winter Park Police Department has been promoted to the new police chief. We are happy for him. No more handcuff escapes at club meetings?
Phil Schwartz took the stage for part 2 of his Magic Moment #11. This was a continuation of his lecture and demonstration of Thayer box magic. Phil is an expert and author on the subject and treated us to rare Thayer pieces such as a die box made to use a black cube with a dog bone painted on it. It was called “Dog Gone”. He explained that the one he was showing us was a Thayer copy and not an original. He also had more die boxes as well as a die box that vanished a billiard ball. Phil also has his CD for sale with thousands of one liners and emcee jokes called Chic Canery’s. He treated us to a couple of dozen or so and they are top-notch comedy material. He has the CD for sale.
Phil introduced Dan Stapleton who did a mini-lecture on “The Grandma’s Necklace” principle and many of its applications. He began with the Shanghai Shackle and moved through various classic versions, such as Dante’s “Lazy Magician”. Dan showed magic kits that used the principle with beads and string. He explained that the basic principle is explained in book one of Tarbell. Dan concluded with an effect that he sold by the hundreds at the Disney World Magic shop in the 70s, “Odd-ball” which uses the principle. He ended with a handcuff and coat escape using ropes.
Phil Schwartz emceed the evening’s ring show and first up was Jacki Manna who transformed the old Genie Bottle trick into a wonderful routine using her excellent “distant voice” ventriloquism. We all could imagine the genie in the bottle pulling on the rope. Charlie Pfrogner followed with the red and white boomerangs. They changed sizes and then he had a delightful finale with the wand he was using getting twice as long. Mike Martin did a great “Cards Across” routine with a male and female helper from the audience and a lot of funny lines. He also enlisted Bev Bergeron to hold up an egg-beater as a magic machine to make the magic happen. Kerry Pierce, KP the Great, laid out 16 cards on the table and had a spectator merely think of one and he found it. Guest Ken Hicks, from Norfolk, gave away a dollar bill to an audience member, but the humorous premise was hilarious. He then performed a theatrical piece of poetry with all the audience chiming in on the chorus. It was about “Fast food ain’t good enough to be slow”. Ken could easily play the part of Professor Harold Hill in “The Music Man”. Chris Dunn made an elephant disappear. Well, it was a small elephant plush toy, but it was still a big effect. Wrapping up the show was James Songster with the classic Block off the Cord. After the meeting President Fennessy mentioned that this was an action packed and full evening of solid magic. We all agreed!
Good things are always happening in Ring 170.
Dennis Phillips
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
2009-05 Musings on John Calvert
ADVENTURES
IN MAGIC LAND
THE MAKING
OF ENIGMA THE DVD
John Calvert,
98 years young on August 5th.....AND STILL GOING STRONG.
WOW!
When I heard John was going to give a lecture for the Leesburg club and then the next night he was going to perform as their head-liner at a show in the Villages I was elated.
Growing up in suburban Philadelphia where the magic bug bit me in the early 40's I had read about John Calvert and the exciting world traveling life he lead, entertaining the stars in Hollywood, becoming a film star in his own right... as The Falcon and a lot of evil doer parts in many westerns... visiting in many countries around the world and entertaining royalty and the public alike...hunting in Africa and on and on and on...as reported by Bill Rauscher in his bio-book of John's life written in 1987. Calvert was right up there with Dante and Blackstone in my estimation. I had seen Dante and Blackstone in the 40's but not the illusive world traveling Calvert.
FLIP WIPE to the by pass around Jacksonville.
I was driving on my way from New York to Florida when I looked up and saw a giant billboard advertising the Calvert Show at the Morocco Shrine Auditorium. My mouth went dry and my brain went numb. I was going to finally see John Calvert in person. I was wrong. The final shows were the past week. The billboard had not been changed. Thwarted!
FLIP WIPE to the Florida Keys in the early 90's
Chris and I were vacationing in a little out of the way campground when I picked up the local newspaper and was knocked on my ....uh!...lower anatomy. There I saw a full page ad for the John Calvert Show appearing ..NOW.. in the next Key north of us! Needless to say we jumped in the car and attended the show.
I was selected with a few other men to join John on stage where he did a ping-pong ball routine directing us in stage whispers unknown to the audience. I felt awed to be a participant.
Chris was selected to come on-stage. On the way up he somehow lost his wrist watch to the nimble-fingered Calvert and when they got to the stage John presented it to him. Unbeknownst to Chris he had volunteered as the person who
After the show I introduced myself and John graciously invited us back to his boat, The Magic Castle, in which he had traveled to the Keys. That evening we spent three or four hours of reminiscing with John and Tammy and being entertained with John's close-up tricks. He could nap a coin up his sleeve with the flick of his fingers. One time he had me hold the sleeve and the coin still disappeared. (He had placed it on his pant leg and it slid down into the pants cuff)....simple stuff but in John's hands...... UNBELIEVABLE
FLIP WIPE to Melbourne, Florida 2007
We had contacted John & Tammy to videotape an interview. We met him at the Masonic Lodge in Melbourne where we would tape it. He had two huge trailers of equipment parked in their compound ready to start a tour. John challenged me to race from the trailers to the lodge location. I declined telling him that I had just recuperated from a hip replacement. I am twenty years younger than John but I'm sure he still would have won the race. (That night in the Villages lecture he challenged two burlys to a test of strength where they each tried simultaneously to unbalance him before he could unbalance them. OF COURSE, HE WON.)
The interview went well and was in ENIGMA the dvd # 4. We had fun and this is how we ended the tape...the old Shirt-Pull Gag! I still have that shirt and any of you who attended the lecture saw me wearing it.
I can’t wait to see his performance at the London Palladium on his 100th birthday.
I’ll be there!!!!!!!!!!
Chuck STYLESMITH Smith
2009-05 Magic in Wired Magzine
Great issue of Wired Magazine this month.
Magazine Cover
http://tinyurl.com/cmxpbt
Contents
http://tinyurl.com/s26o
Interview with J.J. Abrams
Article about Teller
A lot other magic and puzzle articles
Teller Article
http://tinyurl.com/dk524h
Joe Vecciarelli
Magazine Cover
http://tinyurl.com/cmxpbt
Contents
http://tinyurl.com/s26o
Interview with J.J. Abrams
Article about Teller
A lot other magic and puzzle articles
Teller Article
http://tinyurl.com/dk524h
Joe Vecciarelli
2009-05 Dennis' Penultimate Deliberations
Allied Costumes 1975-2009
This will be my next to the last regular column. I will have more on me leaving Orlando below but first some original magic! I carry on extended E-Mail conversations with many magic friends. One consistent friend and active professional magician is Larry Thornton in Calgary, Canada. Recently we were conversing about some killer card effects.
I offered him (and now you) this: Here is how I do a bit in my mentalism act (thanks a bit to Max Maven and Kenton Knipper): First, buy 4 decks and select from each 13 cards of the same cards. In these 13 you have 6 black cards and 7 red cards. Make one deck with 52 cards that are 13 identical cards repeated 4 times. As you take out the special deck (“13-4 times”) begin with the free and open choice to the spectator of a color with these words,“Sir, do you want me to remove the blacks or the reds from the deck. This is your free choice! You can change your mind. Think about it. Black or red?” You have the six black cards hidden on your body. One in each sock. One in each shoe. One in each shirt sleeve. If they say, “Black” says, “Is that your final choice?” “Then we will take out and use the Black ones. I am going to hand you this deck and look at any Black card and close the deck.” If they say “Red” say, “Is that your final choice?” “Then, by your choice, lets take out and throw away the red ones and when I hand you the deck look at any Black one.” “Now, tell the audience so they can share in what is your free choice”. After by play, show them that you had previously knew what they predicted by revealing the card you had hidden on your body. Buy 5 cheap decks at the dollar store (Charlie Pfrogner’s favorite magic shop!) and you have a miracle they will talk about. Print out this routine and sell the extra 3 sets at the next magic flea-market for 5 bucks a piece and the trick will cost you nothing!
Larry followed up with his version: I have on my desk, as I speak, a 3-way force deck that I made myself. Whether it's a commercial trick or not I don't know, but it's the nerviest card effect I own -- so much so, that I have lost my nerve to do it! The effect: I take a deck out of its case and casually fan through them faces out to show them all mixed, without verbally drawing attention to that fact, as I say, "I would like to have the assistance of three people." I close the deck and say to a gentleman, "We'll try a little mental experiment. I am about to hand you this deck of cards. Now it is very important that you follow my instructions EXACTLY. Please hold the deck tightly in your hand with the faces towards you, and carefully PEEK at just ONE card in the FIRST THIRD of the deck. You do this by pulling forward some of the cards in the bottom third of the deck, like this." (I open the deck at the top with the index finger of my free hand, forming a break.) "REMEMBER the card you peeked at." I emphasize, "It is IMPORTANT that you peek at only ONE card. Do not let more than one card slip by, as that might lead to confusion as which card you are to remember." I then quickly repeat the process with each of two more people, peeking at a MIDDLE card for the second person and a TOP THIRD card for the last volunteer, and then let all three people repeat the process. After some by-play (taking back the cards, showing them still mixed and pointing out the fairness of each selection, etc.) -- I THEN DRAMATICALLY NAME EACH CARD (or they could have been "divined" each time and written out on a chalk board or large pad). All the cards, of course, are different, and each person verifies it is indeed their selection. Unlike the "standard version" of this effect, there is no need to name three cards and have the spectators sit down when they hear their selection, simply because they all picked the same card from a one-way deck. THE DECK CONSTRUCTION: Top Third: 8 pairs of cards, with each pair consisting of an Eight of Clubs (shorted a la Svengali), in front of which is an indifferent unshorted card. They are 'glued' together at the bottoms only, with double-stick Scotch tape, available at any office supplies store. In other words, if the deck is face down, the top card would be the force (8C) and its pair an indifferent card. Middle Third: 8 pairs constructed the same, force card Queen of Diamonds. Bottom Third: Force card Nine of Hearts. So there are 48 cards in all (3 X 16 cards). Funny, but I just checked and found a 9-9-8 arrangement in my own deck, making 52 cards. No matter. We should reasonably assume all that double-stick Scotch tape would add to the thickness of the deck making it hard to remove from its case, but that doesn't seem to be so. Why the taped pairs? Simply so I can ribbon-spread the deck on the table, or hand to hand (platform version) to show the deck mixed. So..... Have I ever performed this little mental miracle under paid conditions? NO! I haven't the nerve to trust the average butter-fingered spectator. But believe.... if I pulled off the trick ... it would be killer effect. So it lies there on my desk ... unused ... and haunting me until the end of time........ thank you Larry!
*******************************************
I think that most of you know that my wife and I are moving to Harrisonburg, Virginia in June. Yes, after 34 years here in Orlando, we are making the big move. We moved to Orlando from Charlotte, NC in 1975 to open our costume business and we have just recently sold the business and the building. Much of the reason for the move to the Shenandoah Valley is that my wife wants to be close to her family and especially her sister. My brother-in-law is a science teacher in High School. Also, almost all the rest of her family is in the Washington, D.C. area which is a little less than 2 hours away. My wife originally was from Virginia and she has reminded me almost every day since we moved her in 1975 that she never wanted to move to Florida. Much of it was the climate and the separation from her family. In spite of her dislike for the climate, mold and pollen, sand and sun, she did manage to have a good time here the first few years. Orlando was a small town then. That was way back when Disney was just a single theme park down the road towards Tampa. There was no Post-Modern Orlando City skyline and you could still find orange trees in the city limits. But something happened in the mid 80s. Orlando shifted from a small town to a city with clogged traffic arteries and social and ethnic issues.
We tried to escape that by moving from Audubon Park (next to Baldwin Park) to Oviedo. In 1985 Oviedo was a small country town. Within 5 years it was an edge city with all the problems of the city of Orlando. We then decided to just move back downtown and not fight the suburban sprawl. From 1975 to 1990 I made much of my living doing magic shows. The shows were family oriented illusion shows for fund-raising. Most were not in Orlando but in distant small towns. The shows were promoted with telephone boiler rooms. Occasionally, I did convention shows and walk around magic at events. I did more convention shows in Jacksonville and Tampa than Orlando.
I did play the Bob Carr 3 times before 1979 and the Sanford Civic Center in 1985. From 1976 to 1978 I regularly performed in many local schools with my show as an evening fund-raiser. Dan Stapleton had his shirt ripped by students in a show at Robinswood Middle School about 1976. It was during a scene where a gorilla ran out into the audience. Halloween of 1976, Dan got me and my cast to help him with the Lake Eola Halloween Band-shell show. Along the way, I did shows for Ray Ramsey, a few with Bev and Dan. I played Disney Conventions a few times. Shows within the Orlando area were always “catch what I can”. 1990 was the year of the first Gulf War and a Recession followed. Usually an economic downturn did not affect small-town fund-raising shows. But 1990 was different. Small town merchants were hit hard by the expanding Wal*Mart and began closing. The backbone of my marketing crumbled as the old tap lists of local sponsors dried up. It was sad to go through the little Florida towns and see the downtowns dead. Moreover, cable and satellite TV and VCRs started to keep people home. Live entertainment suffered. My magic show business mostly dried up. Plus, every little town now had a local illusionist who, armed with a jig saw and Paul Osborne plans, made boxes and grabbed the dates.
My wife and I transitioned into a smaller act for ballroom dancing showcases and I played a yearly route of church programs with Dr. Steve Brown. I plowed my efforts into my costume shop and was surviving from it. Then came 911 and an economic Recession followed by Hurricane Charley. My partly insured warehouse was destroyed by the hurricane. Combine all these downturns with the rise of “Spirit Costumes” (and all of the temporary stores at Halloween) and the plethora of cheap Red Chinese Halloween stuff that is imported and sold on the internet and every avenue of the costume and magic business collapsed for me here in Central Florida. Last year, after plowing over $50,000 in five years into the costume business, my wife (the manager and loyal partner through all of this) said that we had to close. My accountant had even harsher words for me and questioned my sanity for hoping things would get better. My financial planner even threatened to take back the calendar he had given me!
We decided after last Halloween to list my business building for sale and liquidate the business. We sold many of the costumes to Orlando Vintage and Costumes and they will carry on with our place in the market. The owner, Lisa Smith also handles vintage clothing and has an internet presence. She is active in doing wardrobe for films. So, I am concluding a 22 year long stretch teaching as an adjunct (part timer) at Valencia Community College in the Theater department and the last 5 years in public high school. I also have 12 years teaching as an adjunct at The Institute for Christian Studies (Medieval to Reformation Theology and Philosophy). We leave many friendships, our grown children and a lifetime of memories behind.
One of the joys of living here has been having an active Magic Ring, which I believe is the best in the country, along with many professional and long time personal friends in magic. Being a lifetime member, I will always keep you in my heart.
I am not sure yet what I will be doing for a living in Harrisonburg. There are 2 universities and a college near by and I have applications in at all of them. The TV station in town has also expressed and interest to me in either engineering (I am a broadcast engineer) or in news or sales. I am transporting all my magic and supporting equipment and wardrobe so it will be close to me and available for shows. There is a 4 season ski resort nearby. I will keep you posted. My final details and good-byes to all will be in next month’s article!
Dennis Phillips
This will be my next to the last regular column. I will have more on me leaving Orlando below but first some original magic! I carry on extended E-Mail conversations with many magic friends. One consistent friend and active professional magician is Larry Thornton in Calgary, Canada. Recently we were conversing about some killer card effects.
I offered him (and now you) this: Here is how I do a bit in my mentalism act (thanks a bit to Max Maven and Kenton Knipper): First, buy 4 decks and select from each 13 cards of the same cards. In these 13 you have 6 black cards and 7 red cards. Make one deck with 52 cards that are 13 identical cards repeated 4 times. As you take out the special deck (“13-4 times”) begin with the free and open choice to the spectator of a color with these words,“Sir, do you want me to remove the blacks or the reds from the deck. This is your free choice! You can change your mind. Think about it. Black or red?” You have the six black cards hidden on your body. One in each sock. One in each shoe. One in each shirt sleeve. If they say, “Black” says, “Is that your final choice?” “Then we will take out and use the Black ones. I am going to hand you this deck and look at any Black card and close the deck.” If they say “Red” say, “Is that your final choice?” “Then, by your choice, lets take out and throw away the red ones and when I hand you the deck look at any Black one.” “Now, tell the audience so they can share in what is your free choice”. After by play, show them that you had previously knew what they predicted by revealing the card you had hidden on your body. Buy 5 cheap decks at the dollar store (Charlie Pfrogner’s favorite magic shop!) and you have a miracle they will talk about. Print out this routine and sell the extra 3 sets at the next magic flea-market for 5 bucks a piece and the trick will cost you nothing!
Larry followed up with his version: I have on my desk, as I speak, a 3-way force deck that I made myself. Whether it's a commercial trick or not I don't know, but it's the nerviest card effect I own -- so much so, that I have lost my nerve to do it! The effect: I take a deck out of its case and casually fan through them faces out to show them all mixed, without verbally drawing attention to that fact, as I say, "I would like to have the assistance of three people." I close the deck and say to a gentleman, "We'll try a little mental experiment. I am about to hand you this deck of cards. Now it is very important that you follow my instructions EXACTLY. Please hold the deck tightly in your hand with the faces towards you, and carefully PEEK at just ONE card in the FIRST THIRD of the deck. You do this by pulling forward some of the cards in the bottom third of the deck, like this." (I open the deck at the top with the index finger of my free hand, forming a break.) "REMEMBER the card you peeked at." I emphasize, "It is IMPORTANT that you peek at only ONE card. Do not let more than one card slip by, as that might lead to confusion as which card you are to remember." I then quickly repeat the process with each of two more people, peeking at a MIDDLE card for the second person and a TOP THIRD card for the last volunteer, and then let all three people repeat the process. After some by-play (taking back the cards, showing them still mixed and pointing out the fairness of each selection, etc.) -- I THEN DRAMATICALLY NAME EACH CARD (or they could have been "divined" each time and written out on a chalk board or large pad). All the cards, of course, are different, and each person verifies it is indeed their selection. Unlike the "standard version" of this effect, there is no need to name three cards and have the spectators sit down when they hear their selection, simply because they all picked the same card from a one-way deck. THE DECK CONSTRUCTION: Top Third: 8 pairs of cards, with each pair consisting of an Eight of Clubs (shorted a la Svengali), in front of which is an indifferent unshorted card. They are 'glued' together at the bottoms only, with double-stick Scotch tape, available at any office supplies store. In other words, if the deck is face down, the top card would be the force (8C) and its pair an indifferent card. Middle Third: 8 pairs constructed the same, force card Queen of Diamonds. Bottom Third: Force card Nine of Hearts. So there are 48 cards in all (3 X 16 cards). Funny, but I just checked and found a 9-9-8 arrangement in my own deck, making 52 cards. No matter. We should reasonably assume all that double-stick Scotch tape would add to the thickness of the deck making it hard to remove from its case, but that doesn't seem to be so. Why the taped pairs? Simply so I can ribbon-spread the deck on the table, or hand to hand (platform version) to show the deck mixed. So..... Have I ever performed this little mental miracle under paid conditions? NO! I haven't the nerve to trust the average butter-fingered spectator. But believe.... if I pulled off the trick ... it would be killer effect. So it lies there on my desk ... unused ... and haunting me until the end of time........ thank you Larry!
*******************************************
I think that most of you know that my wife and I are moving to Harrisonburg, Virginia in June. Yes, after 34 years here in Orlando, we are making the big move. We moved to Orlando from Charlotte, NC in 1975 to open our costume business and we have just recently sold the business and the building. Much of the reason for the move to the Shenandoah Valley is that my wife wants to be close to her family and especially her sister. My brother-in-law is a science teacher in High School. Also, almost all the rest of her family is in the Washington, D.C. area which is a little less than 2 hours away. My wife originally was from Virginia and she has reminded me almost every day since we moved her in 1975 that she never wanted to move to Florida. Much of it was the climate and the separation from her family. In spite of her dislike for the climate, mold and pollen, sand and sun, she did manage to have a good time here the first few years. Orlando was a small town then. That was way back when Disney was just a single theme park down the road towards Tampa. There was no Post-Modern Orlando City skyline and you could still find orange trees in the city limits. But something happened in the mid 80s. Orlando shifted from a small town to a city with clogged traffic arteries and social and ethnic issues.
We tried to escape that by moving from Audubon Park (next to Baldwin Park) to Oviedo. In 1985 Oviedo was a small country town. Within 5 years it was an edge city with all the problems of the city of Orlando. We then decided to just move back downtown and not fight the suburban sprawl. From 1975 to 1990 I made much of my living doing magic shows. The shows were family oriented illusion shows for fund-raising. Most were not in Orlando but in distant small towns. The shows were promoted with telephone boiler rooms. Occasionally, I did convention shows and walk around magic at events. I did more convention shows in Jacksonville and Tampa than Orlando.
I did play the Bob Carr 3 times before 1979 and the Sanford Civic Center in 1985. From 1976 to 1978 I regularly performed in many local schools with my show as an evening fund-raiser. Dan Stapleton had his shirt ripped by students in a show at Robinswood Middle School about 1976. It was during a scene where a gorilla ran out into the audience. Halloween of 1976, Dan got me and my cast to help him with the Lake Eola Halloween Band-shell show. Along the way, I did shows for Ray Ramsey, a few with Bev and Dan. I played Disney Conventions a few times. Shows within the Orlando area were always “catch what I can”. 1990 was the year of the first Gulf War and a Recession followed. Usually an economic downturn did not affect small-town fund-raising shows. But 1990 was different. Small town merchants were hit hard by the expanding Wal*Mart and began closing. The backbone of my marketing crumbled as the old tap lists of local sponsors dried up. It was sad to go through the little Florida towns and see the downtowns dead. Moreover, cable and satellite TV and VCRs started to keep people home. Live entertainment suffered. My magic show business mostly dried up. Plus, every little town now had a local illusionist who, armed with a jig saw and Paul Osborne plans, made boxes and grabbed the dates.
My wife and I transitioned into a smaller act for ballroom dancing showcases and I played a yearly route of church programs with Dr. Steve Brown. I plowed my efforts into my costume shop and was surviving from it. Then came 911 and an economic Recession followed by Hurricane Charley. My partly insured warehouse was destroyed by the hurricane. Combine all these downturns with the rise of “Spirit Costumes” (and all of the temporary stores at Halloween) and the plethora of cheap Red Chinese Halloween stuff that is imported and sold on the internet and every avenue of the costume and magic business collapsed for me here in Central Florida. Last year, after plowing over $50,000 in five years into the costume business, my wife (the manager and loyal partner through all of this) said that we had to close. My accountant had even harsher words for me and questioned my sanity for hoping things would get better. My financial planner even threatened to take back the calendar he had given me!
We decided after last Halloween to list my business building for sale and liquidate the business. We sold many of the costumes to Orlando Vintage and Costumes and they will carry on with our place in the market. The owner, Lisa Smith also handles vintage clothing and has an internet presence. She is active in doing wardrobe for films. So, I am concluding a 22 year long stretch teaching as an adjunct (part timer) at Valencia Community College in the Theater department and the last 5 years in public high school. I also have 12 years teaching as an adjunct at The Institute for Christian Studies (Medieval to Reformation Theology and Philosophy). We leave many friendships, our grown children and a lifetime of memories behind.
One of the joys of living here has been having an active Magic Ring, which I believe is the best in the country, along with many professional and long time personal friends in magic. Being a lifetime member, I will always keep you in my heart.
I am not sure yet what I will be doing for a living in Harrisonburg. There are 2 universities and a college near by and I have applications in at all of them. The TV station in town has also expressed and interest to me in either engineering (I am a broadcast engineer) or in news or sales. I am transporting all my magic and supporting equipment and wardrobe so it will be close to me and available for shows. There is a 4 season ski resort nearby. I will keep you posted. My final details and good-byes to all will be in next month’s article!
Dennis Phillips
Wednesday, April 08, 2009
2009-04 Famulus Newsletter - Ring 170
Newsletter of IBM Ring #170
The Bev Bergeron Ring
Next general meeting Wednesday, 4/15/2009 at 7:30 PM SHARP
Meeting theme: Antique tricks
I-HOP Kirkman Road
5203 Kirkman Road, Orlando, Florida 32819
Please join us for dinner beforehand
Lunch meetings in the McDonalds on the north side of SandLake Rd between I-4 and International Drive near the rest rooms
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, 4/15/2009 at 7:30 PM SHARP
Meeting theme: Antique tricks
I-HOP Kirkman Road
5203 Kirkman Road, Orlando, Florida 32819
Please join us for dinner beforehand
Lunch meetings in the McDonalds on the north side of SandLake Rd between I-4 and International Drive near the rest rooms
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.
2009-04 From the Editor
Congratulations to the board for another excellent Flea Market. For myself it was an opportunity to meet some of you readers, something I always relish. In addition we were treated to some interesting lectures and a workshop, as well as being able to buy some useful, as well as some less useful, pieces of magic.
In another part of the newsletter you can see some of the pictures taken by Craig and a short video that I compiled.
Your editor
Stefan
In another part of the newsletter you can see some of the pictures taken by Craig and a short video that I compiled.
Your editor
Stefan
2009-04 Ring Report
President Craig Fennessey gaveled us to order. Twenty eight were in attendance with two guests, Ray and Steve Scratsky. Craig gave thanks to the members who helped with table magic at the recent Orlando Marriott benefit Luncheon for Ovarian Cancer: Mark Fitzgerald, J.C.Hiatt, Wallace Murphy, Doug Otto, Jacki Manna and Craig. James Songster offered the ring members another charity opportunity at “Give Kids the World”. It is a special lodge that hosts terminally ill children and their families while they visit Walt Disney World. It is a wonderful way, through magic, to bring joy to children and their families.
Phil Schwartz presented “Magic Moment # 10”. Phil takes a few minutes at selected ring meetings to give us access to his wealth of knowledge about magic history and to see parts of his extensive historic collection. This lecture was about Floyd Thayer’s box tricks. Thayer made 1,500 effects with boxes. Phil showed us a number of rare die boxes, card boxes, watch boxes and drawer boxes. Be watching the magic publications for Phil’s new book on The Ultimate Thayer. At the end of his lecture he gave every person in the meeting a piece of printed ephemera from his collection.
With the business meeting concluded, Vice President Chris Dunn emceed the evening show. First up was Jacki Manna doing a cute “Two Ropes to One” effect and then a Card Monte using printed cards with a Bunny cartoon. The bunny was never where we thought. Steve Hart then demonstrated his latest creation. You may recall that Hart is the creator of Wiz Cote, the popular shoe burning box. This time Steve had a clever way to pop popcorn in a top hat. The hat was empty and Steve had a popcorn box with a few kernels of un-popped corn. Before long the hat was brimming with popcorn. Dennis Phillips followed with the seldom seen but always baffling “Bill Neff Rope Trick”. A rope is cut in the middle by a spectator and in plain view instantly melds back together and is immediately handed out for examination.
James Songster followed up with his rope routine and some clever knots that tied and untied .He also did a skillful Rope and Ring routine. Mark Fitzgerald was next on with a few more knot flourishes and a routine with a spectator who selected a card that was later found reversed in the deck. Charlie Pfrogner concluded the show with a cute routine that is sure to get the kids yelling. A red and yellow scarf and magic wands had their colors mysteriously changed in a little red velvet bag.
Good things are always happening in Ring 170
Dennis Phillips
Phil Schwartz presented “Magic Moment # 10”. Phil takes a few minutes at selected ring meetings to give us access to his wealth of knowledge about magic history and to see parts of his extensive historic collection. This lecture was about Floyd Thayer’s box tricks. Thayer made 1,500 effects with boxes. Phil showed us a number of rare die boxes, card boxes, watch boxes and drawer boxes. Be watching the magic publications for Phil’s new book on The Ultimate Thayer. At the end of his lecture he gave every person in the meeting a piece of printed ephemera from his collection.
With the business meeting concluded, Vice President Chris Dunn emceed the evening show. First up was Jacki Manna doing a cute “Two Ropes to One” effect and then a Card Monte using printed cards with a Bunny cartoon. The bunny was never where we thought. Steve Hart then demonstrated his latest creation. You may recall that Hart is the creator of Wiz Cote, the popular shoe burning box. This time Steve had a clever way to pop popcorn in a top hat. The hat was empty and Steve had a popcorn box with a few kernels of un-popped corn. Before long the hat was brimming with popcorn. Dennis Phillips followed with the seldom seen but always baffling “Bill Neff Rope Trick”. A rope is cut in the middle by a spectator and in plain view instantly melds back together and is immediately handed out for examination.
James Songster followed up with his rope routine and some clever knots that tied and untied .He also did a skillful Rope and Ring routine. Mark Fitzgerald was next on with a few more knot flourishes and a routine with a spectator who selected a card that was later found reversed in the deck. Charlie Pfrogner concluded the show with a cute routine that is sure to get the kids yelling. A red and yellow scarf and magic wands had their colors mysteriously changed in a little red velvet bag.
Good things are always happening in Ring 170
Dennis Phillips
2009-04 Ring Banquet report
March 1st was a special night for two Ring members. Phil Schwartz was awarded a Presidential citation by the board and ring president Craig Fennessey for his scholarly work and excellent monthly presentations on magic history. Phil has consistently presented his “Magic Moments” in which he does a 15 minute lecture and demonstration on magic history. Our ring is honored to have Phil as a member and thankful for his sharing. Wallace Murphy was awarded the “Magician of the Year” by the board and President Fennessey. Murphy has just been honored by being on the cover of “The Linking Ring” magazine. He is a long time member of the ring and has lectured with his astonishing sleight of hand at ring meetings and performed at almost all ring events.
These awards and much more fun was a part of a fun-filled night for the ring and their families and friends in the fellowship hall of the Lutheran Church location. Before the dinner and show, Mike Bondi, Mark Fitzgerald, J.C. Hiatt, Wallace Murphy and Doug Otto circulated through the crowd with close-up magic. Chris and Judy Dunn assisted caterer Shelly Garza in the buffet line as a chicken and vegetable dinner was served.
Treasurer, Art Thomas opened up the events with the table calls to dinner and introduced President and event chairman, Craig Fennessey who introduced the evening’s master of ceremonies, magic super star Dave Williamson.
Dave is known as one of magic’s funniest guys and he proved it to us. He almost single handedly developed the classic Rocky the Racoon routine that most magicians use today. He opened with a few comic lines using fake teeth and went into his classic “Needles from Mouth” trick, seen recently on the TV show, “Master’s of Illusion”. Dave introduced magic legend, Michael Ammar. Mike demonstrated why he is so respected in magic circles. He did card changes and began a running gag with a borrowed one hundred dollar bill. It was to have appeared in a cluster of balloons but the best part was to come. Ammar did a unique version of Carver’s “Professor’s Nightmare” and his fabulous cups and balls routine. The climax was the appearance of the hundred dollar bill in a lemon followed by its reappearance in the same restored lemon. Michael said, “I just wanted you to have something to tell your friends about!”
Todd Charles, a magic funny man took the stage. His act was field with sight gags and references to native Brooklyn. Charles, an excellent banjo player, uses the banjo
in the same way that Jack Benny and Henny Youngman used their violins. In addition to banjo humor he also did a unique and quite funny shadowgraph routine. His closing routine was a helmet with rotating arms (like a helicopter). Stuffed animals were attached to the end and Charles played his heart out with the banjo theme from the movie “Deliverance”.
Kostya Kimlat presented a different side of his magic. Kimlat is known for his excellent and inventive card work but this night he delved into mentalism. A card selection was revealed by an inevitable and unexplained choice of a spectator. He did a clever book test where a page is selected from a book that never left the spectator’s hands and when the spectator again tried to again find the page, it was torn out of the book and in Kimlat’s procession. Kostya ended with a newspaper test where a predicted word is revealed by a spectator from a freely chosen newspaper scrap.
Dave Williams concluded the show with a two person routine that involved bringing up a noisy waiter, who just happened to be his “old friend”. Naturally this was a set up but the routine was priceless. They presented a game show called “The Food Game” and a female and male were brought up to answer questions. The female spectator was given easy questions and the male spectator was given questions that were impossible to answer. The loser had to knock 4 eggs off into 4 glasses by quickly knocking out a tray. Williams and his partner ended the show on a comedy high note.
Quick thanks to all the people who made the banquet a success: Sue Jacoberger for stage managing. Amanda Vecciarelli ran the spotlight. Art Thomas for Registration. Joe Vecciarelli and Craig Fennessey for sound. Craig also did photography along with Gary Adams. The lovely table decorations were by Lynn Fitzgerald.
Dennis Phillips
Secretary
These awards and much more fun was a part of a fun-filled night for the ring and their families and friends in the fellowship hall of the Lutheran Church location. Before the dinner and show, Mike Bondi, Mark Fitzgerald, J.C. Hiatt, Wallace Murphy and Doug Otto circulated through the crowd with close-up magic. Chris and Judy Dunn assisted caterer Shelly Garza in the buffet line as a chicken and vegetable dinner was served.
Treasurer, Art Thomas opened up the events with the table calls to dinner and introduced President and event chairman, Craig Fennessey who introduced the evening’s master of ceremonies, magic super star Dave Williamson.
Dave is known as one of magic’s funniest guys and he proved it to us. He almost single handedly developed the classic Rocky the Racoon routine that most magicians use today. He opened with a few comic lines using fake teeth and went into his classic “Needles from Mouth” trick, seen recently on the TV show, “Master’s of Illusion”. Dave introduced magic legend, Michael Ammar. Mike demonstrated why he is so respected in magic circles. He did card changes and began a running gag with a borrowed one hundred dollar bill. It was to have appeared in a cluster of balloons but the best part was to come. Ammar did a unique version of Carver’s “Professor’s Nightmare” and his fabulous cups and balls routine. The climax was the appearance of the hundred dollar bill in a lemon followed by its reappearance in the same restored lemon. Michael said, “I just wanted you to have something to tell your friends about!”
Todd Charles, a magic funny man took the stage. His act was field with sight gags and references to native Brooklyn. Charles, an excellent banjo player, uses the banjo
in the same way that Jack Benny and Henny Youngman used their violins. In addition to banjo humor he also did a unique and quite funny shadowgraph routine. His closing routine was a helmet with rotating arms (like a helicopter). Stuffed animals were attached to the end and Charles played his heart out with the banjo theme from the movie “Deliverance”.
Kostya Kimlat presented a different side of his magic. Kimlat is known for his excellent and inventive card work but this night he delved into mentalism. A card selection was revealed by an inevitable and unexplained choice of a spectator. He did a clever book test where a page is selected from a book that never left the spectator’s hands and when the spectator again tried to again find the page, it was torn out of the book and in Kimlat’s procession. Kostya ended with a newspaper test where a predicted word is revealed by a spectator from a freely chosen newspaper scrap.
Dave Williams concluded the show with a two person routine that involved bringing up a noisy waiter, who just happened to be his “old friend”. Naturally this was a set up but the routine was priceless. They presented a game show called “The Food Game” and a female and male were brought up to answer questions. The female spectator was given easy questions and the male spectator was given questions that were impossible to answer. The loser had to knock 4 eggs off into 4 glasses by quickly knocking out a tray. Williams and his partner ended the show on a comedy high note.
Quick thanks to all the people who made the banquet a success: Sue Jacoberger for stage managing. Amanda Vecciarelli ran the spotlight. Art Thomas for Registration. Joe Vecciarelli and Craig Fennessey for sound. Craig also did photography along with Gary Adams. The lovely table decorations were by Lynn Fitzgerald.
Dennis Phillips
Secretary
2009-04 Flea market video
Click on the YouTube viewer to watch a short summary of the Flea Market/Lectures/Auction
Mark Mason kindly allowed me to make this sample of his superb comedic magic.
Both videos are available in high definition, view them in full screen and click on the HD icon if you have a high speed Internet connection. You can also view the videos at www.YouTube.com (keywords: ring170 auction).
Mark Mason kindly allowed me to make this sample of his superb comedic magic.
Both videos are available in high definition, view them in full screen and click on the HD icon if you have a high speed Internet connection. You can also view the videos at www.YouTube.com (keywords: ring170 auction).
2009-04 Dennis' Deliberations
Siegfried and Roy appeared on TV for their “finale” On March 6th.
I have had a thin but long connection with S and R through Reid Carlson. Reid left Disney in the mid 70s and went to work with the Feld (Ringling) organization and helped with the Circus and when Feld produced S and R, he was a part of that as their scenic designer.
He gave my wife Cindy and I special tickets to the Siegfried and Roy Show at the Mirage in 1999 and we sat front row. We sat 24 inches from the shoes of the performers and could see the mechanisms on everything! I recall the dirty mirrors on the mirror tunnel when the cat comes out through Roy in the Interlude/ Spider bit! We actually got tiger slobber slung on us. I got the feeling they put “show friendly” people in the very front rows. They had us put red heart stickers on our forehead and another sticker because our area was guarded and access restricted. It was a great spectacular.
Needless to say, Siegfried and Roy are as much a product of luck as talent. If there hadn't been a Las Vegas, and if these guys hadn't been a cleverly promoted and freaky novelty act that people going to Las Vegas just HAD to see -- they would certainly have remained in the back waters of entertainment mediocrity over their entire lives.
Early film clips of these guys tell the tale: Their first "cat act" was little more than a variation of the Sub Trunk. And before meeting Roy, Fischbacher was just another cloned Dove Act, no different than hundreds that came before him. When they got to Vegas, the need to expand the act to garish Vegas proportions was virtually mandatory. They clicked with the Vegas approach.
Naturally I watched the 20/20 ABC TV special this last Friday. It was interesting but sad. I recorded it because maybe at a later date I will feel better about it.
In an odd opening to their short performance, it was Siegfried, instead of Roy, that rose from the ashes out of a pan on top of a thin see-through box. Why not Roy? The 20/20 interview implied that Siegfried had crashed and burned psychologically after Roy’s accident. Maybe he needed more healing than Roy.
The “out of a fire pan” effect (borrowed?) has been in Europe in Peter Marvey’s illusion show for some time and can be seen in its original form about 25 seconds into Marvey’s promo reel (YouTube) . In my opinion, Peter Marvey is one of the most original modern stage illusionists. He has very clever never-before-seen illusion concepts! Check out all his demo reels on You Tube. He has very clever never-before-seen illusion concepts! (YouTube)
The illusion of “seeing through” is accomplished by a “bottom of the body moving fake” that is reflected from the base with the 45 degree mirror. I was told that a rod projects from the back of the stand and when the magician moves behind the stand, the fake slides into view on the bottom. The rod and fake are spring loaded so that when the magician then moves off from the back, the fake is brought back to the side and out of the reflection view. It is very deceptive but requires a constant black background and on the S and R bit it was not constant and thus exposed. I have the entire 20/20 special on DVD, if you want a copy.
There is only ONE mirror and it reflects down. But in the bottom is a thin fake body part! (such as the way “Steinmeyer’s Windshear” works with the fake blades). The purpose of the bars (which are actually in the bottom but look like they are on the back) is to block a view of the bottom of the box if anyone is above stage level. So, on Marvey’s tape there is a fake of him from the waist to his ankles that moves in sync with his body giving the illusion that you are seeing through the table.
Americans are obsessed with the Rehab/ Resurrection myth. The devotion is definitely religious in emotional need and impact. In our perverse modern distortion of the Calvinistic-Protestant-Puritan work-ethic we love to see “nobodies” become famous, rich and acclaimed and then fall like rocks and crash and burn and then be reborn and restored to even greater glory! (Oh, no! I hear Michael Jackson is coming back)
We love it… it is the Grand Drama of Western civilization and may come from our individualistic American perversion of The Book of Job in the Bible and our likewise individualistic understanding of the Christian faith. (Born poor in a manger -matures and becomes the Messiah-only to fall in the Crucifixion as a rejected criminal and then rise in the Resurrection as The King of kings). American Christianity seems unique in not seeing the corporate identity of the individual with Jesus but rather as a plot to be duplicated in each individual. Gnosticism is always just below the surface in American religion.
Print out this edition of DD…. Tape it to your mirror! If you want show business success, literary success or creative success in the performing arts, use this formula! It is a part of the firmware of thought and psychology in Western Civilization.
Every magic illusion, every performance MUST have a version of this formula. If you carefully look at Freytag’s Dramatic Structure, you can see that it is built into every dramatic plot line.
Bernie Yuman is the manager of S and R and has always carefully used this formula when he portrays them. “Poor Germans born in a war torn country, alcoholic father- beat all the odds after rejection to become superstars” and now… They return in glory to be Resurrected and forever glorified. There is nothing wrong with this Grand Drama…This is the way we want to think as self-aware thinking humans.
Without “conflict and plot” life would be very boring.
Do I think it was really them under those masks...until the end? Whoever it was moved very slowly throughout the performance. I don’t know. I guess it doesn’t matter, does it? Isn’t life all an illusion anyway? They did make a comeback and raise millions for the charity. Is not THAT what matters and is the “real”? It is only in our minds that we bring “meaning” to all these electrons spinning in their shells in the middle of thermo-dynamic chaos.
None of this is permanent (or as Plato would say, “real”) anyway except the “meaning”. Returning again to the similarity of, drama and religion, 1 Corinthians 13:12-13 says that ONLY “faith, hope and love” are “permanent”. Everything else passes away. Aside from any religious dogmatic association, I believe that it is good advice.
The “love” is “agape” which in Koine Greek means (for the most part) “self-giving charity”. The Greeks had 3 words for love: Agape, Eros and Phileo. English is lacking with only one word and we often transpose the meanings. Again, “charity” may be the foremost way that Siegfried and Roy are remembered. The formula certainly worked for Jerry Lewis.
Dennis Phillips
I have had a thin but long connection with S and R through Reid Carlson. Reid left Disney in the mid 70s and went to work with the Feld (Ringling) organization and helped with the Circus and when Feld produced S and R, he was a part of that as their scenic designer.
He gave my wife Cindy and I special tickets to the Siegfried and Roy Show at the Mirage in 1999 and we sat front row. We sat 24 inches from the shoes of the performers and could see the mechanisms on everything! I recall the dirty mirrors on the mirror tunnel when the cat comes out through Roy in the Interlude/ Spider bit! We actually got tiger slobber slung on us. I got the feeling they put “show friendly” people in the very front rows. They had us put red heart stickers on our forehead and another sticker because our area was guarded and access restricted. It was a great spectacular.
Needless to say, Siegfried and Roy are as much a product of luck as talent. If there hadn't been a Las Vegas, and if these guys hadn't been a cleverly promoted and freaky novelty act that people going to Las Vegas just HAD to see -- they would certainly have remained in the back waters of entertainment mediocrity over their entire lives.
Early film clips of these guys tell the tale: Their first "cat act" was little more than a variation of the Sub Trunk. And before meeting Roy, Fischbacher was just another cloned Dove Act, no different than hundreds that came before him. When they got to Vegas, the need to expand the act to garish Vegas proportions was virtually mandatory. They clicked with the Vegas approach.
Naturally I watched the 20/20 ABC TV special this last Friday. It was interesting but sad. I recorded it because maybe at a later date I will feel better about it.
In an odd opening to their short performance, it was Siegfried, instead of Roy, that rose from the ashes out of a pan on top of a thin see-through box. Why not Roy? The 20/20 interview implied that Siegfried had crashed and burned psychologically after Roy’s accident. Maybe he needed more healing than Roy.
The “out of a fire pan” effect (borrowed?) has been in Europe in Peter Marvey’s illusion show for some time and can be seen in its original form about 25 seconds into Marvey’s promo reel (YouTube) . In my opinion, Peter Marvey is one of the most original modern stage illusionists. He has very clever never-before-seen illusion concepts! Check out all his demo reels on You Tube. He has very clever never-before-seen illusion concepts! (YouTube)
The illusion of “seeing through” is accomplished by a “bottom of the body moving fake” that is reflected from the base with the 45 degree mirror. I was told that a rod projects from the back of the stand and when the magician moves behind the stand, the fake slides into view on the bottom. The rod and fake are spring loaded so that when the magician then moves off from the back, the fake is brought back to the side and out of the reflection view. It is very deceptive but requires a constant black background and on the S and R bit it was not constant and thus exposed. I have the entire 20/20 special on DVD, if you want a copy.
There is only ONE mirror and it reflects down. But in the bottom is a thin fake body part! (such as the way “Steinmeyer’s Windshear” works with the fake blades). The purpose of the bars (which are actually in the bottom but look like they are on the back) is to block a view of the bottom of the box if anyone is above stage level. So, on Marvey’s tape there is a fake of him from the waist to his ankles that moves in sync with his body giving the illusion that you are seeing through the table.
Americans are obsessed with the Rehab/ Resurrection myth. The devotion is definitely religious in emotional need and impact. In our perverse modern distortion of the Calvinistic-Protestant-Puritan work-ethic we love to see “nobodies” become famous, rich and acclaimed and then fall like rocks and crash and burn and then be reborn and restored to even greater glory! (Oh, no! I hear Michael Jackson is coming back)
We love it… it is the Grand Drama of Western civilization and may come from our individualistic American perversion of The Book of Job in the Bible and our likewise individualistic understanding of the Christian faith. (Born poor in a manger -matures and becomes the Messiah-only to fall in the Crucifixion as a rejected criminal and then rise in the Resurrection as The King of kings). American Christianity seems unique in not seeing the corporate identity of the individual with Jesus but rather as a plot to be duplicated in each individual. Gnosticism is always just below the surface in American religion.
Print out this edition of DD…. Tape it to your mirror! If you want show business success, literary success or creative success in the performing arts, use this formula! It is a part of the firmware of thought and psychology in Western Civilization.
Every magic illusion, every performance MUST have a version of this formula. If you carefully look at Freytag’s Dramatic Structure, you can see that it is built into every dramatic plot line.
Bernie Yuman is the manager of S and R and has always carefully used this formula when he portrays them. “Poor Germans born in a war torn country, alcoholic father- beat all the odds after rejection to become superstars” and now… They return in glory to be Resurrected and forever glorified. There is nothing wrong with this Grand Drama…This is the way we want to think as self-aware thinking humans.
Without “conflict and plot” life would be very boring.
Do I think it was really them under those masks...until the end? Whoever it was moved very slowly throughout the performance. I don’t know. I guess it doesn’t matter, does it? Isn’t life all an illusion anyway? They did make a comeback and raise millions for the charity. Is not THAT what matters and is the “real”? It is only in our minds that we bring “meaning” to all these electrons spinning in their shells in the middle of thermo-dynamic chaos.
None of this is permanent (or as Plato would say, “real”) anyway except the “meaning”. Returning again to the similarity of, drama and religion, 1 Corinthians 13:12-13 says that ONLY “faith, hope and love” are “permanent”. Everything else passes away. Aside from any religious dogmatic association, I believe that it is good advice.
The “love” is “agape” which in Koine Greek means (for the most part) “self-giving charity”. The Greeks had 3 words for love: Agape, Eros and Phileo. English is lacking with only one word and we often transpose the meanings. Again, “charity” may be the foremost way that Siegfried and Roy are remembered. The formula certainly worked for Jerry Lewis.
Dennis Phillips
Saturday, March 07, 2009
2009-03 Famulus newsletter
Newsletter of IBM Ring #170
The Bev Bergeron Ring
Next general meeting Wednesday, 3/18/2009 at 7:30 PM SHARP
I-HOP Kirkman Road
5203 Kirkman Road, Orlando, Florida 32819
Please join us for dinner beforehand
Lunch meetings in the McDonalds on the north side of SandLake Rd between I-4 and International Drive near the rest rooms
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, 3/18/2009 at 7:30 PM SHARP
I-HOP Kirkman Road
5203 Kirkman Road, Orlando, Florida 32819
Please join us for dinner beforehand
Lunch meetings in the McDonalds on the north side of SandLake Rd between I-4 and International Drive near the rest rooms
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.
2009-03 From the editor
I am sorry that I had to miss this year's Banquet, it has always been one of the highpoints of the year for me. I am back on a project, so traveling on Sunday nights, at least that was the intention last week. Due to the snow storm which affected the East coast last weekend, many flights were canceled, including mine. So I ended up leaving very early Monday morning. Unfortunately Craig had already circulated that the show was sold out, so I could not uncancel my cancellation.
It sounds like a great time was had by all, thanks to Art for some back stage insight (below). Thanks also to Dan and Charles for their contributions as well as the regular deliberations and ring meeting notes from Dennis.
Do not forget that Auction is coming up soon, I hope to see every one there
Your editor
Stefan
It sounds like a great time was had by all, thanks to Art for some back stage insight (below). Thanks also to Dan and Charles for their contributions as well as the regular deliberations and ring meeting notes from Dennis.
Do not forget that Auction is coming up soon, I hope to see every one there
Your editor
Stefan
2009-03 Ring Report Ring #170 The Bev Bergeron Ring
We are still homeless! It looks like the Ring will be loitering in the back from of IHOP on Kirkman Road for a while. We had planned to have a permanent meeting place by the spring but so far all the prospects for any of the new locations have fallen through. The current economic downturn has cut funding on city and country recreation buildings. The board continues to work on a new location.
February’s meeting was opened by President Craig Fennessy and a quick mention was made of all the upcoming magic events in the Orlando area. You should frequently check our Ring 170 website for continuous updates. We were thrilled that our own Wallace Murphy was on the cover of The Linking Ring. Wallace is one of our most talented members and is also one of our longest ring members.
After the short business meeting we turned to our guest lecturer for the evening, John Luka from Michigan. John has been an avid magic enthusiast for most of his life. Included among his mentors were Milt Kort and Harry Riser. John is the founder of The Motor City Close-Up Convention, held in Taylor, Michigan, now in its eleventh year. This convention brings top line performers into Detroit to perform and lecture.
John’s “Thoughts On…” column appeared in The New Tops magazine published by the Abbott Magic Company. The lecture contained material from John’s new book, Uncovered. Some of the magic included a no palm card to wallet and a three-ball routine, called Chroma Balls, which we scratched our heads over.
Featured is Licked At Last, which the experts are calling the best yet In The Hands Triumph. Another stand out item was Back to the 19th Century, an incredible assembly that will make you a believer.
There was even more great stuff that works well in the real world. Each and every effect has been audience tested over the years. Every item that John performed at the lecture was fully explained. He also provided his sources of inspiration.
John’s lecture contained do-able, practical magic. Be sure to catch his lecture when he is in your area and find out for yourself. You’ll be glad you did.
Good things are always happening in Ring 170
Dennis Phillips
2009-03 Adventures in Magicland
THE MAKING OF ENIGMA THE DVD
Part One
by
Chuck STYLESMITH Smith
When my son Chris and I came up with the idea for a video series for magicians we had great hopes for its acceptance. In a way it was successful but the best thing to come from it was the opportunity to meet some of the greatest magicians of today and yesterday, John Calvert, Mart Wilson, Jeff McBride, Terry Seabrook, Jack Kodell, Celeste Evans, I could go on and on.
(I am not neglecting to mention our own Bev Bergeron and Dan Stapleton.)
We traveled the country for two years and produced seven - two and a half hour dvd disks of magic that included interviews, visits to some of the remaining brick and mortar magic shops, hints from the professionals and tricks demonstrated and explained by the presenters.
From Monday Night Magic, Fantasma Magic Shop and the New York City Roundtable, to Denny Haney’s in both Baltimore and in Vegas, visits to Norm Nielsen’s home to see his poster collection and spending time among the unbelievable collection in Gary Darwin’s abode and on to Texas, Phoenix and California for visits to The Castle, Lee Grable, Jay Leslie and on and on.
One of the first places we visited was Las Vegas, referred as the magic capital of the world. I’ll have to admit there were a lot of magic shows in Vegas when we visited...and there still are. With limited time we saw Mac King, Nathan Burton, several magicians on a show that included Kevin James and a midnight show about vampire ladies scantily clad...but of course, we went to see the magic theme of the show. (Sure!) We missed the top draw, Lance Burton but we did get to visit and interview Gary Darwin and Norm Nielsen at their homes.
We knew that Denny & Lee had a brick and mortar shop in Vegas and trouped out to videotape it for the series. We had a great interview with Tom, who runs the shop and were invited back to an evening of magic in the “backroom.” It’s secret entrance was behind a bookcase which opened into a small theatre with stage and chairs. It was “open mike night” and several of the “locals” did a turn. I guess the ambiance of Vegas makes every magician look good. I especially liked a guy who did sightless vision and up until that time I was not a big fan of that venue of our craft.
Wonder of wonders, Denny, himself appeared, in his trademarked checkered sneakers. He said he had stopped in from the home shop in Baltimore on his way to play The Castle next week. We, too, were going to be in Los Angeles the next week. AND Wonder of wonders #2, Denny invited us to be his guests at The Castle.
Flash forward a few days and a lot of miles and we were in The Castle. Denny did an egg bag routine with two ladies from the audience and it drove home the fact that it is not the TRICK but the performance that is the entertainment. The magic is only the vehicle for the amusement. That thought reminded me of another egg bag worker Jeff Hobson...the same trick but a completely different approach.
That night we met Mark and Nani Wilson, who we later visited, and renewed our acquaintance with Ballentine whom we had spent a few hours chatting during a convention in Daytona.
All for now. Next month we travel up the California coast near San Francisco and visit Lee Grabel and wife, Helene.
Part One
by
Chuck STYLESMITH Smith
When my son Chris and I came up with the idea for a video series for magicians we had great hopes for its acceptance. In a way it was successful but the best thing to come from it was the opportunity to meet some of the greatest magicians of today and yesterday, John Calvert, Mart Wilson, Jeff McBride, Terry Seabrook, Jack Kodell, Celeste Evans, I could go on and on.
(I am not neglecting to mention our own Bev Bergeron and Dan Stapleton.)
We traveled the country for two years and produced seven - two and a half hour dvd disks of magic that included interviews, visits to some of the remaining brick and mortar magic shops, hints from the professionals and tricks demonstrated and explained by the presenters.
From Monday Night Magic, Fantasma Magic Shop and the New York City Roundtable, to Denny Haney’s in both Baltimore and in Vegas, visits to Norm Nielsen’s home to see his poster collection and spending time among the unbelievable collection in Gary Darwin’s abode and on to Texas, Phoenix and California for visits to The Castle, Lee Grable, Jay Leslie and on and on.
One of the first places we visited was Las Vegas, referred as the magic capital of the world. I’ll have to admit there were a lot of magic shows in Vegas when we visited...and there still are. With limited time we saw Mac King, Nathan Burton, several magicians on a show that included Kevin James and a midnight show about vampire ladies scantily clad...but of course, we went to see the magic theme of the show. (Sure!) We missed the top draw, Lance Burton but we did get to visit and interview Gary Darwin and Norm Nielsen at their homes.
We knew that Denny & Lee had a brick and mortar shop in Vegas and trouped out to videotape it for the series. We had a great interview with Tom, who runs the shop and were invited back to an evening of magic in the “backroom.” It’s secret entrance was behind a bookcase which opened into a small theatre with stage and chairs. It was “open mike night” and several of the “locals” did a turn. I guess the ambiance of Vegas makes every magician look good. I especially liked a guy who did sightless vision and up until that time I was not a big fan of that venue of our craft.
Wonder of wonders, Denny, himself appeared, in his trademarked checkered sneakers. He said he had stopped in from the home shop in Baltimore on his way to play The Castle next week. We, too, were going to be in Los Angeles the next week. AND Wonder of wonders #2, Denny invited us to be his guests at The Castle.
Flash forward a few days and a lot of miles and we were in The Castle. Denny did an egg bag routine with two ladies from the audience and it drove home the fact that it is not the TRICK but the performance that is the entertainment. The magic is only the vehicle for the amusement. That thought reminded me of another egg bag worker Jeff Hobson...the same trick but a completely different approach.
That night we met Mark and Nani Wilson, who we later visited, and renewed our acquaintance with Ballentine whom we had spent a few hours chatting during a convention in Daytona.
All for now. Next month we travel up the California coast near San Francisco and visit Lee Grabel and wife, Helene.
2009-03 Annual Banquet
The annual banquet seems to have been a great success, here are some notes from Art Thomas.
In my opinion, the show was excellent, and the entire event was about as good as it can get for a club banquet show.
I thought that I would offer a "behind the scenes" insight that might not otherwise be known...
Now, we have all heard the show business stories about "stars" who are difficult to work with. Some of us have actually experienced these situations. Well, for this banquet show, we worked with four true stars - Dave Williamson, Michael Ammar, Kostya Kimlat, and Todd Charles. Each one of these gentlemen was a delight to work with. They are all total professionals. I realize that it may be disappointing that there isn't any "dirt" to share, or any intrigue. But, honestly, I can't imagine how any of these true professional entertainers could have been any more delightful to work with. They were all just great, both on stage, and off stage.
If anyone is ever in a position to recommend or hire any of these performers, I encourage you to do so. I certainly give them my highest recommendation, and will gladly work with any of them again.
During Dave Williamson's act he did a bit where he pulled up a woman from the audience to participate in a skit. What he didn't know was that the woman that he selected was Sheila Ward (Terry Ward's wife)who is a top-notch comedic improv performer and actress. Now, trust me, Sheila is so quick and funny that she could have easily upstaged the entire skit. But she didn't. She just played along exactly as anyone would want their audience participants to do. The skit was very funny, and Sheila was a great sport. Equally important, Sheila demonstrated what true professionalism is all about. She showed restraint by not taking advantage of the situation to steal the show.
There are many people in magic who could learn from this. Too often, when magicians volunteer to help others, they try to make themselves the center of attention. This seldom makes an act or a show any better. We should all learn from Sheila to know when it is our turn, and when it isn't. She set an excellent example for all of us to follow.
In my opinion, the show was excellent, and the entire event was about as good as it can get for a club banquet show.
I thought that I would offer a "behind the scenes" insight that might not otherwise be known...
Now, we have all heard the show business stories about "stars" who are difficult to work with. Some of us have actually experienced these situations. Well, for this banquet show, we worked with four true stars - Dave Williamson, Michael Ammar, Kostya Kimlat, and Todd Charles. Each one of these gentlemen was a delight to work with. They are all total professionals. I realize that it may be disappointing that there isn't any "dirt" to share, or any intrigue. But, honestly, I can't imagine how any of these true professional entertainers could have been any more delightful to work with. They were all just great, both on stage, and off stage.
If anyone is ever in a position to recommend or hire any of these performers, I encourage you to do so. I certainly give them my highest recommendation, and will gladly work with any of them again.
During Dave Williamson's act he did a bit where he pulled up a woman from the audience to participate in a skit. What he didn't know was that the woman that he selected was Sheila Ward (Terry Ward's wife)who is a top-notch comedic improv performer and actress. Now, trust me, Sheila is so quick and funny that she could have easily upstaged the entire skit. But she didn't. She just played along exactly as anyone would want their audience participants to do. The skit was very funny, and Sheila was a great sport. Equally important, Sheila demonstrated what true professionalism is all about. She showed restraint by not taking advantage of the situation to steal the show.
There are many people in magic who could learn from this. Too often, when magicians volunteer to help others, they try to make themselves the center of attention. This seldom makes an act or a show any better. We should all learn from Sheila to know when it is our turn, and when it isn't. She set an excellent example for all of us to follow.
2009-03 David Copperfield at Bob Carr
Anybody want to buy an unused ticket to see last months show?
My seat was actually 8th row center...not bad. But when I arrived at the Bob Carr, Jack Kodell was already there and offered me a ticket that he had as extra, one that was given to him by his friend David Copperfield. To make sure I sat in, at least a seat as good as mine, I asked the usher which seat was better. She said, "Mister, the only way you can get a better seat than this (Kodell's) is if you are ON STAGE with Copperfield!" That's right...front row-center!
Jack didn't like the seats that close so we moved back a row. I still find it amazing that "DC" can do the huge illusions CLOSE-UP...and you still cannot see how they are done (unless, of course you already know).
Sitting that close you can nearly read what he is thinking...see every eye movement...see his eyes scanning the front looking for either his stooges, friends, or babes (yes, they were sitting behind me and next to me).
DC performed only two shows this year (at least four shows in years past) and the 2500 seats were filled at 80% for my 8:30pm show. That show actually started at 8:50pm, typical for a DC show (I've been to six or seven shows and they NEVER start on time although mine rarely do either). A very clever 10 minute promotional video was first and at 9:00pm David made his appearance on a motorcycle from a giant Shadow Box illusion. He next performed Ringflight with a borrowed ring appearing on his "baby shoe" lace. He next performed his very cool Passing Thru a Steel Plate illusion. This actually looks better from a distance as I watched three and four years ago.
Next was Kevin James' Floating Rose followed by a self-Shrinking illusion in box.
He then had two female assistants (from audience) on stage assist him with a Pick-A-Card-Live Scorpion-Find card trick. He then did his very dangerous (the recent news getter...assistant very badly injured) Walking Thru Giant Industrial Fan illusion.
New this year was his fun Dancing Neck Tie routine.My seat was actually 8th row center...not bad. But when I arrived at the Bob Carr, Jack Kodell was already there and offered me a ticket that he had as extra, one that was given to him by his friend David Copperfield. To make sure I sat in, at least a seat as good as mine, I asked the usher which seat was better. She said, "Mister, the only way you can get a better seat than this (Kodell's) is if you are ON STAGE with Copperfield!" That's right...front row-center!
Jack didn't like the seats that close so we moved back a row. I still find it amazing that "DC" can do the huge illusions CLOSE-UP...and you still cannot see how they are done (unless, of course you already know).
Sitting that close you can nearly read what he is thinking...see every eye movement...see his eyes scanning the front looking for either his stooges, friends, or babes (yes, they were sitting behind me and next to me).
DC performed only two shows this year (at least four shows in years past) and the 2500 seats were filled at 80% for my 8:30pm show. That show actually started at 8:50pm, typical for a DC show (I've been to six or seven shows and they NEVER start on time although mine rarely do either). A very clever 10 minute promotional video was first and at 9:00pm David made his appearance on a motorcycle from a giant Shadow Box illusion. He next performed Ringflight with a borrowed ring appearing on his "baby shoe" lace. He next performed his very cool Passing Thru a Steel Plate illusion. This actually looks better from a distance as I watched three and four years ago.
Next was Kevin James' Floating Rose followed by a self-Shrinking illusion in box.
He then had two female assistants (from audience) on stage assist him with a Pick-A-Card-Live Scorpion-Find card trick. He then did his very dangerous (the recent news getter...assistant very badly injured) Walking Thru Giant Industrial Fan illusion.
Next was his (slow motion) Duck Bucket routine with Webster the Duck, then my favorite of the show, his ESP routine involving a license plate, concluding with an Appearing Car that sits on top of pillars AT THE FOOT OF THE STAGE!
Next was a 10 minute video of one of his old television specials of his straight jacket routines. This set up his finale of vanishing 13 people from the audience.
Show concluded at 10:15 so with the two video's he actually had approx. 65 minutes of on stage time but really packed alot into his show.
Great show as it usually is, but he looked tired and seemed to just "walk" through the routines, especially the ones that require patter. I suppose I would too with the schedule that he has. After the show he stated that it has been a tough year for him, with the death of his mother, the injury of his assistant and the highly publicized accusation of some sort of altercation between him and a female.
A young man, who won one of the Daytona Beach magic convention contests saw me and asked if he could meet DC as he had a few old books that were given to him by his father, who also recently passed away. I asked DC and he obliged. The young man handed DC the books and DC looked genuinely touched. I told the young man (I think his name is Jeff) that he will remember that moment for the rest of his life...and he will. The look on Jeff’s face will probably be the thing that I will always remember about this particular performance. That and the ticket I never used but received a front row seat in exchange...it must have been karma that night.
Dan Stapleton
2009-03 Dennis' Deliberations
We all face the occasional rare storms in our lives. Hurricane Charley in 2004 upset my career and life. The roof on my warehouse was blown off and all my costume manufacturing tools, patterns and molds received severe damage which was only partially covered by insurance. All of my magic and illusions were mostly saved but a number of smaller things were water damaged. I found out that anyone with a lick of brains in Florida should have their magic in water tight plastic storage boxes. The few props I had that were not in plastic boxes got soaked. Most of the plywood dried out with minimum damage but the MAK Magic props made with Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF) swelled up to 3 times its size. I have recently remade the last of those props.
One was called The Bunny Box for making a rabbit appear. A black metal sheet is used to sketch a rabbit and it is placed in a box and the sketch comes alive and a real rabbit appears. I had one that was made by MAK Magic. It was made out of pressboard with a tacky high glass paint job with meaningless graphics. The load chamber was only big enough for the smallest of bunnies. It was soaked by Charley and turned to a heap of powder.
I stripped off all the hinges and flap gimmick and rebuilt it out of some cabinet grade plywood I got for free from a cabinet shop. I made the load chamber bigger by extending the box another one and a half inches. I added double doors on the front instead of the one door. I believe that when you open up the double doors that are hinged at the sides it increases the illusion of depth in the box. With a new and more traditional paint job it is now functional.
I have probably used it a half dozen or so times. It seems to be deceptive. I first saw this trick on the old Magic Land of Allakazam about 1962 when Mark Wilson did it in the audience of kids.
Almost a year ago Siegfried and Roy promised to return to the stage in February 2009 as part of the annual fundraiser for the Lou Ruvo Brain Institute. Recall that Roy received brain damage when attacked by a tiger during their stage act on October 3rd 2003.
The promise to return to stage will be fulfilled on February 28 at the Keep Memory Alive: Power of Love gala at the Bellagio hotel on the Las Vegas Strip. The performance will be filmed by ABC television and broadcast as "The Return of Siegfried & Roy," a special edition of the network's hour-long 20/20 news magazine show. Airing on March 6 [10 p.m. ET], the show will feature the magic duo's performance, as well as a segment on the Ruvo Institute in Nevada, a center dedicated to the study of debilitating neurological diseases. Siegfried and Roy say their participation in the fundraiser will be both a return to the stage and their farewell performance, the final time they will present their signature illusions. "We never got to say a proper goodbye," Roy said. "This will be our final bow and it will never be repeated."
In the meantime Franz Harary wrecked his convertible on the way back to Vegas in a freak accident and survived the ordeal with a few stitches. I am wondering if he turns the whole experience into a televised mega-stunt? Maybe the crumpled up car can be restored in front of your eyes like “Healed and Sealed” the refilling and uncrumpling soda can.
There is a popular myth floating around (at least since the last Great Depression) that when times are bad, people flock to entertainment, and so magicians do well. The myth explains that people need escape and something to get their mind off their troubles.
Baloney. Look at the super-sensitive nature of Las Vegas right now, where hotels are hurting badly and the staff is being laid off. House prices have utterly collapses in Las Vegas. Recall that the 1930s Depression was the final nail in the coffin of the big illusions shows.
When President Obama said recently, "It's time companies getting bailouts stopped sending their executives on company-paid perks to Las Vegas and Super Bowls and --" , the mayor of Las Vegas went berserk and demanded an apology from Obama for singling out Las Vegas like that. Then the mayor ranted about how very necessary and useful corporate (business) junkets to Las Vegas really are and how this stimulates the economy...Well, in fact it actually only "stimulates" Las Vegas.
The bottom line is that America (and peripherally the world) is in the deep financial sewer right now, and every politician that suggests anything is coming up smelling like sewage. If they vote for bailout money then they get labeled as a Socialist. If they reject bailout money then they are called a heartless cruel Fascist who enjoys seeing babies and old people starve to death. Enough already!
Entertainment (magic is at the very bottom of that food chain) is one of the first "perks of discretionary income" to suffer. It figures. CNN featured a Vegas magician, David Shimshi, who has fallen on hard times. “Shimshi used to work as a house magician at the famous Mirage hotel and performed with the World's Greatest Magicians show at the Greek Isles Casino. Now Shimshi, as he's known to everyone, including his wife Janelle, has seen his gigs disappear, a victim of the struggling economy.”
Finally, I watched Bubblevision (CNBC) on my day off. They had a series of programs about the meltdown and, honestly, they must be written for someone with the academic level of a 12 year old.
Allen “Bubbles” Greenspan was on explaining that he simply could not figure out the math behind CDOs. He said, “I have several hundred PhDs that I can call on and none of them could explain it either”.
What kind of math idiots, both in and out of government, are running things?
Please, I don’t want YOU to ever tell anyone that you don’t understand any of the derivative financial math models. Warren Buffet avoided them and called them “weapons of mass financial destruction”
Quants (financial mathematicians) began applying statistical models that are topographic based to make optimum predictions under unchanging ideal conditions.
It is not that complicated. In another few paragraphs, I can make you smarter than Allen Greenspan and his hundreds of PhDs.!
Think about hiking in the mountains and figuring out a path through the mountains with the least altitude and shortest distance. Then add to the complexity the stochastic process of rockslides or high water than may block your path forcing an alternative. Crunch the numbers and you get a predictionof the best path. Since there are a number of variables, call the path multivariable. Consider the timeline of a collection of mortgages to be a multivariable in risk and return just like figuring out the best path through the mountains. It is possible to model this best path with statistical math.
These “copulas” were the basis of the models.
www.pstat.ucsb.edu/faculty/
informative regarding “tail dependence” neglected by Gaussian copulas
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
http://ideas.repec.org/p/wpa/
This will give you the basics of derivative structure:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
As Alfred Korzypski was famous for saying, “The roadmap is not the territory”
and that holds true for any Markov Chain Monte Carlo statistical model.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
a state of automatic return of general equilibrium. (I know. This goes against the “religion” of
the Free Market people.)
To some this up: Bad things happen. You can not make a math model to predict when bad things will happen.(“tail dependence”) Math is a tool, it is not a true copy of reality. Only when you know enough about the math tool, can you understand how is can be (and was!) misused.
PS: Forward this to Bubbles Greenspan and any PhDs you know. Explain it to them.
Dennis Phillips
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