Posts
Newsletter of IBM Ring #170
The Bev Bergeron Ring
Next general meeting Wednesday, 7/15/2009 at 7:30 PM SHARP
Meeting theme: Pot Luck
I-HOP Kirkman Road
5203 Kirkman Road, Orlando, Florida 32819
Please join us for dinner beforehand
Lunch meetings in the McDonald’s at 7344 Sand Lake Road, Orlando. It’s two blocks WEST of the intersection of Interstate 4 and Sand Lake Road. We meet every Tuesday at noon upstairs.
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 – srjart@earthlink.net
Sheldon Brook- Acting Secretary – mrbrook33@yahoo.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.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
2009-07 From the editor
A rather short newsletter this month, I expect that everyone is off enjoying vacations or such. However, I am very thankful to Dennis who, while in the throes of moving, has managed to put together another illuminating "Dennis' Deliberations". Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Magic continues to stay alive on TV, with Masters of Illusion, lance Burton and, unfortunately, the Masked magician appearing regularly. And some magicians have made it through to Las Vegas on America's Got Talent. So our art stays in the minds of the general public, especially with tonights release of the next episode of the Harry Potter saga.
Looking forward to seeing some of you at this month's meeting
Your editor
Stefan
Magic continues to stay alive on TV, with Masters of Illusion, lance Burton and, unfortunately, the Masked magician appearing regularly. And some magicians have made it through to Las Vegas on America's Got Talent. So our art stays in the minds of the general public, especially with tonights release of the next episode of the Harry Potter saga.
Looking forward to seeing some of you at this month's meeting
Your editor
Stefan
2009-07 Ring Report Ring #170 The Bev Bergeron Ring
President Craig Fennessy called the June meeting to order and introduced the Ring officers to the forty-two members and guests in attendance. Craig mentioned that a Broken Wand Ceremony was performed for the late Carol Bristol, a past member of our Ring who passed away in June after a lengthy illness. Bev Bergeron reported that John Calvert was convalescing at his home in Bowling Green, Ky. John was taken ill in New England while on tour.
The Ring has planned several future lectures that will include a former member, Jon Armstrong, who will return home to Orlando and conduct his lecture for the Ring on August 4th. Jon now makes his home in Los Angeles and is a frequent performer on TV’s ‘Masters Of Illusion”.
Ring volunteers have been performing for the children and their families at the “ Give Kids The World Village” in Kissimmee, Fl. Joe Vecciarelli reported that their efforts have been well received.
Phil Schwartz, our Ring’s historian, presented Magic History Moment #13 - a treatise of Floyd Thayer’s skill as a wood-turner and provided the membership with numerous examples of Ball Vases and Clingo Balls that Mr. Thayer produced in his time.
James Songster emceed an unprecedented number of entertaining presentations by members and guests. Keith Locke (Elliot Hitchcock) presented his “First Kiss” effect developed from “Room for Doubt”. A volunteer selected a vehicle and one of nine locations where he received his first kiss. A miniature Juke box was started and instructions as to moves around the nine cards on the table were followed and the location of the “First Kiss” was ‘divined’.
Guest John Donahue, who attended with his wife, Rhonda, displayed a scale model of his dream “Magic Shop” which he built and was enjoyed and admired by the membership.
Kerry Pierce won the door prize which was a DVD for the performing cabaret magician .
Following an intermission Patrick Oliver, John Donahue, Mike Martin, Mark Fitzgerald, James Songster, JC Hiatt and Bill Wortman performed entertaining and comedic card routines for the membership’s pleasure.
Charlie Pfrogner chipped in with a routine utilizing a large die card that couldn’t quite make up its mind as to how many pips were on either side of the card.
Leo Michaels demonstrated his skill in card handling, which in part won him a junior award at a 2006 IBM competition.
Josh Stenkamp performed a cup and ball effect with a double jigger and olive to the audiences’ delight.
Dan Stapleton closed the entertainment with a Max Maven “Kurotsuke” trick, predicting which one of six participant volunteers had selected the odd “stone”.
The membership was reminded that the Florida State Magic Convention would be held in Daytona Beach, November 6-8, 2009.
2009-07 Dennis' Deliberations
Greetings while in transition from Orlando to Virginia!
Moving a household and large magic show 850 miles is no small task! I am 60 years old and wish I was 30 years younger.
So…What is up with the magic scene in the Shenandoah Valley? There are ski-resorts and summer resorts all over that area. They have a one-night-a-week stage show at the local ski-and 4 Season resort. Jason Bishop’s Illusion show is currently playing there for the summer. There is a downtown theater in Harrisonburg They seem fairly open to co-producing seasonal events. Maybe I can produce a show for Halloween or Christmas? There is one young magician doing table hopping at family restaurants in town and Harrisonburg has a novelty-costume store with a magic counter in the downtown area. Actually two years ago, I stopped by the store during the Christmas Holidays and they were thrilled to have me go behind the magic counter. While my wife and sister-in-law were strolling the downtown shopping area, I sold a couple of hundred dollars of their magic! There are magic hobbyists in town. The owner’s wife wanted Cindy to promise to help them out at Halloween time.
There is an IBM Ring in Stanton, Virginia about 25 miles away. I will check that out in September. I know of no professional magicians in that area of the states of Virginia or West Virginia.
Cindy and I just flew back here to Sanford on Allegiant Airlines on June 22nd after driving a 16 foot Budget Rent-a-Truck with my utility trailer on the back of it to Harrisonburg, Virginia. It was a 15 hour driving marathon. The 16 foot Budget cost $771 to rent one-way and $200 for gas. Harrisonburg is so small that when I turned in the truck at the local rental office, there was a sign in the window that said, “Make sure the truck is full of gas and leave the key in the mailbox at Jay’s Transmissions next door.” The mailbox was not a key drop but a box on the door! Anyone could have gotten the key out of the box and driven away. I called up the next morning and got the Budget Manager’s cell phone and he said he had gone to the location the previous evening and everything was fine. He also ran “Continental Car Rental” and other operations out of that one room. It felt like I was talking to a guy out of Mayberry, the fictional town on the old Andy Griffith Show.
We closed on our new house up there on Friday June 19th and immediately unloaded the truck. It was totally full of magic props. Sadly, that was only half of my magic. Why didn’t I sell my “Backstage with the Magician” while I was here in Florida? Those two crates alone weighed 450 pounds. Of course, I had crammed wardrobe and other smaller props in the empty spaces in the crates. I learned my lesson after Hurricane Charlie and everything loose I now keep in plastic bins. I have at least 25 of those!
My sister-in-law arranged for 3 guys to help us unload. Her neighbor works for an agency that helps refugees. I believe it is through the Mennonite Church (There are lots of Mennonites in Harrisonburg). All 3 guys were refugees from Iraq! They had been in this country less than 3 months and spoke almost no English. I can muddle my way through a limited vocabulary of the Hebrew and Aramaic languages, due to my seminary studies. Arabic is similar. All are Semitic languages. “Mik-ta-ba” –desk, “Kot-ba”- book, “Bet(h)”- House . My verb conjugations created a lot of laughs as did my mangling of masculine and feminine forms. Anyway, “Yannie” saw my Peavey sound amp and speaker system and said that he had sung for Saddam Hussein. I coaxed him to sing a bit and a fine baritone voice emerged with an Iraqi folk melody!
I did have to rent a storage unit in Harrisonburg- 10 X 20 for only $125 a month with every 3rd month free. Such a deal! It will hold the 10 largest crates.
Cindy and I almost fell out of our chairs at the Insurance agent’s office. We went there as recommended by our Florida State Farm agent to insure that house and change our cars to a Virginia address. Can you believe that we are insuring both cars for LESS that HALF what we are paying here? The homeowner’s insurance is ONE-THIRD what it costs here! AND our umbrella liability policy is ONE FOURTH! The dirty secret is that we pay out the kazoo for insurance here in Florida!
We are back in Orlando until July 14th and then we move for good. The major moving load is being handled by ABF freight lines. They will park a 28 foot tractor trailer in front of our house here in Orlando and give us 3 days to load it and then deliver it in front of our house up there for the unloading. The cost will be $2,382. This final time I am letting someone else do the driving! The trailer will be at least one-third full of magic.
We will be back about 4 times a year (by airliner) because our 2 girls are staying in our house here. Consider Allegiant Airlines for your next flight. They serve a number of cities two or three times a week out of Sanford and flights can be less than 30 dollars one way! Cindy and I flew back from Hagerstown, Maryland for less than $100 for both of us.
My gut feeling from talking to people and friends of my relatives is that the area is more open to shows than here in over-crowded Central Florida.
The issue for me will be making a living up there for the next few years. I am sure I will find something in either education (James Madison University- Eastern Mennonite University) or media or show-business. Rosetta Stone Language Learning software has a large operation in Harrisonburg!
My relatives are teasing me about the jobs that are available. That area of the Shenandoah Valley has many chicken and turkey farms owned by big employers such as Perdue Chicken, Tyson Chicken, Cargill and Pilgrim’s Pride. A relative found a job for a “chicken inseminator”. Apparently, that is a real job! My relative advised me that the job was “dirty” and you had to “sweet talk the hens” and tolerate them smoking a cigarette when you are done. My family has a sense of humor!
Right now I am packing the final pieces and preparing for the final load. I will keep let you know how the move progresses with an update the end of July.
Dennis Phillips
Moving a household and large magic show 850 miles is no small task! I am 60 years old and wish I was 30 years younger.
So…What is up with the magic scene in the Shenandoah Valley? There are ski-resorts and summer resorts all over that area. They have a one-night-a-week stage show at the local ski-and 4 Season resort. Jason Bishop’s Illusion show is currently playing there for the summer. There is a downtown theater in Harrisonburg They seem fairly open to co-producing seasonal events. Maybe I can produce a show for Halloween or Christmas? There is one young magician doing table hopping at family restaurants in town and Harrisonburg has a novelty-costume store with a magic counter in the downtown area. Actually two years ago, I stopped by the store during the Christmas Holidays and they were thrilled to have me go behind the magic counter. While my wife and sister-in-law were strolling the downtown shopping area, I sold a couple of hundred dollars of their magic! There are magic hobbyists in town. The owner’s wife wanted Cindy to promise to help them out at Halloween time.
There is an IBM Ring in Stanton, Virginia about 25 miles away. I will check that out in September. I know of no professional magicians in that area of the states of Virginia or West Virginia.
Cindy and I just flew back here to Sanford on Allegiant Airlines on June 22nd after driving a 16 foot Budget Rent-a-Truck with my utility trailer on the back of it to Harrisonburg, Virginia. It was a 15 hour driving marathon. The 16 foot Budget cost $771 to rent one-way and $200 for gas. Harrisonburg is so small that when I turned in the truck at the local rental office, there was a sign in the window that said, “Make sure the truck is full of gas and leave the key in the mailbox at Jay’s Transmissions next door.” The mailbox was not a key drop but a box on the door! Anyone could have gotten the key out of the box and driven away. I called up the next morning and got the Budget Manager’s cell phone and he said he had gone to the location the previous evening and everything was fine. He also ran “Continental Car Rental” and other operations out of that one room. It felt like I was talking to a guy out of Mayberry, the fictional town on the old Andy Griffith Show.
We closed on our new house up there on Friday June 19th and immediately unloaded the truck. It was totally full of magic props. Sadly, that was only half of my magic. Why didn’t I sell my “Backstage with the Magician” while I was here in Florida? Those two crates alone weighed 450 pounds. Of course, I had crammed wardrobe and other smaller props in the empty spaces in the crates. I learned my lesson after Hurricane Charlie and everything loose I now keep in plastic bins. I have at least 25 of those!
My sister-in-law arranged for 3 guys to help us unload. Her neighbor works for an agency that helps refugees. I believe it is through the Mennonite Church (There are lots of Mennonites in Harrisonburg). All 3 guys were refugees from Iraq! They had been in this country less than 3 months and spoke almost no English. I can muddle my way through a limited vocabulary of the Hebrew and Aramaic languages, due to my seminary studies. Arabic is similar. All are Semitic languages. “Mik-ta-ba” –desk, “Kot-ba”- book, “Bet(h)”- House . My verb conjugations created a lot of laughs as did my mangling of masculine and feminine forms. Anyway, “Yannie” saw my Peavey sound amp and speaker system and said that he had sung for Saddam Hussein. I coaxed him to sing a bit and a fine baritone voice emerged with an Iraqi folk melody!
I did have to rent a storage unit in Harrisonburg- 10 X 20 for only $125 a month with every 3rd month free. Such a deal! It will hold the 10 largest crates.
Cindy and I almost fell out of our chairs at the Insurance agent’s office. We went there as recommended by our Florida State Farm agent to insure that house and change our cars to a Virginia address. Can you believe that we are insuring both cars for LESS that HALF what we are paying here? The homeowner’s insurance is ONE-THIRD what it costs here! AND our umbrella liability policy is ONE FOURTH! The dirty secret is that we pay out the kazoo for insurance here in Florida!
We are back in Orlando until July 14th and then we move for good. The major moving load is being handled by ABF freight lines. They will park a 28 foot tractor trailer in front of our house here in Orlando and give us 3 days to load it and then deliver it in front of our house up there for the unloading. The cost will be $2,382. This final time I am letting someone else do the driving! The trailer will be at least one-third full of magic.
We will be back about 4 times a year (by airliner) because our 2 girls are staying in our house here. Consider Allegiant Airlines for your next flight. They serve a number of cities two or three times a week out of Sanford and flights can be less than 30 dollars one way! Cindy and I flew back from Hagerstown, Maryland for less than $100 for both of us.
My gut feeling from talking to people and friends of my relatives is that the area is more open to shows than here in over-crowded Central Florida.
The issue for me will be making a living up there for the next few years. I am sure I will find something in either education (James Madison University- Eastern Mennonite University) or media or show-business. Rosetta Stone Language Learning software has a large operation in Harrisonburg!
My relatives are teasing me about the jobs that are available. That area of the Shenandoah Valley has many chicken and turkey farms owned by big employers such as Perdue Chicken, Tyson Chicken, Cargill and Pilgrim’s Pride. A relative found a job for a “chicken inseminator”. Apparently, that is a real job! My relative advised me that the job was “dirty” and you had to “sweet talk the hens” and tolerate them smoking a cigarette when you are done. My family has a sense of humor!
Right now I am packing the final pieces and preparing for the final load. I will keep let you know how the move progresses with an update the end of July.
Dennis Phillips
Monday, June 08, 2009
2009-06 Famulus Newsletter
Newsletter of IBM Ring #170
The Bev Bergeron Ring
Next general meeting Wednesday, 6/17/2009 at 7:30 PM SHARP
Meeting theme: Old Magic
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 – srjart@earthlink.net
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, 6/17/2009 at 7:30 PM SHARP
Meeting theme: Old Magic
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 – srjart@earthlink.net
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.
2009-06 From the Editor
Many of you know that my job takes all over this great country, so you might suspect that when I vacation I do not stray too far from home. You would be wrong! This newsletter comes to you from Salisbury, MA, a small town just below the New Hampshire border. Why are we here, you might ask. Halfway between here and Boston is a slightly larger town called Beverly, a name a few of you will recognize. In that town, in the Cabot Street Theatre, the world's longest running magic show takes place on most Sundays. We were privileged to attend show # 2915 of Le Grand David. For those who do not know, this is a show run by mainly volunteers, in the grand old tradition of stage magic. The founder, Cesareo Pelaez, no longer performs, but made an appearance at the end in a wheelchair. David Bull, "Le Grand David" is now the main performer, doing a great job throughout the show, supported by a very talented cast.
This family show, while not using cutting edge magic, is a riot of color, with lavish backdrops, props and costumes. My wife, who is quite critical about magic shows, was enthralled for the over two hours of the performance. If you ever make it up to this area, or better still, try to make it up to this area and be sure to attend a performance.
This issue sees a milestone for the Ring as Dennis passes the torch to Sheldon Brook. Once again, Dennis' contribution has been immeasurable and Sheldon has very large shoes to fill.
Thanks again to all contributors, especially Dennis,
Your editor
Stefan
This family show, while not using cutting edge magic, is a riot of color, with lavish backdrops, props and costumes. My wife, who is quite critical about magic shows, was enthralled for the over two hours of the performance. If you ever make it up to this area, or better still, try to make it up to this area and be sure to attend a performance.
This issue sees a milestone for the Ring as Dennis passes the torch to Sheldon Brook. Once again, Dennis' contribution has been immeasurable and Sheldon has very large shoes to fill.
Thanks again to all contributors, especially Dennis,
Your editor
Stefan
2009-06 Ring Report
Summer will soon be upon us and the May meeting was a preview of good things to come. President Craig Fennessy gaveled the meeting to order. We had 28 people in attendance and 3 guests: George Anomoganis, his father and Wayne Wortman. Craig reminded us of the Gator’s Sunday afternoon get-together and the Tuesday luncheon in I-Drive. Art Thomas made the announcement from Marty Bristow that his wife Carolyn, our secretary during the 1990s, needs our moral and financial support due to her final illness. Contact this ring for details. The Recession seems to have stimulated many house parties and they are keeping our magicians busy with work. Many of our ring members have been working.
Phil Schwartz, our resident and renowned magic historian, presented his Magic Moment #13. This month it was “Thayer at War”. The wars were World War One and Two. Thayer continued making magic props during the war and many were themed. Phil showed the classic Mummy Crypt trick where a mummy refuses to stay in the crypt. Thayer had themed it with the dictators of the war. He then showed an old Thayer catalog and a collection of “Bonus Genius” doll vanishes. A six inch tall wooden cut out doll vanished under a cone of cloth. Thayer had themed these many ways. During the war, the doll was themed as a doughboy and the cloth a pup tent. Other themes in the Schwartz collection included a clown, a sailor, a Scotsman, an Indian, and an Easter Bunny! Finally, Phil filled us in on the Jay Marshall auction and a rare Houdini Poster and showed us a scrap book from Marshall’s estate that contained addressed-letter envelopes from almost every well know magician on the early to mid 20th century.
Dan Stapleton was up next with a final word in his Grandma’s Necklace lecture that he began last month. He demonstrated a “Rope through the Body” effect using the principle but with an un-gimmicked set of ropes.
This is my final Ring Report for Ring 170. In June my wife and I are moving to Harrisonburg, VA and I will become a part of Ring 320. At the meeting break, the ring presented a good-bye cake for all of us to share and a going away card for me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you for many years of friendship and you will be in good hands with Sheldon Brook taking over as recording secretary.
Kerry Pierce volunteered to be our emcee for the monthly ring show that followed the business meeting. Charlie Pfrogner led off the line up with a Ball and Vase routine unlike any I have seen before. The ball vanished and appeared and changed into a human eye and then changed into a silk handkerchief, that when opened was an eye-chart! The wand was Abbott’s “Confusing wand” where the tip keeps falling off and changing ends and finally the whole wand is crazy. Dan Knapp came up and a spectator helper managed to select a blue backed joker in a deck that had been shown to be all red. Bev Bergeron presented a unique Die Box that he had themed to look like an ABC block. Bev said that it had been made by Del O’Dell’s husband many years ago and Bev had painted it. It opened with doors on the front and the back.
Mark Fitzgerald did his Flexagon. It is a flat paper octagon with 6 sides of each solid color. Not only is it a puzzling effect for the layman, it will fascinate any mathematician who specializes in topology. Mark then took two small dice and made the dots change. He ended with an unusual Triumph card routine. Dan Stapleton has produced several excellent DVDs on card magic and he demonstrated one. He made a written prediction about a spectator’s personality. The spectator flipped 8 playing cards randomly under the table with either backs or faces showing. When brought to the table the number of upside down and right side up cards matched the numbers on Dan’s personality prediction! Wallace Murphy had a spectator choose a card. He then wrapped the whole deck with a rubber band. A flick of the band and only the spectator’s card had the rubber band around it. Kerry then concluded the show with a hilarious version of “Who is smarter than a 5th Grade Magician?” Bev Bergeron could not answer a single question while a young spectator got them all correct.
With an enjoyable meeting concluded we left to meet again next month. From my new home in Virginia, I can always say “Good things are always happening in Ring 170”.
Goodbye and good luck.
Dennis Phillips
Phil Schwartz, our resident and renowned magic historian, presented his Magic Moment #13. This month it was “Thayer at War”. The wars were World War One and Two. Thayer continued making magic props during the war and many were themed. Phil showed the classic Mummy Crypt trick where a mummy refuses to stay in the crypt. Thayer had themed it with the dictators of the war. He then showed an old Thayer catalog and a collection of “Bonus Genius” doll vanishes. A six inch tall wooden cut out doll vanished under a cone of cloth. Thayer had themed these many ways. During the war, the doll was themed as a doughboy and the cloth a pup tent. Other themes in the Schwartz collection included a clown, a sailor, a Scotsman, an Indian, and an Easter Bunny! Finally, Phil filled us in on the Jay Marshall auction and a rare Houdini Poster and showed us a scrap book from Marshall’s estate that contained addressed-letter envelopes from almost every well know magician on the early to mid 20th century.
Dan Stapleton was up next with a final word in his Grandma’s Necklace lecture that he began last month. He demonstrated a “Rope through the Body” effect using the principle but with an un-gimmicked set of ropes.
This is my final Ring Report for Ring 170. In June my wife and I are moving to Harrisonburg, VA and I will become a part of Ring 320. At the meeting break, the ring presented a good-bye cake for all of us to share and a going away card for me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you for many years of friendship and you will be in good hands with Sheldon Brook taking over as recording secretary.
Kerry Pierce volunteered to be our emcee for the monthly ring show that followed the business meeting. Charlie Pfrogner led off the line up with a Ball and Vase routine unlike any I have seen before. The ball vanished and appeared and changed into a human eye and then changed into a silk handkerchief, that when opened was an eye-chart! The wand was Abbott’s “Confusing wand” where the tip keeps falling off and changing ends and finally the whole wand is crazy. Dan Knapp came up and a spectator helper managed to select a blue backed joker in a deck that had been shown to be all red. Bev Bergeron presented a unique Die Box that he had themed to look like an ABC block. Bev said that it had been made by Del O’Dell’s husband many years ago and Bev had painted it. It opened with doors on the front and the back.
Mark Fitzgerald did his Flexagon. It is a flat paper octagon with 6 sides of each solid color. Not only is it a puzzling effect for the layman, it will fascinate any mathematician who specializes in topology. Mark then took two small dice and made the dots change. He ended with an unusual Triumph card routine. Dan Stapleton has produced several excellent DVDs on card magic and he demonstrated one. He made a written prediction about a spectator’s personality. The spectator flipped 8 playing cards randomly under the table with either backs or faces showing. When brought to the table the number of upside down and right side up cards matched the numbers on Dan’s personality prediction! Wallace Murphy had a spectator choose a card. He then wrapped the whole deck with a rubber band. A flick of the band and only the spectator’s card had the rubber band around it. Kerry then concluded the show with a hilarious version of “Who is smarter than a 5th Grade Magician?” Bev Bergeron could not answer a single question while a young spectator got them all correct.
With an enjoyable meeting concluded we left to meet again next month. From my new home in Virginia, I can always say “Good things are always happening in Ring 170”.
Goodbye and good luck.
Dennis Phillips
2009-06 Carol Bristow passes
A sad day for the F.A.M.E.group.
One of our original Ring 170 members has passed, Carol Bristow. Carol was a very active member of the group for many years along with her husband Marty. Our sincere condolences go out to the family from us all. She will be deeply missed.
Craig
One of our original Ring 170 members has passed, Carol Bristow. Carol was a very active member of the group for many years along with her husband Marty. Our sincere condolences go out to the family from us all. She will be deeply missed.
Craig
2009-06 F.A.M.E. Visits Give Kids The World - Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Thanks to everyone for coming out to the village this evening.
The staff and volunteers enjoyed the show and many of the village guests commented about how much they enjoyed the show.It was a bit of a hectic evening with all the issues with the weather and flooding in the theater that, in the end, didn't really matter. We had great show and made a lot of people happy. The folks that walked around in the Gingerbread House performing close-up and making balloon figures were very well received as well. It is because of you that many of the seats in the theater were filled. I can only imagine what we will do next month now that you have seen and worked in the theater.
The list of performers...in no particular order.
Thanks again.
Joe Vecciarelli
The staff and volunteers enjoyed the show and many of the village guests commented about how much they enjoyed the show.It was a bit of a hectic evening with all the issues with the weather and flooding in the theater that, in the end, didn't really matter. We had great show and made a lot of people happy. The folks that walked around in the Gingerbread House performing close-up and making balloon figures were very well received as well. It is because of you that many of the seats in the theater were filled. I can only imagine what we will do next month now that you have seen and worked in the theater.
The list of performers...in no particular order.
- Dan Knapp
- Craig Fennessy
- Dan Stapleton
- Mark Fitzgerald
- Chris Dunn
- Mike Martin
- Ravelli
- Joe Vecciarelli
Thanks again.
Joe Vecciarelli
2009-06 Wallace Murphy lecture
Just wanted to let you know that Wallace Murphy is going to be doing a lecture at my house June 30th, 2009 from 7 pm to 10 pm. The cost will be $10 per person and an RSVP will be required. 20 people max so please RSVP as soon as possible, whoops 2 gone already 18 more open....
The lecture will cover mostly walk around (pocket) magic. Cards, coins, sponge balls and the like. As soon as I get a flyer I will send it out.
There is also a possibility of Magic Ian doing a teach in on rope magic in another month so if you are interested please let me know.
Thanks
Chris Dunn
The lecture will cover mostly walk around (pocket) magic. Cards, coins, sponge balls and the like. As soon as I get a flyer I will send it out.
There is also a possibility of Magic Ian doing a teach in on rope magic in another month so if you are interested please let me know.
Thanks
Chris Dunn
2009-06 Request for dove apparatus
Anyone have a newspaper dove harness or Tear-apart dove vanish?
Thanks,
Dan Stapleton
Thanks,
Dan Stapleton
2009-06 PICTURES ARE WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS
Magic around Florida.
Snap shots help save the moment to share.
How many magicians got their picture with Houdini, Blackstone, Penn&Teller, Siegfried & Roy or Bev Bergeron.
I once was lucky enough to visit Colon, Michigan with my father-in-law and Jerry Darkey. What a small little place with so many important people on the walls. Now if those walls could have talked- wow. I snapped shots of the photos , the place, and my family. What fond memories to look back on. And when someone else looks at the picture they have a story to tell. I grew up looking at Mark Wilson and Rebo the Clown any chance it came on. I count myself lucky to have met them both in real life and had my picture with them. Just think how lucky we all are that Houdini did the silent movies so we now can watch him and be fascinated as those watching him long ago. I watched Don Arthur and Jerry Darkey do the magic and had the opportunity to see how the illusions worked and drew illustrations for "Magic In The Round" by Don. Now another generation will be able to gain from their knowledge. I had a chance to go to Marshall, MI and see the magic museum. How sad at the time the lady who owned all that knowledge, pictures, props etc. was being bothered by the city. She was close to her time to pass on and all that collection go to waste or into a private collection. I do not know how that turned out so if anyone knows please write about it. Thanks. That is why I share these photos with you.
Paula Large'
http://www.magicofart.com/
How many magicians got their picture with Houdini, Blackstone, Penn&Teller, Siegfried & Roy or Bev Bergeron.
I once was lucky enough to visit Colon, Michigan with my father-in-law and Jerry Darkey. What a small little place with so many important people on the walls. Now if those walls could have talked- wow. I snapped shots of the photos , the place, and my family. What fond memories to look back on. And when someone else looks at the picture they have a story to tell. I grew up looking at Mark Wilson and Rebo the Clown any chance it came on. I count myself lucky to have met them both in real life and had my picture with them. Just think how lucky we all are that Houdini did the silent movies so we now can watch him and be fascinated as those watching him long ago. I watched Don Arthur and Jerry Darkey do the magic and had the opportunity to see how the illusions worked and drew illustrations for "Magic In The Round" by Don. Now another generation will be able to gain from their knowledge. I had a chance to go to Marshall, MI and see the magic museum. How sad at the time the lady who owned all that knowledge, pictures, props etc. was being bothered by the city. She was close to her time to pass on and all that collection go to waste or into a private collection. I do not know how that turned out so if anyone knows please write about it. Thanks. That is why I share these photos with you.
Paula Large'
http://www.magicofart.com/
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2009-06 Dennis' Final Deliberations
Guys and gals, Thank you from the bottom of my heart for the going away cake, the card and all the good words. It has been a long time since I got a standing ovation.
I am going to miss all of you!
This is my final regular column for FAMULUS. It has been my pleasure and honor to have been your magic ring secretary for more than a decade. I do intend to periodically submit my thoughts to you by way of this forum. The best part is that you can always E-Mail me also.
As I said last month, my wife and I are moving to Harrisonburg, Virginia. She has bought a house with a large basement and attic for my magic props. It also has a big backyard for parking a trailer and a truck. It is close to Interstate 81. Harrisonburg is a quiet University town in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley. There is a greater sense of history there than here in the New Florida. The arm of Stonewall Jackson is buried nearby (the rest of his body is in Lexington, VA). Perhaps a part of my psyche is also dismembered: My body will be in Virginia, my heart in Florida? There are still examples of Union General Philip Sheridan’s scorched-earth devastation of the valley during the Civil War.
In spite of such symbols of the continuity of life, I am moving there with a great deal of uncertainty. You will be happy to know that I will be transferring my regular IBM affiliation to Ring #320 in Stanton, Virginia but of course a part of my heart will always be here with Ring 170. I have yet to be absolutely certain of a permanent job. Things look pretty good for working as a professor at James Madison University. I may supplement my income by teaching ballroom dance or staging magic dinner shows or occasionally taking a family illusion show back out on the road. I will be within 9 hours driving distance of 50% of the population of the United States.
The world is certainly different than it was 34 years ago when I moved, without any certainty, to Orlando. Is it more uncertain today? I do not know. I do know that 34 years ago we were also in a Recession and the situation was equally as grim economically. Since that time we magicians witnessed the rise of Doug Henning and David Copperfield and a so-called “Second Golden Age of Magic”. We also saw the decline of that Latest Golden Age in the form of the masked magic exposer, cheap packaged network specials, the tragic injury and end to the leading Las Vegas magic act and the plunge into Street Grunge by Blaine and Angel.
There have been good sides and bad sides: The good side has been in the rise of designers such as, Jim Steinmeyer and the free availability of magic knowledge through DVDs and books and the great and the prolific ideas and plans of Paul Osborne. The bad side is…all of the above! Any untalented idiot with a buck and a jig saw can build or, if he is lazy, buy himself props and still not be able to entertain. It seems that life always has its good sides and bad sides.
In 1909 German chemist Fritz Haber invented a complicated system to synthesize ammonia. Carl Bosch of BASF took the idea and made it workable. By 1913 Germany was creating all the fertilizer they needed. That was the good side. They could then expand their food supply and in contrast to Malthus’ prediction not face starvation. Previously they were forced to use Chilean Saltpeter and were at the mercy of British control of the sea transportation.
Ah, but the bad side! With the cheap ammonia nitrate they could make all the gunpowder and explosives they needed to fight a war. It has been suggested that without the Haber-Bosch process Germany could not have fought World War One. The irony of history is that now the world could feed a much larger population but they would also have all the cheap gunpowder they needed to kill them!
Maybe moving to Virginia will be only a good side. I am more of a realist.
For some of you dreaming to become a magical superstar with all its power and money, let me remind you that there are also good sides and bad sides. This reminds me of a passage in the ancient book, The Consolation of Philosophy. “Power,” wrote Boethius, “does not make a man master of himself if he is imprisoned by the indissoluble chains of wicked lusts; and when power is bestowed on unworthy men, so far from making them worthy, it only betrays them and reveals their unworthiness.”
You can say that about politicians and also about show business personalities.
Today’s individual magician enjoys wealth and power unknown to previous magic generations. We have the power to travel great distances in a short time to see conventions. We have instantaneous communications, the accumulated learning of the centuries at our fingertips, but the scope of most of our thinking is narrow and our minds more ignorant than ever. Magicians still actually need lectures on hank pulls and thumb tips. The power of modern civilization has not made us a better magician. Instead of bestowing worthiness on us, our wealth and technology merely reveal our unworthiness. Check out You Tube and lose your lunch over what is pawned off as “magic”.
We think that we are more sophisticated than our magic grandfathers. But we are less sophisticated, by far. Our descent into darkness is best demonstrated by listing old magical artists beside new artists; by listing old illusionists beside new illusionists; by comparing the lives of our magical mentors to our own. What conclusion do I draw? The powers and advantages of modern life haven’t made us worthy. They merely serve to amplify and accelerate our unworthiness. It is not hopeless. Just work as hard as you can to be worthy.
Perhaps we are too impatient. The magic cycle moves too fast. We want to buy the secret now and put it in an act this evening with no practice, no fine tuning. In the late 1950s I visited Earl Edward’s Magic Shop in Norfolk, Virginia for 6 months before Bob McAllister would see me and show me how to do the “silk to real egg trick”. Today you can click it off the Internet and have it FedEx by Noon tomorrow. Why do we do this to an audience and then get angry because they recognize our ineptness? So, my parting advice is practice, practice and practice and use a mentor and advisor. Become a worthy person by honesty and education and self-discipline.
I now leave my Last Will and Testament to my friends in Ring 170:
My love of photography and technology goes to Craig Fennessy, who is sure to add it to his enormous talents and move to greater things. My love of making stuff and tinkering with props goes to Chris Dunn, the ring’s handy man. Charlie Pfrogner gets the bizarre and creative side of me, as if he needs any more, but he can have fun with it. Wallace Murphy gets my ability to wake up early and work hard as well as whatever dexterity I have left. JC Hyatt gets my love for walk-around magic. My old set of “Kate and Edith” and bag of rubber bands goes to Mark Fitzgerald. He is better at both than I am or ever will be. Sheldon Brook gets whatever dance steps I still can do. He also gets my legal pad as the new secretary. Kerry Pierce is given my love for kid’s show magic and Halloween.
Art Thomas can have whatever mascot costumes are left in my warehouse as well as all my extra magic tables and blank ledger sheets. James and Joe can have the manufacturing rights to whatever ideas that they would like that they have seen at my warehouse. Our new Winter Park Chief of police, Brett Railey gets my handcuff act and blank pistol. Dan Stapleton gets my love of illusions and family shows and my spare tux shirt from 30 years ago, and the first crack at my entire video tape collection with every magic show on TV since 1984. He is then to pass them on to Craig Fennessy for the ring’s archive. Chuck Smith gets my old video camera. It is so old that there is a mouse inside drawing pictures of what it sees through the lens. Jacki Manna gets my ventriloquism dummy and all my old routines. Mike Biondi gets my newspaper clippings to dollar bills trick. I always lost money with it.
Kevin Butler gets my love of Children’s TV shows in the 50s and 60s. Dan Knapp gets my love of math tricks and mentalism. Chuck Micelli gets my Ink Blot tests and Meyers-Briggs tests. If he can’t figure out their brains with them, he can fool them. Richard Hewitt can have a couple of doves and my thanks for all the conventions he drove me to and the many nights I stayed at his house. Joe Zimmer can have my old pirate costume and sea captain costume and the blade box illusion, I outbid him for at the auction 8 or 9 years ago. Stefan gets the tougher task of editing FAMULUS without my monthly contribution and thanks for his job well done and comments [Note from the editor: And hopefully I will continue to receiver your musings, from time to time]. Ben Mason gets my business ability and Luciano get whatever motivation I have to try new things. Jim McNiff gets my appreciation for sophisticated intimate esoteric card magic. Note to Jim: I had an old girlfriend in college. Her last name really was “Stebbins” and she was the last stacked thing that I made good use of. Her head was empty but her blouse was full. I dumped her when I realized that she enjoyed putting the handcuffs on me for the Sub Trunk way too much.
Phil Schwartz gets whatever writing ability that I have to add to his already extraordinary talents in writing and history. If I come across any Thayer stuff while I am moving, it is his also. I am also leaving Phil my latest stock tip: “Buy Low, Sell High”. I know that is simplistic but it still works-I think.
Bev Bergeron, gets whatever else I have left, which is mainly a desire to see the old Willard the Wizard style shows come back. If push comes to shove and all else seems to be at a dead end in rural Virginia, I may get a canvas top and play little West Virginia towns! I hope Bev can troop with me. I am not another Wyman Baker, I promise. Wanna drink to that thought, Bev?
Finally to everyone in Ring 170 my love and best wishes and I am sure we will stay in touch and… Thank you all for many years of friendship and… who knows, in a few years my wife and I may be back!
Good-bye and may the Almighty Bless and keep you!
Dennis Phillips
I am going to miss all of you!
This is my final regular column for FAMULUS. It has been my pleasure and honor to have been your magic ring secretary for more than a decade. I do intend to periodically submit my thoughts to you by way of this forum. The best part is that you can always E-Mail me also.
As I said last month, my wife and I are moving to Harrisonburg, Virginia. She has bought a house with a large basement and attic for my magic props. It also has a big backyard for parking a trailer and a truck. It is close to Interstate 81. Harrisonburg is a quiet University town in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley. There is a greater sense of history there than here in the New Florida. The arm of Stonewall Jackson is buried nearby (the rest of his body is in Lexington, VA). Perhaps a part of my psyche is also dismembered: My body will be in Virginia, my heart in Florida? There are still examples of Union General Philip Sheridan’s scorched-earth devastation of the valley during the Civil War.
In spite of such symbols of the continuity of life, I am moving there with a great deal of uncertainty. You will be happy to know that I will be transferring my regular IBM affiliation to Ring #320 in Stanton, Virginia but of course a part of my heart will always be here with Ring 170. I have yet to be absolutely certain of a permanent job. Things look pretty good for working as a professor at James Madison University. I may supplement my income by teaching ballroom dance or staging magic dinner shows or occasionally taking a family illusion show back out on the road. I will be within 9 hours driving distance of 50% of the population of the United States.
The world is certainly different than it was 34 years ago when I moved, without any certainty, to Orlando. Is it more uncertain today? I do not know. I do know that 34 years ago we were also in a Recession and the situation was equally as grim economically. Since that time we magicians witnessed the rise of Doug Henning and David Copperfield and a so-called “Second Golden Age of Magic”. We also saw the decline of that Latest Golden Age in the form of the masked magic exposer, cheap packaged network specials, the tragic injury and end to the leading Las Vegas magic act and the plunge into Street Grunge by Blaine and Angel.
There have been good sides and bad sides: The good side has been in the rise of designers such as, Jim Steinmeyer and the free availability of magic knowledge through DVDs and books and the great and the prolific ideas and plans of Paul Osborne. The bad side is…all of the above! Any untalented idiot with a buck and a jig saw can build or, if he is lazy, buy himself props and still not be able to entertain. It seems that life always has its good sides and bad sides.
In 1909 German chemist Fritz Haber invented a complicated system to synthesize ammonia. Carl Bosch of BASF took the idea and made it workable. By 1913 Germany was creating all the fertilizer they needed. That was the good side. They could then expand their food supply and in contrast to Malthus’ prediction not face starvation. Previously they were forced to use Chilean Saltpeter and were at the mercy of British control of the sea transportation.
Ah, but the bad side! With the cheap ammonia nitrate they could make all the gunpowder and explosives they needed to fight a war. It has been suggested that without the Haber-Bosch process Germany could not have fought World War One. The irony of history is that now the world could feed a much larger population but they would also have all the cheap gunpowder they needed to kill them!
Maybe moving to Virginia will be only a good side. I am more of a realist.
For some of you dreaming to become a magical superstar with all its power and money, let me remind you that there are also good sides and bad sides. This reminds me of a passage in the ancient book, The Consolation of Philosophy. “Power,” wrote Boethius, “does not make a man master of himself if he is imprisoned by the indissoluble chains of wicked lusts; and when power is bestowed on unworthy men, so far from making them worthy, it only betrays them and reveals their unworthiness.”
You can say that about politicians and also about show business personalities.
Today’s individual magician enjoys wealth and power unknown to previous magic generations. We have the power to travel great distances in a short time to see conventions. We have instantaneous communications, the accumulated learning of the centuries at our fingertips, but the scope of most of our thinking is narrow and our minds more ignorant than ever. Magicians still actually need lectures on hank pulls and thumb tips. The power of modern civilization has not made us a better magician. Instead of bestowing worthiness on us, our wealth and technology merely reveal our unworthiness. Check out You Tube and lose your lunch over what is pawned off as “magic”.
We think that we are more sophisticated than our magic grandfathers. But we are less sophisticated, by far. Our descent into darkness is best demonstrated by listing old magical artists beside new artists; by listing old illusionists beside new illusionists; by comparing the lives of our magical mentors to our own. What conclusion do I draw? The powers and advantages of modern life haven’t made us worthy. They merely serve to amplify and accelerate our unworthiness. It is not hopeless. Just work as hard as you can to be worthy.
Perhaps we are too impatient. The magic cycle moves too fast. We want to buy the secret now and put it in an act this evening with no practice, no fine tuning. In the late 1950s I visited Earl Edward’s Magic Shop in Norfolk, Virginia for 6 months before Bob McAllister would see me and show me how to do the “silk to real egg trick”. Today you can click it off the Internet and have it FedEx by Noon tomorrow. Why do we do this to an audience and then get angry because they recognize our ineptness? So, my parting advice is practice, practice and practice and use a mentor and advisor. Become a worthy person by honesty and education and self-discipline.
I now leave my Last Will and Testament to my friends in Ring 170:
My love of photography and technology goes to Craig Fennessy, who is sure to add it to his enormous talents and move to greater things. My love of making stuff and tinkering with props goes to Chris Dunn, the ring’s handy man. Charlie Pfrogner gets the bizarre and creative side of me, as if he needs any more, but he can have fun with it. Wallace Murphy gets my ability to wake up early and work hard as well as whatever dexterity I have left. JC Hyatt gets my love for walk-around magic. My old set of “Kate and Edith” and bag of rubber bands goes to Mark Fitzgerald. He is better at both than I am or ever will be. Sheldon Brook gets whatever dance steps I still can do. He also gets my legal pad as the new secretary. Kerry Pierce is given my love for kid’s show magic and Halloween.
Art Thomas can have whatever mascot costumes are left in my warehouse as well as all my extra magic tables and blank ledger sheets. James and Joe can have the manufacturing rights to whatever ideas that they would like that they have seen at my warehouse. Our new Winter Park Chief of police, Brett Railey gets my handcuff act and blank pistol. Dan Stapleton gets my love of illusions and family shows and my spare tux shirt from 30 years ago, and the first crack at my entire video tape collection with every magic show on TV since 1984. He is then to pass them on to Craig Fennessy for the ring’s archive. Chuck Smith gets my old video camera. It is so old that there is a mouse inside drawing pictures of what it sees through the lens. Jacki Manna gets my ventriloquism dummy and all my old routines. Mike Biondi gets my newspaper clippings to dollar bills trick. I always lost money with it.
Kevin Butler gets my love of Children’s TV shows in the 50s and 60s. Dan Knapp gets my love of math tricks and mentalism. Chuck Micelli gets my Ink Blot tests and Meyers-Briggs tests. If he can’t figure out their brains with them, he can fool them. Richard Hewitt can have a couple of doves and my thanks for all the conventions he drove me to and the many nights I stayed at his house. Joe Zimmer can have my old pirate costume and sea captain costume and the blade box illusion, I outbid him for at the auction 8 or 9 years ago. Stefan gets the tougher task of editing FAMULUS without my monthly contribution and thanks for his job well done and comments [Note from the editor: And hopefully I will continue to receiver your musings, from time to time]. Ben Mason gets my business ability and Luciano get whatever motivation I have to try new things. Jim McNiff gets my appreciation for sophisticated intimate esoteric card magic. Note to Jim: I had an old girlfriend in college. Her last name really was “Stebbins” and she was the last stacked thing that I made good use of. Her head was empty but her blouse was full. I dumped her when I realized that she enjoyed putting the handcuffs on me for the Sub Trunk way too much.
Phil Schwartz gets whatever writing ability that I have to add to his already extraordinary talents in writing and history. If I come across any Thayer stuff while I am moving, it is his also. I am also leaving Phil my latest stock tip: “Buy Low, Sell High”. I know that is simplistic but it still works-I think.
Bev Bergeron, gets whatever else I have left, which is mainly a desire to see the old Willard the Wizard style shows come back. If push comes to shove and all else seems to be at a dead end in rural Virginia, I may get a canvas top and play little West Virginia towns! I hope Bev can troop with me. I am not another Wyman Baker, I promise. Wanna drink to that thought, Bev?
Finally to everyone in Ring 170 my love and best wishes and I am sure we will stay in touch and… Thank you all for many years of friendship and… who knows, in a few years my wife and I may be back!
Good-bye and may the Almighty Bless and keep you!
Dennis Phillips
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
Newsletter of IBM Ring #170
The Bev Bergeron Ring
Next general meeting Wednesday, 5/20/2009 at 7:30 PM SHARP
Meeting theme: Borrowed magic
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, 5/20/2009 at 7:30 PM SHARP
Meeting theme: Borrowed magic
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.
2009-05 From the Editor
Time flies when you are having fun, and look, it is already May.
Thanks to all contributors this month, all you budding authors, please do follow their example.
I am very sorry to hear that Dennis is leaving us, not just for his excellent articles and ring report every month, but he has always been a great friend when I am able to attend ring functions. Dennis, you will be missed.
Your editor
Stefan
Thanks to all contributors this month, all you budding authors, please do follow their example.
I am very sorry to hear that Dennis is leaving us, not just for his excellent articles and ring report every month, but he has always been a great friend when I am able to attend ring functions. Dennis, you will be missed.
Your editor
Stefan
2009-05 Ring Report
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
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
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.
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