Magic Weekend in Columbia

This is a news release, from my friend and master magician John Tudor, detailing some of the event available to both magicians and the public at this years South Carolina Assoc. of Magicians convention. Everything starts in two weeks, but it's not too late to be a part of one of the very top magic conventions in North America.

Everything centers around the SCAM convention, which should be a killer with this years line-up. Tony Griffith will be offering a master class on Thursday, before the convention begins on Friday. I don't have all the details, but I'm sure you can find whatever you need by visiting the scamcon website.

Right now, I'm planning on attending both the master class and the convention. Henry Pettit has very kindly extended an invitation to Quinlan's Inside Magic and Magic Roadshow to represent the internet/ezine aspect of magic; so if you're there, look us up and let's talk...

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S.C.A.M. ANNOUNCES MAGIC WEEKEND IN COLUMBIA!

Columbia, SC - The South Carolina Association of Magicians (S.C.A.M.) announces Magic Weekend , January 13-15, 2006. Events include:

• John Tudor’s Magic Theater , SC State Museum, Friday, January 13 thru Sunday Jan 15. Tickets are $5.00 adults, $3.00 children. Based on the SC ETV special, the show/documentary features six of the finest magicians from S.C.

• Magic Days at Edventure Children's Museum, Close Up and Storytelling Magic, Saturday, January 14. Featuring local favorite Sarah Straney, and the finest young magicians in our area. Sunday, January 15, 1-5 PM, magic shows by nationally known kidshow artist Julian Franklin and others, and magic and balloon sculpting workshops (ages 6 and up). Tickets $6.95 children, $8.95 adults, Workshops $10.00.

• International Magic Gala Show, Koger Center for the Arts, Saturday, January 14, 8 PM. Tickets are $15.00 for adults and $10.00 for children (to benefit Palmetto Health Children’s Hospital). Starring world renown magicienne "Jade", illusionist Jason Michaels, Hiawatha, British magicians Tony Griffith, and Gazzo; jugglers The Fettucini Brothers, sleight of hand magic in the lobby, and more to be announced.

• S. C. Association of Magicians Convention, Columbia Marriott Hotel, January 12-14. Registration $75.00. (11th Annual ) Two hundred amateur and professional magicians come together in a fun (but secret) gathering.

For tickets, show times, and other information, check our web site at http://www.scamcon.org, or call 803-561-9849.

Magic as a Career

Here's a nice article from the Asbury Park Press about selecting magic as a career, and the career of O.J.Meyer. Meyer is a pro who earns a good part of his income from traveling the fair circuit each year. Whats the pros and cons?
Read More

Working the fair circuit requires special knowledge.. best gained by someone who has done it.. and has the contacts. Ester Beris has an excellent tutorial on working the fair circuit. Although aimed at professional clowns, the information, methods, and points of contact to gain employment are identical for both clowns and magicians. I highly recommend any marketing info published by Ester.
Check it out..

Merry Christmas !

Just a short note wishing each and every one of you a very, merry Christmas ! I realize not all of you celebrate Christmas, and that's OK. You don't have to celebrate it to be a part of my personal celebration of the birth of Christ..

We all tend to be a little too politically correct sometimes, and that's NOT what Christmas is all about.. I'll bet most of you were not born on September the 16th either. But would that stop you from wishing me a happy birthday? Perhaps you've stopped celebrating your birthday, perhaps you never did.. And I'll respect that, for sure.

But, in the meantime, enjoy the spirit of Christmas, of giving, of love and sharing, as we celebrate the birthday of a friend of mine..

Enjoy !!

Uri Geller

This from Israel.jpost.com:

Israeli-born magician Uri Geller says he will take control of all the watches on the wrists of thousands of Magen David Adom activists at a convention for volunteers, which will be held on Monday (Dec 26th. 2005) at the Jerusalem Convention Center.

Geller, who is honorary president of the MDA Friends Association will appear and make the watches change their time because "every minute counts" in saving lives.

I'd sure like to be there...

Full Article

Brock Gill

This from Tennessean.com

Brock Gill can't walk on water, but he believes in the man who did.

The Nashville illusionist is host of the three-part Miracles of Jesus, airing Saturday afternoon (Dec 24th) on the Discovery Channel, as he goes to the Holy Land and investigates the supernatural powers of Christ.

Gill, a Christian, spent two weeks in Israel attempting to either create the illusion of or decipher several individual miracles as described in the first four books of the New Testament.

Read More

Magic Roadshow link

Here's the link to the latest issue of Magic Roadshow..

Streetmagic.info/eMagic37

Just released..

A new issue of Magic Roadshow is on the shelf. If you were a subscriber.. this is what you would have received in your inbox yesterday.. If you're NOT a subscriber, you can sign up in the right nav bar..


I have received a number of request the past couple of weeks to include articles and/or information about various subjects which may not normally fit into a themed newsletter. Actually, as I started putting together this issue, I realized there was a theme- I'm sure you'll notice. I think everything tied together rather nicely..

In this Issue:

01) Nailing The Eye Contact- John Kinde's right-on advice
02) Dice - Magic and dice mingle
03) Dice Vision - An effect to underscore The basis of Dice Magic
04) 'Die' Vernon Mental Magic - A compelling mental effect with dice
05) Pentagram Magic - My favorite mental effect with dice
06) Did You Know - A little history
07) Derren Brown - 14 video's on Derren in action
08) Spectacular Psychology or Silly Psycho-babble? - A writer takes issue with Derren
09) Card Cheaters - Works from the most knowledgeable of magic's performers
10) Whit Haydn - Great video's of a master magician at work
11) Your Christmas Bonus - ?????

Cheat Sheet

The IVR Cheat Sheet™ by Paul English. What is it? Well, if you've ever called a credit card company, phone company, bank, or what-not and been forced to jump through dozens of hoops just to talk to a living, breathing, human being.. then you realize the need for "The IVR Cheat Sheet".

Paul furnishes you with "codes" you can enter to go directly to a real person. Skip the nonsense..

http://www.paulenglish.com/ivr/

Bookmark it...

Chris Hage

I met Chris last year at SCAM in Columbia, and was pleased to see this, thanks to Luzann Lutz of the Fort Mill Times..

Chris Hage remembers he could barely see over the dining room table. His mom and dad had just wowed him with a magic trick.
"My parents put a candle on the table, covered it with a scarf and we waited. My mom jerked off the scarf and there was a bar of soap. It was totally amazing. I was floored. Even after I discovered my brother, Otto, under the table, it was still great," Hage says of the memory when he was 5 years old.

"Right then and there I decided that I wanted to be a magician."

I'll see Chris again in about four weeks, along with Jade, Tony Griffith, the Fettucini Brothers, Joshua Jay, Gazzo, and other great magicians who will be sharing their magic at SCAM ( www.SCAMcon.org )

Read the whole article HERE

Bigstring

I'm going to share something with you that I recently shared with readers of Magic Roadshow. Ever heard of Bigstring?

It's a totally recallable, correctable, and/or deletable email. Send someone an email and if you change your mind about any part of it, make it go away...

Think of the possibilities. The emails are actually 'hosted' on Bigstrings servers, much like a web page, and, although it appears perfectly normal to all viewers, you can go into the 'server' and change or delete the email at any time.

You can actually program the email to delete after a certain number of days. Additionally, they are not printable.

Set up a free account and get 20 free emails a month. You can purchase a premium account and send unlimited emails, but thats not what this post is about. Go to Bigstring and set up a free account, then, let me know some of the creative uses you find for it..

Sign Up Here..

David Blaine Performs for Troops

US Department of Defense (press release) - Washington,DC,USA


FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas, Dec. 2, 2005 – International man of mystery, David Blaine, stopped by Brooke Army Medical Center here Nov. 22 to perform "street magic" for the wounded warriors recovering at the hospital.

Blaine performed three shows at the center - in the Amputee Care Center, the Burn Center and the hospital auditorium - for different groups of patients.

Well known for his on-the-spot magic tricks, Blaine thrilled his BAMC audience with his street-style magic as he moved about the rooms performing sleight of hand and card tricks for the patients.

Internationally famous for changing the face of magic, Blaine's magic has been featured on ABC with 15 million viewers tuning in.

Blaine is often called the "Ice Guy" - after freezing himself in a solid block of ice for three days in 2000. One center patient from New York, Marine Cpl. Merlin German, remembered watching Blaine as he emerged from the ice block in Times Square. Now recovering from burns sustained in the global war on terrorism, German was pleased Blaine took the time to come see the wounded.

"He was very inspiring to me," German said, adding that Blaine, who invited him and his parents to a show in New York after he recovers, now sees him as a friend.

After his Nov. 22 shows, Blaine said he was so moved by the wounded troops that he returned Nov. 23 and 25 to personally visit with them.

Sgt. Kevin Downs was one patient who received a personal visit from Blaine as a special birthday gift.

"I was very surprised and appreciative of David Blaine's visit to support our wounded soldiers," said Downs. "I will always remember my 21st birthday because David and everyone else in the room sang 'Happy Birthday' to me."

Blaine, who has performed on the "Oprah Winfrey Show" and for presidents, picked up a new fan base with his visit to Brooke.

(Nelia Schrum works at Brooke Army Medical Center Public Affairs Office.)

Magic Roadshow # 36

Hi guys.. A quick note to let you know a new issue of Magic Roadshow has been published online. In this issue you'll find:

~ The Incomparable John Scarne - Brief history and personal writings

~ In His Words - Scarne meets Rothstein

~ What do You Get - When you cross Scarne and Carruth

~ The Wizard - My version of Scarne's classic

~ Stapled - Updated, simpler version of Scarne's "the Stapled Card"

~ Buckled - Method used by Scarne and many of his fellow magicians

~ Three Card Monte #1 - the original

~ Three Card Monte #2 - a gaffed version

~ Harold Layer - Scarne gambling devices revealed

~ Bigstring - Make it disappear

~ Card-trick.com - free magic

Read it HERE