| VOLUME: 49 / ISSUE: 1,484 / Monday – January 21, 2002 |
 The enigmatic John A. Keel is back, the Indiana Jones of the paranormal, the real-life X-File before Mulder is now a feature film starring Richard Gere who plays John Klein (note initials). Keel is best known to magicians for his “autobiography” written at age 27: “Jadoo.” It is one of the first western books to tell the story of Indian street magic. The author befriended many galli galli men, and those who performed feats no longer seen, such as the instantaneous appearance of many small birds from under a basket. The publisher of the 1957 magnum opus was aggressive, and by the time Keel was living in Germany years later, he was famous. In India he was close friends with Sorcar Sr., and in Germany he spent time with Kalanag. Back in the US, he spent countless hours with one of his closest friends, Walter B. Gibson. …Go to full story.(1/21)Dixie Dooley and his perseverance are highlighted in a Las Vegas Review-Journal article which points out that “Dooley is out to prove himself more unsinkable. Come March 8, the attraction reopens as Houdini’s Theatre of Magic, with a free exhibit of Dooley’s Harry Houdini artifacts baiting the hook for his transplanted “Houdini Lives Again” in the afternoons, and a new evening show, “That’s Magic.” To read the Jan. 20 article by Mike Weatherford titled “Performing on the edge” click: HERE.(1/21) |
| VOLUME: 49 / ISSUE: 1,485 / Tuesday – January 22, 2002 |
 David Copperfield’s “Portal” show is the subject of an Orlando Sentinel article which quotes him, “Whether it’s doing an intimate piece of close-up magic or a full-scale illusion, if the audience is directly involved in the magic, the impact is much more powerful… I’ve always involved audiences in my illusions, but now I’m doing it more than ever, and the audiences really seem to connect.” The article also mentions the magic exhibit Copperfield is presenting at each show. To read the Jan. 18 article by Rebecca Swain Vadnie titled “Workin’ the split shift” click: HERE.(1/22)Jeff Ezell performs at the Gene Bua Theatre (3435 West Magnolia Boulevard) in Burbank, CA on Jan. 25-27. Tickets are $10-12 per person and are available by phoning: 818-562-1921.(1/22) |
| VOLUME: 49 / ISSUE: 1,486 / Wednesday – January 23, 2002 |
| Fielding West will star in his own show titled “The Fielding West Show: Comedy, Tricks and Naked Chicks!” which opens on Feb. 14 at Bourbon Street in Las Vegas. A Las Vegas Review-Journal article reported that the show is “…produced by David Saxe, who also oversees “Melinda — First Lady of Magic” (she’s his sister) at The Venetian and “Showgirls of Magic” at San Remo.” To read the Jan. 22 article by Mike Weatherford titled “Earl Turner will end stay at Rio Valentine’s Day” click: HERE.(1/23) Some of New York’s finest magicians appear in “A Night of Magic” on Friday Jan. 25 at 8pm at the Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture (53 Prospect Park West at 2nd Street) in Park Slope, Brooklyn. The show starring Prof. Bobby Baxter, Frank Brents, Torkova, Marco Monteverdi, Belinda Sinclair, and The Melodions is part of the long-running Good Coffeehouse series and is being produced by Richard Steven Cohn. Admission is $10 per person and tickets are available by phoning: 718-768-2972. For more information click: HERE.(1/23) Richard Restak is described as a “card-carrying magician” and “a member of the International Brotherhood of Magicians” in a Washington Post feature. To read the Jan. 22 article by Linton Weeks titled “The Bird & the Brain” click: HERE.(1/23) NEW JERSEY: I.B.M. Ring 200 presents its annual show on Saturday Jan. 26 at 11:30am and 1:30pm at the Villager Theater (475 DeMott Lane) in Franklin Township. The “It’s Magic” show will feature Farvel the Marvel, Al Hillman, Magic Ray, Eric & Michael Gutman, and UNBEI The clown. Tickets are $6 per person and are available by phoning: 732-873-2710.(1/23) |
| VOLUME: 49 / ISSUE: 1,487 / Thursday – January 24, 2002 |
 Igor has just taped an episode of “Worst Case Scenario” which is scheduled to air in June on TBS. Igor was flown to LA to cheat four unsuspecting players in a game of poker. The game was taped live as Igor went all out using every method possible for the orchestrated scam which had him riffle stacking, card mucking, planting hole cards, doing crooked deals and a finale where he switches decks giving all the players Straight Flushes that lose to his Royal Flush. Igor was also the adviser on the show along with casino security expert Elmwood Pearce. Igor is currently working on other ideas for presenting what he calls “Magic in the Real World.”(1/24)Tom Mullica’s Tribute To Red Skelton appears at the Bartlett Performing Arts Center in Bartlett, TN on Jan. 26 (901-385-6440) and then begins a two-week tour through Arizona on Jan. 28 through Feb. 10.(1/24) |
| VOLUME: 49 / ISSUE: 1,488 / Friday – January 25, 2002 |
| Martin Gardner’s new book “The Colossal Book of Mathematics: Classic Puzzles, Paradoxes and Problems” which is a compilation of some of the best “Mathematical Games” columns he wrote for Scientific American during 1956-1991 is reviewed in the New York Times. The article points out that, “Each column is scrupulously updated, including current bibliographies reflecting Mr. Gardner’s inexhaustible passions.” The article concludes, “Mr. Gardner’s movement from the trivial and amusing to the abstract and difficult discloses the process mathematics itself follows. For Mr. Gardner, this evolution reflects a form of Platonism: the belief that mathematics progresses from illusion to illumination, inspiring amazement along the way.” To read the Jan. 19 review by Edward Rothstein titled “Of Hexaflexagons, Superellipses and the Mad Romance of Numbers” click: HERE. (A members only site).(1/25) –To buy a copy of the book click: HERE. “A Night Of Magic” is featured in the current issue of Go Brooklyn where Richard Steven Cohn is called a “Park Slope magic maven” who describes the upcoming show as an “intimate, turn-of-the-century, parlor-style performance.” To read the article by Lisa J. Curtis titled in the Jan. 28 issue of Go Brooklyn titled “One Magic Moment” click: HERE.(1/25) Franz Harary competed at the National Association of Television Program Executives (NATPE) “Pitch Me!” competition and won an opportunity to pitch his TV show idea about a paranormal show titled “Phenomenons.” To read the Jan. 23 Las Vegas Sun article by Kirk Baird titled “Here’s the pitch: Ideas for new TV series unveiled at NATPE event” click: HERE.(1/25) |
| VOLUME: 49 / ISSUE: 1,489 / Saturday – January 26, 2002 |
 “Viva (almost) Las Vegas!” starring Dutch Haling, Stacy Maddux and Laurie Costanza as Lorenzo, Lorraine and Lola closed on Friday Jan. 25 at the 200-seat Omaha’s Stage West Theater where they have been selling-out since Nov. 16. The show was described as “a fast paced parody of Las Vegas nightlife featuring the headline magic of “Lorenzo and Lorraine: Comedy Magic with a Criminal Past” and one of the reviewers referred to it as “The Sopranos meet Comedy Central.” The run has opened doors for the show, which is now in negotiations for a possible national tour and TV opportunities.(1/26)Walt Disney Pictures purchases the rights to “Illusion” a movie about a magician who is accused of a crime and uses magic to clear himself. According to Variety Jonathan Frakes will direct the film. To read the Jan. 25 article titled “Latest Hollywood script deals” click: HERE.(1/26) Bill Smetak died on Friday Jan. 25 just short of his 75th birthday. Smetak was an active member of the magic clubs in the Chicago area where he also occasionally worked at Magic Inc. He was a close friend of Werner “Dorny” Dornfield and a long time stage manager at the Abbott’s Magic Get-Together.(1/26) David Oliver, Belinda Sinclair, Jeff Moche appear at Monday Night Magic on Jan. 28 at 8pm in NYC. For tickets phone Ticketmaster at: 212-307-4100.(1/26) PRESS RELEASE: CAMP SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE FOR YOUNG MAGICIANS! |
 David Copperfield showing his magic collection to J.C. Chasez, Joey Fatone and Lance Bass from N’Sync after his recent show at the Bob Carr Center in Orlando, Florida. (Photo: M.O.D.C.). (1/26) |
| VOLUME: 49 / ISSUE: 1,490 / Sunday – January 27, 2002 |
 OHIO: 71st Annual Columbus Magi-Fest takes place on Jan. 31 – Feb. 2 at the Columbus Marriott North in Columbus where an all-star cast of magicians will be performing and lecturing. Featured acts include: John Carney, Martin Lewis, Tina Lenert, Mike Caveney, Tom Craven, Tim Ellis & Sue-Anne Webster, Oscar Munoz, Maria Schweiter, David Groves, Hank Moorehouse, Peter Boie, Tom Burgoon, Joshua Jay, Kelvin Y.S. Chun, Bradley Foley, Arnoldo Leggi, Jessica Reed, Sean Scott, Dan Sperry, and Drew Thomas Productions. Registration is $90 per person for what is currently one of the largest conventions in the United States with around 900 attendees and more than 20 magic companies displaying. For more information click: HERE.(1/27)Peter Waluk and his goal to become a “great magician” are the subject of a New Britain article which quotes him, “I’ve seen David Copperfield, we had front row and I’ve met Jeff McBride. They are some of the best, so that is how I want to be.” To read the Jan. 26 article by Lisette Velasquez titled “the man behind the magic” click: HERE.(1/27) Dixie Dooley whose show closed at the Plaza is scheduled to open two shows at the Greek Isles on Mar. 8. According to a Las Vegas Sun article he “will produce two shows in the 100-seat Magic Theater at the new venue, one featuring himself and one featuring illusionist Christian Augustine.” To read the Jan. 25 article by Jerry Fink titled “Stirling Club: Life’s rich pageant at Turnberry” click: HERE.(1/27) Dewayne Hill who is offering a free magic clinic at the South Charleston Public Library on Saturday Feb. 2 and 23 is profiled in The Charleston Gazette where they mention that he also performs “every Friday and Saturday night at The Comedy Zone in the Ramada Inn in South Charleston.” To read the Jan. 24 article by Ben Calwell titled “Magic secrets to be revealed at South Charleston library” supplied by YellowBrix and Infoseek click: HERE.(1/27) Rafael Benatar, Paul Green, Eric Buss, Lee Bayless, Howard Jay, Bruce Gold, Tyler Knight, and Stoil Stoilov appear at the Magic Castle in Los Angeles on Jan. 28-Feb. 3.(1/27) |
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