| VOLUME: 44 / ISSUE: 1,337 / Monday – August 27, 2001 |
 Mac King’s show at Harrah’s Las Vegas is reviewed in the Las Vegas Review-Journal where it is described as, “…King’s two performances each day at Harrah’s Las Vegas are among the top entries on the booming platform of afternoon shows.” His style is described as, “It’s the art of pulling people into a carefully crafted persona and a skillfully structured show in which jokes play off the ones that came before them, and the magic still manages to be puzzling enough to assert itself amid the laughs.” To read the Aug. 24 review by Mike Weatherford titled “King conjures up laughs during afternoon shows” click: HERE.(8/27)Rumors about Darren Romeo’s show continue — this time in the Las Vegas Sun where we find out that “…Kenneth Feld and Bernie Yuman met with executives at Paris Las Vegas this week to discuss future plans for Darren Romeo.” To read the Aug. 24 article by Kate Maddox titled “Howling good times at NY-NY” click: HERE.(8/27) Bill and Chelsea Clinton attended the Siegfried and Roy show where, according to the Las Vegas Sun, “When the famed magicians introduced the Clintons during their performance, the house lights went up and they got a tremendous ovation from the audience.” To read the Aug. 23 story by Ed Koch and Timothy Pratt titled “Clintons enjoy Vegas hospitality” click: HERE.(8/27) To view an Aug. 22 Las Vegas Sun Photo of Siegfried & Roy with the Clintons click: HERE.(8/27) George Saterial, Andrew Goldenhersh, Brian Gillis & Sue, Joycee Beck, Jason Latimer, Woody Pittman, Cameron, and Gerry Katzman appear at the Magic Castle in Los Angeles, on Aug. 27-Sep. 2.(8/27) |
| VOLUME: 44 / ISSUE: 1,338 / Tuesday – August 28, 2001 |
 Ricky Jay’s new Book “Jay’s Journal Of Anomalies: Conjurers, Cheats, Hustlers, Hoaxsters, Pranksters, Jokesters, Imposters, Pretenders, Sideshow Showmen, Armless Calligraphers, Mechanical Marvels, Popular Entertainments” is reviewed in the New York Times. This is a 202-page bound volume of the quarterly magazine Jay began in 1994 and features stories about many of the odd people, props and events that Jay finds fascinating. The reviewer liked the book but felt it was not as good as “Learned Pigs & Fireproof Women,” which it wasn’t designed to be. The review concluded, “In ‘Journal of Anomalies,’ it’s clear that it is the teller — not his less than stellar material — who entertains through sheer showmanship and legerdemain.” To read the Aug. 28 review by Michiko Kakutani titled “A Tragic Touch in Oddities, Tricks and Hoaxes” click: HERE.(Members Only).(8/28)–To buy the book at a specially discounted price of $28 click: HERE. An interesting Las Vegas Sun article, which looks at what it takes to four-wall a show in Las Vegas, centers around Melinda, Dixie Dooley, and David Darkstone. The article explains the variation on the possible leases and comments, “Darkstone and Roya are examples of the extreme. They sublet space from Peter Vent, who holds a long-term lease on the New Frontier’s showroom.” While, “‘Melinda, First Lady of Magic’ was one of the first productions to four-wall, in an agreement with Bourbon Street 15 years ago.” To read the Aug. 24 story by Jerry Fink titled “Strip performers, producers debate showroom leases” click: HERE.(8/28) Glen David Gold’s first novel “Carter Beats The Devil” is reviewed in the New York Times where it is described, “Mr. Gold writes breezily conversational dialogue, especially for the beguilingly feisty women in Carter’s life. …But his greatest fervor is saved for the illusions themselves, and to this he brings true reportorial verve. Mike Caveney, Carter’s biographer, has said that much of the magicians’ exotica that fills the book is as accurately described as it is wondrous to imagine.” To read the Aug. 27 review by Janet Maslin titled “Assured Illusions” click: HERE.(8/28) –To buy the book at a specially discounted price of $17.46 click: HERE. |
| VOLUME: 44 / ISSUE: 1,339 / Wednesday – August 29, 2001 |
 Official David Blaine merchandise can now be purchased on the web where Blaine has launched a gift shop through Y!Shopping. Currently you can purchase a copy of the “Frozen in Time” print, which was sold last year at the site of his ice encasement. You can also purchase a “Limited Edition Signed and Numbered ‘Frozen in Time’ Print” and be eligible for a special bonus — every 20th purchaser of the print will receive a video containing Blaine’s first two TV specials and some new footage. The cost is $25 for the unsigned and $100 for the signed poster, which is substantially cheaper than the prices these things have garnered at auction. Both can be purchased by clicking: HERE.(8/29)Ricky Jay appears as a card shark in a TV commercial to promote Bob Dylan’s new album titled “Love and Theft.” According to a SonicNet story the spot will begin airing on Sep. 3 with “Dylan, card magician Ricky Jay and others act as a crop of card sharks huddled around a poker game while ‘Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum,’ the first track on Love and Theft, plays in the background.” The commercial will also air on bobdylan.com. To read the Aug. 29 story titled “Bob Dylan To Launch Arena Tour Behind Love and Theft” click: HERE.(8/29) Rick Fisher responds to an Indianapolis Star story about the syndicated TV show Crossing Over. Fisher wrote, “On October 31, 2001, the magic community will observe the 75th anniversary of the death of the No. 1 magician, Harry Houdini… It was Houdini who debunked these guys/gals who try and convince the public they can ‘cross over’ and talk to the dead. …Houdini would have taken care of this character a long time ago.” To read the Aug. 28 article by Marc D. Allan titled “WTHR awaits word on Emmy for series” click: HERE.(8/29) Norm & Mia Barnhart who will be appearing at the Spam Festival in Austin, MN next month are featured in a Pioneer Press article. To read the Aug. 28 story by Sarah Sawyer titled “Unusual performers delight audiences” click: HERE.(8/29) Joe Monti appears at the Blast from the Past 2001 fundraiser on Sep. 21 at The Diamond stadium. To read the Aug. 28 North County Times article by John Hall titled “Cops for Kids holds annual fund-raiser” click: HERE.(8/29) |
| VOLUME: 44 / ISSUE: 1,340 / Thursday – August 30, 2001 |
| The sixth annual “Lance Burton and Friends” benefit show featuring Fielding West, Mac King, Johnny & Pam Thompson, James Cielen and of course Lance Burton raised $26,000 for the Shriners of Zelzah Shrine Center. The show was held at the Monte Carlo Hotel inside the Lance Burton Theatre on Sunday Aug. 19. According to a Las Vegas Sun article the event was organized by “Peter Reveen, magician and personal manager of Burton, who has long been an active member of the Shriners.” To read the Aug. 29 story by Elizabeth Foyt titled “Stars turn out for magical Shriners’ benefit” click: HERE.(8/30) To see a cast photo from the “Lance Burton and Friends” show click: HERE.(8/30) Cletus Henke who last month received an Order of Merlin Excalibur Award for 50-years of membership in the International Brotherhood of Magicians is featured in the Cherokee Daily Times. To read the Aug. 29 article by Barbara Derksen titled “Henke Receives Recognition for 50 Years” click: HERE.(8/30) Young Dakota Rose featured in the Dayton Daily News where he is quoted “I’ve been doing magic for 1 years and I really like it… It’s cool.” To read the Aug. 23 article by Steve Sandlin titled “Miamisburg’s Dakota Rose has tricks up his sleeve” supplied by YellowBrix and Infoseek click: HERE.(8/30) EUROPE: Carl Andrews does a whirlwind lecture tour this month with stops in Horsens, Denmark (Sep. 1-2), Hamburg, Germany (3), Hannover, Germany (5), Berlin, Germany (6), Wolfsburg, Germany (7), Kornwestheim, Germany (9), Bonn, Germany (17), Oelde, Germany (18), Stuttgart, Germany (19), Munich, Germany (20), Vienna, Austria (23), Steyr, Germany (24), Wuppertal, Germany (26), Numberg, Germany (27) and Ulm, Germany (29). For more information e-mail him at: carl@maui.net.(8/30) |
| VOLUME: 44 / ISSUE: 1,341 /Friday – August 31, 2001 |
| After David Blaine’s “success” during the “Magic…Live” interview last week in Las Vegas he has taken that same attitude to a TV talk show in Scotland where the Scottish Daily Record reported, “Eamonn Holmes yesterday endured the weirdest interview of his career with street magician David Blaine.” Holmes was also quoted in an Ananova article from The Mirror, “It was a nightmare. He was seriously spooky. He was obsessed with death, but I would have thought death would have been a happy release for a guy like that.” The publicity is to promote his next stunt “Vortex” where he will stand on an eighty-foot tower for two days and then jump off onto cardboard boxes. To read the Aug. 30 Ananova article titled “David Blaine spooks GMTV’s Eamonn” click: HERE.(8/31) –To read the Aug. 31 Scottish Daily Record article titled “Blaine’s silence is not golden” supplied by YellowBrix and Infoseek click: HERE.(8/31) Lance Burton’s assistant of 12-years, Joelle Righetti, is featured in a Las Vegas Review-Journal article covering her rock band, Joelle. To read the Aug. 28 story by Sonya Padgett titled “Lance Burton assistant hopes to make her own magic in music business” click: HERE.(8/31) |
| VOLUME: 45 / ISSUE: 1,342 / Saturday – September 1, 2001 |
| “The Mac King Comedy Magic Show” is praised in a Las Vegas Sun review as; “You won’t spend a funnier afternoon hour anywhere.” Mac King is described as, “King is genuinely funny, and he is also an excellent magician who interacts with an entire audience throughout, often with hilarious results.” King is starting his second year at Harrah’s in Las Vegas where he recently signed a contract, which would keep him there through 2006. To read the Aug. 31 review by Joe Delaney titled “Harrah’s Comedy Cabaret a good fit for King and his magic” click: HERE.(9/1) Glen David Gold’s novel, “Carter Beats the Devil,” continues to receive excellent reviews, this time in The Guardian where it is described as, “Here is a book – a first novel, no less – to blow you away. It seeks to stun and amaze and deceive and, always, to entertain; and it seldom misses a trick in 600 pulsating pages.” To read the Sep. 1 review by Peter Preston titled “Magical mysteries” click: HERE.(9/1) –To buy the book at a specially discounted price of $17.46 click: HERE. Puck, Will Shaw, Chris Capehart, Jamy Ian Swiss, Florian Klein, Ran’D Shine and Michael Chaut appear at Monday Night Magic on Sep. 3 at 8pm in NYC. For tickets phone Ticketmaster at: 212-307-4100.(9/1) Paul Daniels concludes his summer run of “An Audience with Paul Daniels” at The Pavilion Theatre in Weymouth, England on Sunday Sep. 2 at 7:30pm. Tickets are £6-12 per person. For more information phone: 01305 783225.(9/1) NEW YORK: IBM Ring #186 is sponsoring its First Annual Magic Cruise on Sep. 15, which will sail at 6pm from the Port of Albany and will return at 9pm. The cost for the show and buffet is $29.95 per person and reservations must be made prior to Sep. 5. For more information phone Harry Keefe at: 518-459-6939.(9/1) PRESS RELEASE: THE WAIT IS OVER!! HARRY LORAYNE’S LAST BOOK ON CARD MAGIC IS HERE! |
 David Blaine signing autographs after his interview with Max Maven at the MAGIC…Live convention in Las Vegas on August 22. (Photo: MagicTimes).(9/1) |
| VOLUME: 45 / ISSUE: 1,343 / Sunday – September 2, 2001 |
 George Gilbert Kaplan (Apr. 22, 1902 – Sep. 1, 2001) died on Saturday at the age of 99. Kaplan, who recently said that he wanted to live to be 100 years old, fell short by a few months. Most magicians should be aware of his contributions to magic through his now classic book “The Fine Art of Magic” published in 1948 by the Fleming Book Company. Kaplan was also published in many magic magazines as well as originating some, now standard, routines. He was a strong supporter of magic, serving as the dean of the Society Of American Magicians, Parent Assembly and was named their “Magician of the Year” in 1995. Funeral Services and a “Broken Wand” ceremony will be held on Tuesday Sep. 4 at 11am at the Riverside-Nassau Chapel (55 North Station Plaza) in Great Neck, NY (516-487-9600).(9/2)Lance Burton has started a side business — as a magazine publisher. According to a Las Vegas Review-Journal article he “…recently paid more than $100,000 for the Vegas Visitor, and last year bought the Trip Sheet for $15,000.” Burton explained, “I’m not retiring from my night job… I just like investing in things that promote Las Vegas.” To read the Sep. 1 article by Hubble Smith titled “Just like that, Burton invests in publications with LV focus” click: HERE.(9/2) Aldo Colombini, Barry Price, Loren C. Michaels, Tim Shegitz, Andy Nyman, Chris De Palma, Mike Elkan, and Nancy Jean Gray appear at the Magic Castle in Los Angeles on Sep. 3-9. Andy Nyman lectures on Sunday Sep. 9.(9/2) |
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