December 2012 - Fort Worth Magicians Club
Transcription
December 2012 - Fort Worth Magicians Club
December 2012—www.fortworthmagiciansclub.org—Volume 2012 Issue 12 Next Meeting: 7 p.m. Thursday, December 6, 2012 — Energy Auditorium/TCC-Trinity River Campus Our December meeting will have a holiday theme. So please contact Michael Stein if you have a holiday theme effect that you would like to perform! We also encourage you to bring a fun food item to share with the club. The club will provide beverages and ice. So that we can assure a variety of food items, call Michael at 817-920-9929 or email him at [email protected] to let him know what food you plan to bring so that we can avoid duplications. And we will have the annual vanishing white elephant exchange. We will have a magician's gift exchange, and nonmagician's gift table. So if you bring a friend or significant other who is not a magician (this will be an open meeting!) they will have the opportunity to have fun with the exchange as well. If you wish to participate in the exchange, bring a wrapped gift - magical or non-magical item up to $25 in value. Please make sure that the item is in working order, with instructions if it is a used magic item. John Hatzenbuhler was the recipient of totem, so he will be sharing his 10-12 minute act with us. I will have some trivia, some history, and a short Performing Art Skills Session (if we have time). This meeting is a celebration of the great year we have had as a club, time to celebrate our friendships, develop new one, and look forward to a great year of magic ahead of us. I hope you will all join us and bring someone with you. See you in December! ~ Michael On A Personal Note . . . [Editor’s notice: This column is dedicated news about our members and friends in the greater North Texas magic community, particularly regarding those who are under the weather, recovering, and those of our community whom we unfortunately lose. As we can, we will provide mailing addresses, email addresses, and telephone numbers for our colleagues and their families. To this end, please send your information to the Flashpaper editor Geoff Grimes at [email protected] or call at 972-740-3125. Please provide contact information as you can. Prayers and Best Wishes Tracie Stein, the wife of Michael Stein, has lost her uncle in a plane crash in Mississippi in the last two weeks. The Fort Worth Club joins with Michael and Tracie’s friends and relatives in wishing them healing in this time of grief. Richard Amon has been suffering from heart problems recently and is preparing to undergo treatments which begin on December 7. Keep Richard in your thoughts and prayers. He is a great friend of magic and a valued member of our club. Richard, as some of you may not know, drives all the way from Wichita Falls to be with us. Features: November Report, Once Upon a Time, Prez Says, Kidz Rule! Theory and Art of Magic Press The Flashpaper, December 2012, Volume 2012, Issue 12, page 2 Out-a-th’ Box ~ The Prez Says The secrets of magic…we are pledged to guard them. Our club by-laws require that secrets are to be revealed only at “closed” meetings with no non-magicians present. But despite our best efforts, the secrets of most tricks are readily available on the Internet. And in fact, secrets of magic have been available in print since the invention of printing. Reginald Scot wrote “The Discoverie of Witchcraft” in 1584. At age 10, I knew the workings of the linking rings, cups and balls, sword cabinet, tip-over trunk, walking through glass, and even vanishing an elephant, all revealed in my first magic book, “Blackstone’s Modern Card Tricks and Secrets of Magic.” Of course, knowing how they were done didn’t mean I could do them, much less do them well. Which leads me to question whether the real secrets of magic lie in knowing how particLarry Heil, President ular effects are accomplished. Stuffing a handkerchief into one end of a die tube and Fort Worth Magicians Club pulling one of a different color from the other end is no great mystery. Yet Lance Peirce, as he demonstrated to our club, performs this with such skill and subtlety that use of a dye tube seems impossible. Eugene Burger’s presentation of the gypsy thread transcends the mere breaking and restoring of a length of string. So maybe, just maybe, the real secret lies not in knowing how the trick is done, or even in mastering the mechanics of it, but in presenting it in such a way that it is so entertaining, engaging, and enchanting that the method is hardly relevant. Perhaps that is the magic secret we should strive to learn. Sim-Sala-Bim Larry December’s Magical Tip: Check out “My Lovely Assistant” MyLovelyAssistant.com should be every magician’s first stop for checking out product reviews of the latest magical gadgets, books, DVDs, and magic dealers. The website is a free service to subscribers and bills itself as a source of “Blatant Honesty in a World of Deception.” Bryce Kuhlman is one of the chief architects and managers of the website. He notes the almost 3,000 published reviews of products, manufacturers, and dealers since its inception. Offered as a non-profit service, the website accepts donations. Twelve “staff” reviewers draw upon years magical experience, and customers may also post commentaries. Arthur Emerson to Lecture at the January FWMC Meeting! Renowned magical inventor and consummate demonstrator, Arthur Emerson will lecture at the January meeting of the Fort Worth Magicians Club. Co-founder of the longlived “Emerson & West” company in 1967 with his partner, Larry West, Arthur is a “Life Member” of the Fort Worth Magicians Club and currently a Trustee. At the January lecture, Arthur will share stories from his more than seventy-five years in magic and demonstrate some of his most famous routines. His “Color Monte” remains one of the hottest-selling packet tricks ever invented, selling to date more than 500,000 copies! Arthur Emerson Arthur is a regular columnist in the FWMC newsletter, The Flashpaper. His monthly installments of “Once Upon a Time” chronicle his early beginnings and long career in the magic world. The lecture will be held on Thursday, January 3rd, the at the Tarrant County College—Trinity River Campus Energy Auditorium. Admission will be free to club members, $20 to non-club member magicians, and $25 each to non magicians. The Flashpaper, December 2012, Volume 2012, Issue 12, page 3 FWMC to elect two Members-at-Large At the last election in September, the club failed to fill two of the three Members-at-Large positions. At the last meeting of the Executive Meeting, your officers nominated two of our club members to fill these two positions. They are Pamela Hudgins and Michael Reiche. Larry Heil, club president, will solicit additional nominations from the floor at the December meeting. If you would like to serve in one of these positions, you are encouraged to step forward and nominate yourself, if you like. The purpose of the Member-at-Large position is to encourage new club members to become involved as an officer so that they will become more familiar with the operations a non-profit organization and be encouraged to consider other positions in the future. Mark Wilson and Nani Darnell Wilson honor MVC Magic Club Students World-acclaimed magician Mark Wilson and his wife and magical partner Nani Darnell Wilson recognized and honored the top members of the Mountain View College “Mark Wilson” Magic Club this past November. The FWMC welcomes new club member Brandon Sharpe Brandon Sharpe, son of FWMC Secretary Libby Sharpe, was voted into the club at the November meeting as its latest new member. Brandon, who has been studying and working in California, has returned to Texas where he plans to followup on his love for juggling and magic. Libby couldn’t be considered your typical “proud mama,” now, could she? What do you think! Welcome, Brandon! Hal “Doc Haliday” Hudgins lectures for the MVC Magic Club In a personal interview and telephone conversation, Mark Mark Wilson and Nani and Nani expressed their Darnell as they both delight in the work of the club appeared in 1959 on which honors Mark’s boyhood their broadcast magiin Oak Cliff, Dallas. The “Mark cal show, “Time for Wilson” Magic Club at MounMagic”, aired live tain View College is the only each week on WFAA organized club specifically in television, Dallas. Oak Cliff and has continued to attract new aficionados of magic since its inception in 2003. In recognition of the club and its work, Mark and Nani sent a set of almost 20 autographed copies of their “50th Anniversary of Alakazam! Commemorative Book, including the history of the famous magical pair and tributes from around the world. The books are to be distributed to the most active and productive club members. Mark met Nani while they were students at Southern Methodist University. Mark is a graduate of Sunset High School in Oak Cliff. Mario (left) and Sierra join Social Science Department Head Professor James Harris in watching Hal Hudgins demonstrate his “Benson Bowl” sponge ball routine. FWMC member Hal Hudgins regaled college students and staff in the “Mark Wilson” Magic Club at Mountain View College at their regular Friday meeting on November 9th. His lecture and demonstrations covered a range of magical effects aimed at beginners in magical entertainment. The Flashpaper, December 2012, Volume 2012, Issue 12, page 4 Kidz Rule When the Cook Young Magicians received supplies from the estate of Dean Ponton, we also received an unexpected contribution I will now share. The items received came in three wooden chests of various constructions. One was a footlocker covered in bumper stickers, had been well used, with casters added to the base. Inside the lid was glued a prayer which I will pass on, nothing else was applied to the interior of the box. The Showmen's Prayer O MY GOD, I BELIEVE IN YOU, I TRUST IN YOU, I THANK YOU FOR ALL OF MY BLESSINGS, I LOVE YOU AND ASK FORGIVENESS FOR ALL OF MY SINS. GUIDE AND PROTECT ME AND ALL THOSE DEAR TO ME. MAKE ME MINDFUL OF MY PRIVILEGE AS A SHOWMAN TO BRING JOY AND HAPPINESS TO ALL PEOPLE.... ESPECIALLY THE POOR, THE LONELY, THE LESS FORTUNATE. AND WHEN MY LAST ACT ON EARTH IS COMPLETED AND THE FINAL CURTAIN FALLS TAKE ME TO YOURSELF TO BE HAPPY WITH YOU FOREVER. Amen Bill Irwin, Sponsor of Fort Worth’s Cook Children’s Hospital Young Magicians Club Showmen's League, Watertown, NY From a web search: The Showmen's League of America was founded in 1913, by a group of outdoor showmen meeting at the Saratoga Hotel in Chicago. Buffalo Bill Cody, the Wild West performer, was elected the Club's first President. The Showmen's League of America is the oldest organization of its type in North America. From the very beginning, The Showmen's League of America promoted friendship and good fellowship among its members. Charter members pledged to care for their industry's needy, those who were ill, destitute or without family support. The League also provided burial space and service for those without a final resting place. They also selected the elephant as the symbol of their League, describing their choice colorfully: "The elephant in rampant, with uplifted trunk, exemplifying in every particular the characteristics of the showman, not only alert and sagacious, but victorious as well". On March 15, 1913 the League held the first banquet, an event that has since become an annual tradition. At the initial banquet the group's bylaws were framed. Further research showed this group fought for performer's rights during the days of Vaudeville and is still active today. Good fellowship and family support don't go out of style; they just need people willing to pass it on. Sounds like a good idea for kids and adults. Remember! Follow the Rulez! Bill Totem passed to Johnny “Top Hatz” Hatzenbuhler Among the many fine contributions Randi Rain gave to the club during her tenure as Program Chairperson last year is the creation of what has become a new FWMC tradition—the passing of the “totem” each month. The imaginative “wand” is constructed from of Randi’s foam creations. It’s bearer is responsible for providing a set of magical routines at the following monthly meeting with this stipulation, that the performance represent the magician’s “A-List” magical pieces, nothing in the “working stages.” John’s reputation, borne on past performances, augers well for a fabulous set of entertaining magic! It’s not a question of a bird, but rather “when” and from “where.” John’s work alone makes the next meeting something special to anticipate. The Flashpaper, December 2012, Volume 2012, Issue 12, page 5 “Once Upon a Time” with Arthur Emerson And the time is December 12, 1950 . . . . You know, you never forget your RA serial number: RA 11214143! Korea and the draft were blowing my theater career away. It was time to make a decision: get drafted or enlist ,, , Regular Army or Reservist. Then I found a gimmick! I found a law that allowed you to take a test to go directly to Officer Candidate School after Basic Training and Leadership School—if you succeeded: you were commissioned a Second Lieutenant; if you failed: you were discharged! What a gimmick! The way out!! The surprise came when I was in OCS and found I liked the military service—I stayed 20 years and 23 days! Life does have some interesting surprises for you. Let’s cut this story in half. 1950 to 1960 had some great thrills. Arthur Emerson The first was a weekend pass in Kansas City when 2 fellow candidates and I walked into a night club behind the Muehlbach Hotel to have a drink and listen to Jan Garber and his orchestra. There were 3 girls at a nearby booth. I married the one in the middle right after begin commissioned in 1951. Mildred and I had 48 marvelous years together. Our first assignment was Biblingen, Germany, just outside Stuttgart. As an Army Signal Corps Radio Officer, we spent a lot of time on maneuvers in the field and that’s where the magic came in—not mine—theirs. By 1951 Germany had not been turned back to their own government so this was technically WWII Repatriation Duty, the German economy was in dreadful shape, and when on maneuvers, we were often approached by itinerant entertainers in the afternoon, asking to be allowed to put on their show if we would feed them. The best magician I saw was the company (3) of Belachini. The XIII (probably not Henryk Wolsztain, but it’s possible). His show was polished, professional and shabby. He entertained for over an hour, and my unit greatly enjoyed the show. Afterward he presented me with one of his play bills from “the good times” which I still have. We invited them to stay over in an extra tent for breakfast and they readily agreed. He was one of many such magic acts to entertain us but by far the best. However, the most talented artist we sheltered on these maneuvers was Caterina Valente with her family. He was a famous accordionist and mother was a musical clown. Caterina was just 21. She would become famous in German films and in 1955 she joined Gordon MacRae on “The Colgate Comedy Hour.” Go listen to her recording of “Malaguena.” It was at this time that I started writing a book of magical ideas and routines which became useful in 1967. My time in Korea was with the Korean Military Advisory Group way over in the northeast corner of the country in an area known as Kwandari/Inje. This was headquarters for the III ROK Corps for whom I was the Signal Corps advisor. This was headquarters for the III ROK Corps for whom I was the Signal Corps advisor. In my 13 months there we had 2 USO units: Hollywood dancer and comedian Gil Lamb and a second unit of Red Skelton and Jamie Farr. Skelton was fascinating to talk to but the magic “nut” was Jamie Farr, and we spent every possible moment together trading routines. I started volume 2 of my “magic book.” Current Members of the FWMC Ash Adams Bob Adams Luther Adkins Richard Amon Dana Archip Stacey Archip Will Baffle Thomas Bowes Larry Brown Rick Burcher Jean Capshaw Bruce Chadwick Louis Daniel Robert DeVargas Bernard Dolenz Arthur Emerson Albert Fox Tommy Garbin Marvin Gearhart Geoffrey Grimes Jeffrey Hallberg Don Hartman Brendan Hartman John Hatzenbuhler Larry Heil Craig Herron Shel Higgens George Hopkins Hal Hudgins Pamela Hudgins Bill Irwin Bob Karlebach Jess Langston Randy Keck Ray Landry Matthew Martin Van McGee Stephen Medellin Mark Miertschin Richard Pemper Elena Ponsler Ruth Porter Walt Porter Randi Rain Michael Reiche Michael Rubino Libby Sharpe Russell Shead Pix Smith Daryl Sprout Logan Stadtman Betty Jo Standridge Michael Stein David Thomason Michael Tracie Bob Utter Leland Van Deventer Earl Warren Doug Wilson Ron Wilson David Youngblood December Birthday Greetings! Geoff Grimes Ruth Porter Whooo — Hoooh!! The Flashpaper, December 2012, Volume 2012, Issue 12, page 6 2012-2013 Club Officers PRESIDENT Larry Heil, 817-444-0743, [email protected] EXECUTIVE VICE-PRESIDENT AND PROGRAM CHAIRMAN Michael Stein, 817-920-9920, [email protected] VICE-PRESIDENT AND EDITOR OF THE FLASHPAPER Geoff Grimes, 972-740-3125, [email protected] or [email protected] Magic in North Texas ~ “Something for the Head as Well as the Hands”: The Theory and Art of Magic Press Editor’s note: Larry Hass is the founder of the “Theory and Art of Magic Press.” The press has published and distributed some ground-breaking work, most recently, The Show Doctor, a collaborative work featuring a compilation of Jeff McBride’s “Show Doctor” articles along with new magical pieces and commentaries. I recently solicited Larry’s remarks on the “Theory and Art of Magic Press,” his current projects, and long-term plans for the publishing company. I am grateful to Dr. Hass for taking time to respond. Geoff Grimes Flashpaper Editor VICE-PRESIDENT AND WEBMASTER Bruce Chadwick, 817-832-6062, [email protected] Editor: What was the inspiration for starting the Theory and Art of Magic Press? SECRETARY Libby Sharpe, 214-808-0202 [email protected] Larry: Theory and Art of Magic Press was founded in 2007 as an outgrowth of the “Theory and Art of Magic Program” I had been producing at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania, where I had been Professor of Philosophy and Theatre Arts. The Program had been created to bring the world’s great stars of magic to the College to not only perform their wonderful magic, but also to make presentations on the nature of magic as a performing art and a human experience. What this experience showed me is that there was a deep interest for magicians and non-magicians alike to experience great magic and also to think and learn about magic as an art form. TREASURER Matthew Martin, 303-841-7374 [email protected] SERGEANT AT ARMS Mike Rubino, 817-262-3325 Mr_jack_jackal@yahoo,com HISTORIAN Rick Burcher, 817-469-7037 [email protected] MEMBER-AT-LARGE Jeff Hallberg, 817-479-3186 [email protected] MEMBER-AT-LARGE Not designated. Larry Hass (right) unveils “Nine Uneasy Pieces,” the latest magical creations of Robert E. Neale (left), at the McBride Magic and Meaning Seminar in Las Vegas this past October. Editor: How does your press differ from other magical publishing resources? MEMBER-AT-LARGE Not designated. TRUSTEE (Term Expires 2017) Bruce Chadwick, 817-832-6062 [email protected] TRUSTEE (Term Expires 2013) Arthur Emerson, 817-868-6827 [email protected] Larry: Well, with that as a background, Theory and Art of Magic Press publishes books and products specifically for magicians, but which also have an educational component. That is, I publish books that include first-rate performing material (“tricks”), but that also invite magicians to explore some of the larger issues surrounding magic and how to perform it effectively. That is, as I say, I publish things for magicians that “feed their heads as well as their hands.” Editor: What’s in the works right now? APPOINTED TAOM REPRESENTATIVES Larry: Now, my immediate plans are to sell the books I published in 2012! Indeed, I published four books in 2012 that have been extremely well-received. I should also mention that while two of those four books are available in magic shops, the other two of them are only available from my website: www.TheoryandArtofMagic.com. Bill Irwin, Ren Clark IBM Ring 15 Editor: And down the line? What does the future hold? TRUSTEE (Term Expires 2015) Bill Irwin, 817-805-1655 [email protected] Mark Miertschin, Bruce Chadwick SAM Assembly 138 Larry: As for what new things are coming, in another month or so I will be releasing an exclusive, previously unpublished routine by Eugene Burger, and I will continue working on two new books for 2013 release that I don’t want to announce just yet! I like to surprise people, and also to have them stay in touch with me! The Flashpaper, December 2012, Volume 2012, Issue 12, page 7 November FWMC Meeting Report Last call for 2012-2013 FWMC Dues! The November 2012 meeting of the Fort Worth Magicians club was called to order by newly elected club president Larry Heil. After club announcements, Larry showed a curious relic - a bell from the school he attended in Topeka Kansas which had been destroyed by a tornado. It had belonged to his teacher Miss Collins. He sat the bell aside. If you haven’t already paid your dues for the 2012-2013 year, they are now due. Annual dues are only $20 a year with special rates for various types of memberships (see the dues form attached.) Next came a discussion of the events of the previous evening – the Houdini Séance. Members who had attended discussed the séance and the lecture which had preceded it. Vice President Michael Stein worked at the event and didn't see any occurrences, but according to other attendees, those who missed the evening missed out on very strange happenings. Appearances were made and objects were displaced in space. Was the séance successful? Perhaps only Houdini knows…. After the discussion Arthur Moses, local Houdini collector, expert and advisor spoke about his history with Houdini memorabilia and the events leading up to hosting the Séance in Fort Worth this year. This fascination and informative history rounded out the first half of the meeting. After the break, Matt Martin gave us a Houdini-themed presentation. He asked for volunteers to assist with a very humorous chain and handcuff escape. Following this was time for our totem performance in which selected members must perform their best material. This month it was Mike Reiche. As he began to set up to perform, Miss Collins' bell rang. After a moment of silence, Mike continued with a delightful presentation of his A-material. Next came a qualification performance by Brandon Sharpe who became the club's newest member. Michael Stein rounded out the meeting with a discussion inspired by Eugene Berger in which he addressed bad magic and how to avoid it. The meeting closed with a brief discussion of the Christmas Party next month. A special thanks to Fran Hatzenbuhler for our refreshments! Submitted by Libby Sharpe, Secretary Your dues help support the many activities of the club and special events including club meeting programs, honoraria for presenters, occasional expenses for club refreshments and dining, annual lectures, support for our Cook Children’s Hospital Young Magicians Club, special awards and recognitions, and tributes to our friends in the club who may be in need. To submit your dues, complete the attached dues form and submit it with your check or cash for $20, or simply go online to www.fortworthmagiciansclub.org and pay by PayPal or credit card. Calendar for December Houston Magic Auction—Sunday, 2.p.m., December 2, at the IATSE Hall located at 3030 North Freeway (I-45 ) in Houston. Send a list of what you want to sell to Doug Kornegay at [email protected]. Fort Worth Magicians Club December Meeting—7:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 6, at the Tarrant County College-Trinity River Campus, located at 300 Trinity Campus Circle at the corner of Cherry Street and Belknap in downtown Fort Worth. The meeting is held in the Energy Auditorium on the (elevator) 6th floor. Cook Children’s Hospital Young Magicians Club— the club meets monthly, alternating between performances and classes. The club is an extension of volunteer programs at the hospital. Contact Bill Irwin at 817805-1665 or by email at [email protected] for more information. Monday Night Magic—Magic aficionados meet informally every Monday evening at the Humperdink’s Restaurant at Six Flags in Arlington. Anyone interested in magic is welcome to attend. Take the opportunity to meet new friends in the magic community, to learn new stuff, or practice your magical arts in strolling performances through the dining room and bar. Dallas Magic Clubs—7:00 p.m., December 18th at Crosspointe on Parker Road in Carrollton. The club meets on the third Tuesday of every month. B Magic Children’s Shows—Saturdays at 5:00 and 6:30 p.m. and Sundays, 1:00 and 2:30 p.m. 1902 West Pioneer Parkway, Arlington, TX. Call (817) 795-0404 for more information. The Flashpaper, November 2012, Volume 2012 Issue 12, page 8 To keep our club roster up-to-date, please fill out this entire form. Please PRINT carefully! Return this form along with cash, check or money order made payable to The Fort Worth Magicians Club to the address printed below. Make a second copy if you need a receipt. FIRST NAME:_______________________________ LAST NAME:_______________________________ BIRTH (DAY AND MONTH):_____________ SPOUSE’S FIRST NAME:__________________________ DATE SUBMITTED (MONTH AND YEAR):__________________________________________________ EMAIL ADDRESS: _______________________________________________________________________ PHONE: HOME ________________________________ OFFICE _________________________________ MAILING ADDRESS: STREET OR PO BOX: _______________________________________________ CITY: _____________________________ STATE_____ ZIP:_______________ IBM NUMBER (IF ANY) _____________________ SAM NUMBER (IF ANY) ______________________ Type of Membership: (check one box only please): ( ) ACTIVE - A person eighteen years of age or older, proven active in magic, and who has been accepted by the Club. Active Members may vote, hold office, serve on committees, and enjoy all the activities of the Club. Dues are $20 per year. ( ) ASSOCIATE - A spouse or professional assistant of an Active Member, and who is eighteen years of age or older. Associate Members do not vote or hold office, but may serve on committees and enjoy all the activities of the Club. Dues are $20 per year. ( ) JUNIOR - A person fourteen years old or older, and under eighteen years of age. Upon reaching eighteen years of age, Junior Members automatically become Active Members provided they are dues paid members in good standing. Junior Members do not vote, hold office, or serve on committees, but do enjoy all the activities of the Club. Dues are $20 per year. ( ) ASSOCIATE JUNIOR - A person under the age of 14 who is screened for approval by the Executive Committee prior to being granted membership. He must be accompanied at Club functions by a legal parent or guardian who themselves must be an Active, Associate, or Honorary Life member of the Club. Upon reaching the age of 14, Associate Junior Members automatically become Junior Members provided they are dues paid members in good standing. Associate Junior Members do not vote, hold office, or serve on committees, but do enjoy all the activities of the Club. Dues are $20 per year. ( ) HONORARY LIFE - A person who has significantly contributed to the advancement of the art of magic internationally, or a person who has been an Active Member of the Club for at least 25 consecutive years and who has made an outstanding contribution to the welfare of the Club. Honorary Life Members are elected by a majority vote of the Executive Committee, and then a majority vote of the Club at a Monthly Club Meeting. Honorary Life Members have the benefits of Active Membership without further dues payments. Submit a filled out copy of this statement along with cash, check or money order made payable to The Fort Worth Magicians Club and deliver it to the club Secretary at a Monthly Club Meeting or send to the Secretary in care of the address on the Dues page of www.FortWorthMagiciansClub.org.