Latest Magic News – January 31, 2004

It Doesn’t Get More Entertaining Than This

Today?s news is sort of a hodge-podge of stuff.

Some good, like Dean Gunnarson being featured in Heat Magazine for his longevity in a very dangerous field.

Some weird, like the difference in height between the lovely Debbie McGee and the not as lovely but still outstandingly talented Paul Daniels.

Some legal, like David Copperfield?s lawsuit to enforce the sale of a private resort and two islands.

And of course the weird, like replacement of Siegfried and Roy with the Beatle?s Yellow Submarine and Cirque du Soleil.

There is also the encouraging word from the Siegfried and Roy front as we learn about Roy…

It Doesn’t Get More Entertaining Than This

Today?s news is sort of a hodge-podge of stuff.

Some good, like Dean Gunnarson being featured in Heat Magazine for his longevity in a very dangerous field.

Some weird, like the difference in height between the lovely Debbie McGee and the not as lovely but still outstandingly talented Paul Daniels.

Some legal, like David Copperfield?s lawsuit to enforce the sale of a private resort and two islands.

And of course the weird, like replacement of Siegfried and Roy with the Beatle?s Yellow Submarine and Cirque du Soleil.

There is also the encouraging word from the Siegfried and Roy front as we learn about Roy?s continued recovery and his new ability to eat solid food. What did Roy want to eat first?

Plus, where else can you find a hidden reference to Marsha Brady?

Musha Cay Resort

TheLasVegas Sunis reporting today that David Copperfield has been sued by John and Janet Melk, the owners of a Bahamian resort alleging fraud.

The plaintiffs claim Mr. Copperfield attempted to defraud them buying Musha Cay through a third party. Mr. Copperfield arranged to buy the resort and two near-by islands through a third party to negotiate a fair deal.

In prior negotiations, the Melks wanted ?an unrealistic and inflated price? likely due to Mr. Copperfield?s celebrity status. The Melks, on the other hand, said they previously refused to sell to Mr. Copperfield because of ?concerns about his finances and his lack of experience in hotel management.?

Mr. Copperfield?s attorney described the suit as ?a misguided attempt to back out of the cash deal.?

To read the full article, click here.

To see Musha Cay, click here.

To see Marsha Brady, click here.

Concept Yellow Sub for Show

The Orlando Sentinel reports this morning that the rumors of the Cirque Du Soleil moving into the now dark Siegfried and Roy theater are growing. The show would feature the Beatles? Yellow Submarine. The paper reports, ?[t]he Beatles’ company, Apple Corp. Inc., confirmed in 2001 that a Cirque show in London was under consideration, but Beatle George Harrison, who was friends with Cirque Chief Executive Guy Laliberte, died shortly after that announcement and the show never materialized. Cirque said there was no deal for a Las Vegas Beatles show and would not comment further.?

Read the full article here.

See further information in Houston Chronicle here.

Read the original article in French here.

Check out the original BBC article that started the story here.

Debbie McGee

The Internationally Famous Magic Team of Paul Daniels and Debbie McGee are noted in a column from the Scotsman not for their outstanding magic but because they are of different heights. The article features the attraction factor between women and men in situations where the women are taller than their partners.

Read the article here.

Roy Horn

The Las Vegas Review Journal reports that Roy Horn continues to recover. He has had his tracheal tube removed allowing him to talk and to eat. What did he ask for? pistachio ice cream and Wiener schnitzel. The team?s manager, Bernie Yuman, said the recovery has been miraculous and is predicting even more great news soon. The newspaper reports that Mr. Yuman hinted that Roy could be walking ?real soon.?

With the removal of the tracheal tube, Roy was able to eat solid food for the first time in 100 days. Mr. Yuman credits some of the recovery on Siegfried?s constant attention and help. The paper quotes Mr. Yuman as saying, “The most important thing, is that Siegfried is really challenging him” and that “They’re enjoying these tiny triumphs.”

Read the full article here.

Dean Gunnarson

Dean Gunnarson is featured in the Canadian magazine Heat for his long and spectacular career as an escape artist. The article chronicles his love for magic and escape work from his first book about Houdini to his current day willingness to dangle over alligators in a straight jacket (he?s in the straight jacket, not the gators), and being tossed out of a plane while securely shackled. The author of the article asks, as everyone must, what is his secret? His response is reminiscent of Houdini?s:

?Obviously I can?t tell you the actual technical secrets, because that?s part of it. But, it?s not just the secret. Part of it is the secret, a technique, a skill you learn. Part of it is a physical ability, being able to manipulate your body, having strength and flexibility. The other part is the mental ability, the ability to be able to think things through. To be able to stay focused, to react when things go wrong?not to panic. It?s those three things that encompass every escape.”

Read the full article by downloading Heat in PDF format here.

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