Jarrett & Raja sounds like the name of an act and it is.Jarrett Parker is an illusionist and Raja Rahman is a classically trained concert pianist.The two performers have brought their talents together to produce a show that promises the class of Mr.Rahman‘s music and the spectacle of Mr.Parker‘s Las Vegas-Style Magic.
Read On . . .
I bring this duo to your attention for two reasons: 1) I was not familiar with their work before reading about them today; and 2) if you live in the Northeast, you will have a chance to see what promises to be a very original and entertaining act.
The duo is set to perform at the famous Baby Grand Theater in Wilmington, Delaware.The Baby Grand will be the perfect location to see this type of show.It is part of the Edith & AlexanderGiacco center, seats about 300 and has wonderful sightlines and acoustics.
This special show runs July 13-18 at the Baby Grand and they’ll be performing matinees on Saturday and Sunday.Their presentation surrounds the battle for the spotlight “during a spectacle of stagecraft and a bevy of Vegas showgirls. What results is a battle of egos and illusions.”
Okay, so I am impressed by their upcoming appearance at one of the nicest theaters for live performance on the East Coast, their well-constructed and professional website, their novel idea for bringing together two disciplines (and Las Vegas Showgirls ? sue, me; I’m human) but also that they will be performing at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival from August 6th… Continue reading Jarrett & Raja Storm East with Unique Show
What can you do with a sock?How can you keep the magic going long after the magicians leave? What?s black and white and read all over?What do art historians think of the classics of magic? How can you smell your own nose? Find out the answers to many of these questions by reading the news Inside Magic has culled with the fine net of good taste and sophistication. ?All the News that Fits We Print.?
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?Casinos Try to Capture Mac and Rick’s Magic.The Las Vegas Review documents the moves of several performers to capture the afternoon crowd and pull them to showrooms located on just the other side of the casino.Mac King and Rick Thomas have proven the waters are safe for casinos looking to invest in afternoon shows.After the failure of the Darren Romeo afternoon show to sustain a ticket price of $30.00, many casino owners shied away from the light of the day.Mr. King and Mr. Thomas have done extraordinarily well with their afternoon shows, however.Mr. King charges just over $18.00 for a reserved seat and Mr. Thomas receives just under the magic $30.00 mark for his best seats.Read the full article here.
?Houdini Days Tops a Million Hits!Chris Cochrane writes with some great news. His efforts have been tireless in the promotion of ? and at times defense of ? the Houdini Days Festival in Appleton, Wisconsin. His Houdini Days website tells all the great details of the must-attend convention this summer. One of the convention?s lasting legacies will be the establishment of magic clubs at the Boys & Girls Club and the YMCA in Appleton.Says Mr. Cochrane, ?These clubs will be integral in our goal of inspiring the next generation of magician.The self-confidence that the kids will develop, due to performing magic, will be vital in their future.?When have you ever heard someone tell you to be… Continue reading Some News for Youse
Inside Magic looks at the News of our World. We learn who is annoying, who is not. Who will appear in Branson and who is all that. There’s coverage of the SAM Convention and news from India and its efforts to encourage magic.
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?SAM Convention Gets Props.The Duluth Superior and Kansas City Star have been pumping out some great stories about the on-going SAM convention in St. Louis. They contrast the security necessary on today?s airlines (Ali Bongo had to explain possession of his starter pistols and knives in his checked luggage) and within the convention hall (even the assistants who float in the levitation effects don?t know the secrets). Check out the article here.
?Is Branson Becoming The New Vegas?The question is asked by the Philadelphia Daily News and the parallels exist. Both have live shows, many theaters, family-oriented shows (Branson has Yakov Smirnoff and Vegas has Le Femme ? different kinds of families, sure) and outlet malls. Branson does not have gambling unless you count crossing the main drag against traffic.
Eighteen months ago today, I asked my good friends in the magic world — through the various bulletin boards — what was going on with Melanie Kerr and her website.
Inside Magic is a massive organization with fives of dollars worth of equipment and some of the most talented non-programming types working upwards of two to three hours a week to produce what you read here on a daily basis — except when we had that horrible incident a few weeks back and we were essentially dead in the water.
But every month I read Magic Magazine and every month I see full page or quarter page four-color advertisements for Melaine Kerr and her website. But when I try to learn more, something really bad happens.
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I don’t know Melanie Kerr. I’ve never met her and I hope that she is doing well. I have read the Magic Magazine for quite a while and was always impressed by the professional quality of her advertisements. They were big, clean and in four-colors. That has got to cost some bucks.
To give you an example: when I tried to take out a dealers’ only ad in a major magic publication (not Magic Magazine) for my “Levitate Any Spectator,” I was amazed by the cost. For just one month, it would cost me more than $1,200. That figure included the set-up, camera-ready something or other, and the final ad placement. That was for a half page. Sure, there would be a discount if I put the same ad in for the next seven or eight years, but that only shaved a few bucks off the $1,200.
I couldn’t afford it and so I went to a bank to borrow money to pay for the ad. The banker said I had a lousy business plan because no bank would support a magic trick and certainly not one that was already done by David Blaine. I tried to explain that my trick was different — I made the spectators (up to three or 500 lbs) levitate up to 18 inches off the ground.
The distinction was lost on the “Junior Vice President in Charge of Saying No.” He suggested I invent a way to tear the head off a chicken and make it come back to life. I didn’t bother to tell him that Blaine had done this one as well. I stole one of their pens — nearly jerking my arm out of joint when the chain snapped me back to the teller cage — and left.
Melinda is Still Number One in My Book
So anyway, I sit and brood and read magic magazines of all types and keep seeing Melanie Kerr and her beautiful ads and her mkmagic.com. I finally went to the site and found it to be a nice site. There are some nice interviews and a crystal casket for sale along with some starter tricks. At the top of the page, there is an image of the lovely Melaine lying on a beach or some place where it is so hot that you can barely wear anything. She invites you to join her magic club to get free pictures and newsletters and… Continue reading Beyond Curious — Where Is Melanie Kerr?
Okay, I swear I am not making this up. You can check out the link to the actual article.
David Blaine was hanging with his buddy Sean Penn at a fancy dancy dinner at the top of the SoHo Grand in New York. He sauntered to Jennifer Nicholson (daughter of Jack) and offered to perform a trick for her.
This is when it gets weird.
Ms. Nicholson was astounded by the effect and did the logical thing, she bit Mr. Blaine.
According to the New York Daily News, when asked why she would do such a thing, she responded:
“Well, I had to.” When he correctly selected the card that she had visualized in her mind … she bit him. ‘There was no way he could have known what card I was thinking of,’ said Nicholson. ‘So when I pulled it out of the deck, I just had to bite him.’ When legendary photographer Roxanne Lowit asked to snap a picture of Nicholson, Penn and Blaine, the designer warned, “Careful, Sean hits people you know.” Penn shot back, ‘Yeah, but you bite.’ No doubt this all makes sense in Hollywood.”
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