We’ve been following the incredible Gopinath Muthukad for quite a while.He set out in India a while back with a mission to spread the teachings of Gandhi with magic.
In fact, Mr. Muthukad spent the last year and a half doing magic and telling audiences the magic that comes from peace and the pursuit of peace.
He ended his last show with the Indian Flag pulled from a change bag.
Mr. Muthukad told the audience the purpose of the trick was to show how the three differing colors shoved into the bag and came out as a flag, showed that three colours united the Hindus, Muslims and Christians of India.
How dedicated is Mr. Muthukad?He and his 45 member troupe covered 22 states in India, as well as Nepal, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, several Gulf states and France with their show.
“It was important to end here because this is where Gandhiji had started his path to become the Mahatma,” Mr. Muthukad said.
Mr. Muthukad isn’t done, though.
The final step will be a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi to report on the conclusion of the tour.
Organizers of Richmond, British Columbia?s Midsummer Magic Festival have reluctantly cancelled the festival scheduled for this July.
The organizers had hoped to draw 50,000 to 100,000 visitors from around the world to see Midsummer Magic Festival and Juliana Chen and Murray Hatfield.
Unfortunately, said executive director Clive Court, ?After a three-month sponsorship campaign, we decided there was just not enough public or corporate support out there to produce a viable event. It’s been a very tough time for all events depending on both government and corporate sponsorship – and next to impossible for start-ups like ourselves.?
The society?s board will meet this spring to determine if it makes sense to take another run at the festival.Unfortunately, Mr. Court noted, ?Stockholm, Sweden, will be hosting The World Congress of Magicians in July 2006 and that will draw major performers away from North America. This could push up talent and travel costs.?
The Las Vegas Walk of Stars announced their top 100 nominees for the Hollywood-like path along the Strip.Included in the 100 nominees were Steve Wynn, Frank Sinatra, Celine Dion, Wayne Newton (first star on walk), and Liberace (second star on walk).
Siegfried & Roy were not named in the top 100 nominees.Lance Burton, The Fifth Dimension, David Copperfield, and Penn & Tellar (sic) were.
The committee reacted to the public outcry over the Duo?s exclusion and claimed the omission was a ?clerical error.??They always were and still are at the very top of the list.We are ready to honor them with a star once they are ready.?
We buy the ?clerical error? excuse to a point.After all, they couldn?t spell Teller?s name correctly.But misspelled or not, Siegfried & Roy should have been included or their omission should have been caught.
We suspect the actual problem can be found in the fine print on the Las Vegas Walk of Stars website.To have your name put into star form, you have to have performed in Clark County and be willing to pay $15,000.00 per star.You must pay for any ?additional pomp and circumstance? (whatever that means). The $15,000.00 pays just for the star, the certificate from the authorities, and if you are a woman, flowers.We?re not making this up.
The official press release for the Las Vegas Walk of Stars did not mention Siegfried & Roy but apparently a later missive copped to the ?clerical error.?The first press release did mention, however, that you could call a toll-free number to sponsor your favorite star?s place on the Walk.You only needed to… Continue reading What?! Siegfried & Roy Left Off Vegas Walk of Stars
Preservation Online reports today that the City of Detroit has backed out of a deal with a preservation group and will destroy the famous Statler Hotel.In October 1926, Houdini collapsed after performing at the nearby Garrick Theater (previously destroyed) and was taken to his posh suite at the Statler.
The hotel?s doctor was called to check on the patient and ordered him to go to Grace Hospital.Houdini refused until the young physician called the great magician?s own doctor in New York to receive a second opinion.Houdini was immediately taken into the operating theater and would die a few days later on Halloween, 1926.
The Statler Hotel was the crown jewel of the family owned Statler Company and became the model for other high-end hotels in large cities across America.It survived The Great Depression, World War II, and even the slump in hotel business from the growth of motor inns or motels.
Conrad Hilton was so impressed by the hotel chain that he purchased the business from the widow of its founder for a then record $111,000,000.It was the largest private land purchase in American history.
The Statler?s fortunes fell in synch with the city in which it once shown.From 1950 until 2000, Detroit lost half of its population to surrounding suburbs and the once grand neighborhood became unseemly.Travelers perceived the area to be dangerous and avoided downtown hotels.
We’ve been following the incredible Gopinath Muthukad for quite a while. He set out in India a while back with a mission to spread the teachings of Gandhi with magic. 
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