We
mentioned in yesterday’s Inside Magic the unfortunate news that organizers were
forced to cancel Canada?s Mid-Summer Magic Festival. Juliana Chen was slated to
be one of the headliners.
Fortunately, Ms. Chen is
again in the news today – and it is very good news. The incredible Chinese Opera
student and performer will appear Friday through Sunday at the Pacific Coliseum
(Vancouver) during the Lunar New Year festival.
In a wonderful and
sometimes too candid profile, The Vancouver Province traces this dynamic artist
from her schooling in China to her return to her adopted hometown of Vancouver.
As a young woman, Ms. Chen
trained at Chinese Arts School in Hunan in ballet, Chinese Opera, and other
disciplines but not magic. She worked first as a foot juggler. “I was a ballet
dancer but the government decided that since I had very long legs, I should
foot-juggle,” she said. “You did what they told you to do.”
While audiences enjoyed
watching the act, they rarely saw her face – she was on her back most of
the time as she propelled items around with sleight of foot.
She received her big break
when she suffered two broken legs in a practice session. Her physician told her
she’d been in wheel chair before she turned 30 years old.
Ms. Chen had admired the
magicians in her circus and had been practicing on the side. She focused on
manipulation – magic props were tough to find – and within a few years, she was
pulling down $2.00 a month.
(Of course, that’s 1988
dollars so it would really be closer to $4.25 a month by today’s standards).
After immigrating to
Canada, Ms. Chen continued her practice and performances. In 1997, her decision
to study magic and years of practice paid off when The World Congress of
Magicians in Dresden, Germany named her the first woman champion of
sleight-of-hand.
What does she think of
David Copperfield?
She told the paper that
“she isn?t the biggest fan” of the magician.
How about other females in
magic?
“I don’t see any other
females who are on par with me yet. Mostly, they do simple manipulation or are
there to look sexy and get cut in half by someone.”
We have no idea how Magician Nathan Burton fare at the end of the E! cable network series, “The Entertainer,” but we know he is still in the running and he will be managed by Mr. Las Vegas, Wayne Newton.
Mr. Burton’s agreement with E! specified that the veteran entertainer had the option of taking over the management of the young magician. Mr. Newton accepted representation for Mr. Burton as well as singer Jennifer Joseph and prop comic Joe Trammel.
What the new management will mean for Mr. Burton and his current gig at the Desert Passage mall in “V - The Ultimate Variety Show,” is not clear. David Saxe, brother of Inside Magic’s Favorite, Melinda, told the Las Vegas Review Journal that “the concept of ‘V’ doesn’t rely on any one particular person.”
Hmmm. That’s reassuring, not.
But perhaps more significant than his new management, his great exposure on national television, his tremendous work in ‘V,’ is the foolhardy risk of his own life he intends to carry out. In a stunt set for March 9th through the 15th, the young man will push the envelope one more time.
From his press release:
Houdini submerged himself while shackled in chains; David Blaine was enclosed in a box by himself; but Nathan Burton will be accomplishing this feat Vegas-style — sandwiched between seven sexy, scantily-clad showgirls. No food, no water — only an endless supply of energy drinks! Upon completion of the seven-day challenge, the glass box will be transported under heavy security to a network television studio in Hollywood to be opened before a live national audience.
From memory, we recall Houdini had contemplated almost exactly the same stunt. Houdini’s sexist mentor Harry Kellar urged him to give up the notion saying:
“no man of our manner can survive such foolishness. I fear, my good friend, you will go mad, else die of exhaustion, frustration, or die by gunshot from Bess ostensibly to put you out of your misery. Remember Chung Ling Soo. Women, Houdini, Women!”
We wish Mr. Burton good luck in the competition and his new management situation. We fear for his safety and sanity in the upcoming stunt.
Check out one of the best magic websites we’ve seen in quite a while.
Mike Weatherford, Entertainment writer for the Las Vegas Review Journal, reports this morning that Rick Thomas has decided to leave the Tropicana to accept a contract with the Stardust Hotel and Casino.Mr. Thomas will perform his last show at the Trop on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17th, and open at the Stardust just one week later, March 25th.
Mr. Thomas is too professional and too much a gentleman to discuss the reason for his departure.He has been with the Trop since 1997 and does not want to discourage ticket sales or be seen as disloyal to his long-time employer.
There has been speculation for months whether the Trop would remain a going concern.Mr. Thomas’ departure would seem to indicate he was seeking the relative certainty of the Stardust over his present home.
Mr. Weatherford quotes an unnamed source close to Mr. Thomas as saying the illusionist was “waiting for news like everyone else.”Ultimately, the source said, “everyone had to make some educated choices.”
Coincidentally, Reuters is reporting today that Aztar Corp., the Trop’s parent, missed expectations by announcing a dramatic loss in profit for the fourth quarter of 2004.Read Reuters’ article here.
Mr. Thomas will continue performances in the afternoon as at the Trop.He is consistently rated one of the best shows on the Strip ? day or night.We’ve seen his show several times and have been so impressed by not only his style and presence but the originality of his effects.Mr. Thomas received a standing ovation at the recent Magic Live convention.His performance of Asrah ended with a twist that completely devastated the audience.We won’t give away the surprise ending ? trust us, though.
The Trop says they’ll fill the afternoon show schedule with a new act soon.We wish Mr. Thomas, his troupe, his cats, and family the best of luck on the start of their next venture.
Escape artist, Dixie Dooley will need to find a new home for his Las Vegas show. The Riviera Hotel and Casino’s Le Bistro Theatre has reverted to the hotel’s control at the end of its subcontracting agreement with Marlene Ricci.
Cabaret singer, Ms. Ricci’s three-year lease of the theater ended Tuesday, February 1st.Ms. Ricci was subletting the room to other acts under an arrangement called “four-walling” or “rent-the-room.”Mr. Dooley’s show was one of those acts leasing the theater from Ms. Ricci.
At the end of the lease to Ms. Ricci, the Riviera assumed control of the theater.The new management will convert the location into a nightclub called Syn City.Two of the former four-walled acts will remain on under the Riviera’s control but Mr. Dooley is not one of the lucky ones.
“America’s Neil Diamond Tribute” with Jay White and “Dr. Scott’s Outrageous Comedy Hypnosis Show” with Scott Lewis will remain with the new Riviera management.
The surviving shows will have a better deal by renting directly from the Riviera.The performers will have their advertising placed inside the hotel’s guest rooms.Additionally, the shows will run about twenty minutes longer.
You can read the full article in The Las Vegas Review Journal by clicking here.
We received exciting news from Joe Turner, top-flight magician and consistently great critic of videos for Genii.
Mr. Turner just returned from working the National Automobile Dealers Association trade show in New Orleans where he had a chance to meet and entertain Ed McMahon.
While Mr. Turner was working his client?s booth, a video crew moved through hall filming Mr. McMahon?s visit. He waited patiently for the crew to come close to his client?s booth, with a deck of cards in hand and ready to perform. The video crew noticed Mr. Turner, saw the deck of cards, and asked him to perform a magic trick for Mr. McMahon on camera.
Being a cooperative type of person and confident enough in his skills to perform for the audience he was about to encounter, Mr. Turner showed his guest a card trick and received instant positive feedback. Mr. Turner writes, ?Mr. McMahon was wonderful and enthusiastic about meeting me and seeing me perform ? his first comment to the crowd as I was performing was ?Johnny Carson loved magic! He would love this stuff!??
We can?t imagine higher praise.
During his work on the Tonight Show, Mr. McMahon saw some of our Art?s best perform live; including, Lance Burton, Harry Blackstone, Jr., David Copperfield, and Mark Wilson. He also had a chance to see even more magicians through his hosting of Star Search and co-hosting of the Jerry Lewis Telethon. The man knows good magic when he sees it.
But Mr. Turner is more than a great magician and a confident performer. He is ever-loyal to his paying clients. Despite the excitement, he was sure to mention the sponsor while performing. We?re guessing his client has got to be happy with the choice of trade show staff. Mr. Turner not only drew potential customers to the booth, he enlisted the talents of the premier television pitchman. The video was to be broadcast to the convention.
By the time Mr. Turner finished his effect, a sizeable crowd had gathered around the two men. Mr. McMahon smiled and finished out the segment by announcing, “Hey, you should all come back in an hour — he’s going to set himself on fire!”
Mr. Turner modestly points out that tradeshow magicians in New York and L.A. may encounter the famous every day, but for him it was a ?very cool brush with greatness.? If the video becomes available, we?ll do our best to get it available to Inside Magic readers.
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