Bob Steiner, SAM Past National President and Chair of the Freedom from Drugs Program, will chair a blue ribbon panel entitled “Magic with a Message” at the National Convention in Boston, July 7 at 9:30 PM.
The panel will suggest many ways to communicate this important message, benefiting the audience members for a lifetime, while entertaining young people with your magic. Other members of the panel will include award-winning drug counselor Harris Deutsch, probation officer Tom Gentile and SAM past national president Jann Wherry Goodsell.
Mr. Deutsch is popularly known to magic fans and certainly readers of Ring 2100 and SAMTALK as The Nearly Normal Magician and a self-proclaimed Doctor of Laughology.
We have featured Mr. Deutsch in past issues of Inside Magic and complimented his website design and graphics so much we were accused of trying to “guilt the lilac” by one reader.
Mr. Deutsch works with Middle and High School Students in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, their families and community. His official title is a Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist. Deutsch is much more. Along with his clinical
skills, Harris has many tricks in his counseling briefcase. (This could be a business briefcase or a blue Duck-Tales gym bag) He cleverly combines the arts of improvisational theatre, magic, puppetry including marionettes
and ventriloquism to create energizing events which will have you laughing and thinking. He was awarded the 2002 COMBAT Substance Prevention Specialist of the Year. His lovely wife Annie’s background in theatre as an actress and
director is instrumental in Harris’ programs.
But Mr. Deutsch’s work in schools is not the only foundation upon which constructed his nearly normal counseling, entertaining, and lecturing work. He was at one time in the Big House. Prior to his work in prevention, he worked at Kansas’ Oldest Bed and Breakfast. Some of you may know this as Kansas Correctional Facilities. Mr. Deutsch took on the position of Primary Counselor for the Maximum Security prisoners.
Richard Pryor said the best thing about being funny in prison is that you don’t get beat-up. The worst thing, he said, was when you run out of jokes. Mr. Deutsch discovered his special talent on the maximum security yard where he entertained the lifers and serious bad guys with a game of “Harris Sez” (his version of
Simon’s Game).
Mr. Deutsch has been described as a cross between a family-oriented improvisational comedian, and Mr. Rogers.
Check out his website and be sure to attend his presentation at the SAM in Boston. He will not only speak from experience but will do so in a nearly normal manner.
Congratulations to Mr. Deutsch and thank you for making all of us look good.
First, we want to apologize for the delay in publishing this review of Michigan Magic Day (“MMD”). We could blame the delay on many things but the truth is we had to pawn the Inside Magic computer to get enough money to buy back some organs we had put up as collateral the last time we needed quick cash. Your state or country may be different, but Michigan does not regulate pawn shops’ preservation of organ tissue left as collateral on ‘consumer loans.’
This lack of regulation is not a big deal if you’re leaving a guitar or video equipment because you expect they’ll be returned – if you can raise the cash to get them out of hock – with a few dings and dents. But as our local television news under-cover team reported in their week-long series, ‘Liars for Livers,’ pawnshop owners often do little more than throw them untagged into a salt-water fish tank with the other human collateral.
Anyway, the organs we consider ‘vital’ are back and working but we had to trade-in the Commodore 64 and the single-sided hard drive to spring them from their salt-water storage unit. We are writing this review on the computer at the Mystic Hollow Public Library. That means it will be a short and clean piece. We only have computer access for one hour; plus they have a porn and filth blocker that keeps it free of curse words.
In fact, we needed the Assistant Head Librarian’s approval to use the word ‘organ.’
Michigan Magic Day was a success regardless of the method used to measure. It had more participants than any other, the dealers were actually pleased or, more accurately, not despondent by the sales, and the acts were great. Upon Chris Reesman and his associates, great praise and thanks should be lavished.
The lectures were very well-attended and more importantly, appreciated. Under this year’s MMD format, each lecturer was kept to a 40 minute block (We are not sure what that is in Metric). This was a plus because it gave us all a chance to see top-shelf guys (and they were all male) perform and teach without being torn between simultaneously scheduled lectures. This was a negative because each of the masters was restricted to just about 40 minutes.
Who would want to see David Acer (pronounced ‘Day – vid’) or Losander or Whit Haydn or Johnny Thompson for only 40 minutes? But that was the trade-off for seeing them all together.
Because the format required the lecturers to focus their material, this trade-off was actually more than acceptable. Mr. Haydn was the very first subject of the Inside Magic Celebrity Interview and was therefore the reason we had enough hits on the site to justify a second edition of Inside Magic. He also used his forty minute slot to perform and teach his life-changing routine “The Intricate Web of Distraction.”
Chances are you are not familiar with this ground-breaking routine. It is unique in so many ways but significantly the only one in which Color Changing Knives are used to perform an effect where the audience has no inkling the knife has ever changed color. We can tell you that this… Continue reading Michigan Magic Day – Outstanding
If you are like me – and I know I am – you no doubt have grown tired of the constant media coverage of magic and magicians.
It seems no tabloid is complete without the obligatory ‘Magic Scandal’ replete with embarrassing snap-shots showing this or the other with him or her while they were here or there.
We won’t get into the exploitive semi-nude photos some of the European and UK rags publish on their inside pages to boost circulation of their readership and any red-blooded reader.
The reason we see the latest scandals in 36 point type emblazoned across papers and mags is because next to sex, Magic sells. Actually anything next to sex sells but editors believe Magic sells papers even if there is no sexual connotation.
An article in the recent edition of Editor and Publisher – a very legitimate review of print journalism – had no less than three articles documenting how print publications rely upon Magic stories as a crutch. One quote is instructive. In “Will the Old Saw Still Cut the Mustard?” William Hardice recalls his first editor at the now-defunct Chicago Daily News telling him, “Son, one day you’ll be a City Editor like me. You’ll have two hours to deadline and a gaping, sucking hole on the front page. Your stomach will turn, the sweating will start, and then you’ll drop to your knees to pray for a school bus crash, a sex scandal, or a magic war.”
Mr. Holdice, former City or Metro Editor at several of the nation’s top papers confirms the prophesy. ‘A good magic dispute or ‘war’ fills the hole and sucks in the readers.’
The practice of exploiting every magician faux-pas or personality dispute is tried-and-true. As Chicago First Baseman and Rifleman Star Chuck Connors famously noted, ‘you dance with the horse you rode in on.’
I can’t be surprised by the flood of reporters filling the lobbies of every convention hotel looking for a story or candid shot of one our stars messing up a pass, or fudging a false shuffle. How many more times must we see the grainy, telephoto shots of Guy Tussle losing his pinky break during an otherwise outstanding Ambitious Card Routine?
We are often betrayed by those we consider our own. Every newspaper of merit or cable channel has their designated talking magic ‘authority’ to give ‘insight’ into the latest magic news.
In my humble but elitist opinion I doubt any working magician would consider these men and women to be expert or their insights meaningful. Recall the press onslaught at last year’s convention. MSNBC’s ‘expert’ Tony Spain actually opined ‘most modern levitations today use rare earth magnets rather than extensive rigging. That’s why David Copperfield will not permit anyone wearing metal or carrying a compass to sit in the first three rows of his show.’
Forget that Mr. Spain has just exposed one of the best effects in Magic and rendered useless years of research and development necessary to devise Mr. Copperfield’s Flying illusion, he is just plain wrong. I spoke with Mr. Copperfield’s advance woman and learned the ‘no metal or compass rule’ has always been in effect and theaters less room… Continue reading Magic Media Onslaught – Two Sides of a Flipper-Half
No one less than G.K. Chesterton considered individuals such as John Carney when he wrote “there is a great man who makes every man feel small. But the real great man is the man who makes every man feel great.”
Over the top?
Maybe not.
Consider his skills and awards: he’s won every category for The Magic Castle Magician of the Year; two FISM Awards; tutored under Dai Vernon; and author of some of the best books on sleight of hand written.
But Mr. Carney could easily rest on his laurels but chances are it would not be a comfortable seat or a comfortable fit. His work writing, lecturing, and coaching benefits magicians of all levels.
Plus, the guy can do a pretty good show.
Well, now the man who brought you On Palming, Secrets, and Carneycopia, has taken on a new venture.
Mr. Carney’s Wonder Cabaret combines his love of magic, comedy, and music into a full show for viewing this summer. Each weekend (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) from June 3rd to July 3rd, audiences will have a chance to enjoy new routines, musical and comedic pieces intermingled (which is legal in California) with great magic.
If that is not enough for you, we have it on great authority that the incredible Mr. Mysto will make an appearance.
Like all good things, this incredible run will have a short run. If you’re interested in great entertainment, make plans to attend. The price couldn’t be more reasonable, just $15.00. Reservations are recommended and all shows will be held in of the nicest venues in the NoHo Arts District, the Actor’s Forum Theatre, at 10655 Magnolia Blvd, North Hollywood, California.
You can check out the menu of great performers for this brief smorgasbord by visiting Carney Magic.
Congratulations to Mr. Carney and thank you on behalf of all those of us who have been urged towards greatness by your kindness and talent.
We heard from Arthur Trace, our new friend and one of Chicago’s top magicians. The man featured recently in the pages of The Windy City’s papers and Inside Magic, announced he’s busy producing Three of a Kind: A Magic Show to debut, June 24th, at the beautiful Woodstock Opera House in Woodstock, Illinois.
We used to broadcast for a local radio station in the area and were always intrigued by the horrific story of the Opera House’s ghost, Elvira, but that’s a whole ‘nother story.
Mr. Trace will perform with accomplished fellow magicians Mike Didomenico and Tomas. These three will perform a show that is one of a kind — each offering their unique approach to the same art of entertainment.
Mr. Trace will offer “artistic magic,” Tomas is set to amaze (and perhaps gross out) with his famous comedic slant, and Mr. Didomenico brings a little Las Vegas to the rustic environs of Woodstock. Each of the trio is accomplished and nationally-known for their performances “off Broadway” at the Magic Castle, and on Fox television. David London will emcee the production.
Doors open at 7:30 and tickets are a mere $15.00. Elvira and The Woodstock Opera House are located at 121 Van Buren Street, Woodstock, IL. Woodstock is a pleasant drive from virtually anywhere in the Chicago or Milwaukee area. Tickets are on-sale through the Opera House Box Office at (815) 338-5300.
Do not miss this show. We guarantee you will enjoy the evening.
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