We don’t know K.C. Vetter and we use the word “know” in the non-biblical sense. That’s not to say we know her in the biblical sense, either.
We just don’t know her, that’s all. But we wish we did. We checked out her other opinion pieces on The Western Courier and were impressed by her production and novel approach.
But
we enjoyed — although we did not know why we enjoyed — what K.C.
Vetter knew or did not know about David Copperfield’s well-publicized
Magical Impregnation effect. She writes in The Western Courier this afternoon with either the satiric pen of Swift or youthful innocence.
Ms. Vetter suggests magic may have lost its gusto.
The
tricks aren’t as impressive anymore. “Some people believe in
magic and some don’t. Magic is meant to entertain, whether it’s real or
not. But when is magic taken too far?”
The author suggests Mr.
Copperfield “doesn’t seem content with those accomplishments. Now he’s
going to kick it up a notch and essentially be playing God.”
She asks the musical question, “Wait a second. He’s going to make a girl pregnant right on stage? I don’t think so.”
Ms.
Vetter wonderfully accepts the premise and then considers the real-life
implications of making someone pregnant on stage.
For instance, she asks, “How can he prove that he did it?”
Will
she be followed for the next nine months, take a pregnancy test? Plus,
Ms. Vetter asks, “how will we know she wasn’t pregnant when she came to
the show?”
This really is a charming article and we’re not trying to be patronizing. But consider her last three paragraphs :
But
this is stupid. There aren’t any tests that can be done to prove this
woman got pregnant right there on stage. I suppose she could take a
pregnancy test right there in front of a crowd to prove that she’s
really not pregnant when this whole thing starts. But then what?
Implantation of an embryo to the walls of the uterus can take days. It
just won’t work.
And one final question is how he is going to find a
woman to participate? Is he just going to put up flyers asking who
wants to be the present day Mother of God?
The only moral way I see
this working out so it is acceptable to his viewers would be to use a
nun. Then he’d really be playing God. Impregnating a virgin through
Immaculate Conception and all.
We scan the news wires
around the world throughout the day and found no other writer asking
these questions. Ms. Vetter isn’t naive; she’s insightful and
charming.
Ricky Boone is one of the regulars at the South Carolina
Association of Magicians Convention but there is almost nothing
“regular” about him. Despite his handicaps and set-backs, Mr. Boone has
pushed on not only with a sense of humor and love for magic, but also
with a real talent to truly entertain audiences.
Heroes
come in all shapes and sizes. For example, take Ricky Boone, a
professional magician who lives in western North Carolina. A remarkable
person, he has risen above physical disabilities to succeed as a
performer and business owner. Through it all he has been guided and
strengthened by family and friends, an unwavering faith in God, and a
passion for stage magic.
Ricky was born forty-five years ago in
the tiny town of Burnsville, North Carolina, in the heart of the
Appalachian Mountains. As an infant he developed a rare bone disease
that prevented his body from developing fully. Combined with severe
scoliosis, it has kept him in a wheelchair for the last four decades.
His
parents decided early on that their son would have every opportunity
they could possibly give him. With that in mind they moved to
Asheville, NC in 1973, so he could attend a school for physically
challenged students. He was thirteen at the time. “Meeting the school
principal was the turning point in my life,” he relates. The first time
he saw the man, he rode onto campus on a motorcycle, pulled up to Ricky
and some other students, introduced himself, and then entertained them
for several minutes by doing coin tricks.
“I got hooked on magic
right there,” Ricky says. This began a long friendship between him and
the principal. The school official encouraged his interest in magic.
Through long hours of practice he mastered illusion after illusion, and
in his teen years began doing shows. By graduation he was an
accomplished magician.
After high school he entered college,
eventually earning degrees in accounting, computer programming and
small business administration. “Every time I was about to graduate they
would come up with another major that interested me, and back to school
I’d go,” he says with a smile. After finishing his studies a local
company approached him with a job offer, and for the next nine years he
was a bookkeeper and assistant manager for the firm. “I liked the
people I worked with, and the pay was good,” he relates, “but I always
felt there was something missing in my life.” That something was magic.
Ricky’s
chance to return to his first love came when the company he worked for
closed. He used his savings to open Magic Central, his shop in
Weaverville, NC. He also began to line up shows. Eventually he was
touring the East Coast from Florida to Massachusetts. “We performed in
some interesting places,” he says, “from churches and schools to seedy
bars on the wrong side of town.”
One memorable moment came after
a show he did at a tavern in Waynesville, NC. As he and his assistants
were packing up his equipment, a burly, hostile looking man approached
them. He stood in front of Ricky, gave him a long look, then reached
out to shake his hand. “I just wanted to tell you God spoke to me
during… Continue reading Ricky Boone: An Inspiring Story
Lance Burton teams with The History Channel to present a special two-hour program on our hero.
The special, Houdini: Unlocking the Mystery, premieres this evening on the History Channel.
The investigation into Houdini is not a new concept. This is
well-trod ground but according to the very cynical Variety Magazine -
the defacto Industry Rag for the Entertainment Biz – says Mr. Burton’s
show is not just good, it could bring a whole new audience to Houdini.
You don’t often read such complimentary prose from Variety:
An auction of Houdini collectibles provides the excuse
for yet another documentary about the legendary magician that
nevertheless proves extremely interesting — an unsentimental portrait
capturing both his enduring influence and cultural importance in
turn-of-the-century entertainment.
Beyond a better understanding of the man, the various aficionados
who weigh in include the usually mum half of Penn & Teller, who is
shot in silhouette so as not to see him speak. It’s just one of the
nifty wrinkles in this unusually engaging specspec.
Although a Halloween-timed confection, docudocu also explores the
significance Houdini held for early 20th century immigrants (a point
alluded to in the book and musical “Ragtime”), offering symbolic escape
from their drudgery as they toiled in backbreaking jobs.
Blessed with an instinctive genius for marketing, his ascent from
poverty to vaudeville’s highest-paid performer burnished his
credentials as a populist hero.
Wow! That is saying quite a bit. The History Channel sums it up by suggesting, “Houdini
represents the kind of History Channel fare that if sold properly could
help bridge the gap to younger audiences — a program that entertains
without pandering or sacrificing its historical legitimacy.”
Frankly, we never tire of anything about Houdini. But we also know
we love his story, myth, and legend precisely because we were hooked as
an elementary school student.
That Mr. Burton, our era’s Master Magician, has apparently been able
to once again find a way to introduce Houdini to a new generation of
magic-lovers is perhaps a further testament his importance in our art.
We’ll be watching tonight – flipping between Lance Burton and Criss
Angel. It’s sort of the magic equivalent to the New Year’s football
bowl schedule. It’s all good.
The Morris Daily Herald features front-and-center with the story of Dr. Mark Kaschube’s Annual Halloween Magic Show accompanied by the slug-line “Wicked Fun.”
This
struck us ironic or true. Sometimes when our mouth is filled with
appliances, partially numbed, constantly dried, wedged and contorted,
beneath an alum-covered dental dam, our nitrous oxide-affected mind
wanders to places beyond the 2000 watt light looking for our “happy
place.” Is our dentist enjoying her own special “wicked fun”?
If so, shouldn’t she be covering our co-pay?
Some
would suggest — as they have in our group-therapy sessions as late as
yesterday — we shouldn’t assume our appointments with our doctor mean
anything to her. She takes no pleasure in hurting us. In
fact, she has to cause us pain to prevent us from having pain
later.
Still, call us paranoid (and we know you and your
little clique call us that and worse) but we think she does take a
perverse pleasure in causing us pain. Maybe it’s the dog-collar
she makes us wear and that she works out of her mini-van.
We digress.
Dr.
Kaschube recalls with fondness a disturbing image. “I remember when I
was a kid and I was having my braces done on my teeth. My orthodontist
? Dr. John Bonaguro, in South Holland, Ill., where I grew up ? had six
chairs in his room, with kids sitting in them, facing away from each
other,” Dr. Kaschube said. “And he would walk in between the
chairs ? his audience ? and he told jokes, and he was funny, and had us
all laughing.”
“It was actually fun to go to the dentist,” he
said. “And later I worked for him part-time, not knowing then that I
was honing my skills. But I also learned from him that you can be a
dentist and still be open and funny with your patients. You can make it
fun to go to the dentist, believe it or not.”
We’ll take his word for it.
“I
suppose all kids get bit by the ‘magic bug’ at some point in their
childhood,” he said. “With me, though, it happened when I was five
years old. And it stuck.”
The Dentist Magician uses the allure
of magic and illusion appeals to a childlike fascination in everyone,
separating the real from the imaginary, causing those in the magician?s
audience to choose between what they think they know and what they
think they are seeing.
“It?s a suspension of disbelief,” he
explained. “With magic, it’s neat to just relax and let your brain take
a break. You see the seemingly impossible suddenly appear possible.”
Like when our dentist gives us Rohypnol (“roofies”).
“As
a magician,” he said, “one of the greatest things is someone in the
audience yelling out to you, ‘Do it one more time!’ They feel this
burning need to believe what they?re seeing, even though their rational
mind tells them it can’t possibly be real.”
Those of you who regularly attend the convention know what a great time it is and this year's line-up is awesome!
For the past eight years, the Motor City Close-Up Convention has
featured an outstanding line-up of magicians recognized and respected
for their performing style, creativity, and skill.
Be sure to join in on the fun and attend what is turning out to be
the premiere close-up convention in the Midwest. All events take
place at the Ramada Inn of Taylor, Michigan, located four miles east of
the Detroit Metropolitan Airport at I-75 and Eureka Road.
Phone (734) 283-2200 for room reservations and other hotel
information. Register right now. You can find more convention
information by going to the convention web site.
There will be four lectures, two optional workshops and three
close-up shows. Both, Gazzo and Paul will be conducting workshops. The
workshops will fill up quickly. Sign up for the workshop of your choice
as soon as possible.
GAZZO
is one of the world's most entertaining and experienced street workers.
He has performed on stages all over the world including festivals,
nightclubs, and world famous cruise ships — including the QE2.
From cruise ships to Las Vegas showrooms, Gazzo has wowed them all.
His brand of comedy is perfect for almost any situation, and his skills
as a performer of the impossible are beyond even the wildest of
imaginations. Gazzo is a favorite at the Magic Castle in Hollywood.
His rare appearances at magic conventions are always a hit.
This will be a chance for you to experience a performance from a
magician and entertainer who is rightly regarded as one of the best
there is. "When you see Gazzo perform, you're getting 200%. He's
100%magician and 100% comedian.
The two aspects of his character simultaneously feed and devour each
other to produce a riotously entertaining street act that would burst
Merlin of Camelot's eyeballs and the spleen of insult comedian Don
Rickles." – Ed Parrish, Magic Magazine
PAUL GREEN
is a working close-up magician. From private parties for the Hollywood
elite; Beverly Hills restaurants; to Trade Shows for Fortune 500
companies, he has done it all! For over 30 years, Paul has been a
regular performer at the Magic Castle. He has appeared at conventions
from Las Vegas to Australia. He specializes in making magic memorable
for audiences in the real world. Does Paul have the experience? You bet
he does!
Paul Green was awarded the Lecturer of the Year Award from the Academy of Magical Arts at the Magic Castle in 2002.
His DVD on the Classic Force is "the" essential learning tool for
gaining the skill for this devastating sleight-of-hand tool. His DVD,
In the Trenches, has been touted around the world as being filled with
some of the strongest magic available. Paul is one of magic's great
teachers, and you will be adding his material to your own personal
repertoire.
Above all, Paul Green is a friendly and approachable guy. He loves
talking about magic with everyone. This is your chance to meet him and
learn from him.
LONNIE CHEVRIE
can draw a standing ovation from a crowded room with the snap of his
fingers. With a seemingly simple flick of the wrist, he can astonish an
adult or delight a child.
Sound like magic? It is.
A two-time winner of the Texas Association of Magicians Best
Close-up Magic award, Lonnie Chevrie is West Texas foremost magician
and sleight-of-hand artist. Today, Lonnie's talents seem to extend
beyond the conventional boundaries of magic.
His digital dexterity allows him to defy the laws of physics,
whether he's working with coins, a deck of cards, or creating a
sleight-of-hand illusion with ordinary everyday objects. Because of his
magical skill and charismatic personality, neither of which is an
illusion, the award-winning magician enjoys a strong following.
His popularity keeps him busy performing regularly. Watching Lonnie
perform his special brand of close-up magic can be mind-boggling. Now
it's your turn to witness the sleight-of-hand magic of this soft-spoken
gentleman with the engaging smile. Experience the skill and magical
talents of LONNIE CHEVRIE. You will be amazed!
NATHAN KRANZO
is a full time magician from Flushing, Michigan. His main focus is
close up magic. Nathan studied Industrial Design, Special Effects, and
Movie Making at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh.
Besides performing for real people, Nathan is also highly sought
after by magicians as a lecturer. He has performed and lectured all
over the United States and Europe. His original performance material
has been published in national and worldwide publications, such as
Genii Magazine, Magic Magazine, The Penumbra, Channel One, Half Baked,
and The Linking Ring.
Nate is part of The Next Generation of Magic. He thinks "outside the
box." This is exemplified by his amazing work with everything from
cards and coins to breath mints and tan lines. Let Nathan teach you how
to think "outside the box" and have fun doing it.
Some of the dealers signed up already include: Hank Moorehouse, Mint
Magic, Gordon Miller, The Magic Shop, Uncanny Kevin, John Born, and
more to be announced later.
The 
Recent Comments