We just posted our article congratulating Hank Moorehouse on his well-deserved Melbourne Christopher Lifetime Achievement Award and seconds later received word Mr. Moorehouse has passed away.
“Just heard from Wayne Roger and the Society of American Magicians that Past National President Hank Moorehouse passed away last night while touring in China.”
We are stunned and deeply saddened. As we note in our previous article, Mr. Moorehouse was so involved in Magic and such a positive force for magicians in Michigan, it will be hard to imagine things without him.
He had perfect timing and knew his audiences well. Mr. Moorehouse was inventive, creative, practical and commercial. He knew good magic when he saw it and that eye gave his recommendations enormous credibility.
We will publish additional information about Mr. Moorehouse’s passing when we receive it. Our prayers are with the Moorehouse family and all those who are no doubt grieving this shocking news.
David Blaine will be in Naples on March 1, 2012 as part of town’s speaker series held at the beautiful and, by definition, ritzy Ritz-Carlton.
His talk is scheduled to follow the February 1st talk to be given by Dr. Andrew Weill. Dr. Weill is known to those who would know of such people as “a world-renowned leader and pioneer in the field of integrative medicine, a healing oriented approach to health care which encompasses body, mind, and spirit.”
Without regard to politics, it does make for an interesting cast, n’est-ce pas?
Interested in checking out the series? You’ll need $700.00 for a ticket. That gets you in to all four talks. Hungry and lonely? Well, for a mere $1,500, you can get a ducat to the dinner series, which includes a private cocktail reception, dinner and 45 minute question and answer session with the speakers. Wanting a little more, how should we phrase it, intimacy with Glenn, Doc, David and Condi? You can become a Town Hall Benefactor. Upon receipt of your cash or check for $5,250.00, you will receive “exclusive access for two with priority seating, a private cocktail reception, dinner and 45-minute question and answer period, plus entry to special events and an invitation to dine with one guest speaker.”
We considered a few people pillars of our Magic Reality. Sidney Radner, Martin Gardner, Harry Blackstone, Jr., and David Copperfield. We could not imagine magic without these four fixtures in our worldview of this wonderful art.
Mr. Radner thoroughly in loved Magic and literally held the key to some of the finest pieces of history from Magic’s Golden Age.
According to his son, William, cancer was the cause of Mr. Radner’s death.
The Times correctly observed Mr. Radner’s unique position in the preservation of magic history.
Mr. Radner is credited in the world of magicians and magic collectors with having preserved some of the most important of Houdini’s props, including the “Chinese Water Torture Cell” (a water tank in which Houdini was lowered upside down, his feet chained) and the oversize “Milk Can” he used in a similar escape stunt.
His collection also included lesser items, but for Houdini buffs equally treasured, like the lock picks Houdini hid from his audiences by swallowing them, then regurgitating them, for escapes; cylinder pulleys, key wrenches, latches, levers and tumblers he used in various tricks; and a set of charred handcuffs from the exhibit that was set up in the theater lobby for his shows, advertised by Houdini as “handcuffs used in Spain on prisoners burning to death in 1600!”
Mr. Radner’s great fortune began when he attended a convention in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1935. It was there that he met Theo Weiss a/k/a Hardeen; Houdini’s kid brother and an fine escape artist in his own right.
Like most magicians, we were intrigued by the tease and hints Creative Magic floated in the last couple of weeks.
The promised a big announcement on the 24th of June and even had a countdown clock to add to the excitement.
There should be a law against having such a build-up for such sad news.
Just after the stroke of midnight, we received word from Brian and Rebekah that as of this moment, Creative Magic was ceasing production of all items. They announced the company is closing and that the inventory will be liquidated.
We are a trusting sort here at Inside Magic. If you tell us you have a surprise for us but you cannot tell us for a week or two, we assume it will be a good surprise. If you tease us with hints and cryptic clues on Facebook, we are even more sure the surprise will be something in which we will find delight, not that we will become depressed upon its revelation. Continue reading Creative Magic to Close
John and Tammy Calvert will celebrate John’s 100th Birthday and their 50th Wedding Anniversary during a star-studded conclave of magic’s biggest stars.
Fantasma Magic’s Magic On Broadway has about a ton of star power this year. The convention and show combination visits the grand ballroom of the Hotel Pennsylvania on June 24th and 25th, 2011. Magicians include Liu Chen, Jeff McBride, David and Dania, Ed Alonzo, William Rauscher, David Roth, Simon Lovell, Christopher Hart, Johnny Fox, Todd Neufeld, Stan Allen, Joshua Jay, Leland Faulkner and Jorge Blass.
But the stars of the event will be John Calvert and his beautiful wife, Tammy.
John Calvert is a magician’s magician and Tammy is a magician’s dream. He was the first magician to perform on Broadway and in Las Vegas. His world tour holds the record for the longest-running world touring stage show in theatrical history. He was not simply a magician, however. He was and is a world-traveling performer of the first order. The handsome Mr. Calvert performed in more than 40 feature films.
Check out the trailer for the biographical documentary on this wonderful couple here: http://bit.ly/johncalvert and be sure to purchase a copy of the full DVD at their website http://www.johncalvertmagic.com.
You can learn more about the convention, the shows, the events and the scarce tickets for this once-in-a-lifetime event at Fantasma Magic’s web site at: http://www.fantasmamagic.com.
Congratulations to John and Tammy on their 50th wedding anniversary and thank you for sharing so much of your life with our wonderful art.
We just posted our article congratulating Hank Moorehouse on his well-deserved Melbourne Christopher Lifetime Achievement Award and seconds later received word Mr. Moorehouse has passed away.
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