Magic Live! 2009

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David Thomas
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Magic Live! 2009

Postby David Thomas » November 10th, 2008, 6:55 pm

I am planning on attending magic live! in 2009. Anyone else planning on going?

Stuart Hooper
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Re: Magic Live! 2009

Postby Stuart Hooper » November 10th, 2008, 8:03 pm

Yes.

Dave Egleston
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Re: Magic Live! 2009

Postby Dave Egleston » November 10th, 2008, 9:28 pm

Stuart Hooper wrote:Yes.


Don't let this discourage anyone, it'll still be fun.

See you there Hooper

Dave

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Re: Magic Live! 2009

Postby magicman1953 » November 10th, 2008, 9:49 pm

Hope its fun.... I'll be there....Scott B.

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Re: Magic Live! 2009

Postby Stuart Hooper » November 10th, 2008, 10:46 pm

Hahaha, glad you're coming, Dave!

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MaxNY
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Re: Magic Live! 2009

Postby MaxNY » November 10th, 2008, 10:50 pm

Been to all 3, will be there again.

How about that new Hotel? I hope they get a shuttle service going to the strip by then.

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Richard Kaufman
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Re: Magic Live! 2009

Postby Richard Kaufman » November 10th, 2008, 11:37 pm

I'll be there. And the hotel already has a shuttle service to both the Strip and the airport.
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Donal Chayce
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Re: Magic Live! 2009

Postby Donal Chayce » November 11th, 2008, 1:53 am

I'll be there--booked my room a week ago.
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Re: Magic Live! 2009

Postby Tom Dobrowolski » November 11th, 2008, 1:19 pm

I will be there again.

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Re: Magic Live! 2009

Postby naquada » November 12th, 2008, 3:46 am

trying to toss up between magic live! and fism.. can't afford both... :(
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Stuart Hooper
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Re: Magic Live! 2009

Postby Stuart Hooper » November 12th, 2008, 9:51 am

I'm having the same quandary, I was so sure I was going to go to FISM and now...not so sure. Is it worth it? I'm so big on lectures and dealers rooms, but less so on contests. Magic Live! is a known quality, and one way or another has to come first for me.

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Re: Magic Live! 2009

Postby naquada » November 12th, 2008, 11:28 am

well the dealers area at fism last time was pretty big... and they had some lectures...

tough one... :)
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Richard Kaufman
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Re: Magic Live! 2009

Postby Richard Kaufman » November 12th, 2008, 1:43 pm

There is so much great magic in Asia--stuff that no one in the west has ever seen--and that's what they should be presenting. The acts they've announced all look very good--but we've seen them before. I'm happy to watch them again, but I don't have to go to Beijing to do it.

The illegal videotaping of lectures and shows (both close-up and stage) is rampant in mainland China. Performers are very hesitant to lecture because they assume (with some likelihood) that their lectures will be illegally videotaped and then sold. Ditto for any lecture notes they sell, which will be minimal since most Chinese can't read English. But those that are sold will likely be translated into Chinese and then sold or passed around. The mainland Chinese have zero understanding of intellectual property rights.

Last time, FISM was held in Stockholm. Last time I looked, there were less than 20 dealers signed up for Beijing. FISM usually has between 60 and 70 dealers.

The organizers in Stockholm were reasonably vigorous in keeping pirated items out of the dealer room. The situation in mainland China is entirely different. Dealers are hesitant to go because any of the items they sell will likely be copied and sold for a fraction of the price within weeks.

Look at Masuda's "WOW," which is now being knocked off in China and sold by dealers in the United States for as little as $5. Having watched the TV special of Tomo Maeda's in which Masuda was featured, I saw that Masuda and his family hand make all of his marketed tricks sitting around their kitchen table. Companies like Mak Magic, which is selling the cheap Chinese copies of "WOW," are ruining that family business. And American magicians are to blame as well, because they walk into a shop and buy the cheap copy for $10 or $20 rather than the original for $50. Why does the original cost so much? Because it's handmade by the originator. Why do the copies cost so little? Because they're made in a factory in China where people are paid nearly nothing.
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CraigMitchell
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Re: Magic Live! 2009

Postby CraigMitchell » November 12th, 2008, 3:24 pm

Richard ... the BIG question ... are you going to FISM ;-)

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Richard Kaufman
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Re: Magic Live! 2009

Postby Richard Kaufman » November 12th, 2008, 3:41 pm

I haven't decided. It's a very expensive trip and I'm not sure what the benefits would be for Genii if I were to go to FISM in China.
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Re: Magic Live! 2009

Postby Matt Richman » November 12th, 2008, 9:15 pm

I'm 99.999 percent positive I'm going to MAGIC Live. It'll be my first time.

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Richard Kaufman
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Re: Magic Live! 2009

Postby Richard Kaufman » November 12th, 2008, 9:30 pm

Matt, MAGIC Live! is almost sold out, and they've already run out of guaranteed seats for the close-up "experience" (though since everyone who's registered doesn't go to the close-up show, they set up a line for those who are registered that would like to attend who weren't guaranteed admittance with registration). So, if you're going to register, you need to probably do it sooner rather than later.
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CraigMitchell
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Re: Magic Live! 2009

Postby CraigMitchell » November 13th, 2008, 4:47 am

Does anyone have any details on the showroom at Southpoint ... from the pictures on the site - it doesn't look like a good showroom at all with the more traditional Vegas cabaret style seating compared to a proper theatre. Unless there is another venue not shown on the website ?

Stuart Hooper
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Re: Magic Live! 2009

Postby Stuart Hooper » November 13th, 2008, 11:31 am

I've was never thrilled with the Orleans showroom (if you get stuck on one of the sides it's not fun), and I've seen everyone from Copperfield to the World's Greatest Magic Show in a cabaret style setting. Maybe it's not such a bad thing?

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Richard Kaufman
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Re: Magic Live! 2009

Postby Richard Kaufman » November 13th, 2008, 12:26 pm

Every theatrical venue has advantages and disadvantges based on where you're sitting. End of story. Some people will like this more, others less. End of story.
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Tim Ellis
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Re: Magic Live! 2009

Postby Tim Ellis » November 13th, 2008, 8:53 pm

There's a seating chart for The Orleans Showroom HERE showing booths, and one HERE that's shows the 850 seat theatre style showroom depicted on their website HERE

(Oops sorry, thought you were asking about The Orleans. I see that MAGIC LIVE! has moved to a new venue SOUTHPOINT CASINO, and it does appear to have booths - HERE'S the seating chart...)

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MaxNY
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Re: Magic Live! 2009

Postby MaxNY » November 13th, 2008, 9:43 pm

Richard I'm interested in Chinese magic. Maybe a story on how their magic act has morphed through the years. I am probably wrong, but wasn't their act the one with lots of bowls of water being produced? What else have they been responsible for?

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Richard Kaufman
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Re: Magic Live! 2009

Postby Richard Kaufman » November 13th, 2008, 10:54 pm

While I have seen quite a bit of traditional Chinese magic in Asia over the years, those who have mastered it are loathe to explain it. Many of the things I have seen have been inexplicable. But they are all a blur in my mind, now.
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Richard Perrin
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Re: Magic Live! 2009

Postby Richard Perrin » November 14th, 2008, 2:27 am

Richard, if you go to FISM at China along with Genii Magazines... are you afraid the mainland copy and sell cheap magazines? I know it is a dull humor but that's me! ;-)

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Richard Kaufman
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Re: Magic Live! 2009

Postby Richard Kaufman » November 14th, 2008, 10:22 am

I wouldn't be able to sell any subscriptions, which is why it's hard to justify going to Beijing.
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Steve Bryant
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Re: Magic Live! 2009

Postby Steve Bryant » November 14th, 2008, 11:43 am

Just booked at the South Point. Personally, I loathe the "nightclub" type seating where you are crammed together at a table and have to look sideways over the guy next to you to see the show. I prefer the Orleans style showroom where all seats face the stage. Fortunately, my best memories of MAGIC Live are not from the showroom, but from the talks that take place during the day in other rooms. These have been awesome. Another plus is that, as with the Orleans, the South Point has a movie theater and bowling alley built in. It should be fun. China? My morning newspaper showed girls on bicycles riding through that brown haze. I don't think they will shut down the factories for FISM as they did for the Olympics.

John Signa
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Re: Magic Live! 2009

Postby John Signa » November 14th, 2008, 1:50 pm

I also dislike sitting at the long tables for the same reason Steve mentions.

However, the upside to the tabled seating is that I get to meet more new people than I would in theatre-style seating; in addition to the people seated to the left and right, there are the people you are facing. (I first met Seor Kaufman while crammed in at one of the front tables of the Tropicana's show room for WMS.)

Jenna Kissel
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Re: Magic Live! 2009

Postby Jenna Kissel » November 14th, 2008, 3:28 pm

I had a great time at Magic Live when we went in 2007. I would have gone in a heartbeat this time but I must go to a wedding in Italy... bummer :-) When I found out it was in 2009 instead of three years later, like I expected, I was a little disappointed I was going to miss it.
Magic Live is great for the ablity to mingle with some famous people. I have pictures with Bill Malone (insert chest bangs) and Simon Aronson and I reconnected with old friends I hadn't seen in a while.
Lectures were great, they give you the notes and there are plenty of opportunities to work on and ask questions about the things you have just learned from the person who gave the lecture. I will go again to the next one, 2011 anyone?
I hope you go and enjoy it.


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