IBM/SAM: The Convention of the Century (?)
Posted: July 29th, 2008, 5:38 pm
The Convention of the Century. Thats how the organizers of the recently held IBM/SAM 2008 Combined Convention billed their event. So, they have set the bar for not only other organizations' events, but for any other combined soirees the IBM and SAM might hold over the next 92 years. Lucky for them, this bar will not be too hard to step over.
Dont get me wrong: I thought the convention was good. It had some great moments and it had some not great moments. So that puts it somewhere in the middle which makes it good. And theres nothing wrong with good.
While I suspect that Richard Kaufman will make mention of the convention in his Genii Speaks column, the magazine will continue its tradition (since RK took the helm) of not covering most conventions. The reasoning is sound: In todays Internet world, real time reporting of events like this make magazine reports of themfor the most partoutdated; they are old news by the time the magazine report hits the street. The responsibility of reporting them for the historic record falls to the organizations organs and/or MAGIC.
This is good for me on a few levels. Had I written the report for the magazine I certainly would have been limited to a word count. No such restriction exists on the Genii Forums. Also, I would have had to write in the third person as an objective reporter with only a little leeway for opinion, but not as much as I get here. And that I get to use the words me and I in this report makes me very happy.
In the past I have done my daily BLOG of such events. I knew going in I wouldnt be this time because I needed a break from the site and the convention gave me that. Craig Mitchell did an admirable job of it. That he went to all the preliminary contestssomething I had no intention of doingmeans he actually gave a more in depth daily report than I would have.
Youth has its advantages.
The convention started Sunday night after an uneventful flight (the just the way I like it) and a taxi ride to the Galt House Hotel with the aforementioned Craig Mitchell. Not that this was planned. In fact, both of us just thought we were sharing a cab with some guy until we introduced ourselves and we discovered that we were sharing a cab with some guy who also contributes to the same web forum. Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world
I arrived at the hotel in the evening and must admit that I was surprised at the level of activity. I had already missedmuch to my displeasurea showing of Paul Gertners one-man show. Apparently this was one of the surprises promised. Too bad more people couldnt have enjoyed it.
The registration line took me about a half an hour, but rumor had it that the wait had been as long as an hour and a half. Much of this had to do with a check-off process of all the items in the envelope. A good sized book-bag emblazoned with the convention logo, a close-up magic kit, a couple of pins, the tickets to the shows (likely the real reason for the check-off list that acknowledged receipt of all this stuff), the badge, the stunning, well written and produced program*, and a few other bits and pieces.
(* Bias Alert: Richard Kaufman, Brad Aldrige, and I produced said program.)
The Dealers Room was already better than half full and jumping with the noise of commerce: a sound that would not stop until the following Saturday night. (Over the last couple of days I asked many dealers how their week went. Every one of them was more than pleased with the results.)
I reconnoitered the hotel and found that the Conservatory (a glass enclosed bridge that connects the two towers of the hotel) was going to be the happening place during the event. Though the producers admirably set aside a room with tables and chairs, I never saw a single person in there. Why bother when the Conservatory offered 24-hour air-conditioned comfort, plenty of space with couches, chairs, tables, etc., a bar that served hot food, a reasonably priced and decent enough coffee and snack stand (Thelmasalso open 24-hoursmust have made a mint during the week; there were two conventions being hosted by the hotel)?
Overall, I liked the Galt House. The facilities are good, the service and staff very good, the dcor rich with an old-style elegance (lots of wood and marble), spacious rooms, a comfortable bed, andthe number one issue for mea shower with decent water pressure; thank you very much.
Sunday night I had two roommates: My roommate for the week and one who spent just the one night (his room wouldnt be available until Monday). We stayed up chatting until 4:00 in the morning. If this, I said to myself, is any indication, the conversation alone this week is going to be worth the trip. I was correct.
MONDAY
The Dealers Room opened each morning at 9:00. I didnt arrive untilperhaps11:00 or so (I really dont recall). Most of the dealers had set up shop by then and I had a good look around. The Genii booth was situated between Mark Mason and Axtells (the puppet maker). These two guys were cranking out the business at an unbelievable pace. Mason sold out on several items quicklyyours truly actually getting the last one of a particular item (and I swore I wasnt going to buy any tricksdamn you Mark Mason, you evil SOB!). No, Im not going to tell you what it was.
Axtell had an animated toucan and monkey that were drawing the crowds, but it appeared to me that it was their wonderful hand puppets that were flying off the table.
The first show of the week, the Welcoming / Opening Show, like all the shows except the banquet, was held at the Kentucky Center for the Arts. Its a very nice facility within easy walking distance of the hotel. My seat was a few rows from the back of the orchestra level (Row U), house right, on the islethanks to Neal (sp?) who traded for my seat which was about four seats in (I prefer to have the isle so I only inflict myself on one person instead of two)and the sightlines were really quite good. The stage is large, but not overly so (see my reports on the 2005 and 2007 IBM conventions in Reno).
After what seemed like an eternity of Keith Emerson-light music and a light show to (sort of) go with it, Brad Jacobs and Roger Millerthe convention co-chairsopened the event. The outgoing presidents of the IBM and SAM were presented proclamations by a representative of the mayors office (chosen because, Im pretty sure I heard, that he is a member of the local magic club which represents both organizations). This was not the rousing kick-off I would have planned, but its their ball and they get to make the rules.
The subtitle of the opening show was Its All About the Magic. Except for Mac King, the show forgot the magic part.
Mac King being, as Penn and Teller note in their introduction to Kings Tricks for Your Brain, is a god. The convention was damn lucky that he came and that he stayed the entire week, making himself available to all of us who wanted a piece of his time, an autograph and/or a photo. I cannot say enough about this talented and wonderful guy. He was one of the great parts of this event. He certainly made the opening show which included a local illusionist, David Garrard, who performed a Zig-Zag with a blow-up doll (which would become something of a running gag through the rest of the convention shows) and a broom suspension with a Christmas theme (taking the photo for his personalized cards being the excuse and premise for doing such a thing in July). He also performed a dueling magicians bit with he and a friend doing the Linking Rings. His act is passable at best.
Yevgeniy Veronin performed his wonderful mime act which is something of a parody of magic. It has many funny bits that must be seen to be appreciated (though some who saw it still didnt appreciate it, much to my confusion). Marty Pollio, a late addition (his inclusion into the program was almost a stop the presses moment), performed his terrific stand-up, magic parody, and juggling act. Marty is a seasoned pro who delivers the goods. The problem is, this was supposed to be a magic show kicking off a magic convention. So what the hell happened? Thank goodness there was Mac King because what we got besides him was an okay at best illusionist and two comedy/parody acts.
So heres what happened: I found out after the convention that the magic act that was supposed to kick off the showTakamitsu Uchida of Japancouldnt get his work visa from the US State Department in time, so he and Veronin switched spots (Veronin was scheduled for the International Gala). This too was a change in the schedule that just made the presses. (So close was it that the text was already off my desk when the change happened so I was not aware of the change and, since I had not committed the schedule to memory, I didnt notice the difference.)
The next event was one of the highlights for me: Jim Steinmeyers never to be repeated lecture, The Secret No One Tells You.
When scheduling the talent for this event, Hank Moorehouse decided he wanted some exclusivity when it came to the lectures. So he asked his presenters to create something theyve never done before and would never do again. Looking back, Im not so sure about the wisdom of this strategy. What do you get when you ask for something thats never been done before? You get something thats never been done before! Even the best presenters need a new talk to be presented a few times for it to become polished; to work out the kinks as it were. Steinmeyers was the only one of the six whose presentation was a close to perfect as could be expected under these circumstances. He was also the only guy who taught tricks, and that was under the umbrella of a theoretical talk; the tricks being object lessons. Fortunately for those who were there for just the tricks, they came away with several really good ones!
That was it for the day for yours truly. A fantastic dinner with the Chief Genii and his family capped the evening. The Dealers Room opened for a couple of hours (the only time during the entire event that the room would be open past 6:00PM), and then it was off to the Conservatory for mingling. I do not recall what time I made it back to my room, but it didnt matter. My roommate and I were up until 5:30AM talking. I might be pushing 50 years old, but its nice to know that when it comes to information Im still a sponge thats nowhere near its saturation point. Fortunately the next event for me was not until 3:30PM on Tuesday.
TUESDAY
If competition was one of the underlying themes of this event, they couldnt do a better job than pitting Vernon-philes against Marlo-philes and then making it all okay. Jon Racherbaumer and David Ben each spoke on the two men who, at the last FFFF convention, were voted to have had the most impact on close-up card magic.
The notion of such a survey, it seems to me, is kind of like those government subsidized studies where the answer is obvious to everyone but the government and those who get the results only reply, Duh! But the bottom line is that the talks were interesting. Racherbaumer dropped a bomb on many in the roommyself includedthat Marlo was also something of a singer (not a great singer, said Racherbaumer, but a singer). Besides showing a photo of Marlo in a white coat behind a mic with his wife accompanying him on guitar, Racherbaumer admitted to owning fifty vinyl records of Marlos music; mostly Marlos crooner favorites.
David Ben spoke on Vernon as best as a man who never knew the subject of his biography possibly can. His depth of knowledge on Vernon is remarkable (I think if he was less scrupulous, he could probably fool many into believing that he did indeed know Vernon) and yet I know for a fact that he has not yet tapped all the sources still available to him for information. Mr. Ben also flabbergasted many in the room with his chops with the cards as he expertly demonstrated several card moves and tricks (on film). The murmur in the room afterward was when will part two of the Vernon biography come out? When indeed.
Its worth noting here that all of the lectures and most of the Special Events took place in the Grand Ballroom of the convention facilities. With enough space for all 1,900-plus attendees, the room was cavernous. But with two large screens flanking the stage, it worked. The camera work was sometimes a bit suspect, but it could have been worse. By coincidence, planning, or just sheer luck, all the lectures were of the sort that those who could best see the screens were in the best position in the room.
The next scheduled event would be the first of the Gala shows, which was scheduled for 8:00PM. That left me about three hours with nothing to do. Nothing at All to Do was another of the underlying themes of the convention, by the way.
Dinner with my good friends Steve Schlanger, Bill Bowers, and my new pal Bill Coomer, was terrific. We ran into current World Champion of Magic Rick Merrill and family at the restaurant. He graciously greeted my friends and told me to have your people contact my people. Now I just need to find out who his people are and get some people of my own to contact them.
Dinner, conversation, and a few card tricks ran long, so we arrived at the theater just in time to see the same light show that opened the first show. Oh the humanity: I never thought Id prefer the overture at the Palace of Mystery in the Magic Castle over anything. This, of course served as warning that all the shows would feature this test of stamina. I quickly learned my cues to where I needed to close my eyes so as not to be blinded by a brilliant flash of light.
The North American Gala had a cold opening with Arden James fantastic mime act wherein he came out as a delivery guy dropping off a large box (light enough for him to pick up). A table with some magicians props with a sign reading do not touch was too much for him to resist. He interacted with the props in various and remarkable ways and the magicians assistant was produced from the box. Its truly a lovely spot.
Stan Allen acted as MC of the remainder of the show. He performed his routine with Killer, the lascivious little bunny who divines a selected card. Mr. Allen experienced a technical glitch that left him with no out, but being the pro he is, he pulled it off.
Dale Salwak performed his classic act of manipulationthe first straight magic act of the convention I should note.
Michael Finny brought down the house with an act with just a touch of stand-up comedy and his terrific comedy magic. The kid he brought up for the Card on Forehead couldnt have been better. His antics coupled with Finneys timing and talent made for one of the more memorable moments of the entire convention and also led to its firstand most deservedstanding ovations.
Danny Cole performed his unique act which has a few new elements (to me, anyway). It was skillfully and entertainingly done as usual.
Midway through the performance of Kohl & Company, I felt the need to extricate myself from the theater. I have seen this act so many times that I could write it out in detail; not that I would put myself through such a thing. It was amusing 30 years ago. No offense, but I am no longer amused.
Unfortunatelysort ofI was not let back into the theater by the door attendant. She claimed she couldnt do so during the middle of an act (by this time the last act, James Brandon, was on stage). I pointed out that others (three to be exact) had left and came back into the theater in the midst of the acts because Ibeing positioned on the islehad to let them through. We didnt let anyone through that door, I was smugly told. The look of complete surprise from this woman when I asked, So you are calling me the liar? had to be seen to be believed. Youd have thought I hit her with a two-by-four. The door attendant won the battle, of course, so I spent the rest of the show watching on the big screen in the lobby. All I missed was what appeared to be an onstage train wreck, so all was not lost.
This time my roommate and I stayed up talking only until about 2:00 or so in the morning, so I was fresh for the first event of the next day: The Business of Being Funny with Mac King, David Williamson, and Michael Finney.
WEDNESDAY
I have one question: Whose friggin idea was it to have the comedy guys do their thing at 11:00 in the morning? After all, wasnt it Jay Marshall who once observed that even the guys in the band arent done throwing up until noon?
Just to set the scene, I got there early enough to get a decent front row seat (though house right) and saw Mac King show up with his bag-o-Starbucks. A bag that someone had to point out to him was leaking. I didnt see David Williamson show up and Im convinced that I could hear Michael Finney snoring from backstage. Stan Allen acted as moderator and chose to remain on the floor in front of the stage (for his own safety; a wise decision). He introduced the comedy stars and each took their position on a stool; except for Williamson who decided he would position himself behind the lectern (which he dismantled since it was a tad too high for him to be seen sitting behind it).
While this special event was touted as an opportunity to learn about comedy (something Im not convinced you can actually learn from someone), it was more of an opportunity to learn about these three amazingly talented guys. As a friend noted, it would have been better had the guys been able to share more war stories than answer the questions Stan Allen had prepared or those received from the audience. But it was still a very enjoyable time and another one of the highlights of the event for me. Even if Stan Allen did blow me off during the question segment
With several hours before the banquet (Ill get to that later), I hung out in the Conservatory and the Dealers Room for the duration.
The Southern Hospitality Party and Banquet kicked off at 6:30PM with a cocktail hour. When the room finally opened, there was something of a free-for-all for the best tables. Anyone who rushed Im sure later decided that the show wasnt worth the extra effort.
I had a fantastic table. Not from a standpoint of a good view of the stage or the screens: I mean of the company I kept. It included John Lovick, Mike Caveney, Noel Britton, John Archer, and several others whose names escape me (my apologies). For me, this group was the highlight of the evening.
Instead of having the meal served first and then the show, it was decided that each course of the meal would be served between the acts. Im convinced this was done to keep people from walking out on the show, since to get to the entre we had to suffer through an Elvis impersonator with his wife doing weak magic as he sang various selections.
Arden Jameswho was not on the programwas the one bright spot of the show (he opened it). Not even Terry Seabrook was up to his usual standards, but not even a younger Terry Seabrook could have saved this awful show.
After The King and Presto (the Elvis guy) who, much to my utter amazement, received a partial standing ovation (you people have to get out more often if you think that crap was really worthy of a standing-o) came Todd Charles. I had great hope for Mr. Charles, a banjo playing juggler, comedian, shadowgrapher whose promo clips I had seen prior to the event. Too bad the clips werent played instead. His act was bizarre at best and tired at worst (Whats the difference between an Italian and a Jew? One says YO! and the other says, OY!). He juggled for a grand total of five seconds, played (it seemed) the same song on the banjo, and performed a few sight gags and other nonsense. Thankfully the company at my table made this four hours of my life that can never be replaced worth losing.
A romp through the Conservatory left me looking forward to the Close-Up Gala I would be attending the following day.
THURSDAY
I have another question: Whose friggin idea was it to have David Williamson do his thing at 10:00 in the morning? Not only did he work the night beforehe was the MC for the close-up showsIT WAS 10:00 IN THE FREAKIN MORNING!!!
His energy level was low and his voice horse. Im sorry, but it doesnt take a rocket scientist to figure out that you schedule the kid show guy (David Kaye), who was doing only this one thing for the entire event, in this time slot and give Williamson the afternoon slot on Friday. What the @#%& are these people thinking? Oh, sorry, they clearly werent thinking. Note to self: Do not ever let this group schedule anything of yours.
The reaction to Williamson, whose lecture was titled Organic Magic (impromptu magic) was mixed. He had a PowerPoint presentation that had some amusing bits on it, when it worked, and a film of him walking around downtown Louisville performing some of the magic found inside the magic kit that came in the convention registration kit, as well as some other bits and pieces. He also brought three people with different levels of experience up on stage to perform some impromptu magic with several randomly selected items for some laymen that he enlisted for the purpose. He then proceeded not to perform with those objects. It was an opportunity lost. He was pretty much subdued through the whole thing, never really showing us the maniacal David Williamson weve all grown accustomed to. All that having been said, as I mentioned to several people after the lecture (including Mr. Williamson), there was an item performed in the film that wasand Im not exaggeratingworth the cost of registration to me. And no, Im not telling what it is.
Because I didnt attend any of the preliminary contests, I had (are you ready?) an eight-plus hour block of time with nothing to do (even had I chose to attend the contest, I would have had a five-plus hour block of spare time before my next scheduled event). So now will be a good time to bring up a major issue with this event: The anemic schedule.
While I appreciated some of the free time (which allowed me the opportunity to visit the Louisville Slugger factory and museuma Mecca of sorts for a baseball fan), I also felt like there was ample opportunity for the organizers to add more lectures: And not necessarily never to be repeated lectures.
At the beginning of each of the six special lectures, someone, either Hank Moorehouse or the speaker himself, noted that If you want card tricks, you dont want to be here. The problem was there never was a lecture that just taught tricks; cards or otherwise. So anyone who wanted tricks was simply SOL.
The Wednesday and Thursday schedules, which is where the close-up shows and the banquet were split up among all the attendees, had ample space to add another lecture (even two) that could have also been split up among the attendees. And its not like they were short on people from whom to pick from. Michael Ammar attended as a dealer. Max Maven attended in search of talent for the Magic Castle. Paul Gertner performed his one-man show the day before the convention and also had a dealers booth. And those are just a few of the guys who were already there that could have been booked. Michael Close who, for reasons beyond my grasp, was not booked to do the music at the shows (instead we got the same exact Keith Emerson-Light song each day along with the crappy light show), could have been booked to lecture. Where was Daryl? I could add more to the list, but I think you get the point. The six special lectures were fine, but I know from listening to people that they missed learning a few tricks. This was a major blunder on the part of the booker and the organizers.
My groupgreenattended the last of the four close-up performances. The shows were held in the Bomhard Studio Theater at the Kentucky Center. Intimate and steeply raked, the theater worked well especially with the inclusion of the big-screen monitor. The camera operator did a great job (I suspect being in the last group was a benefit in this regard), so it was just up to the performers to do well, and do well they all did.
David Williamson acted as MC and did a fine job though, again, he was subdued throughout the night. He did have funny video introductions for each performer that everyone seemed to enjoy. The only question that circulated through the attendees was, Why hadnt David Williamson also been booked to perform?
Good question.
Simo Aalto opened the show, but could not perform his act since it was still in Chicago (the airline lost his luggage). He performed a set that was made up of a Matrix using regular coins and then jumbo coins. It was very well done but, since Martin Eisle was also on the billand his act is based on the Matrix plotI would have expected Mr. Aalto to select something a bit different.
Brian Gillis, a guy who I have seen several times at the Magic Castle, performed his usual set. The guy has tremendous chops, but I have to admit to not being a fan of his quick style. That being said, his was the only act that could be considered an actual close-up set that would be seen at a restaurant or the like.
Hiro Sakai killed the room with his version of Bank Night (look for it in an upcoming issue of Genii!) and several other very clever effects.
FISM winner Martin Eisle performed his award winning act and garnered several audible exclamations from the magic savvy audience.
A special treat for me was seeing the legendary Dr. Sawa perform for the first time. His magic is unique, very clever, and fools the crap out of most everyone.
Rick Merrillthe current World Champion of Close-Up Magicproved again why he holds that title. His remarkable act is both stunning to behold and hilarious to hear. He closed the show for good reason: Who would want to follow that act?
I followed it with some much needed sleep.
FRIDAY
To a person, everyone I spoke with Friday morning was saying the same thing: I cant believe there are still two days left in this thing.
I know of a few people who simply had enough and left early. Like most, I chose to stick it out, but Im not sure who was being silly: those who left of those who stayed.
Friday featured a two-plus hour block between the close-up competition and the first lecture for the day (so yet another unnecessary block of time with nothing to do). The first lecture was not a lecture in as much as it was a talk and demonstration of many old and new pieces of magic apparatus given by Derek Lever. This was interesting mostly to collectors of apparatus and/or those who get off on seeing some of these very clever pieces (Mr. Lever showed how these pieces worked).
Another lecture followed immediately afterward and was David Kaye (Silly Billy) on Kids magic through the 20th Century. It was interesting, and watching him perform some of the tricks as we would have seen them during their time (for a stage full of kids who really enjoyed themselves) was interesting. I think it would have been more interesting on Thursday morning, but I digress.
With about three hours to kill for dinner, the Genii staffRichard and Liz Kaufman (with little Emma in tow), Brad Aldridge, and Icongregated for a better than expected meal at the hotel caf. We were then off to the Whitney Theater for the last of the Gala shows: The International Gala.
Right on cue I closed my eyes so I wouldnt get blinded by the lights during the crappy, Keith Emerson-Light accompanied, lightshow. I still find it remarkable that there were people there who seemed to actually enjoy it. The mind boggles.
Opening the show were the children of Sos and Victoria Petrosyan, Sos, Jr. and his younger brother Tigran. These kids are talented and cute and all that, but that doesnt mean they deserve that long a spot at the top of a major show (that was booked to the gills as it was). They each performed an individual piece (Sos, Jr. manipulating cards and then Tigran with billiard balls). But then, inexplicably, together they donned what I can only describe as Batman Utility Belts and then flung cards in every and all directions for who knows how long. I just know that it was too long.
Topas acted as the MC and did a fine job. Takamitsu Uchida performed his remarkable card manipulation act (regular and jumbo sized cards). Being one of the few straight magic acts throughout the conventionand one of the besthis turn was very well received.
Jerome Helfenstein performed a lovely piece of shadowgraphy and magic that must be seen.
Wayne Dobson performed his classic Spectator Vent act with two guys who had trouble keeping up with Waynes banter (I might have too, if I were in front of 2,000 people), so I dont believe this piece scored quite as well as it usually does. Wayne also rubbed a few the wrong way with his blunt style of humor which can be offensive to some. Overall, he scored well with the majority in the room however.
Huang Zheng, an attractive young woman from China, performed an act of manipulation. From my seat it appeared she was manipulating what was supposed to be leaves, but they looked like cards. Regardless, she is a skilled young woman and the act was quite enjoyable.
John Archer showed an audience largely filled with folks who have never had the opportunity to see him work, why hes a star in the UK. He killed with his comedy and magic (except for one guy I know of, everyone enjoyed his act).
Sos and Victoria presented their fast and sexy quick change act and wowed the room. (I must admit that I was more wowed by Victoria than the act itself, but what can I say? Im married, but Im not dead.)
Roxanne, the wife and partner of Topas performed an unusual act wherein she uses her hair as a Chapeaugrapher would use a piece of felt. She creates different characters by manipulating her hair into different shapes. Its an act that caught my interest for several reasons.
Topas closed the show with his fantastic production of many studio-sized speakers from a cardboard box. I enjoyed this piece very much and it was a nice close to a goodif a bit longnight of entertainment.
Because the gala show ran long, an event I looked forward to started late but closed on time, so not as much time as could have been spent with Mike Caveney and Frances Willard could be experienced. The time we had was excellent with Ms. Willard sharing stories about her time with her fathers show. David Charvet, the author of the new book Willard: A Life Under Canvas (Mike Caveneys Magic Words, 2008) made a surprise appearance and also shared many tales from this storied family. It was a fantastic evening and for me, one of the real highlights of the event.
Now if I could just get myself up in time to see the 9:00AM Wayne Dobson lecture
SATURDAY
My alarm went off in time and I shut it off and then woke up at 10:15. So much for the Wayne Dobson lecture.
Now I was flat pissed off. I was pissed off at myself for falling back asleep, but also at the organizers. Having been involved with the program, I know that Dobsons lecture originally held an afternoon slot. But it was later moved to this early morning spot. I didnt have the opportunity to ask Wayne if he wanted it moved to after his Friday performance, but if so, it still could have been moved to a later time in the day. Given the looseness of the schedule all week, the Eberhard Reise lecture could have been moved to any number of spots. But no, we cant have that. We have to have a man whose health is fragile perform the night before lecture the following morning. Genius! (I was told by a trusted source that Wayne was indeed fatigued and his voice softer than normal during the lecture, but that he still did well.)
With less than an hour to complete my morning ablution, I was worried I would miss the first act of the close-up finals, but I made it. Held in the big theater, there was a single video screen that projected the acts so everyone could seesort ofwhat was going on. From Row U it didnt matter all that much, but I struggled through (imagine how the performers felt doing close-up magic in a 2,000 seat theater).
Hosted by Obie OBrien, he confirmed something my roommate told me and I didnt believe (that will teach me to never again doubt him), that the Peoples Choice Award wasnt just a Peoples Choice Award. The People would be choosing the winner of the competition. The winner winner winner. The one who gets the $10,000. Of course the same would hold true for the stage contest as well. Apparently the IBM/SAMs idea of a FISM style competition is more like Americas Got Talent. As soon as I dropped my ballot into the box I knew I made a mistake even voting (not that my selection won, nor did the guy I probably should have voted for). So now we are putting the results of a contest in the hands of people who give standing ovations to Elvis impersonators. Outstanding!
Latko was the first performer. He had an interesting actperformed to musicthat involved cups and balls and a chess set. Normally this kind of act does little for me, but this had a clear plot (or through line) and was nicely performed. This is a typical contest act that I think we will see more of as this young man tweaks and tightens it.
Tallon and Gorman, a pair of Texans who performed a poorly executed and abysmally acted dueling magicians cups and balls act should not have been in the finals. Just knowing several of the acts that were in the prelims, I can think of at least two that are better than this act and oneDanny Archerwho clearly should have been in the finals before this pair. Unbelievable.
Satoru is a young Japanese man whose act revolved around a prediction of a selected card. This is another act the inclusion of which I would question.
David Minkin is the only guy of the six who performed an actual close-up show. His only problem, and Im afraid I too fell victim to it, was that enormous room. His quiet, romantic, and very intimate style (read CLOSE-UP!!!) was lost in there. It cost him. Too bad; hes very good.
Shawn Farquhar was a favorite going in. His act is designed to win contests; his style is bigger than life, so he did what he needed to: Performed to the room. His act would play quite well in the Parlour of the Magic Castle (where it belongs).
Marc Oberons act came in two parts: The first a card sequence that floored many in the room, and the second a series of items being changed to gold. It was in the midst of this section, where he simply did the same thing over and over again, that I voted for someone else. Had he changed things up a bit, I may have been compelled to vote for him. But one thing was certain: He had the audience in his corner.
The last lecture of the event was quite good as Eberhard Reise, with an assist by Topas, watched a young lady named Jeanette Andrews perform her act based on My Fair Lady. He then went through and showed her where and how the act could be improved. I have no doubt that it was eye-opening to some in the room who had never seen just what a director can do for a magic act.
A FISM update I didnt attend (that could have been held at 9:00 in the morning given the limited interest) added to the four-hour block of nothing to do until the stage finals. (Nope, we couldnt have had Wayne Dobson somewhere in there; no, no. no.)
The stage finals were the last show of the convention and somethough I am not among themfelt it was the best show of any convention let alone this convention. I have only two words that can completely dispel that notion: Duane Laflin.
Mr. Laflinwho also happened to be the guy who thrilled the crowd with his Elvis impression (I will give the guy this one thing: he does have a good voice) acted as the MC for the show. Granted, he has to remain unbiased in regard to the introductions of the acts, which he was. But everything else was weak, with several moments of dead time as he waited for the signal that the next act was ready. This is not what a good MC does. I couldnt help but wonder if the producers were even aware that one of the best emcees in the businessMike Caveneywas in town. (He only presented the talk with Frances Willard, but theres still no telling given all the other booking and scheduling blunders this group managed to pull of throughout this convention.)
As for the acts themselves, well, I guess I wasnt as enamored by all of them as everyone else seemed to be. Dont get me wrong; they were good, but to say that their acts together constituted the best show is going overboard.
Tony Chapek performed his popular interactive act. He has tightened up the magic in this piece; now I wish he would put just as much work into his acting.
David Souza performed a terrific manipulation act that has tons of promise and should be a force to reckon with.
Red Hat (Korea) performed an act that included masks. I have it on very good authority that there is a single element of this act that is proprietary (in method and effect) to someone else and as such this act should have been removed from the competition. I know for a fact that the judges were indeed aware of this issue but apparently chose not to act on it. The act is good, but I could not in good conscience enjoy an act that overstepped this line, particularly with that much money on the line.
David Kaplan performed a magic/variety act. There was perhaps too much variety for a magic competition, but this is a terrific act and a crowd favorite.
Timo Marc performed another interactive act with a TV monitor. I was so unimpressed that I nearly forgot what his act consisted of. All I do recall is that his stage persona reminded me somewhat of Topas.
An Ha Lim (South Korea) devastated the room with his card manipulations. I caught hell from almost everyone when I said that it went on too long. At one point he stood in the same position producing cards in the same manner for what appeared to be a very long time. After the sixth production in that position, I got it, so move on please! After all, the guy is doing the same trick over and over again! Yes, his technique is brilliant, but lets see some variety in that technique, please! I only want to see about a minute trimmed from this act and I believe he will have something really special. The audience already felt that he had something really special virtually leaping to its collective feet for a standing ovation.
Any bets on the winner?
During an intermission while the Elvis fans votes were tallied, I wandered around asking anyone who might listen if the one guy was done producing cards yet. Only a few people got the joke.
After the intermission, the winners were announced: Sort of. We first had to listen to each of the producers of the conventions that were offering performance contracts as additional prizes to the various acts of their choice. The clear winner in this regard was David Kaplan. If he elects to accept all of these offers, hes going to be a very busy guy.
After this period of promotional pontificating, the winners were finally announced:
The Close-Up Champion (make that Selection) was Marc Oberon.
The Stage Selection was An Ha Lim.
All I could think of at the end was, Junior, Big Red, lets go get us a pizza (thanks Elvis).
A Farewell party closed the event and it was well attended. I circulated through the room once and said my farewells as I needed to pack, ablute, and prepare for a very early flight home (wheels up at 7AM).
As is always the case of conventions, the best part is seeing old friends and acquaintances and making new ones. This Convention of the Century was no exception to that rule. But the event itselffour fun-filled days crammed into sixwas only good. But it certainly could have been great.
Dustin
Dont get me wrong: I thought the convention was good. It had some great moments and it had some not great moments. So that puts it somewhere in the middle which makes it good. And theres nothing wrong with good.
While I suspect that Richard Kaufman will make mention of the convention in his Genii Speaks column, the magazine will continue its tradition (since RK took the helm) of not covering most conventions. The reasoning is sound: In todays Internet world, real time reporting of events like this make magazine reports of themfor the most partoutdated; they are old news by the time the magazine report hits the street. The responsibility of reporting them for the historic record falls to the organizations organs and/or MAGIC.
This is good for me on a few levels. Had I written the report for the magazine I certainly would have been limited to a word count. No such restriction exists on the Genii Forums. Also, I would have had to write in the third person as an objective reporter with only a little leeway for opinion, but not as much as I get here. And that I get to use the words me and I in this report makes me very happy.
In the past I have done my daily BLOG of such events. I knew going in I wouldnt be this time because I needed a break from the site and the convention gave me that. Craig Mitchell did an admirable job of it. That he went to all the preliminary contestssomething I had no intention of doingmeans he actually gave a more in depth daily report than I would have.
Youth has its advantages.
The convention started Sunday night after an uneventful flight (the just the way I like it) and a taxi ride to the Galt House Hotel with the aforementioned Craig Mitchell. Not that this was planned. In fact, both of us just thought we were sharing a cab with some guy until we introduced ourselves and we discovered that we were sharing a cab with some guy who also contributes to the same web forum. Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world
I arrived at the hotel in the evening and must admit that I was surprised at the level of activity. I had already missedmuch to my displeasurea showing of Paul Gertners one-man show. Apparently this was one of the surprises promised. Too bad more people couldnt have enjoyed it.
The registration line took me about a half an hour, but rumor had it that the wait had been as long as an hour and a half. Much of this had to do with a check-off process of all the items in the envelope. A good sized book-bag emblazoned with the convention logo, a close-up magic kit, a couple of pins, the tickets to the shows (likely the real reason for the check-off list that acknowledged receipt of all this stuff), the badge, the stunning, well written and produced program*, and a few other bits and pieces.
(* Bias Alert: Richard Kaufman, Brad Aldrige, and I produced said program.)
The Dealers Room was already better than half full and jumping with the noise of commerce: a sound that would not stop until the following Saturday night. (Over the last couple of days I asked many dealers how their week went. Every one of them was more than pleased with the results.)
I reconnoitered the hotel and found that the Conservatory (a glass enclosed bridge that connects the two towers of the hotel) was going to be the happening place during the event. Though the producers admirably set aside a room with tables and chairs, I never saw a single person in there. Why bother when the Conservatory offered 24-hour air-conditioned comfort, plenty of space with couches, chairs, tables, etc., a bar that served hot food, a reasonably priced and decent enough coffee and snack stand (Thelmasalso open 24-hoursmust have made a mint during the week; there were two conventions being hosted by the hotel)?
Overall, I liked the Galt House. The facilities are good, the service and staff very good, the dcor rich with an old-style elegance (lots of wood and marble), spacious rooms, a comfortable bed, andthe number one issue for mea shower with decent water pressure; thank you very much.
Sunday night I had two roommates: My roommate for the week and one who spent just the one night (his room wouldnt be available until Monday). We stayed up chatting until 4:00 in the morning. If this, I said to myself, is any indication, the conversation alone this week is going to be worth the trip. I was correct.
MONDAY
The Dealers Room opened each morning at 9:00. I didnt arrive untilperhaps11:00 or so (I really dont recall). Most of the dealers had set up shop by then and I had a good look around. The Genii booth was situated between Mark Mason and Axtells (the puppet maker). These two guys were cranking out the business at an unbelievable pace. Mason sold out on several items quicklyyours truly actually getting the last one of a particular item (and I swore I wasnt going to buy any tricksdamn you Mark Mason, you evil SOB!). No, Im not going to tell you what it was.
Axtell had an animated toucan and monkey that were drawing the crowds, but it appeared to me that it was their wonderful hand puppets that were flying off the table.
The first show of the week, the Welcoming / Opening Show, like all the shows except the banquet, was held at the Kentucky Center for the Arts. Its a very nice facility within easy walking distance of the hotel. My seat was a few rows from the back of the orchestra level (Row U), house right, on the islethanks to Neal (sp?) who traded for my seat which was about four seats in (I prefer to have the isle so I only inflict myself on one person instead of two)and the sightlines were really quite good. The stage is large, but not overly so (see my reports on the 2005 and 2007 IBM conventions in Reno).
After what seemed like an eternity of Keith Emerson-light music and a light show to (sort of) go with it, Brad Jacobs and Roger Millerthe convention co-chairsopened the event. The outgoing presidents of the IBM and SAM were presented proclamations by a representative of the mayors office (chosen because, Im pretty sure I heard, that he is a member of the local magic club which represents both organizations). This was not the rousing kick-off I would have planned, but its their ball and they get to make the rules.
The subtitle of the opening show was Its All About the Magic. Except for Mac King, the show forgot the magic part.
Mac King being, as Penn and Teller note in their introduction to Kings Tricks for Your Brain, is a god. The convention was damn lucky that he came and that he stayed the entire week, making himself available to all of us who wanted a piece of his time, an autograph and/or a photo. I cannot say enough about this talented and wonderful guy. He was one of the great parts of this event. He certainly made the opening show which included a local illusionist, David Garrard, who performed a Zig-Zag with a blow-up doll (which would become something of a running gag through the rest of the convention shows) and a broom suspension with a Christmas theme (taking the photo for his personalized cards being the excuse and premise for doing such a thing in July). He also performed a dueling magicians bit with he and a friend doing the Linking Rings. His act is passable at best.
Yevgeniy Veronin performed his wonderful mime act which is something of a parody of magic. It has many funny bits that must be seen to be appreciated (though some who saw it still didnt appreciate it, much to my confusion). Marty Pollio, a late addition (his inclusion into the program was almost a stop the presses moment), performed his terrific stand-up, magic parody, and juggling act. Marty is a seasoned pro who delivers the goods. The problem is, this was supposed to be a magic show kicking off a magic convention. So what the hell happened? Thank goodness there was Mac King because what we got besides him was an okay at best illusionist and two comedy/parody acts.
So heres what happened: I found out after the convention that the magic act that was supposed to kick off the showTakamitsu Uchida of Japancouldnt get his work visa from the US State Department in time, so he and Veronin switched spots (Veronin was scheduled for the International Gala). This too was a change in the schedule that just made the presses. (So close was it that the text was already off my desk when the change happened so I was not aware of the change and, since I had not committed the schedule to memory, I didnt notice the difference.)
The next event was one of the highlights for me: Jim Steinmeyers never to be repeated lecture, The Secret No One Tells You.
When scheduling the talent for this event, Hank Moorehouse decided he wanted some exclusivity when it came to the lectures. So he asked his presenters to create something theyve never done before and would never do again. Looking back, Im not so sure about the wisdom of this strategy. What do you get when you ask for something thats never been done before? You get something thats never been done before! Even the best presenters need a new talk to be presented a few times for it to become polished; to work out the kinks as it were. Steinmeyers was the only one of the six whose presentation was a close to perfect as could be expected under these circumstances. He was also the only guy who taught tricks, and that was under the umbrella of a theoretical talk; the tricks being object lessons. Fortunately for those who were there for just the tricks, they came away with several really good ones!
That was it for the day for yours truly. A fantastic dinner with the Chief Genii and his family capped the evening. The Dealers Room opened for a couple of hours (the only time during the entire event that the room would be open past 6:00PM), and then it was off to the Conservatory for mingling. I do not recall what time I made it back to my room, but it didnt matter. My roommate and I were up until 5:30AM talking. I might be pushing 50 years old, but its nice to know that when it comes to information Im still a sponge thats nowhere near its saturation point. Fortunately the next event for me was not until 3:30PM on Tuesday.
TUESDAY
If competition was one of the underlying themes of this event, they couldnt do a better job than pitting Vernon-philes against Marlo-philes and then making it all okay. Jon Racherbaumer and David Ben each spoke on the two men who, at the last FFFF convention, were voted to have had the most impact on close-up card magic.
The notion of such a survey, it seems to me, is kind of like those government subsidized studies where the answer is obvious to everyone but the government and those who get the results only reply, Duh! But the bottom line is that the talks were interesting. Racherbaumer dropped a bomb on many in the roommyself includedthat Marlo was also something of a singer (not a great singer, said Racherbaumer, but a singer). Besides showing a photo of Marlo in a white coat behind a mic with his wife accompanying him on guitar, Racherbaumer admitted to owning fifty vinyl records of Marlos music; mostly Marlos crooner favorites.
David Ben spoke on Vernon as best as a man who never knew the subject of his biography possibly can. His depth of knowledge on Vernon is remarkable (I think if he was less scrupulous, he could probably fool many into believing that he did indeed know Vernon) and yet I know for a fact that he has not yet tapped all the sources still available to him for information. Mr. Ben also flabbergasted many in the room with his chops with the cards as he expertly demonstrated several card moves and tricks (on film). The murmur in the room afterward was when will part two of the Vernon biography come out? When indeed.
Its worth noting here that all of the lectures and most of the Special Events took place in the Grand Ballroom of the convention facilities. With enough space for all 1,900-plus attendees, the room was cavernous. But with two large screens flanking the stage, it worked. The camera work was sometimes a bit suspect, but it could have been worse. By coincidence, planning, or just sheer luck, all the lectures were of the sort that those who could best see the screens were in the best position in the room.
The next scheduled event would be the first of the Gala shows, which was scheduled for 8:00PM. That left me about three hours with nothing to do. Nothing at All to Do was another of the underlying themes of the convention, by the way.
Dinner with my good friends Steve Schlanger, Bill Bowers, and my new pal Bill Coomer, was terrific. We ran into current World Champion of Magic Rick Merrill and family at the restaurant. He graciously greeted my friends and told me to have your people contact my people. Now I just need to find out who his people are and get some people of my own to contact them.
Dinner, conversation, and a few card tricks ran long, so we arrived at the theater just in time to see the same light show that opened the first show. Oh the humanity: I never thought Id prefer the overture at the Palace of Mystery in the Magic Castle over anything. This, of course served as warning that all the shows would feature this test of stamina. I quickly learned my cues to where I needed to close my eyes so as not to be blinded by a brilliant flash of light.
The North American Gala had a cold opening with Arden James fantastic mime act wherein he came out as a delivery guy dropping off a large box (light enough for him to pick up). A table with some magicians props with a sign reading do not touch was too much for him to resist. He interacted with the props in various and remarkable ways and the magicians assistant was produced from the box. Its truly a lovely spot.
Stan Allen acted as MC of the remainder of the show. He performed his routine with Killer, the lascivious little bunny who divines a selected card. Mr. Allen experienced a technical glitch that left him with no out, but being the pro he is, he pulled it off.
Dale Salwak performed his classic act of manipulationthe first straight magic act of the convention I should note.
Michael Finny brought down the house with an act with just a touch of stand-up comedy and his terrific comedy magic. The kid he brought up for the Card on Forehead couldnt have been better. His antics coupled with Finneys timing and talent made for one of the more memorable moments of the entire convention and also led to its firstand most deservedstanding ovations.
Danny Cole performed his unique act which has a few new elements (to me, anyway). It was skillfully and entertainingly done as usual.
Midway through the performance of Kohl & Company, I felt the need to extricate myself from the theater. I have seen this act so many times that I could write it out in detail; not that I would put myself through such a thing. It was amusing 30 years ago. No offense, but I am no longer amused.
Unfortunatelysort ofI was not let back into the theater by the door attendant. She claimed she couldnt do so during the middle of an act (by this time the last act, James Brandon, was on stage). I pointed out that others (three to be exact) had left and came back into the theater in the midst of the acts because Ibeing positioned on the islehad to let them through. We didnt let anyone through that door, I was smugly told. The look of complete surprise from this woman when I asked, So you are calling me the liar? had to be seen to be believed. Youd have thought I hit her with a two-by-four. The door attendant won the battle, of course, so I spent the rest of the show watching on the big screen in the lobby. All I missed was what appeared to be an onstage train wreck, so all was not lost.
This time my roommate and I stayed up talking only until about 2:00 or so in the morning, so I was fresh for the first event of the next day: The Business of Being Funny with Mac King, David Williamson, and Michael Finney.
WEDNESDAY
I have one question: Whose friggin idea was it to have the comedy guys do their thing at 11:00 in the morning? After all, wasnt it Jay Marshall who once observed that even the guys in the band arent done throwing up until noon?
Just to set the scene, I got there early enough to get a decent front row seat (though house right) and saw Mac King show up with his bag-o-Starbucks. A bag that someone had to point out to him was leaking. I didnt see David Williamson show up and Im convinced that I could hear Michael Finney snoring from backstage. Stan Allen acted as moderator and chose to remain on the floor in front of the stage (for his own safety; a wise decision). He introduced the comedy stars and each took their position on a stool; except for Williamson who decided he would position himself behind the lectern (which he dismantled since it was a tad too high for him to be seen sitting behind it).
While this special event was touted as an opportunity to learn about comedy (something Im not convinced you can actually learn from someone), it was more of an opportunity to learn about these three amazingly talented guys. As a friend noted, it would have been better had the guys been able to share more war stories than answer the questions Stan Allen had prepared or those received from the audience. But it was still a very enjoyable time and another one of the highlights of the event for me. Even if Stan Allen did blow me off during the question segment
With several hours before the banquet (Ill get to that later), I hung out in the Conservatory and the Dealers Room for the duration.
The Southern Hospitality Party and Banquet kicked off at 6:30PM with a cocktail hour. When the room finally opened, there was something of a free-for-all for the best tables. Anyone who rushed Im sure later decided that the show wasnt worth the extra effort.
I had a fantastic table. Not from a standpoint of a good view of the stage or the screens: I mean of the company I kept. It included John Lovick, Mike Caveney, Noel Britton, John Archer, and several others whose names escape me (my apologies). For me, this group was the highlight of the evening.
Instead of having the meal served first and then the show, it was decided that each course of the meal would be served between the acts. Im convinced this was done to keep people from walking out on the show, since to get to the entre we had to suffer through an Elvis impersonator with his wife doing weak magic as he sang various selections.
Arden Jameswho was not on the programwas the one bright spot of the show (he opened it). Not even Terry Seabrook was up to his usual standards, but not even a younger Terry Seabrook could have saved this awful show.
After The King and Presto (the Elvis guy) who, much to my utter amazement, received a partial standing ovation (you people have to get out more often if you think that crap was really worthy of a standing-o) came Todd Charles. I had great hope for Mr. Charles, a banjo playing juggler, comedian, shadowgrapher whose promo clips I had seen prior to the event. Too bad the clips werent played instead. His act was bizarre at best and tired at worst (Whats the difference between an Italian and a Jew? One says YO! and the other says, OY!). He juggled for a grand total of five seconds, played (it seemed) the same song on the banjo, and performed a few sight gags and other nonsense. Thankfully the company at my table made this four hours of my life that can never be replaced worth losing.
A romp through the Conservatory left me looking forward to the Close-Up Gala I would be attending the following day.
THURSDAY
I have another question: Whose friggin idea was it to have David Williamson do his thing at 10:00 in the morning? Not only did he work the night beforehe was the MC for the close-up showsIT WAS 10:00 IN THE FREAKIN MORNING!!!
His energy level was low and his voice horse. Im sorry, but it doesnt take a rocket scientist to figure out that you schedule the kid show guy (David Kaye), who was doing only this one thing for the entire event, in this time slot and give Williamson the afternoon slot on Friday. What the @#%& are these people thinking? Oh, sorry, they clearly werent thinking. Note to self: Do not ever let this group schedule anything of yours.
The reaction to Williamson, whose lecture was titled Organic Magic (impromptu magic) was mixed. He had a PowerPoint presentation that had some amusing bits on it, when it worked, and a film of him walking around downtown Louisville performing some of the magic found inside the magic kit that came in the convention registration kit, as well as some other bits and pieces. He also brought three people with different levels of experience up on stage to perform some impromptu magic with several randomly selected items for some laymen that he enlisted for the purpose. He then proceeded not to perform with those objects. It was an opportunity lost. He was pretty much subdued through the whole thing, never really showing us the maniacal David Williamson weve all grown accustomed to. All that having been said, as I mentioned to several people after the lecture (including Mr. Williamson), there was an item performed in the film that wasand Im not exaggeratingworth the cost of registration to me. And no, Im not telling what it is.
Because I didnt attend any of the preliminary contests, I had (are you ready?) an eight-plus hour block of time with nothing to do (even had I chose to attend the contest, I would have had a five-plus hour block of spare time before my next scheduled event). So now will be a good time to bring up a major issue with this event: The anemic schedule.
While I appreciated some of the free time (which allowed me the opportunity to visit the Louisville Slugger factory and museuma Mecca of sorts for a baseball fan), I also felt like there was ample opportunity for the organizers to add more lectures: And not necessarily never to be repeated lectures.
At the beginning of each of the six special lectures, someone, either Hank Moorehouse or the speaker himself, noted that If you want card tricks, you dont want to be here. The problem was there never was a lecture that just taught tricks; cards or otherwise. So anyone who wanted tricks was simply SOL.
The Wednesday and Thursday schedules, which is where the close-up shows and the banquet were split up among all the attendees, had ample space to add another lecture (even two) that could have also been split up among the attendees. And its not like they were short on people from whom to pick from. Michael Ammar attended as a dealer. Max Maven attended in search of talent for the Magic Castle. Paul Gertner performed his one-man show the day before the convention and also had a dealers booth. And those are just a few of the guys who were already there that could have been booked. Michael Close who, for reasons beyond my grasp, was not booked to do the music at the shows (instead we got the same exact Keith Emerson-Light song each day along with the crappy light show), could have been booked to lecture. Where was Daryl? I could add more to the list, but I think you get the point. The six special lectures were fine, but I know from listening to people that they missed learning a few tricks. This was a major blunder on the part of the booker and the organizers.
My groupgreenattended the last of the four close-up performances. The shows were held in the Bomhard Studio Theater at the Kentucky Center. Intimate and steeply raked, the theater worked well especially with the inclusion of the big-screen monitor. The camera operator did a great job (I suspect being in the last group was a benefit in this regard), so it was just up to the performers to do well, and do well they all did.
David Williamson acted as MC and did a fine job though, again, he was subdued throughout the night. He did have funny video introductions for each performer that everyone seemed to enjoy. The only question that circulated through the attendees was, Why hadnt David Williamson also been booked to perform?
Good question.
Simo Aalto opened the show, but could not perform his act since it was still in Chicago (the airline lost his luggage). He performed a set that was made up of a Matrix using regular coins and then jumbo coins. It was very well done but, since Martin Eisle was also on the billand his act is based on the Matrix plotI would have expected Mr. Aalto to select something a bit different.
Brian Gillis, a guy who I have seen several times at the Magic Castle, performed his usual set. The guy has tremendous chops, but I have to admit to not being a fan of his quick style. That being said, his was the only act that could be considered an actual close-up set that would be seen at a restaurant or the like.
Hiro Sakai killed the room with his version of Bank Night (look for it in an upcoming issue of Genii!) and several other very clever effects.
FISM winner Martin Eisle performed his award winning act and garnered several audible exclamations from the magic savvy audience.
A special treat for me was seeing the legendary Dr. Sawa perform for the first time. His magic is unique, very clever, and fools the crap out of most everyone.
Rick Merrillthe current World Champion of Close-Up Magicproved again why he holds that title. His remarkable act is both stunning to behold and hilarious to hear. He closed the show for good reason: Who would want to follow that act?
I followed it with some much needed sleep.
FRIDAY
To a person, everyone I spoke with Friday morning was saying the same thing: I cant believe there are still two days left in this thing.
I know of a few people who simply had enough and left early. Like most, I chose to stick it out, but Im not sure who was being silly: those who left of those who stayed.
Friday featured a two-plus hour block between the close-up competition and the first lecture for the day (so yet another unnecessary block of time with nothing to do). The first lecture was not a lecture in as much as it was a talk and demonstration of many old and new pieces of magic apparatus given by Derek Lever. This was interesting mostly to collectors of apparatus and/or those who get off on seeing some of these very clever pieces (Mr. Lever showed how these pieces worked).
Another lecture followed immediately afterward and was David Kaye (Silly Billy) on Kids magic through the 20th Century. It was interesting, and watching him perform some of the tricks as we would have seen them during their time (for a stage full of kids who really enjoyed themselves) was interesting. I think it would have been more interesting on Thursday morning, but I digress.
With about three hours to kill for dinner, the Genii staffRichard and Liz Kaufman (with little Emma in tow), Brad Aldridge, and Icongregated for a better than expected meal at the hotel caf. We were then off to the Whitney Theater for the last of the Gala shows: The International Gala.
Right on cue I closed my eyes so I wouldnt get blinded by the lights during the crappy, Keith Emerson-Light accompanied, lightshow. I still find it remarkable that there were people there who seemed to actually enjoy it. The mind boggles.
Opening the show were the children of Sos and Victoria Petrosyan, Sos, Jr. and his younger brother Tigran. These kids are talented and cute and all that, but that doesnt mean they deserve that long a spot at the top of a major show (that was booked to the gills as it was). They each performed an individual piece (Sos, Jr. manipulating cards and then Tigran with billiard balls). But then, inexplicably, together they donned what I can only describe as Batman Utility Belts and then flung cards in every and all directions for who knows how long. I just know that it was too long.
Topas acted as the MC and did a fine job. Takamitsu Uchida performed his remarkable card manipulation act (regular and jumbo sized cards). Being one of the few straight magic acts throughout the conventionand one of the besthis turn was very well received.
Jerome Helfenstein performed a lovely piece of shadowgraphy and magic that must be seen.
Wayne Dobson performed his classic Spectator Vent act with two guys who had trouble keeping up with Waynes banter (I might have too, if I were in front of 2,000 people), so I dont believe this piece scored quite as well as it usually does. Wayne also rubbed a few the wrong way with his blunt style of humor which can be offensive to some. Overall, he scored well with the majority in the room however.
Huang Zheng, an attractive young woman from China, performed an act of manipulation. From my seat it appeared she was manipulating what was supposed to be leaves, but they looked like cards. Regardless, she is a skilled young woman and the act was quite enjoyable.
John Archer showed an audience largely filled with folks who have never had the opportunity to see him work, why hes a star in the UK. He killed with his comedy and magic (except for one guy I know of, everyone enjoyed his act).
Sos and Victoria presented their fast and sexy quick change act and wowed the room. (I must admit that I was more wowed by Victoria than the act itself, but what can I say? Im married, but Im not dead.)
Roxanne, the wife and partner of Topas performed an unusual act wherein she uses her hair as a Chapeaugrapher would use a piece of felt. She creates different characters by manipulating her hair into different shapes. Its an act that caught my interest for several reasons.
Topas closed the show with his fantastic production of many studio-sized speakers from a cardboard box. I enjoyed this piece very much and it was a nice close to a goodif a bit longnight of entertainment.
Because the gala show ran long, an event I looked forward to started late but closed on time, so not as much time as could have been spent with Mike Caveney and Frances Willard could be experienced. The time we had was excellent with Ms. Willard sharing stories about her time with her fathers show. David Charvet, the author of the new book Willard: A Life Under Canvas (Mike Caveneys Magic Words, 2008) made a surprise appearance and also shared many tales from this storied family. It was a fantastic evening and for me, one of the real highlights of the event.
Now if I could just get myself up in time to see the 9:00AM Wayne Dobson lecture
SATURDAY
My alarm went off in time and I shut it off and then woke up at 10:15. So much for the Wayne Dobson lecture.
Now I was flat pissed off. I was pissed off at myself for falling back asleep, but also at the organizers. Having been involved with the program, I know that Dobsons lecture originally held an afternoon slot. But it was later moved to this early morning spot. I didnt have the opportunity to ask Wayne if he wanted it moved to after his Friday performance, but if so, it still could have been moved to a later time in the day. Given the looseness of the schedule all week, the Eberhard Reise lecture could have been moved to any number of spots. But no, we cant have that. We have to have a man whose health is fragile perform the night before lecture the following morning. Genius! (I was told by a trusted source that Wayne was indeed fatigued and his voice softer than normal during the lecture, but that he still did well.)
With less than an hour to complete my morning ablution, I was worried I would miss the first act of the close-up finals, but I made it. Held in the big theater, there was a single video screen that projected the acts so everyone could seesort ofwhat was going on. From Row U it didnt matter all that much, but I struggled through (imagine how the performers felt doing close-up magic in a 2,000 seat theater).
Hosted by Obie OBrien, he confirmed something my roommate told me and I didnt believe (that will teach me to never again doubt him), that the Peoples Choice Award wasnt just a Peoples Choice Award. The People would be choosing the winner of the competition. The winner winner winner. The one who gets the $10,000. Of course the same would hold true for the stage contest as well. Apparently the IBM/SAMs idea of a FISM style competition is more like Americas Got Talent. As soon as I dropped my ballot into the box I knew I made a mistake even voting (not that my selection won, nor did the guy I probably should have voted for). So now we are putting the results of a contest in the hands of people who give standing ovations to Elvis impersonators. Outstanding!
Latko was the first performer. He had an interesting actperformed to musicthat involved cups and balls and a chess set. Normally this kind of act does little for me, but this had a clear plot (or through line) and was nicely performed. This is a typical contest act that I think we will see more of as this young man tweaks and tightens it.
Tallon and Gorman, a pair of Texans who performed a poorly executed and abysmally acted dueling magicians cups and balls act should not have been in the finals. Just knowing several of the acts that were in the prelims, I can think of at least two that are better than this act and oneDanny Archerwho clearly should have been in the finals before this pair. Unbelievable.
Satoru is a young Japanese man whose act revolved around a prediction of a selected card. This is another act the inclusion of which I would question.
David Minkin is the only guy of the six who performed an actual close-up show. His only problem, and Im afraid I too fell victim to it, was that enormous room. His quiet, romantic, and very intimate style (read CLOSE-UP!!!) was lost in there. It cost him. Too bad; hes very good.
Shawn Farquhar was a favorite going in. His act is designed to win contests; his style is bigger than life, so he did what he needed to: Performed to the room. His act would play quite well in the Parlour of the Magic Castle (where it belongs).
Marc Oberons act came in two parts: The first a card sequence that floored many in the room, and the second a series of items being changed to gold. It was in the midst of this section, where he simply did the same thing over and over again, that I voted for someone else. Had he changed things up a bit, I may have been compelled to vote for him. But one thing was certain: He had the audience in his corner.
The last lecture of the event was quite good as Eberhard Reise, with an assist by Topas, watched a young lady named Jeanette Andrews perform her act based on My Fair Lady. He then went through and showed her where and how the act could be improved. I have no doubt that it was eye-opening to some in the room who had never seen just what a director can do for a magic act.
A FISM update I didnt attend (that could have been held at 9:00 in the morning given the limited interest) added to the four-hour block of nothing to do until the stage finals. (Nope, we couldnt have had Wayne Dobson somewhere in there; no, no. no.)
The stage finals were the last show of the convention and somethough I am not among themfelt it was the best show of any convention let alone this convention. I have only two words that can completely dispel that notion: Duane Laflin.
Mr. Laflinwho also happened to be the guy who thrilled the crowd with his Elvis impression (I will give the guy this one thing: he does have a good voice) acted as the MC for the show. Granted, he has to remain unbiased in regard to the introductions of the acts, which he was. But everything else was weak, with several moments of dead time as he waited for the signal that the next act was ready. This is not what a good MC does. I couldnt help but wonder if the producers were even aware that one of the best emcees in the businessMike Caveneywas in town. (He only presented the talk with Frances Willard, but theres still no telling given all the other booking and scheduling blunders this group managed to pull of throughout this convention.)
As for the acts themselves, well, I guess I wasnt as enamored by all of them as everyone else seemed to be. Dont get me wrong; they were good, but to say that their acts together constituted the best show is going overboard.
Tony Chapek performed his popular interactive act. He has tightened up the magic in this piece; now I wish he would put just as much work into his acting.
David Souza performed a terrific manipulation act that has tons of promise and should be a force to reckon with.
Red Hat (Korea) performed an act that included masks. I have it on very good authority that there is a single element of this act that is proprietary (in method and effect) to someone else and as such this act should have been removed from the competition. I know for a fact that the judges were indeed aware of this issue but apparently chose not to act on it. The act is good, but I could not in good conscience enjoy an act that overstepped this line, particularly with that much money on the line.
David Kaplan performed a magic/variety act. There was perhaps too much variety for a magic competition, but this is a terrific act and a crowd favorite.
Timo Marc performed another interactive act with a TV monitor. I was so unimpressed that I nearly forgot what his act consisted of. All I do recall is that his stage persona reminded me somewhat of Topas.
An Ha Lim (South Korea) devastated the room with his card manipulations. I caught hell from almost everyone when I said that it went on too long. At one point he stood in the same position producing cards in the same manner for what appeared to be a very long time. After the sixth production in that position, I got it, so move on please! After all, the guy is doing the same trick over and over again! Yes, his technique is brilliant, but lets see some variety in that technique, please! I only want to see about a minute trimmed from this act and I believe he will have something really special. The audience already felt that he had something really special virtually leaping to its collective feet for a standing ovation.
Any bets on the winner?
During an intermission while the Elvis fans votes were tallied, I wandered around asking anyone who might listen if the one guy was done producing cards yet. Only a few people got the joke.
After the intermission, the winners were announced: Sort of. We first had to listen to each of the producers of the conventions that were offering performance contracts as additional prizes to the various acts of their choice. The clear winner in this regard was David Kaplan. If he elects to accept all of these offers, hes going to be a very busy guy.
After this period of promotional pontificating, the winners were finally announced:
The Close-Up Champion (make that Selection) was Marc Oberon.
The Stage Selection was An Ha Lim.
All I could think of at the end was, Junior, Big Red, lets go get us a pizza (thanks Elvis).
A Farewell party closed the event and it was well attended. I circulated through the room once and said my farewells as I needed to pack, ablute, and prepare for a very early flight home (wheels up at 7AM).
As is always the case of conventions, the best part is seeing old friends and acquaintances and making new ones. This Convention of the Century was no exception to that rule. But the event itselffour fun-filled days crammed into sixwas only good. But it certainly could have been great.
Dustin