This week at the Magic Castle

I am excited to see Paul Vigil and Dave Forrest. I will be having fun at the Castle tomorrow.

Magic Magazine Preview February 2012

From The Editor The February 2012 issue of MAGIC Magazine is now out, available both in print and on the iPad. If you haven't already received your copy, here's an advance look at what's "between the covers." Our John Bannon cover story this month is one of those rare instances — only the third time in twenty years — in which the cover subject writes the story. But it's not really a story. It's a tutorial — a tutorial told in a story format. Confused? Don't be. "Mr. Fantasy" makes it all work. And Raj Madhok gives us a little peek at the author, himself. Mark Nelson has, over the past five years, become one of our go-to writers, having his byline on forty feature stories, six of which were cover stories. To say he'll be missed in these pages is an enormous understatement, as will be the case at the Magic Castle, where he contributed so much. Still, Mark's ultimate legacy will be his personality, the warmth of his smile and the generosity of his heart. And that will be missed by an enormous number of friends. I am, and will always be, one of those. Stories in MAGIC this month: COVER: John Bannon — All In By John Bannon Rather than describe tricks merely in terms of effect and method, John Bannon has written instructions in the form of a story, with dialogue between an unnamed narrator and a magician named Bannon. Here we present four Bannon effects, plus a bit of info on the man himself. Oh, The Payne! The Payne! By Rory Johnston The man who stepped out onstage at MAGIC Live last year looked like the jolly proprietor of Ye Olde Tavern. Plump, with a bushy white beard, he gave a twenty-minute talk titled "Magic: The Gift of Immortality," about the importance of magic magazines and their role in preserving the history of magic. Flashing through a Powerpoint plethora of illustrations, he presented a rare combination of humor and eloquence, creating peals of laughter from beginning to end and leaving the audience contemplating serious thoughts. He was, simply put, a huge hit. His name is Payne Fifield, but he goes by Master Payne. It may seem a bit presumptuous, but unlike many self-professed "master magicians," he's living up to the title. If presenting magic with a unique character in an original fashion were a martial art, this friendly man would be a black belt. Kirk Kirkham: For the Love of Magic By Gary R. Frank By all accounts, Charles Wesley "Kirk" Kirkham was an extremely knowledgeable magician, well versed in all aspects of the art. A dynamic illusionist, builder, collector, and consultant for Hollywood productions, his life revolved around magic for the latter half of the 20th century. Social Media For Magicians, Part 2 By Rachel Stoll Armstrong & Tiffany Hindman While creating Facebook and Twitter accounts is a great first step [January 2012], utilizing them to their full promotional potential requires creating interesting and unique content. This content is necessary to maintain your fans as well as allow future potential clients to understand who you are, see what differentiates you from other performers, and let them know what you can do for them. In Part Two of our series, we explore the main types of digital content, with tips and ideas for their creation, and how to share the content effectively across your Twitter account and Facebook fan page. De Matos' Tour is Chaos Luis de Matos' Chaos show opened on December 3 at the Casino Estoril in Lisbon, with demand for tickets prompting the original month-long run to be extended through the end of January. The show is now in "gypsy mode," traveling around Portugal for the rest of this year, staying in larger cities for several days, and playing one-nighters in the smaller venues. It will likely tour Spain in 2013. A Magical Reawakening By Sean Chaffin The close quarters are not perfect for a magic routine. The scene is a late-October flight home from Dubai, and poker pro Antonio Esfandiari is entertaining flight attendants and nearby passengers. His nimble fingers give a deck of cards a shuffle as he successfully locates an onlooker's card. Antonio has won millions of dollars and some of the biggest poker tournaments in the world. But what really makes him smile is entertaining people with magic, a skill he began cultivating as a teenager. The idea of being featured in an article for magicians garnered an enthusiastic response: "Oh, my people! I love the magic people. I'm in." The Magicians The British television show pairing magicians from around the world with celebrity contestants has returned to the BCC for a second season. The series debuted last year with Luis de Matos (Portugal), Chris Korn (US), and Barry & Stuart (Scotland). The latter duo has returned for the 2012 season, this time with Jason Latimer (US) and Pete Firman (England). In the new season, one-third of each show will be presented live, making this the first live magic program to be broadcast on the BBC in over thirty years. Vegas Magic Theatre Magic has another stage to call home in Las Vegas. On January 5, the Vegas Magic Theatre officially opened its doors at the Gold Coast Hotel & Casino after two months of previews. Under the guiding hand of producer Paul Stone, the show aims to bring a revolving cast of magicians and variety acts to the hotel's 225-seat showroom. The grand opening performance featured Ben Stone, Adam Flowers, Mike Douglas, Michael Goudeau, Jasmine Trias, and Murray Sawchuck. A Moment With... David Bull Le Grand David and His Own Spectacular Magic Company is the longest-running magic show in the world, according to Guinness, and arguably the most unique. The production began in February 1977 in Beverly, Massachusetts, by what was then a small band of energetic and enthusiastic performers with a mutual dream — a dream that originated with and was overseen to fruition by Cesareo Pelaez. Very early on, Cesareo appointed David Bull as his costar. Bull, the "David" in Le Grand David, has been leading the performances ever since. On February 18, the troupe celebrates its 35th anniversary with a performance at the Cabot Street Theatre. David Bull shares his thoughts about the past 35 years. Runaway Magician Returned Home Sixteen-year-old amateur magician Howard Ralph Kahn disappeared on February 8, 1948;MAGIC readers may have noticed an ad searching for him reprinted in our article on The Billboard [November 2011]. We are happy to report that Howard returned home — at the end of 1949. Now living in the Bay Area of Northern California, Howard Kahn turns eighty this month, on February 2. Plus... A sad farewell to Mark Nelson. Tricks and advice in MAGIC this month: Talk About Tricks: Magicians and Muppets By Joshua Jay Chris Randall shares the strangest use for a double-backed card ever to see print, while we explore a technologically advanced way to perform one of the best-selling marketed effects of the last two decades. The rest of the issue contains four smart, useable card ideas, rounding out another informative installment of "Talk About Tricks." Directions: #2. Structure By Joanie Spina So, you've made your grand entrance ["Directions," January 2012]. Now what? Your act may consist of several routines. A sound structure is important for each routine, as well as for your act or show. Assembling a routine with a beginning, middle, and an end provides a framework, a sense of build and closure or completion. The Almighty Dollar: 24-Karat Fold By Gregory Wilson Origami figures made with dollar bills are novel and intrinsically interesting. When used in conjunction with a magical effect or routine, they are further enhanced in the minds of laypeople. The following is an impressive and memorable way to introduce the classic origami finger ring. Loving Mentalism: No Juice Dupe By Ian Rowland This month's effect is pure and miraculous. Someone is chosen, at random, from the audience. She thinks of something to draw, and draws it under perfect conditions of secrecy. You genuinely can't see what she draws. You reproduce her drawing perfectly. The audience is impressed and so is she. That's what it looks like to the audience. This is a dual reality trick, but read the description again: the person who does the drawing is genuinely impressed by your abilities and is seen to be impressed. This is what makes the illusion convincing and throws off anyone who suspects any kind of collusion. For What It's Worth: Nostalgia Isn't What It Used To Be By Mark Kornhauser Two important comedy/magic influences for me and for many other magicians were Jay Marshall and Karrell Fox. At the Desert Magic Seminar at the Tropicana Hotel somewhere in the mid-1990s, I was sitting next to Karrell Fox and we were watching Jay Marshall perform as the master of ceremonies. That day, Jay started to reminisce about a time some forty years ago, when he first performed on the Tropicana stage. He waxed nostalgic and appeared to be weepy. I thought maybe he was setting us up for a joke. I wasn't sure, so I turned to Karrell and asked, "Is he serious? Is he really crying?" Karrell said, "Oh yeah, he's crying. And it'll happen to you, too." In the Marketplace this month: Twenty products are reviewed this month by Michael Claxton, Farrell Dillon, Peter Duffie, Jason England, Gabe Fajuri, Brad Henderson, Will Houstoun, Alan Howard, Francis Menotti: Utopia with Dani DaOrtiz Curtain Call by Barrie Richardson Quick Change Transformation: Part 1, Men's Suit Transformation and Part 2, Women's Dress Transformation by Sos & Victoria Petrosyan Stand Up Monte by Garrett Thomas More Power To You: The Very Best of David Acer by David Acer Tranz-Deck by Bob Solari The Ultimate Card Control Utility by Jeff Kaylor and Michael Ammar Speakeasy with Dan Harlan Latter Day Tricks by August Roterberg Our Mysteries Inside Job/Aperture by Cameron Francis Notion by Harry Monk Tommy Cooper's Secret Joke Files compiled by John Fisher Adelaide Herrmann Queen of Magic by Adelaide Herrmann The Trapdoor Vol. 2 edited by Steve Beam Sly News Tear with Tony Clark Web Test by Pete McCabe. Enigma by Paulino Gil. Fantastique Cards by Dan and Dave

Magic Magazine Preview for January 2012

From The Editor The January 2012 issue of MAGIC Magazine is now out, available both in print and on the iPad. If you haven't already picked up a copy, here's a look at what's "between the covers." Over the coming year, we will be introducing a number of new columns and departments, a few of which start this month. "The Almighty Dollar" is Gregory Wilson's new series of tricks -- this time with paper money. Ian Rowland is passionate about mentalism, and he'll be sharing that passion each month in "Loving Mentalism." Joanie Spina gives her "Directions" column a new direction for 2012, walking us through the art of performance — first stop, "Making an Entrance." And that's just the beginning. Stay tuned for an exciting year of MAGIC Stan Allen More stories in MAGIC this month: COVER: Pit Hartling By Richard Hatch The Giersch Museum, on the south bank of the Main River in the heart of Frankfurt's museum district, is a renovated three-story neoclassical villa built in 1910. Its primary mission, since opening as an art museum in September 2000, has been to showcase artists with a connection to the region but whose importance transcends the region's boundaries. But recently the museum hosted the first of a planned series of performances showcasing another kind of artist: Frankfurt-based magician Pit Hartling. Richard Hatch was there and writes about the show, as well as the magician and the unusual characters that make Pit the "Vice World Champion of Magic and the Most Successful German Magician in His Weight Class." Inducing Challenges By Pit Hartling During a lively session of close-up magic, spectators occasionally suggest effects or conditions. While some of these suggestions are nothing more than little jokes ("Can you make my boss disappear?"), others are actual challenges meant to put the performer to the test. Getting challenged can be a problem. Of course, there's also the upside of the story: meeting a challenge usually generates reactions way out of proportion to the actual effect. My So-Called Busking Career By Rick Lax Having been a magician for years, when Rick Lax learned that street performing had been declared legal on the Las Vegas Strip, he put out a hat, gave it a try, and lived to talk about it. Four Decades of 4F By Charlie Randall Magic books often take much longer than planned to reach publication, but The FFFF Book has taken a really long time! The original book, what was to be the third in the "Magic from the Forks" series, was to have been published for the 20th anniversary of Fechter's Finger Flicking Frolic. And since the gathering this last April was the 41st anniversary — well, you can do the math! Now with the book coming out later this month, here are five tricks reflecting the diversity of the material, items that represent the variety of performers who have attended FFFF over the years. In addition, Dick Cook gives us a look at Eddie Fechter, the man who started it all. Welcome to Ron's By Peter McLanachan The International Magic Convention has been running since 1972, and recently reached its fortieth anniversary. Magicians from far and wide gathered on November 18-20 at The Mermaid Theatre in The City of London to help celebrate this milestone. The MacMillan family, along with event coordinator and Gala Showemcee Noel Britten, put together a stellar lineup of acts, including Harry Anderson, Max Maven, Eugene Burger, Jason England, Larry Hass, Tom Stone, and David Williamson. PHOTO: ARTO AIRAKSINEN Michael Carbonaro: The Tonight Show's Magic Clerk By Mark Nelson Michael Carbonaro, the self-described "performance bizarrist," has built a notable reputation, appearing at trendy underground clubs in delightful and off-center comic vignettes. Now, he has become the easygoing, mild-mannered convenience store clerk on the Tonight Show in sequences called "Hidden Camera Magician" or "Magic Clerk." Social Media For Magicians, Part 1 By Rachel Stoll Armstrong & Tiffany Hindman Magicians search for the latest in props, plots, and presentations; maybe they should do the same with their promotions and marketing. Since the current trend in getting your name out there is social media, we begin a three-part series on the subject with a look at what Facebook and Twitter can do for you. A Magical Nutcracker The Nutcracker is one of the world's most famous ballets, well known by audiences who return year after year to relive the holiday classic. This year, after staging a more standard production for the past decade, the Carolina Ballet company added something new: magic. PHOTO: LAUREN McCAY Marco Tempest, You're Next Each week, CNN's new series The Next List aims to profile what it calls "innovators, visionaries, and agents of change." During the inaugural episode on November 13, 2011, host Sanjay Gupta introduced viewers to Marco Tempest, making him the first forward-thinker added to the list. Gary Darwin Tribute Since 2004, The Fantasma IBM Ring 257 of Las Vegas has been producing yearly events honoring magic stars. On December 5, 2011, the spotlight turned to longtime Vegas local Gary Darwin, who formed a Las Vegas magic club in 1968 and has been tirelessly promoting it and the art ever since. Mother Goose and Doc Readers of daily comic strips — be they in a newspaper or online nowadays — may have been a bit puzzled if they looked at the details in Mother Goose and Grimm on Friday, December 2. The title character, Mother Goose, is seen wearing a T-shirt that reads "Doc Eason" — a reference that most readers wouldn't get, but would make magicians wonder "How did Doc's name get there?" © GRIMMY, INC. DISTRIBUTED BY KING FEATURES SYNDICATE A Moment With... Matt Field Matt Field's name is most closely associated with the literature of our art. He has been the editor of countless magic books, many of them important contributions within the past few decades. In 2005, Field was approached by The Magic Circle in England to become the first American-born editor of their esteemed publication,The Magic Circular. Matt's last issue as editor will be this month. What was this experience like, and what did he learn? Tricks and advice in MAGIC this month: TALK ABOUT TRICKS: Best of 2011 By Joshua Jay We kick off "Talk About Tricks" with an impromptu miracle called Rune Toss using just borrowed business cards and a prediction. The issue also features technical refinements with playing cards from Rob Gardner and Brandon Williams, and a great transformation of a playing card into a dollar bill by Adam Wilber. THE ALMIGHTY DOLLAR: Out for the Count By Gregory Wilson This first installment in a new trick series starts with a one-dollar bill, with many written numbers on it. Each time the bill is folded, different numbers are shown in ordinal fashion. You ask the audience to count out loud each number that they see, like a cue card. When "ten" is reached, the completely unfolded bill is shown to be a ten-spot. The process is repeated to end up with the one-dollar bill again. LOVING MENTALISM: Frankenstein and Radium By Ian Rowland For his first column, Ian answers the question, "How can you seemingly harvest thoughts without the covert deployment of chips, batteries, and curly wires?" He prefers to use two other tools that are older, cheaper, and more effective than batteries. They are acting and lying. DIRECTIONS: #1. Making an Entrance By Joanie Spina Like live performances, this column continues to evolve. During 2012, "Directions" will cover twelve different aspects of stage performance. The accompanying videos, found at MAGIC's website, will offer the same information covered here, along with additional examples. Now, let's start at the very beginning. Some of the most difficult and important moments for performers are their entrances and exits. People usually remember the beginning and ending of an act (and, if you are good, the in-between). Don't discount the importance of the entrance. It is your first impression upon the audience. FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH: Welcome to the Underbelly By Mark Kornhauser In Las Vegas, everyone wants to produce a show. Well-meaning dancers, choreographers, magicians, real estate agents, all say something like: "I have a really cool idea for a show. I'd like to put it in a showroom somewhere. I just need an investor, that's all." That's all? Wake up and smell the Pop-Tarts! Las Vegas shows often lose money. VIEWPOINT: YouTube By David Rowyn Once upon a time, David was asked to perform on the spot at a bar in downtown Austin, Texas. He did what any crazy man would have done: "I found a couple of rubber bands and passed them through each other, as if by magic. Soon after, one of the guys watching asked me the five-word question we've all been asked. 'I can't tell you.' I responded, 'or they'll come after me.'" The onlooker just shrugged his shoulders and pulled out his iPhone. In about a minute, he was watching a video explaining, in detail, exactly what David was doing, watching it on YouTube. So, it may come as a surprise when David says that YouTube is one of the best things to happen to magic. How can this be? In the Marketplace this month: Twenty-three products are reviewed this month by Michael Claxton, Farrell Dillon, Peter Duffie, Gabe Fajuri, Gregory Gleason, Brad Henderson, Will Houstoun, Francis Menotti, David Parr: Transcendence by Leon Deo Scott Noted by Gary Jones Masters of Mystery: The Strange Friendship of Arthur Conan Doyle & Harry Houdini by Christopher Sandford Panini by Lee Asher Urban Illusions by J.C. Sum If an Octopus Could Palm by David Buck The No Way Bottle Production by Iñaki Zabaletta & Vernet Magic The Ring Master by David Jay The Psychic Mafia by M. Lamar Keene as told to Allen Spraggett Magic Made Easy by Carl March Behind the Illusions with J.C. Sum & Magic Babe Ning The Lives of a Showman by Mark Lewis INK by Mickael Chatelain Sharp Impression by Richard James How to Live to be a Hundred by John Calvert Sweet! and Birthday Card by Diamond Jim Tyler European Coin Magic Symposium Vols. 1 & 2 Miracle Signed Card in Envelope by Roger Curzon Blood on the Tricks Vol. 1 by Roger Curzon

IMX Pre-reg is up but the price got steeper

Last year the price was only about $100, this year it's gone up more than twice that.

INTERNATIONAL MAGIC EXPERIENCE: Dec 2011 News

Pre-registration Now Open! Pre-registration is now open for IMX 2012 ... and with over 20+ of the world's finest performers descending on Las Vegas for 3 days of nothing but magic - you cannot afford to miss out! IMX is an International Magic Experience - and we live up to that promise by bringing you the very best from around the world ... Sweden, Israel, Canada, Australia, Spain, USA, England, Argentina ... and what a line-up! From FISM champions to underground sensations - here are just a few of the epic names revealed thus far - with so many more surprises to come ... Unbelievably - we still have plenty more headliners to reveal ... Early bird registration is $249 - BUT - as a thank you for your support - you qualify to receive an additional $50 off ( enter the special code STARS in the 'discount coupon' box during check-out and click recalculate to activate ) IMX 2012 offers THE best value that magic has to offer ... do the comparison, and you'll quickly discover nothing else comes close. 3 days of non-stop magic. 20+ headliners. The Close-up Encounter. International stage gala shows. Unique special events. Surprise guests. International Youth Magic Championships. Session with the Pros. Small group training sessions. Individual scheduling. Dealers expo and so much more ... But hurry - demand for registrations for IMX 2012 has been unparallelled with attendees of the prior IMX receiving priority registration. See you in Vegas ! Craig & the IMX Team P.S. We value YOUR input. Send your suggestions and thoughts to info@imxlasvegas.com P.P.S. New for 2012 for our youth delegates - the IMX Secret Session & International Youth Magic Championships in partnership with FISM!

Magic Magazine December 2011 Preview

Magic Magazine should be on our doorsteps in just a week but in case you do not subscribe or want to see a preview. Here you are:

From The Editor The biggest challenge when doing a story on Johnny Thompson is narrowing it down to which Johnny Thompson you're going to cover. Do you concentrate on the stage magician, the close-up magician, the trade-show magician, the lecturer, the illusion designer, the historian or, more and more in recent years, the consultant? Johnny does seem to defy the old clich&eactue;, "jack of all trades, master of none." In fact, he might just be the closest "master of all" I know, certainly in the magic business. Rory Johnston's story, while filling in all the fascinating background, focuses mainly on Johnny's consulting work, taking us behind the scenes on what he does, and how he does it, when working with Penn & Teller, Lance Burton, David Blaine, and others. Just read the opening story (below), and I think you'll be hooked. The December issue of MAGIC Magazine is now out, available both in print and on the iPad. Here's an advanced look at what's "between the covers." If you're not a subscriber, please give us a try. Check out our risk-free, one-month-at-a-time subscription plan at the bottom of this email. Of course, we still offer our annual subscriptions as well. MAGIC is also available for your iPad in the App Store. The cost is only $3.99 and it arrives within a few minutes. Best of all, you only buy it once, then you own it forever and can enjoy it wherever you want. Stan Allen More stories in MAGIC this month: COVER: Learning It, Loving It, Passing It On By Rory Johnston In 1965, there was a guy in Minneapolis/St. Paul making silks jump out of a hat. This was Johnny Thompson's invention, which he used in his own act, so when Johnny heard about it he was so incensed that he took a plane to Minnesota, went to the club, and watched the show. The moment the magician did the jumping silks, John stormed up onto the stage, grabbed the prop, broke it, snatched up the mic and announced, "This is my trick and this guy stole it! I'm sorry to upset you during the show, but if he does it again, I'll be back, and it'll be more than this prop that I'll break!" The story of that incident went viral, so to speak — this was long before the Internet — and, for a while, people stopped "borrowing" material from Johnny Thompson. Today, he smiles wryly at the memory and he shakes his head. Those days are gone. Like a fine wine, he has mellowed with age. These days, we have a kinder, gentler Johnny. But, make no mistake, he is no less formidable. Conference Twelve Words by Gabe Fajuri, Photos by Wayne Wisner Over 250 historians, collectors, and lovers of magic's past descended on Los Angeles November 10-12 to attend the Twelfth Los Angeles Conference on Magic History, organized by Mike Caveney, John Gaughan, Frankie Glass, and Jim Steinmeyer. The three-day celebration of conjuring from times gone by followed a format that may seem staid on paper — a combination of lectures, performances, exhibitions, and wheeling and dealing — but in the event's 22-year history, it has remained one of the hardest tickets to get. Michael Grandinetti By Mark Nelson If there is such a thing as a perpetual magic machine, Michael Grandinetti is it. He dedicates every waking hour to magic, whether performing, creating, planning, rehearsing, promoting shows, or preparing music, to the exclusion of all else. Take, for example, Michael's recent appearance with the Grand Rapids Symphony Orchestra in October of this year. Michael typically threw himself into the details, spending nine months working closely with the Grand Rapids Symphony personnel, meticulously planning first the magic and then the musical portions of the program. Will Goldston, The Man and the Legend By Fergus Roy Will Goldston was an intriguing character, touched with genius, and although he was full of contradictions, he possessed a genuine love for magicians and a burning desire to contribute to the progress of the art of magic. Well over a year ago, I finished what I was going to call "The Goldston Story." But I couldn't shake off the feeling that I had missed something. I was convinced that Goldston, whilst arguably the most influential magical author and publisher of the 20th century, was surprisingly a dismal failure as a businessman. The search led through some thirty birth, marriage, and death certificates. Nevertheless, I was eventually able to find answers that allowed a clear understanding of the great man's quite extraordinary private life and clarified the anomalies in his business life. One Hot Party The theme for Halloween Week at the Magic Castle was "Inferno!" Members were advised through posters, flyers, and emails: "For the last week of October, the Magic Castle will be on fire with the spirit of Halloween!" The question of whether the tag line was truly a promotion or a prediction remains open, because at 12:35 p.m. on October 31, a fire ripped through the attic walls of the 102-year-old Rollin B. Lane Mansion that serves as the clubhouse for the Academy of Magical Arts. PHOTO: KARI HENDLER A Moment with... Erika Larsen On the afternoon of Halloween, the unthinkable happened: the Magic Castle caught on fire. Erika Larsen, vice president of the Academy of Magical Arts, and the daughter and niece, respectively, of founders Bill and Milt Larsen, was on the scene moments after the fire had been put out, and began an exhaustive multi-hour vigil while overseeing the restoration efforts. Sitting at the Castle's Owl Bar four days later, at the club's "soft opening" for members only — with the sound of industrial drying units surrounding us — she talked about the experience. Shanghai International Magic Festival The 7th Shanghai International Magic Festival & Competition was held in Shanghai, China, November 2-8. The gathering, sponsored by the government, was themed around the development of the magical arts in China and around the world. About 300 young magicians gathered to hear lectures, see international stars of magic in the gala show, and compete in the stage contest. Visions of Sugar Plums By Our Marketplace Reviewers Magicians might not believe in Santa Claus, but we can still dream, can't we? These pages showcase brief holiday wish lists from the MAGIC Magazine "Marketplace" staff — Will Houstoun, Jason England, Farrell Dillon, Michael Claxton, Brad Henderson, Peter Duffie, Gabe Fajuri, and Francis Menotti. Each writer was given a simple assignment: compile a list of three products you'd be thrilled to receive as a gift this year, then tell us why. The results will, with any luck, give you a jumping-off point for your own list of desirable doodads this holiday season, be they tricks, books, DVDs, or something else entirely. Happy reading and happy holidays! The Illusionists With a cast of characters reminiscent of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, The Illusionists brings to the stage a collection of conjurors, each displaying unique presentations and abilities, premiering a new collaborative production in the Concert Hall at the Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Australia, January 12-18, 2012. Characters featured in the show include The Grand Illusionist (Brett Daniels), The Gentleman, (James Dimmare), The Trickster (Jeff Hobson) The Inventor (Kevin James), and The Anti-Conjuror (Dan Sperry). Two others, The Escape Artist and the Mentalist, will also be included in the cast. Houdini Returns After Harry Houdini died in 1926, his final resting place became the Machpelah Cemetery in Queens, New York, where the centerpiece of the family burial plot was crowned with a bust of the famed magician. The gravesite has withstood the decades, with one exception: the three-dimensional visage of Harry overseeing the Weiss family. The famous bust was destroyed by vandals in 1975. Aside from some temporary replacements used on special occasions, the bust has remained missing for the past 36 years — until now. PHOTO: RONALD G. CHICKEN Magicians on Screen The Museum of the Moving Image in New York City will host a special Magicians on Screenretrospective, taking place from December 10 through January 1. Guest curator JoAnn Hanley has selected a wide range of magic performances from film, kinescope, television, video, and computer animation, along with guest lectures and live performances, including Ben Robinson. Plus... A sad farewell to John Daniel. And there's even more tricks and advice this month: TALK ABOUT TRICKS By Joshua Jay We round out the tenth year of Joshua Jay's "Talk About Tricks" with an issue brimming with non-card miracles and people named Josh. We begin with Jeff Prace's version of Ring Flight using an iPhone. Josh Janousky shares an alchemy-themed routine in which you change the metal on your ring, and Josh Weinstein shows you a humorous interlude with an unlit cigarette. David Solomon and Ken Niinuma provide excellent card routines, capping off a decade of trick talk. COFFEEHOUSE CONJURING: Sleeveless in Seattle By Gregory Wilson & David Gripenwaldt Two flat Starbucks coffee sleeves are introduced. The magician inserts one of them inside the other in a perpendicular position. When the upright sleeve is pushed and pulled back and forth through the horizontally held sleeve, it turns repeatedly inside out and outside in. Your stunned coffee mate then removes the sleeve to find it permanently inside out, just like their sense of reality. CLASSIC CORRESPONDENCE: Charles Carter to Cyril Yettmah By Mike Caveney Charles Carter was well aware of Cyril Yettmah's creative abilities, as well as the tragic fire that destroyed his warehouse full of original illusions. Seeing no reason why these ideas should go to waste, Carter offered to bring Yettmah back to America to work as a consultant. Early in their negotiations, and shortly after the fair opened, Carter faced his own catastrophe. His magnificent Temple of Mystery, the enterprise from which he hoped to "clean up a quarter of a million simoleons" was proving to be a commercial and financial disaster. He immediately shifted his efforts toward another world tour, and thus still pursued Yettmah's ideas and illusions. DIRECTIONS: It Takes A Team By Joanie Spina Successfully mixing magic with singing is a true challenge. The danger lies in the magic being lost in the song and lyrics. Lance Rich has taken on the process of how to balance the two elements in an entertaining fashion that is not at any cost to the magic. He loves to sing, he loves to do magic, so why not do both? FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH: New Year's Predictions for the Coming Decade By Mark Kornhauser In the spirit of New Year's Eve predictions, I have carelessly synthesized macroeconomic forecasts, technological vulnerability factors, and an opinionated assessment of the state of the art. I offer "New Year's Predictions for the Coming Decade: Who Will Live and Who Will Die" — by category. In the Marketplace this month: Fourteen products are reviewed this month by Farrell Dillon, Peter Duffie, Jason England, Gabe Fajuri Gregory Gleason, Brad Henderson, Will Houstoun, Francis Menotti: A Book in English by Woody Arag&oactue;n The Ontology Project by Derek DelGaudio and Helder Guimaraes Finding The Center by Antonio Zuccaro The Usual Suspect with Tony Cabral Magical Mathematics: The Mathematical Ideas that Animate Great Magic Tricks by Perci Diaconis and Ron Graham Puncture 2.0 by Alex Linian Timegate by Bob Klase Jump with Frank Zheng The Art of Card Manipulation with Jeff McBride Dante: The Devil Himself by Phil Temple The Regal Ring Chain by David Regal Newsletter Tricks Project by Mathieu Bich Pack Flat Illusions for Kids & Family Shows by J.C. Sum Tool by David Stone