Hannah Crist Variety Show Fundraiser

The Al. Ringling Theatre and Circus World will jointly host a variety show fundraiser for fallen trapeze artist, Hannah Crist, who was injured in a fall at the end of the 2011 performance season.

Magic! A great gift...

For that hard to buy for Magician in your life...

Greetings SAM 61 members and friends,

Our Wednesday, January 18, 2012 meeting at 7:00 p.m.

Dicken’s  9646 W. Greenfield Avenue, West Allis, WI 53214, will have as it’s topic our annual card clinic.  Bring a deck and we will roundtable any moves or problems you may be having.  Show us a great rick you have been working on.  If you need a suggestion, this year’s theme is gaffed cards.

February will be elections and our annual business meeting where we plan for the next year.  Any suggestion, please show up and voice them.

We had quite a bit of fun at our Christmas party.  See the SAM61Milwaukee Facebook page for photos. 

Thanks to Bob Rath for catering the event.  Great work as always.  Thank's to Gerald Michaels for helping Santa find his way to our event.

Thanks to Linda Schmidt who provided Christmas trivia questions and to all who brought bonus gifts.  A great time was had by all!

This past year we had some new members.  A big hearty welcome to Anthony, who has proven to be a valuable volunteer, performing at our Halloween show.  We will try to highlight some of our newer members in the next newsletter. Check out some of the events coming on up. 

Use our Facebook page if you’d like to roadtrip to any of them

Please check the Events listingfor dates and times of SAM 61 meetngs.

December 28th. 2011 at 6:30, Dick DeYoung is going to be performing his Royal Family of Magic Review show in Oostberg, WI at the Oostburg High School. 410 New York Avenue, Oostburg, WI 53070-1229

A show for all ages, an unforgettable experience.

DeYoung weaves a spell of enchantment with intriguing mystery, bubbling over with delightful comedy, exciting audience participation, special music, scenery, striking lighting and beautiful costumes plus live animals and birds. Fun for all ages.

For tickets and more information please contact Dick DeYoung at (920) 467-8414

Naughtly or Nice? Santa knows Magic!

Seriously, Santa know's what you want, and he's ready to deal...

Camera Dies, Houdini Appears; No Film at 11

—Carte Blanche Studios, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Dec, 7, 2011

Something strange happened the opening night of “Houdini’s Vaudeville and Magic Show.” Until the headliner himself appeared, all seemed normal: The audience enjoyed performances by a classical guitarist, close-up magicians, comedian, Cher performer, poet, and the headlining act of the evening, Harry himself. The camera recorded every performance… except one.

Because of technical difficulties the camera did not record the return of Houdini. And this is not the first time this has happened.

What is “Houdini’s Vaudeville and Magic Show?”

Imagine entering Carte Blanche Theater and traveling back in time 100 years, mingling the past and the present to experience vaudeville like it’s never been done before. Jugglers, singers, dancers, comedians, artists and magicians all perform for you in an intimate theater setting. To top off the evening, the legendary Houdini appears on stage to perform the magic and escapes that made him the most popular entertainer of the early 20th Century.

Dan Pollack, Owner of BestEverMagic.com got his ideas for the “Houdini Vaudeville and Magic Show” from several sources. Old movies of Vaudeville acts. Having seen and performed in countless magic and variety shows. Most notably, Dan is modeling one of the hottest shows in Vegas; Jeff McBride’s Wonderground. Jeff, along with his manager Tobias Beckwith, have also been consulting with Dan on the show.

“Houdini’s Vaudeville and Magic Show” is designed to give performers in the Milwaukee area an opportunity to showcase their talents in a safe and friendly home-town atmosphere. As Pollack says, “We’re hoping to revive a lost art – and at the same time give locals a chance to experience the best of local variety entertainment in a way that’s really fun for all. These entertainers make most of their livings performing at parties and special events, but when they come to our show, audiences get to experience them in a new and exciting way.”

Doors at the Carte Blanche Theater open at 7PM and the first act performs in the bar/reception area. Musicians play while close-up magicians perform magic within inches of the audience. At 8PM, the Cabaret Show starts. Variety performers and magicians fill the next hour with entertainment delights.

At 9PM, for the third and final act, participants enter into the theater and the Stage show begins. An ever changing array of variety performers from the region proceed to delight and amaze. The last act of the show is Dan Pollack portraying the “Return of Houdini.” The audience gets to experience what it would’ve been like to have seen Houdini perform.

What are you waiting for?

Get in the car and drive, don't walk, to Big Guy's Black Friday sale before someone else buys your new act!

I.B.M. Ring 41 will present a Lecture by Devin Knightn Wednesday November 23rd., 2011. This lecture will be held at the Tripoli Shrine Temple, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Who is Devin Knight?

Devin Knight is considered one of magic's most creative inventors. Devin was a protege of the late Al Mann and currently works as a full-time magician and mentalist. The majority of his routines are best sellers and have received great reviews in the magic community.

Some of Devin's best known effects are Blindsight, Outta Sight, Predictionary and Chess Gambit. Devin's work on Al Mann's Glass Box is perhaps the ultimate work on headline predictions ever written.

This lecture holds something whether you are just starting out or if you are a seasoned veteran of our Art.

Here is some of what Devin will be bringing to his lecture-

• SALT IN LIGHT BULB: Magician causes salt to vanish and appear inside a borrowed light bulb that was just lit.
• POKER TELLS: Instantly give any spectator psychic ability so he can correctly name 4 cards sealed inside opaque envelopes. No instant stooge.
• DISSOLVING ACES: An incredible effect where 4 aces vanish one at a time in slow motion. Nothing used by 4 aces. The closest thing you will see to real magic. One of the most talked about effects of Devin's lecture.
• DELUXE BABY GAG: A new and improved version with NEW topical gags and a kicker ending where a n actual photo of the named person is produced.
• PREDICTIONARY:Any word called out is found to be the only word circled in a dictionary.
• NO SECRET WRITING. Baffling beyond words and an effect that fooled every magician who saw it. Dictionary can be left with spectator for examination.
• FARSIGHT: Magician is able to reveal the name of a card selected while his back is turned and he is 20 feet away. Positively no forces and this is another effect that fooled all the magicians.
• RING IN PAINT CAN: A novel effect in which a borrowed ring appears inside a spray paint can and can only be gotten out by spraying it out! A great comedy effect that Devin shows you how to make up for a few bucks. No actual paint is used, but it sure looks that way!
• OUTTA SIGHT: A tossed out deck that fools magician and blows away lay people. Imagine doing the tossed out deck, with an EXAMINED and shuffled deck. Despite this you correctly reveal three cards just peeked at.
• RETRO SIGHT: A weird effect unlike anything you have ever seen. Devin shows you how to make words reflected in a mirror to suddenly become readable. Suddenly they are no longer mirror images. A reputation maker.
• DEAL OR NO DEAL: Another impossible effect. A person names any card. NO FORCE or preshow. The named card is found to be folded up inside a sealed cardboard box that has been in full view the entire time. Baffling beyond words and NO card index is used. This effect alone is worth going to the lecture.
• AROUND THE SQUARE: Performer shows a piece of newspaper and cuts out a square, when the paper is opened the square visibly changes to a circle. Can be used as a prediction for an ESP card in which you cut out the wrong design and it changes to the correct design. A NEW METHOD with angle problems.
• FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Another magician fooler. A spectator and the magician both secretly choose a food from a menu. It turns out they both selected the same food. NOT ONLY THAT, the magician has predicted the selected food on a restaurant's bill that has been on the table the full time. No secret writing. The secret is stunning.
• CHESS GAMBIT: A spectator secretly removes any chess piece from a set up chessboard. His chosen piece is found to be the ONLY CHESS piece that is circled in a chess book held and opened by an audience member. The audience member finds the circled piece in the book BEFORE the spectator shows his selected piece. Baffling beyond words and the effect doesn't seem possible. 100% hands off, the magician touches NOTHING including the book.

Click above to watch Devin perform on YouTube

Please check the Events listing for dates and times of Ring 41 meetings.

Tomás Medina leads a double life: he Is a professional magician, and part-time handsome person. Tomas has been performing his quirky, engaging brand of comedy magic since the age of thirteen. A regular at Chicago nightclubs, restaurants and corporate events, he’s sworn to use his powers exclusively for the goodness of humanity.

Occasionally he makes small buildings crumble, then combs the wreckage for office supplies. With the face of an angel and hands of a God, Tomás has traveled around the country performing a variety of mind blowing stunts with cigarettes, balloons, light bulbs, and even breath mints.

Past credits include the opening for Nelly, Mya, The Brian Setzer Orchestra, The Faint,Velvet Revolver, Third Eye Blind, Mix Master Mike, the Ravonettes, and Joey’s eighth birthday (in Hinsdale , Illinois ). Tomas' past corporate clients include Home Depot, BMW,Cadillac, Chrysler, Columbia College Chicago, Lewis University, The Magic Castle Hollywood, Robert Morris College, Illinois Institute of Technology, American Lung Association, USA Cable Network, Miller Genuine Draft, Anti Defamation League, Playboy Magazine, Frank Novotny and Associates, Answers Media, Fox Television, WGN Television, Camel Cigarettes, McDonalds, Butterball Turkey, Cold Stone Ice Cream, BP, Boy Scouts Of America, Infinity Radio, People Soft, TGI-Fridays, Verizon Wireless, BlackBoard.com, Max and Ermas, Bennigans, Absolute Vodka, and Johnny Walker to name a few.

Tomás’ talents have been featured on 9 instructional DVDs aimed at professional magicians. Other credits include work at Las Vegas’ famous Palms Hotel and Casino, Allstate Arena, BB King’s (New York), and commercials for the USA Network. Not bad for a kid with glasses!