AL BAKER ASSEMBLY #35!
MAY 2011
NEWSLETTER Meeting Location Milanese Italian Restaurant 115 Main Street Poughkeepsie, NY Tuesday May 10, 2011 Meeting Time 7:30 PM
---------------May Meeting - David Oliver Lecture Ok this month will really be fun and informative. Some of you already know David Oliver and his style of magic. For those that do not, you are in for a real treat! David is a working pro that has many years in the business, he also writes reviews for Genii Magazine and has been on countless TV appearances and has performed for many famous people including the CEO of Apple, Steve Jobs, Matt Lauer NBC Today show, Janet Leigh star from the movies Psycho and Houdini. David is also one of the best stage managers around and has managed shows that have included the Pendragons, Ed Alonzo, Arthur Trace, Mark Kalin and Ginger, Jeff McBride .....and the list goes on and on. Some of you may know him for running arguably the most successful and active SYM group in the country. A group of kids that take home numerous awards in almost any magic competition they enter. Under Davidʼs guidance, they are transformed from kids wanting to learn magic, to performers wanted by many conventions. Come see David DO his thing and trust me ......you will not be disappointed!!!
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David Oliver For almost twenty years, this neoclassic artist has entertained audiences on cruises, in hotels and at resorts to rave reviews. Colleges, universities and corporate events across the U.S. have asked David to come back to perform again, and again. You may have seen David on one of many TV appearances, including recently, when his magic was featured on the Discovery Channel, “The Early Show” on CBS and "ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition." For 15 years, David Oliver has been featured in Boston's only magic & comedy show, "The Mystery Lounge," and for the past 13 years, David Oliver has been the most requested guest performer in Broadway's longest-running magic show, "Monday Night Magic" in New York City.
"The Magic of David Oliver.” This one-man show is fast-paced, full of magic, music, comedy and audience participation suitable for the entire family. David Oliver’s unique style of presenting magic has been witnessed by people around the globe for well over a decade. Enjoy the moment, when your friends and coworkers become willing participants in the show, without fear of embarassment! Believe in magic again, after watching someone special in your group join David onstage in a truly "magical” moment in which THEY become the magician. Whether presenting his full evening, magic and comedy show in a theatre, banquet facility or virtually any venue, David Oliver never fails to bring an enthusiastic response from his audience.
AL BAKER ASSEMBLY #35!
MAY 2011
President’s Words by Derrin Berger
Members,
I'm still a bit stunned by last month's Boris Wild lecture. I'm also glad that he chose our club as his first stop on the lecture tour, which gave us the opportunity to be the first group ever to see the full explanation of his ACAAB. There was such strong magic and such great thinking behind it. I haven't got a magic soapbox to stand on this month, so here's a magical Haiku instead:
I should get new props, then people will like my act, then repeat bookings. eh.... let's try again: I need more card tricks I don't have nearly enough Time to surf the web no...that's not quite right... last time: I like good magic, I wish mine was better too, I should practice more. That'll do.
This month we're lucky to have a great guest lecturer, David Oliver! David's been a good friend for many years and I know his bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience back to the club will be more than valuable. Anyone that has seen him perform knows that they've seen what years of polishing an act can look like, and anyone that's talked to him quickly learns that he's a working pro that's encountered many, many situations that've called for quick and clever thinking, and he's more than prepared to handle all of it. We sometimes call him the MacGuyver of Magic. Come see his lecture in person, it'll be worth it. DO IT! -Derrin
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AL BAKER ASSEMBLY #35!
MAY 2011
Assembly Report for April 2011
WILD ABOUT MAGIC POUGHKEEPSIE, NY – Boris Wild kicked off his North American tour with an incredible lecture during our April meeting. After a brief moment of silence in memory of departed assembly member Zelig “Zeke” Hammer, Boris entertained us thoroughly for hours. Boris’s lecture centered on “Creativity and Impact” and all facets of the lecture were equally beneficial to the pros and amateurs of our gathering. Boris had a lot of wonderful thinking about the method, effect and presentation used in truly great magic. The evening wasn’t academic or just about theory – there were plenty of jaw-dropping effects interspersed throughout the night. Everybody was stunned by Boris’s “Any Card at Any Birthday” and he sold quite a few copies of this book detailing this effect at the end of the evening. This was certainly one of the greatest effects I have ever witnessed and I was lucky enough to be brought up with Yumi Nakajima and Frank Monaco to be a part of it. . We were tempted to keep Boris in Poughkeepsie forever so he could never reveal this trick to other assemblies, but we figured out not too many magicians would visit us again! At the conclusion of the first section of his lecture, Boris treated us to a performance of his award-winning FISM act – certainly a thing of beauty! The second half of the evening dealt with the “Impact” our magic can have. Boris shared many great insights on the subject with us. As his final effect of the evening, Boris taught us a great poker effect – WPT . Boris ended the evening with a few lessons on getting a standing ovation from an audience. It must work, because that’s what he got from us at the conclusion of his lecture. Any assembly who gets the opportunity to see Boris during his current tour is certainly in for a real treat. Thanks you Boris for an astounding night of magic. --Craig Kunaschk
Al Baker Assembly No. 35 (usually) meets at 7:30 p.m. on the second Tuesday of the month at the Milanese Italian Restaurant, 115 Main Street, Poughkeepsie, NY. Check out our website at compumagic.com/sam35 to confirm time and meeting location.
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AL BAKER ASSEMBLY #35!
MAY 2011
For Sale • •
Apollo PA5400 20 watt PA with wireless lav mike & built in cassette deck VUTec VPA4000 40 watt PA with wireless lav mike, handheld mike & built in cassette deck Both units are same frequency so one mike will broadcast to both units. $20 each or both for $30 Contact Steve Johnson (845) 206-4748
files.me.com/frank_monaco/0fez4g To Download the User Manual click on link above
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AL BAKER ASSEMBLY #35!
MAY 2011
Magic Tips The more you perform the more chances you have of realizing you are not the only one on the stage at that gig or event. In many cases you may be one of several performers that will utilize the same space during a course of any event. How you handle this situation really separates the pros from the amateurs. If you are a professional, then you must always conduct yourself in a way that you meet and exceed the clients expectations while giving and providing a total solution. You cannot provide a solution if what you are doing is simply causing more problems, demands or issues for them. Sharing a stage may not always be easy, but it does not have to drive you insane either. There are things any performer can and should do that will help you out a lot when in situations like this. Remembering some of these key tips can save you and your client a lot of headache. Any time you are sharing a stage with multiple performers, you should keep the following in mind: - Be as prepared as you can be. If anything can be set up ahead of time, it will make things easier for you getting on and off the stage. - Bring your own sound system and have it ready just in case. If you can contact the sound person in advance, that is always a great thing to do to see what is provided or if you need to get there earlier. If they have a sound system, bring your own mics as you are most comfortable with your own and can patch right into theirs. - Make sure you go over any music and music cues with the sound people ahead of time. I always bring a tech sheet with me that covers this and I get there early enough to go over it with them. If not, I can always control the music myself through a wireless remote. Once again, asking ahead of time will save you a lot of hassle. - Make darn sure that if you are to do 30 mins, you DO 30 mins. Not 25...not 35...30. It is not fair to other performers if you decide to just do your thing regardless of the time. Be a professional and know. I always have a timer on my table so I can set it and no at any point how much time I have left in my set.
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AL BAKER ASSEMBLY #35!
MAY 2011
Magic Tips Continued - Ask if you can have an area near to the stage for set up of your act. This way you can be set ahead of time and the only thing you have to do is roll the table onto the stage and you are ready to run. Being prepared like this leaves for less down time. - You may also want to ask the stage contact if there is any way that any larger props, tables or illusions could be stored at the back of the stage if it is not in the way of other performers. In many cases, this can be arranged and allows you an easier set up time between acts. If in doubt, ASK. - If you do not want downtime between the end of the first act and your start time, then you can 1) have pre show music played as you set up or, 2) be miced ahead of time and start to talk as you come on stage. This keeps folks there at the stage and you can engage them easier. - Always ask your client who is the main contact person running the stage. In many cases your client is not the one in charge of your stage area. Always best to ask up front so you know who to look for when you get there and who you can contact ahead of time. - Always introduce yourself to the other acts and get to know them a bit. Be genuine and sincere in your approach. I have met some really great friends simply by doing this. It is not only polite, but shows you are a true professional that cares about them as well. Chances are that they will be more willing to work with you if they know a bit about you and that you are a good guy or gal. Hope these tips are of help to you as they have been for me over the years. As always, I encourage you the readers to let me know your thoughts. So if you have any thoughts on my articles or suggestions or comments, please feel free to e-mail me directly at
[email protected]. I would love to hear from you.
Kyle Peron Magician and Illusionist
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Convention Listings Upcoming Conventions Dates
Convention Name
Location
Apr 14-16, 2011
Convencion Magica Costa Azahar - La Varita Magica
Oropesa del Mar (Marina Dor), Castellon, Spain
Apr 15-16, 2011
Central Illinois Magic Get-Together
Springfield, Illinois, United States
Apr 17, 2011
Paul Gordon's Card Capers Day of Magic
Worthing, Sussex, United Kingdom
Apr 27-30, 2011
Obie's 4F Convention
Batavia, New York, United States
Apr 28-30, 2011
Branson Magic Bonanza
Branson, Missouri, United States
Apr 29-30, 2011
Magi-Whirl
Alexandria, Virginia, United States
Apr 29-30, 2011
Michigan Magic Day
Coldwater, Michigan, United States
May 5-7, 2011
International Battle of Canton, Ohio, United States Magicians
May 12-14, 2011
Minnesota Magic
Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
May 19-21, 2011
Magic Collectors Weekend
Chicago, Illinois, United States
May 20-22, 2011
Abra~CORN~Dabra!
Altoona, Iowa, United States
May 23-25, 2011
IMX - International Magic Experience
Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
May 27-29, 2011
International Magic Convention Abrakadabra
Riga, Latvia
May 27-28, 2011
Nashville Magic Day
Nashville, Tennessee, United States
June 12, 2011
Bob Little's Super Sunday
Bensalem, Pennsylvania, United States
June 24-25, 2011 Magic On Manhattan
New York, New York, United States
June 28 - July 2, 2011
Dallas, Texas, United States
IBM - Annual International Convention
YOUR NATIONAL S.A.M. WEBSITE
Join Us for S.A.M. 2011 2011 S.A.M National Convention
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