Tuesday, July 4, 2000
We had to arrive early today, because at 9.30am the competition began!
____________________________________
The Categories (143 Contestants)
GM = General Magic (37)
GI = Great Illusions (8)
MAN = Manipulation (21)
COM = Comedy (14)
MM = Mental Magic (6)
IN = Invention (10)
CU = Close Up (24)
CD = Cards (20)
____________________________________
1: DER HEXER - Germany - GI.
T: The competition opened in a really big way with this grand illusion act featuring a black jeaned, white shirted magician presenting a Columbus-themed act beginning with an interesting flash appearance on an empty stage, a little box which changed into a big box which then had a girl step out of it, a head and body twist, a bizarre 'Columbus Egg Slicer' illusion, the production of eight flag-waving showgirls and the final appearance (reveal) of a boat at the back of the stage. He made good use of sound effects blended with his music and the act was action-packed and very spectacular... but I couldn't help thinking that we've all seen this type of eye-candy too many times before. He also suffered a little by choosing not to use a follow spot, which left the stage a little too dark at times.
S: Huge production act, themed Columbus performance... pizzazz, ritz, glitz, flags from all nations, colourful and celebratory... spectacular finish - but, lighting was very poor and illusion performance was the usual old assistant in the box - out of the box routines that go nowhere.
2: KEIKO MUTO - Japan - MAN.
T: After a false start, due to a tech problem with her music, Keiko returned to the stage to begin her act again. She presented traditional Japanese effects with fans and umbrellas combined with manipulation with modern items including bells, wands, and her earrings. Highly skilled, but let down by one or two weaker effects mixed in with some truly magical moments.
S: Beautiful piece, elegant, cultural and themed. 'Traditional' props, moves and poses. Cleaner moves would have helped the performance.
3: RUI MORGADO - Portugal - GM.
T: An interesting idea we saw done better at the last FISM in Dresden. Rui began miming as Elvis performing the colour-changing records, then switched to a tap-dancing Sinatra miming 'New York, New York' as he performed the multiplying microphone heads. Nice ideas for 20-30 seconds, but not 8 minutes. He finished producing a picture of, what appeared to me to be, Signourney Weaver. I was puzzled.
S: Too much singing and dancing... not much magic. Very slow.
4: KATIA - Russia - MM.
T: This was a truly bizarre presentation of mental magic. Katia was so abusive towards her volunteers "Come here now! Throw it down! Go there quickly!" that she should have been dressed as a dominatrix. She began demonstrating her powers by handing her first volunteer a series of breakaway props, then went into an incomprehensible series of events where sticks were chosen, props caught fire, and predictions were revealed. I had no idea what was going on. She did have one classic line due to her heavy Russian accent though: "This trick was created long before Jesus and Buddha" came out as "long before cheeses and butter." Well... you had to be there...
S: I have no idea what this act was about. Funny and terrible at the same time. No sense at all... but, what a crazy girl! Quite funny.
5: LUIS MANUEL - Spain - MAN.
T: A more traditional manipulation act featuring balls, cards etc. Very clean with a very high skill level. He got a huge response when he began producing jumbo cards both singly and in fans.
S: Difficult manipulation..... Very clean, very skillful, clever, endearing. Great applause cues.
6: ANATOLI KIRITCHENKO - Russia - GM.
T: The classic Russian act featuring the production of lots of "wooden" dolls. It's interesting to note that almost all of the acts at FISM have featured motifs of their countries somewhere in their acts, whether it be in the music, costume, or theme.
S: Russian cultural act with spinning dolls. Not magical at all.
7: VALERIE - Switzerland - GM & IN
T: I really enjoyed this act where "the magician" leaves the stage in disgust when his assistant is late. Valerie, playing the assistant, turns up and has to play both the magician and the assistant. The act included some very funny and innovative moments including a solo sub trunk.
S: Quite a clever little act... unusual. Unbelievable costume changes. Wonderful performer with lots of potential.
8: ROY DAVENPORT - England - MAN.
T: Roy has performed this act at FISM before (tied for 3rd place in Manipulation at Dresden) and it keeps getting better. Themed as a British soldier highlights include a very aggressive ball routine and a high-risk linking rings which includes spinning the rings on the palms of his hand and a mid-air crash link.
S: Highly skillful and very entertaining. Colourful and patriotic.
9: HILBERT GEERLING - Nederlands - GM.
T: This act looked completely different as he played a professor trying to create life in a lab. Unfortunately he suffered from too little magic and poor acting.
S: Scientist who magically produces animals then turns into the red bird he was trying to bring to life. Interesting and different... didn't quite make it as a riveting piece of magic, but has potential.
10: JORGOS KATSAROS - Germany - GM.
T: Jorgos played with the theme of size and scale. He began the act as a midget, and ended and a giant. Unfortunately his choice of props - magnifying glasses, weights, etc - were simply not interesting enough. Tighten the act up, change the props, and it'll be great!
S: Very different act with an interesting premise... but didn't hit the spot magically.
11: TORKOVA - USA - MAN.
T: Lots of classics (old standards like Miser's Dream, 20th Century Silks etc) done well, but FISM demands excellence and innovation. The choice of music (Scott Joplin) also left us feeling we've seen it all before.
S: Standard act. No appeal.
12: MAGIC MAGDI MARY SHOW - Italy - IN.
T: The curtains opened revealing an Egyptian setting complete with cut out pyramids, a sphinx and a camel (on castors). The wanderer from the desert came in, dying of thirst, and proceeded to "act" for an extraordinarily long time. He pulled six swords out of a basket, each sword more slowly than the last, and finally - just as he was about to open the basket - a huge puff of smoke came on from side stage completely covering both he and the basket - and when it finally cleared, there was a girl. He then levitated her on the camel.
S: No magic, excruciatingly long piece of over acting, nothing was happening... except the agonising yearn to quench thirst.
13: JULIUS FRACK - Germany - GM.
T: He played a mad tailor and had a lot of fun stuff with thimbles, cloths, and scissors as he created a dress and, ultimately, a girl inside it.
S: Different, offbeat, crazy. Great to watch.
Time for a lunch break, but we moved to the Close up Theatre to line up for seats!
14: GREGORY WILSON - USA - CD.
T: A very tight act themed around the close-up table as his office. He crammed lots of eye-popping magic into his 10 minute set including multiple card and box vanishes, a card fountain from an office time clock, and lots of very high skill cuts and flourishes.
S: Impressive. Very clever, very clean, very good... and he knows it! Theming was refreshing. A hard act to follow.
15: ASHORD KNEITEL - USA - CD.
T: A pity he had to follow Gregory, but that's the luck of the draw. He was young and nervous but did well with some standard finding lost cards and lots of fancy cuts and flourishes.
S: Clever, but not so entertaining.
16: ROBERT WOTTSCH - Austria - CL.
T: An entire act themed around McDonald's fast food. Nice idea but suffered from poor technique and corny jokes.
S: It was nice to see he included audience in balcony seats. Not an eye opener.
17: ATINOKOV - Russia - CD.
T: He did a great sequence where he took the cards out of the case about 6 times, but Gregory had done a similar effect earlier. A standard act lifted by an amazing instant costume change from a black to white suit as the finale!
S: Act was hard to understand, moves were obvious. Great kick... costume change to finish.
18: HERMAN KOSTER - Nederlands - CD.
T: A fairly standard card act with the novelty aspect that the last portion was performed blindfolded.
S: Average act except for the card manipulation done blindfolded.
19: ANATOLI KARTASHKIN - Russia - CD.
T: This was one of the most talked about acts of the convention. He came out dressed as Zorro and did ten minutes of 'Tai-Chi' with cards to the Bolero. Apparently he was shuffling the cards while keeping them all in order, but it was done so slowly our minds all turned to mush as we watched.
S: I'd wear a mask too, if I presented an act like that at FISM!
20: RAMON RIOBOO BUJONES - Spain - CD.
T: Very good signed cards to pockets, I have no idea how he did it, but he had virtually no presentation.
S: Very clever. Should have used the microphone... he hardly looked at the audience and performed with no presentation.
21: CARLOS VAQUERA - Belgium - CL.
T: This act was sensational! After a mime opening where he attempted to produce all four aces, but only got three, his "helper" confessed to having forgotten to set the fourth ace. Then began some great interaction as the two attempted to top each other with increasingly impossible versions of card effects and matrix. They had to stop before the act was completed as they ran overtime were disqualified but the act combined incredible skill with an entertaining and original presentation. The "helper" turned out to be Jean Pierre Vallarino wearing a false moustache!
S: Fantastic! An absolutely wonderful presentation... very different.
22: SIMO AALTO - Finland - CL.
We had to arrive early today, because at 9.30am the competition began!
____________________________________
The Categories (143 Contestants)
GM = General Magic (37)
GI = Great Illusions (8)
MAN = Manipulation (21)
COM = Comedy (14)
MM = Mental Magic (6)
IN = Invention (10)
CU = Close Up (24)
CD = Cards (20)
____________________________________
1: DER HEXER - Germany - GI.
T: The competition opened in a really big way with this grand illusion act featuring a black jeaned, white shirted magician presenting a Columbus-themed act beginning with an interesting flash appearance on an empty stage, a little box which changed into a big box which then had a girl step out of it, a head and body twist, a bizarre 'Columbus Egg Slicer' illusion, the production of eight flag-waving showgirls and the final appearance (reveal) of a boat at the back of the stage. He made good use of sound effects blended with his music and the act was action-packed and very spectacular... but I couldn't help thinking that we've all seen this type of eye-candy too many times before. He also suffered a little by choosing not to use a follow spot, which left the stage a little too dark at times.
S: Huge production act, themed Columbus performance... pizzazz, ritz, glitz, flags from all nations, colourful and celebratory... spectacular finish - but, lighting was very poor and illusion performance was the usual old assistant in the box - out of the box routines that go nowhere.
2: KEIKO MUTO - Japan - MAN.
T: After a false start, due to a tech problem with her music, Keiko returned to the stage to begin her act again. She presented traditional Japanese effects with fans and umbrellas combined with manipulation with modern items including bells, wands, and her earrings. Highly skilled, but let down by one or two weaker effects mixed in with some truly magical moments.
S: Beautiful piece, elegant, cultural and themed. 'Traditional' props, moves and poses. Cleaner moves would have helped the performance.
3: RUI MORGADO - Portugal - GM.
T: An interesting idea we saw done better at the last FISM in Dresden. Rui began miming as Elvis performing the colour-changing records, then switched to a tap-dancing Sinatra miming 'New York, New York' as he performed the multiplying microphone heads. Nice ideas for 20-30 seconds, but not 8 minutes. He finished producing a picture of, what appeared to me to be, Signourney Weaver. I was puzzled.
S: Too much singing and dancing... not much magic. Very slow.
4: KATIA - Russia - MM.
T: This was a truly bizarre presentation of mental magic. Katia was so abusive towards her volunteers "Come here now! Throw it down! Go there quickly!" that she should have been dressed as a dominatrix. She began demonstrating her powers by handing her first volunteer a series of breakaway props, then went into an incomprehensible series of events where sticks were chosen, props caught fire, and predictions were revealed. I had no idea what was going on. She did have one classic line due to her heavy Russian accent though: "This trick was created long before Jesus and Buddha" came out as "long before cheeses and butter." Well... you had to be there...
S: I have no idea what this act was about. Funny and terrible at the same time. No sense at all... but, what a crazy girl! Quite funny.
5: LUIS MANUEL - Spain - MAN.
T: A more traditional manipulation act featuring balls, cards etc. Very clean with a very high skill level. He got a huge response when he began producing jumbo cards both singly and in fans.
S: Difficult manipulation..... Very clean, very skillful, clever, endearing. Great applause cues.
6: ANATOLI KIRITCHENKO - Russia - GM.
T: The classic Russian act featuring the production of lots of "wooden" dolls. It's interesting to note that almost all of the acts at FISM have featured motifs of their countries somewhere in their acts, whether it be in the music, costume, or theme.
S: Russian cultural act with spinning dolls. Not magical at all.
7: VALERIE - Switzerland - GM & IN
T: I really enjoyed this act where "the magician" leaves the stage in disgust when his assistant is late. Valerie, playing the assistant, turns up and has to play both the magician and the assistant. The act included some very funny and innovative moments including a solo sub trunk.
S: Quite a clever little act... unusual. Unbelievable costume changes. Wonderful performer with lots of potential.
8: ROY DAVENPORT - England - MAN.
T: Roy has performed this act at FISM before (tied for 3rd place in Manipulation at Dresden) and it keeps getting better. Themed as a British soldier highlights include a very aggressive ball routine and a high-risk linking rings which includes spinning the rings on the palms of his hand and a mid-air crash link.
S: Highly skillful and very entertaining. Colourful and patriotic.
9: HILBERT GEERLING - Nederlands - GM.
T: This act looked completely different as he played a professor trying to create life in a lab. Unfortunately he suffered from too little magic and poor acting.
S: Scientist who magically produces animals then turns into the red bird he was trying to bring to life. Interesting and different... didn't quite make it as a riveting piece of magic, but has potential.
10: JORGOS KATSAROS - Germany - GM.
T: Jorgos played with the theme of size and scale. He began the act as a midget, and ended and a giant. Unfortunately his choice of props - magnifying glasses, weights, etc - were simply not interesting enough. Tighten the act up, change the props, and it'll be great!
S: Very different act with an interesting premise... but didn't hit the spot magically.
11: TORKOVA - USA - MAN.
T: Lots of classics (old standards like Miser's Dream, 20th Century Silks etc) done well, but FISM demands excellence and innovation. The choice of music (Scott Joplin) also left us feeling we've seen it all before.
S: Standard act. No appeal.
12: MAGIC MAGDI MARY SHOW - Italy - IN.
T: The curtains opened revealing an Egyptian setting complete with cut out pyramids, a sphinx and a camel (on castors). The wanderer from the desert came in, dying of thirst, and proceeded to "act" for an extraordinarily long time. He pulled six swords out of a basket, each sword more slowly than the last, and finally - just as he was about to open the basket - a huge puff of smoke came on from side stage completely covering both he and the basket - and when it finally cleared, there was a girl. He then levitated her on the camel.
S: No magic, excruciatingly long piece of over acting, nothing was happening... except the agonising yearn to quench thirst.
13: JULIUS FRACK - Germany - GM.
T: He played a mad tailor and had a lot of fun stuff with thimbles, cloths, and scissors as he created a dress and, ultimately, a girl inside it.
S: Different, offbeat, crazy. Great to watch.
Time for a lunch break, but we moved to the Close up Theatre to line up for seats!
14: GREGORY WILSON - USA - CD.
T: A very tight act themed around the close-up table as his office. He crammed lots of eye-popping magic into his 10 minute set including multiple card and box vanishes, a card fountain from an office time clock, and lots of very high skill cuts and flourishes.
S: Impressive. Very clever, very clean, very good... and he knows it! Theming was refreshing. A hard act to follow.
15: ASHORD KNEITEL - USA - CD.
T: A pity he had to follow Gregory, but that's the luck of the draw. He was young and nervous but did well with some standard finding lost cards and lots of fancy cuts and flourishes.
S: Clever, but not so entertaining.
16: ROBERT WOTTSCH - Austria - CL.
T: An entire act themed around McDonald's fast food. Nice idea but suffered from poor technique and corny jokes.
S: It was nice to see he included audience in balcony seats. Not an eye opener.
17: ATINOKOV - Russia - CD.
T: He did a great sequence where he took the cards out of the case about 6 times, but Gregory had done a similar effect earlier. A standard act lifted by an amazing instant costume change from a black to white suit as the finale!
S: Act was hard to understand, moves were obvious. Great kick... costume change to finish.
18: HERMAN KOSTER - Nederlands - CD.
T: A fairly standard card act with the novelty aspect that the last portion was performed blindfolded.
S: Average act except for the card manipulation done blindfolded.
19: ANATOLI KARTASHKIN - Russia - CD.
T: This was one of the most talked about acts of the convention. He came out dressed as Zorro and did ten minutes of 'Tai-Chi' with cards to the Bolero. Apparently he was shuffling the cards while keeping them all in order, but it was done so slowly our minds all turned to mush as we watched.
S: I'd wear a mask too, if I presented an act like that at FISM!
20: RAMON RIOBOO BUJONES - Spain - CD.
T: Very good signed cards to pockets, I have no idea how he did it, but he had virtually no presentation.
S: Very clever. Should have used the microphone... he hardly looked at the audience and performed with no presentation.
21: CARLOS VAQUERA - Belgium - CL.
T: This act was sensational! After a mime opening where he attempted to produce all four aces, but only got three, his "helper" confessed to having forgotten to set the fourth ace. Then began some great interaction as the two attempted to top each other with increasingly impossible versions of card effects and matrix. They had to stop before the act was completed as they ran overtime were disqualified but the act combined incredible skill with an entertaining and original presentation. The "helper" turned out to be Jean Pierre Vallarino wearing a false moustache!
S: Fantastic! An absolutely wonderful presentation... very different.
22: SIMO AALTO - Finland - CL.
T: Another act we've seen at previous FISMS and again Simo keeps improving it. He produced budgies, ice, and performed a lovely cups and balls with bells and chimes. Very polished and well rehearsed with interesting props.
S: Wonderful presentation, amiable personality, easy to watch, some great productions.
23: THOMAS FRAPS - Germany - CD.
T: One of my favourite acts of the whole convention. Thomas began innocently enough, producing a glass of orange juice, but then was rudely interrupted by a Mr. Punch hand puppet (performed by Gaston) from behind the close up table. The interaction between the two was absolutely hilarious, so much so they had to talk over the laughter and applause at the end to finish the act within the time limit. There were too many gags and bits to mention here but, after Thomas broke Punch's neck for stealing material, the act ended with Punch being stabbed and the selected card being found. They could have scored better in the close up category (they really only did one card trick) but the audience loved it!
S: Absolutely hilarious, brilliant, different, totally entertaining, fantastic presentation! A+++
24: MARIO BOVE - Italy - CD.
T: Clever but confusing card tricks with a gambling theme. He cut to the kings, aces etc, all while keeping the entire deck in order.
S: Good material, no presentation and hard to understand.
25: MR DANNYMAN - Sweden - CU.
T: Mr. Dannyman performed in rhyming patter and themed his act by producing cards, then coins in varying sizes.
S: A clever, poetic piece. Technique and presentation were not so good.
26: DAVID REGO - Portugal - CU.
T: David had a full bar as his table. He performed to music as a dull, depressed character and strange "magical" things happened to him. Many effects where too repetitive and slow, a little variation in pace would have helped a lot.
S: Slow performance, but he moved too prescisely for a 'drunk'. Confusing.
27: JUAN VARELA - Chile - CU.
T: He performed at a chess board and told a story using the pieces as characters. The pieces appeared, vanished and changed sizes... some moves were more deceptive than others.
S: Interesting, but not riveting.
28: ARISTON - Argentina - CD.
T: Dull tricks, dull presentation.
S: Just a bunch of average close up tricks that I find hard to remember... except for the fact that he was hard to understand and unimpressive.
29: RAFAEL BENATAR - Spain - CD.
T: Good personality and he performed his card effects with an office theme ("faxing" signed cards, for example). Very nice, but cut the act short to avoid running overtime.
S: Brilliant technician, nice personality.
30: GUSTAVO BARRETO - Brazil - IN.
T: Gustavo presented and explained an interesting coin gaff for 'International Matrix', and a move for Cups and Balls which was really innovative.
S: Good invention... no personality and uninteresting to watch.
31: DIDIER LADANE - France - CD.
T: Didier presented his act in French and, with a portrait of Dai Vernon looking on, performed signed card effects, travellers, twisting the aces and various flourishes climaxing with a signed card appearing underneath the glass of Dai's portrait. The act was nicely themed as a "tribute" to the Professor.
S: Brilliant technician and a kicker of a finish. Spoke French but he was understood..
32: MIGUEL GOMEZ - Spain - CD.
T: Miguel spoke Spanish but, unlike Didier, I couldn't follow his effects. They seemed very skillful based on audience reaction, but he did seem to make one or two technical errors.
S: Not gripping, hard to follow. I don't think language barrier was a real problem here.
After a quick dinner break we headed back into the Theatre for Gala Show #1.
This was a mixed bag of a show, way too long (what a surprise) but Mike Caveney handled the job of MC quite well. We saw Nicholas Night & Kinga, Hans Klok, Anam Cara, Mac King, Juliana Chen, Junge Junge, Shintaro, Tina Lenert (no, not the mop act, her harp and feather piece!), and Ge Qui Ha from China.
During the show Mike Caveney joked that we'd missed our 11pm buses, but not to worry, we could catch the 12am buses! Unfortunately, when we got out of the theatre, the buses were gone. According to one source, when FISM President Marques Vidal heard about this (he was partying at the official FISM late night venue) he allegedly said: "Not my problem." Some apologies were offered the next day though... and it didn't happen again!
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