STAGE COMPETITION
(By Sue-Anne Webster)
49. ANDOST
General Magic
USA
Sponsor: International Brotherhood of Magicians - Joan Caesar
Something slightly different. Starts in dim lighting with two lamps - one tall, one short. Folds the short lamp into a lighting catalogue, the line drawn lamp on the cover gradually turns white. The bulb from the tall lamp lights up and changes colour. Andost produces a lamp from the catalogue, then makes two lamps. Takes a page from the catalogue to form a cone, sets it aside, while he takes the lit bulb out of the tall lamp, turns it to a red lit bulb, then turns the bulb into red sand. Takes the cone of paper and continues to pour red sand into the cone, he lets go of the cone and it floats while the red sand continues to pour into it. He opens the cone and a red silk falls out to the ground, it zips upwards into his hand and becomes a red lit bulb and puts it back into the lamp, but it plays up. He takes out the unlit bulb, putting a finger on the metallic end and the bulb lights up, takes finger off it - goes out - finger on - lights up… a bit of play with the bulb, then takes a red silk out of the bulb to fix it. It turns to a white lit bulb, so he puts it back in the lamp. The light-up prop box does a disco lighting effect to music, while performer opens one draw and pulls out an apparatus, consisting of a sequence of see through frames, becoming an image of a small lamp as the frames - stuck together - fall to the ground like a silk streamer, then finally the image turns to a real lamp as the last frame falls to the ground and sets it on the lit prop table with the draws. Another two are produced and set beside the first lamp. Pulls out another lit red bulb, then two - turns to lit yellow bulbs - multiplying bulbs with colour lights, ending in eights lit multi-colour lights. Puts some bulbs in a draw and three on the table below the three small lamps. He waves the catalogue over the lit bulbs, which instantly appear in the lamps, flashing.
50. MAIA JIANG
Manipulation
China
Sponsor: China Magic Art Society - Lin Jian
Sleeveless leather jacket and leather pants, lace up boots and a big cross on a chain around his neck. Modern Spanish type music. Produces card fans to confetti and white silk. Card fans, 360 degree card fans with white cards, then red and white cards to red/white silk to red/white confetti. White card fan with a card that sticks out the top and twists, then tosses cards. More cards, then card fans with red/white card fans, then splits the fans into four and tosses them all. Music change to Nun’s singing. Larger white cards, finger manipulation of cards, throws single cards, produces more with one red amongst the white card fans. Music changes to a fast modern beat, more card manipulation, cards from mouth, single card flinging across the stage, then three card fountains from stage floor with a confetti explosion. Very dynamic, energetic, yet controlled. Clean moves.
51. XAVIER TAPIAS
General Magic
Spain
Sponsor: Sociedad Espanola de Illusionism - Armando Gomez Bernardo
Interesting act! Man sitting on a park bench next to a bin full of rubbish and garbage strewn all over the floor. He is in a crumpled suit with no tie, wearing white sandshoes. He looks despondent by all the mess, but gets an idea to do something about it. He constructs an animated garbage form - a robot. He collects pieces of rubbish and puts them together - using a large stiff paper bag for the torso and crushed empty plastic bottles - uncrushed, to fashion to fashion the legs and discarded aluminium foil for the feet, with an old food tray for the head. Before one arm is attached to the body, it begins to move on the park bench - and the eyebrows move on the head. The robot’s legs begin to move and the performer tries to get it to come to him, but it indicates ‘no‘ After a bit of encouragement, it tries to get up. The performer helps it stand and walk around the stage. Then the garbage bin next to the park bench slowly falls forward to the ground, turning into a robot dog and moves around the stage by itself, then sits up on its hind legs. Very creative and entertaining act.
52. KENNETH CHAN
General Magic
China-Hong Kong
Sponsor: Magicians Association of Hong Kong - Albert Tam
Competed in FISM 2006 with the same act.
The winner of the first Asia Magic Association Stage Magic Competition.
Sits at a small bar in a black suit with an orange tie. Produces yellow silk, then bottle of alcohol. Puts a different bottle in a white cloth, crushes the bottle and tosses the cloth and produces a white ball that turns orange after rubbing it with an orange cloth. Orange ball production. Orange cloth produces another bottle, pours orange liquid into a glass with a garnish, places it on a cigar box after taking out a cigar. Fire wallet to light it. Cigar changes to red, takes glass and shakes it, the liquid turns to a red silk. Latin music cigar, goes to light it, vanishes, two cigars and a lolly (candy) on a stick. Cash production, cash fans, cash fountain from cigar box. Shows a card with an image of a full wine glass. Performer waves over it and it becomes full. Card fans with images of wine glasses. Produces large coloured fans - a bit fumbly. Produces liquid load into a glass. Takes a bottle and changes it into a large silver cloth. Then after the performer hesitates a little, repositioning his cloth, he produces a lady. The act ended in a confetti burst. Not bad.
53. LIU ZIHAO
Manipulation
China
Sponsor: China Magic Art Society - Lin Jian
Black tails and purple ruffle shirt. Slow music. Produces white cards and twists them in fingers. Red cards change to white. Card manipulation and production of cards in fingers - back to white cards, then confetti. Upbeat music now, does 360 degree card fans, all a bit fiddly. Cards to white material, to card castle, to costume change (pale blue robe with white silk scarf).
54. SOMA
General Magic
Hungary
Sponsor – Magic Club of Budapest
1st General Magic, FISM 2009
Gold Lion Award Winner 2009 World Magic Seminar
This was a great act! Very easy to watch. All the magic had a purpose to the story. The music/sound effects enhance the action. Curtains open, a street phone box centre stage. Soma walks on dressed in a suit, with a newspaper and a drink in a take-away (to go) cup, his bag smoothly follows on the ground behind him. He is distracted and the drink cup floats. Tears newspaper, one piece falls to the ground - concerned about it, Soma leans to the ground as the sound effects suggest a rewind in time. As he comes back out of his lean, the newspaper piece follows him magically in the air towards the newspaper as it fully restores. Cell phone rings, but the phone stops working - so, to use the phone box, he produces coins - production and manipulation. Coin into hand, smoke in hand as it vanishes. Larger coins produced. Coin to cash. Phone rings, answers - call from a seedy company promising “all dreams come true”. Shocked, Soma walks away, leaving the phone to levitate before he hangs it up. Cell phone in his case makes message tones. He opens the case, but a hand in the case slams it shut. Rings again, this time the hand gives him the cell phone and slams the case shut again. Another cell phone rings, he multiplies the phone. Another phone rings, he pulls out an old handset attached to a old curly cord, from his coat. Cells to confetti, then cell phone production. Produces silk to wipe brow and flicks silk at cell phone and it visually vanishes. Cell production again and manipulation, eight cell phones go crazy with ringing sounds. Left with one, he smashes it with a mallet - police siren - throws confetti, retrieves glasses, cell phone to newspaper, flash on phone box reveals drink cup, then walks off back to where he started with paper and drink, gestures at his bag which follows him off stage. Standing ovation.
55. HAN SEOL-HUI
Manipulation
Republic of Korea
Sponsor: Korean Magic Society - Eun-Sun Chung
Equal 1st Manipulation, FISM 2009 - with Yo Kato
Young guy. Energetic. Skilful. Jeans and headphones. CD rack on stage. Headphones to confetti. Goes to CD stand. Performs lightening fast CD production, to coloured CDs and manipulation. Dynamic moves. CD to headphones. Takes the letters ‘CD’ off a sign on the CD rack, puts then together to form a CD - CD appears inside and out of plastic CD case - turns to confetti. Small CD production and manipulation on every finger. Takes ‘Music’ sign and changes the letters visually to form ‘Magic’. Half a CD, restored to full CD. More normal size CD productions - coloured, CD waterfall from hand. Changes rack of silver CDs to coloured CDs. Ends by producing headphones again. Standing Ovation.
56. DION
Manipulation
The Netherlands
Sponsor: Nederlandse Magische Unie - Ronald Moray
3rd General Magic, FISM 2006
Beautifully choreographed tango style routine. Performer sits in a chair at a table. Black outfit, white shirt, Black coat and bowler hat. Lamp on table with a cloth cover. With a spark, lamp shade cover changes to silk. Bulb turns to candle, lights it and puts the candle in the lamp base, which now forms a candle holder. Produces vase. Red silk to rose, produces red ball, then white ball. Beautiful moves. Fan production and vanish. Very elegant. Cards - single cards and card fan routine. Coat is off and sleeves rolled up. Moves to sit in chair, cards and cane, sits in chair - more card manipulation of cards in fingers. Standing, produces more cards, produces rose and puts in his mouth tango style, puts it in the vase and blows out the candle.
57. TIMO MARC
General Magic
Germany
Sponsor: Magischer Zirkel von Deutschland - Wolfgang Sommer
Sarmoti Award Winner 2008 World Magic Seminar
Competed at FISM 2006
Unable to compete as his props were detained in transit.
58. ELENA VOK
General Magic
Finland
Sponsor: Finnish Magic Circle - Robert Jagerhorn
This is an interesting and awful performance. The lady begins in a pink outfit and a black scarf with white polka dotted, black top hat - cane to blue scarf, then proceeds to do a costume change act (by walking behind a change screen each time), with poor quality costumes and awkward moves. But, the ultimate moment that shocks the audience is she did a “Sharon Stone” - twice - kicking her leg high into the air and flashing her fanny (that’s Australian slang for the front bottom) at the jury - twice. Thankfully, she wore pale pink knickers… I think.
59. QU LEI
General Magic
China
Sponsor: China Magic Art Society - Lin Jian
Lady dressed in a beautiful Chinese-style pink dress. UV lighting to start the act. Green bamboo surrounds her portable stage. Rich colours. Normal lighting comes back up as she does an umbrella production routine, decorating her performance area with small, medium and large colour umbrellas. She produces the umbrellas in various ways, including a backward walkover, with a red umbrella appearing on her foot in the air mid move. She produces a large red fan with a red production cloth attached. She waves it, making ripple effects before she does three costume changes into different coloured outfits - all beautiful. The delicate red cloth is skilfully waved about in the air as the costume changes take place… there is no evidence of the prior larger costumes after she finishes in her small green outfit.
60. MASAHIKO MATSUDA
Manipulation
Japan
Sponsor: Japanese Professional Magicians Association - Haruhiko Nagisa
Fast music. Colour card and card fan manipulations. Then balls and blue silk scarf. Music slowed for ball manipulation, then sped up again to an upbeat pace for more cards. Produces sunglasses at the end. Loads were obvious… more practise needed.
61. LERIKO
General Magic
Russian Federation
Sponsor: Russian Association of Magicians - Vladimir Rudnev
This act was the weirdest of them all. Long, sparkly black coat, top hat, cane bag. Starts with back to audience. Lights the end of his cane to produce smoke, then circles with it. A fire starts on the ground next to his bag after he pulls out a big stripy coloured tent from it. We thought that was the end of the act… but, it went out. Somebody snuck in from behind the tent as the performer was doing something behind a large silver cloth. It ends up being a costume change to a black and purple showy circus type suit with a black, blank mask. Does a floating mask and scarf routine, puts glowing blue eyes onto his black mask and makes them droop to the corners of his mouth. Takes off the mask and does a multiplying small silver box routine, juggling them and sticking the small, silver boxes all over his costume, moving them about in random order. Then we watched as he took all the boxes off again. He stands in front of the tent opening to produce a large yellow umbrella and a painting pallet - no mystery. He uses a paint brush to throw the paint on his pallet into air to make paint-like flowers. While he did this, the tent behind him rises into the air, clearly showing someone else’s legs under it doing the obvious ‘dirty work‘. The performer went inside his tent and didn’t come out. The lights went down. Very, very strange and thoughtless act.
62. JORDAN GOMEZ
Manipulation
France
Sponsor: Fédération Française des Artistes Prestidigitateurs- Peter Din
Young guy, very energetic, dynamic, comfortable and easy to watch. He smiles nicely and looks like he’s having fun. Striped shirt and black bag. Up beat music. Chews candy from M&M packet which flies to his bag by itself. Puts headphones on. Pulls out ‘DJ’ sign and a record to CD, throws away CD cover to confetti. Colour changing CDs, vanish. Pulls out another CD - production and manipulation of colour CDs in CD pack. Produces M&M pack and headphones. Multiplying M&M pack to eight finger packet production to confetti. Produces an orange ball to change of music and puts it in his mouth like candy. Colour changing balls. Small M&M blows up to large to CD production to confetti. He flings CDs to confetti.
21. THE LORD OF DARKNESS
Comedy Magic
Germany
Sponsor: Magischer Zirkel von Deutschland - Wolfgang Sommer
Disqualified - goes overtime.
Apparently this act is very funny in Germany. It has potential, but died a sad death on this stage. Smoke on stage as a nice, deep authorative voice over announces The Lord of Darkness from Transylvania. Vampire walks forward with a long black and purple lined cloak. Vamp makeup. He opens his mouth and speaks in a silly, comical voice. He said he was a real vampire and would prove it. He would use his ultrasonic echo location abilities to know, without seeing, what objects are selected, but needs a volunteer for this. There is a bit of business with the volunteer and coins, before he finally has his eyes and head gaffer taped so he can’t see. The volunteer selects an object from her bag and covers it in her hand, then he detects what it is - by screeching at the object, then hearing the echo that bounces back to his head, forming an image of the object. Does not see the orange warning indicator light because he is blindfolded. Goes overtime, but does not see the red light. He does not detect the curtains closing, so continues talking. The Lord of Darkness was left in darkness.
OTHER EVENTS TODAY
(by Tim Ellis)
Today was the last day of the Stage Magic Competition - though many people attended the Topas lecture which they said was excellent, but they missed out on some of the best and most interesting acts of the competition.
After lunch was a Henry Evans lecture, a McBride Masterclass (extra cost I think?), a Shoot Ogawa lecture and the FISM General Assembly meeting where they accepted membership of three new societies (including The College of Magic in South Africa), put forward a rule about abuse of people and animals on stage during the competition, and voted Blackpool as the next FISM venue. (Apparently, if more people voted against Blackpool than for it, Eric Eswin would have had 12 months in which to find a new FISM host city).
Finishing off the night was a big banquet (and I mean BIG!). Same place as the welcome dinner but with a different menu, just as glamorous and luxurious and with a feast of the best entertainment Beijing has to offer. Not a single magic trick but no-one seemed to mind.
We had a full orchestra on stage as opposed to the usual trio, and acts included operatic singers, ballet dancers, a troupe of plate spinners and an acrobatic duo who were truly astonishing. We even had a Chinese version of the all-girl classical music group 'Bond'. Even the songs they played sounded like (but weren't) Bond's hits.
The debate of the night was "Were they really playing or doing a Milli Vanilli?" because once or twice not a bow was touching a string but the music still continued... but whether they really were playing or not didn't seem to matter as hundreds of people from the back of the room rushed forward to take photos.
Also that night the FISM Special Awards were presented.
CREATIVITY went to Jim Steinmeyer (Mike Caveney accepted on his behalf).
HISTORY & RESEARCH went to Bill Kalush (Max Maven accepted on his behalf).
PHILOSOPHY & THEORY went to Juan Tamariz and the crowd exploded with joy.
It truly was a sensational night and one of the best FISM banquets in past memory.
.jpg)
No comments:
Post a Comment