FISM 2009 - DAY TWO

Monday, July 27, 2009

STAGE COMPETITION

(By Sue-Anne Webster)

1. MAYUKO

General Magic

Japan

Sponsor: Society of Japanese Magicians - Junichiro Sejima

Alice in Wonderland theme. Nice routine, clean moves and easy to watch. School girl in tartan skirt, shirt and blazer with a plush toy white rabbit. Takes a white tea cup and pours tea from a tea pot into the cup, tips the cup upside-down and a white ball drops into her hand. Vanishes the ball - reappears between her hands. White ball production in a relaxed, measured and fluid fashion. One ball to four instantly as she turns around, then one ball to four in full view. One ball in each hand to 8 balls instantly. She turns to take off school coat - as the coat drops, instant costume change to blue Alice style dress with white apron. She looks into a silver hand mirror and pulls cards from it. Card production with single cards and card fans. Pulls a pink silk from the mirror and produces a card from the silk - silk is draped over card to produce a card fan - then two card fans. Card fan production and manipulation, proving all single cards. Pink silk over hand to produce a large card appearance - then a large card fan - then two card fans (real cards). One card fan vanishes the other, then she vanishes the last one. Again, producing large cards - two large card fans, then multiplying cards between all fingers on both hands three times over. Pink cell phone rings, she answers, then goes behind white curtain for a quick costume change back into her school uniform. Picks up the white rabbit and waves its paw goodbye.

2. ERNESTO

General Magic

Italy

Sponsor: Club Magico Italiano - Domenico Dante

Neat dark gray suit. Latin style music. Energetic. Pulls out a four-colour silk with green, yellow, blue and red squares - and from it makes seven coloured umbrellas appear. Continues with a coloured umbrella production. Takes a red silk and produces more umbrellas. Then from the red silk, four red umbrellas and dances to the Latin beat for a while with his umbrellas. Change of music - ‘music box’ style. Pulls out a smaller yellow silk and produces a small yellow umbrella. Music change to Latin beat again - pulls out another large four-colour silk again. which changes to four separate coloured silks all tied together, then changes to an umbrella that he spins upside down on his hand sending out sprays of green confetti up into the air. More confetti from his hands produces another umbrella with red confetti. From colour umbrella to more colour umbrellas to multi-colour umbrellas with silks attached to the outer prongs. He lights up the umbrella stick like a sparkler. Produces yet more umbrellas - to three multi-colour umbrellas - to six multi colour umbrellas. From one set of three umbrellas locked together, he produces a large multi-colour umbrella with silks hanging from the outer prongs - then two large umbrellas with silks. No, I didn’t repeat myself - he finishes the act with umbrellas strewn everywhere! This act was the first of many that gave this FISM the reputation: ‘Mess is More’.

3. JAE HOON LIM

General Magic

Republic of Korea

Sponsor: Korean Magic Society - Eun-Sun Chung

Winner of 2008 FISM Asia

Black outfit - white cravat. White silk flies around stage. On it’s return, it turns into a dove. A cane lights up with fire at the tip, which turns into a dove. Takes off white cravat with a black silk sheath in the other hand. Cravat to dove, then from black silk slowly produces another dove. Blows up a blue balloon. He bursts the blue balloon, leaving a fully blown white balloon in its place. At the same time, the burst blue balloon produced a blue dove… and in his other hand the white balloon shrank to produce a white dove. Took ‘egg’ from a dove and did white multiplying balls - then coloured multiplying balls. Colour silk - instant change back to colour balls and ball production, then confetti. Placed balls into slim medium sized paper screen box (black with a dove picture in white) and from it produces a dove. Then produces fake dove, to real dove, then two silks to multi-colour silks from each hand and produces a dove form each one of them. One dove turns to confetti. Different coloured doves in cage - cage falls apart, but doves all change into one long multi-colour silk that flies away into the stage wing. Timing was a bit off throughout the act, but had a couple of visually interesting dove productions.

4. LIU MINGYA

Manipulation

China

Sponsor: China Magic Art Society - Lin Jian

Pigeon sounds in the darkness with Chinese style music. Curtains open. Traditional style modern clothing. Performs warrior moves with a sword on fire. Dove appears from the fire and flies back to its cage, which looked great. A balloon sits propped at the front of the stage. Liu jabs the balloon with his sword and upon bursting it, a dove appears, which also looked good. Red silk produces red candle. Lights candle - vanish it with silk. Produces an egg and breaks it into a brandy glass. Red silk produces cards - full 360 degree fans in both hands, then card and card fan productions. Card fan to glitter flowers. Produces another egg - breaks it into glass. Paper flash, fire into real egg - production and manipulation of three eggs - fourth egg from a black cloth with a picture of a chicken, which he breaks into the glass. More one-handed egg manipulation (drops one and it breaks, but replaces it with a spare) - then breaks all three into the glass to show they are real. Produces another egg from the air, breaks into glass. Takes a silver glitter cloth and does a quick fake dove zombie, which turns into a real dove. Produces a cage from the silver cloth. Then produces streamers form his hand and a very large green flag, waving it over the dove cage - cage falls apart and doves vanish. Then all the doves fly back to him from the stage wings, landing on performer and the outstretched flag pole. This was popular with the audience. The live dove work in this act was effective.

5. ARTYOM SHCHUKIN

General Magic

Russian Federation

Sponsor: Russian Association of Magicians - Vladimir Rudnev

Very short act. Neat black tails and white cravat. Cravat to cane, then produces a dove. Takes off black gloves, produces a dove which drops an ‘egg’ - vanish - then two eggs appear - ball manipulation. From a white and red silk comes two doves - white and red. From red dove to red silk to red plume to cascade of streamers to cards. Cards into a card fan which diminishes, then vanishes. Card fan productions and vanishes. Card fan manipulation. Card productions from hands. Four birds in cage - vanish to confetti under a shiny silver cloth. This was the start of many, many card - card fan - confetti production acts.

6. CHEFFMAGIC

General Magic

Denmark

Sponsor: Magisk Cirkel Danmark - Bo Thomsen

3rd Comedy Magic, FISM 2009 (recategorised by Jury)

Light comedy/waiter routine. Chef in long white chef outfit. Extensive use of sound effects. Cracks his back and produces a wooden spoon from in front of his apron. Puts spoon in cooking pot on stove and it stirs by itself. Chef opens cook book - it catches fire. Drinks from Pepsi bottle and it floats between his hands - then straw and cup routine, straw goes through bottom of cup, business with cup and straw. Floating glass as liquid is poured into it. From a raw chicken he produces an egg - then egg production - eggs into pot. Squashes an egg on his forehead. Stretches the splattered egg and blows it into a balloon, bursts it with a knife and produces a mechanical comical toy chicken. Wooden spoon through head, then makes herbs grow in a pot next to stove. Farts - flash of fire from bottom, then walks behind set (pantry) for a costume change to waiter. Tastes food in pot with a metal spoon. Wipes spoon with white silk hanky, then produces from the silk, a candle holder and a candle. Wine into glass. Takes empty glass, waves silk, glass full of wine. Matches, lights candle. Fly buzzes, then falls into soup. Catches fly, squashes it into a card fan. Dunks cards, like crackers into the soup and eats them. Comedy card production with sound effects - gun sounds - card production - card to ball - manipulation with one ball to more sound effects. One ball to four - to eight instantly. Another fly - squashes it in to a larger card fan - more card productions, then produces a sign ‘The End’ and shoots a flash from his finger tip. Hmmm… slapstick comedy with a mediocre effect on the audience.

7. JORGE LUENGO

Mental Magic

Spain

Sponsor: Sociedad Espanola de Ilusionismo - Joaquin Rodriguez Flores

Award for Invention, FISM 2009

Now, this effect/invention is clever! Crushes paper and throws into audience for a random volunteer. After paper is thrown to third person - if they speak English - is the volunteer. Volunteer told to stare into Jorge’s eyes. Volunteer told to close eyes. Jorge gets three numbers written down by three audience members. He adds them up and writes on a small board, then asks volunteer to show his small whiteboard to audience and told to concentrate - volunteer has to write the number on a board of his own. But volunteer could not speak English, so starts to speak in his own language into the microphone. I found out later that the volunteer said he was so sorry that he could not speak English. SO… another volunteer ran up on stage to take over where the last one left off. Time was ticking. He looked at Jorge and concentrated, then wrote a number on his whiteboard. The number revealed was 1743... the same as Jorge had written on his whiteboard. But the volunteer also wrote ‘PARIS’. Jorge revealed that inside his coat pocket was an air ticket to Paris. He opened the ticket so we could see the word ‘PARIS’ written on the back. Then, Jorge took out a little bag from his coat and asked the volunteer what was inside the bag. The volunteer responded, ‘coin‘. Jorge revealed that inside the bag was a present from his grandfather… which was a coin. It would have been more amazing if the coin was from Paris, dated 1743.

8. JEFF LEE

General Magic

Chinese Taipei

Sponsor: Black Hat magic Association - Kai-Fu Wang

Lighting problem at first. Interesting use of media. On a small screen, white light turns into a compact disc. Jeff reaches into the screen and pulls it out - changes to a triangle - to square - and back to CD, then colour disc production. Drops six colour discs into screen (three on top row - three on bottom row). He touches each disc and they light up to different musical sounds. He morphs them into one white disc again, which moves towards him and drops out of the screen. Jeff picks it up and changes it into a ‘smiley face’ disc. Another smiley face appears on screen - a girl - he puts his disc onto the screen, they move close to each other and fall in love. He pulls out a yellow disc, stretches it, a red light appears on it, he spins it - it floats. He produces a red silk and CD case. Disc appears in CD case - CD turns red in case. He takes it out, but part of the disc is missing. The part of the disc that’s missing appears on the screen, which he takes to fix the CD. Multiplying disc production and manipulation. Some screen work with the disc, then large disc appears, he takes it off screen, makes it a small disc - into large card reading, ‘The End’ on the screen..

9. MARTINO

General Magic

Greece

Sponsor: Academy of Magicians of Greece - Gousis Christoforos

Smoke as curtains open. 19th Century outfit. Top hat, tails, white cravat and black cloak with purple satin lining. Fire in hands production and manipulation - to fire sticks and vanish. Takes off cravat, cloak and gloves. Takes out wallet - fire - then large coin from wallet. Large coin production into hat - more coins - coin fan in fingers. Coin vanish to smoke and appearance (but timing was a little off). More coins - manipulation into hat. Newspaper from coat. Torn and restored newspaper - with piece missing that dropped to the floor earlier. Closes newspaper, missing piece was pressed into paper with smoke and fully restored. Huge fake coin from newspaper - large coin production (bit fiddly). Silk from coat pocket into cane and glitter fell from ceiling.

10. HUGHES PROTAT

Manipulation

France

Sponsor: Federation Francaise des Artistes Prestidigitateurs - Peter Din

A crazy character dressed in black - curly boots like a jester - baggy pants like a genie, circus-like coat, a hat like Fagan from ‘Oliver Twist’ with a yellow plume in it - eyes wide open and mouth constantly talking (in silence). Fire to coin and into a black tin on a table - coin production into black tin - then sudden glitter from hands revealing a stash of cash. Takes a string and lights it - flashes into a chain of gold medals. then gold medal chain production - throws it all into an old black bag or leaves it on the floor. Takes an old brown scroll, unrolls it - rolls up again to produce more cash and plenty of glitter confetti. Shows hands empty - change in music to a heartbeat type sound - produces a coin which vanishes - then produces it again to the beat. Music beats up to coin production and manipulation. Last coin changes to yellow silk that he puts in his top coat pocket. More coin productions - coins into bucket, then cash production - vanishes to yellow silk that went missing from his pocket - puts it back into top pocket. Produce coins - fire flash to vanish more coins - throws coins into the air and catches them in one hand - repeats this over and over until coins turn to a stash of cash - then more coins and manipulation - another coin medal, then a big display of gold and silver glitter confetti shooting into the air. He picks up his hat (next to black tin) to leave, when lots of cash falls out over the stage.

11. SAMI MATOSHI

General Magic

Albania

Sponsor: Artistic Society Hypnoses - Sami Matoshi

Cancelled due to health issues.

12. ZHANG CHAO

Manipulation

China

Sponsor: China Magic Art Society - Lin Jian

Act opens on an interesting scene. Two bamboo arrangements beside a temple prop. Traditional music. UV lights up an old traditional man with long white hair and a long white beard, dressed in white traditional Chinese robes. Produces fire in hands to white confetti. Produces cash, then two cash fans. Produces a big white flag - waves it over himself - costume change to more modern black patterned Chinese clothes. Confetti to green silk and wipes his front to produce a green tie already in place. Cash production and manipulation of cash with fingers. More cash - balanced on arm, then 360 degree cash fans, tosses into the air (like confetti). Now modern music. Green silk to red silk - produces sun glasses. Red silk changes tie to red. Produces red card fan with white confetti. Produces money from fan - vanish card fan. Produces cash - cash manipulation with lots of confetti. Takes off sunglasses - puts in pocket. Magically draws money from the ground up towards himself.

13. HYUN-JOON KIM

Manipulation

Republic of Korea

Sponsor: Korean Magic Society - Eun-Sun Chung

Hat on small table. Black outfit. Produces card fan - then single cards and card fan production - then colour cards, then normal cards again and 360 degree card fans. Tosses into the air. More cards and confetti - some make it into his hat. Then card fountain from hat. Produces card in his hand, then a white ball - back to card - then ball again which vanishes in a white flash. White ball to colour ball - to four colour ball routine. Ball to confetti. From the confetti, he pulls a white ball - to red ball - red and white ball production, then two white balls to four, then ball manipulation. Balls into hat. Ball to card - to red card with confetti to green card - to yellow card - vanish. Card appearance to white glove.

14. LATKO

General Magic

Argentina

Sponsor: Entidad Magica Argentina - Ray Francas

Competed FISM 2006 with a similar act.

Something different. I like acts that you can remember, like this one. Smoke and sound effects in the dark of a motor accident. Lights come up on the scene of a motorbike accident. The biker, in full biker outfit, is upset - his motor bike has been smashed to pieces. Takes off his gloves and strikes a match on his shoes. When he sees two flames in his hands, he gets an idea - with fire, he will restore his bike. Appearing canes (and additions) become the handle bars. Produces the gears from fire. Fire sticks make spokes for the front wheel, puts wheel back on his bike. Produces bike indicators. Lights the back wheel on fire, which fully restores its spokes and he attaches it to the back of the bike. Produces two side bike lights from fire flashes - picks up main front light and makes it shine, levitates it and it flies over to the bike, attaching itself in position to the bike. Produces a large bike flag - waves it over the bike and the paint job restores. He picks up front bike shield and covers his face for a second, revealing helmet fully in place on his head. Gets on the bike - blackout - bike lights come up and bike moves forward. Stage lights come back up and Latko jumps off bike to take a bow. Great lateral thinking and use of magic by Latko.

15. SERGE FERGINI

Manipulation

Russian Federation

Sponsor: Russian Association of Magicians - Vladimir Rudnev

Black suit. Two false starts due to his music starting too soon. Shows empty hand - closes it - then a lot of open and closing of hands before he finally produces a red ball. His hands moved like quick spider legs - or fast moving crabs to his jazz music, doing ball manipulation - then cards - and back and forth from balls to cards. Much of his performance was done with his back to the audience, stumbling through his movements. Then he just walks off stage with his fingers manipulating a red ball. Hmmm… weird.

16. BO WEN

Stage Illusions

China

Sponsor: China Magic Art Society - Lin Jian

Huge painted tree backdrop, wooden hut prop and palms in pots. Traditional Chinese music. Five beautiful girls in wonderfully colourful Chinese costumes. Bo walks on in traditional costume, playing a flute. This looks to be a promising act until Bo draws an image of a large goldfish on a drawing board and pulls it off the page - a real one - on a hook - and puts it in a bowl of water looking a little worse for wear (it’s still alive). He covers a small water tank, then reveals smaller live goldfish. He covers it again with the shiny cloth, carries it forward and vanishes the tank with water and fish. He takes a large shiny, rusty colour cloth and drags the first large goldfish with hook out of the bowl and puts it into a larger fish tank. He covers the tank, then uncovers it to reveal a girl in the water. She gets out while the other girls wave about some wooden water buckets, splashing water, then tipping them upside down to throw confetti everywhere. Bo gets chained up to bamboo restraints and gets into the largest tank - lid on and covers with a cloth. He’s shown trying to escape - then covered again. Pretty girls dancing and posing. Then cloth is lifted to show Bo has vanished. Cloth covers tank again, then lifted to reveal two crocodiles (fake ones). Bo appears at the back of the theatre - all wet and serenely walks towards the stage playing the flute. Girls dance gently. Bo gestures and the cloth covers the tank - then comes off to reveal crocs have turned into two girls wearing goggles in the tank…. and leaves them there… in the water. I was concerned about their oxygen.

After lunch, it was time to see the Close Up Competition. As the room only seated 300 people and there were 2,500 registrants, there was a very high demand for seats and many people crammed inside filling not only the seats but the stairs as well.

CLOSE UP COMPETITION

(By Sue-Anne Webster)

101. SIMON CORONEL

Micro Magic

Australia

Sponsor: Australian Institute of Magic - Sue-Anne Webster

Equal 3rd, Micro Magic, FISM 2009 - with Johan Stahl

To background music, Simon talks about transcending the possibilities in magic - which is the theme to this act. Two volunteers selected to be close witnesses. Simon alludes to Las Vegas acts by holding up a large red production cloth over the close-up table, whipping it away to reveal a coin. Coin manipulation, duplication and transformations. Coin to cash - 5 to 50 dollar note and back to $5. Cash to deck of playing cards. Produces a black felt pen and a volunteer signs their chosen card. Folds signed card - tears it - restores it and uses the pen as a wand to vanish the card. Volunteer checks his rolled up sleeves and inspects behind the close-up table. The other volunteer checks the front and under the close-up table. Large red production cloth is held over the close-up table and whipped away to produce a “coin holder” - a lady standing with a coin and a card reading “coin”. Very clean and smooth moves.

102. MAGO LARRY

Parlour Magic

Argentina

Sponsor: FLASOMA - Hector Carrion

This is a bad act because it thrice abuses a volunteer. It was a prediction using ‘cards across’ with country names on them… and a whopping great electrical current in the volunteer’s chair to her know when the countries she chose - Japan, Syria and Taiwan - disappear out from under her butt. I know this, because I WAS THE SUCKER VOLUNTEER!!! He zapped me with ruddy great stings of electricity THREE TIMES! It was a stupid thing to do… especially picking on a reviewer and a close-up judge’s wife. Talk about cutting your own throat.! I know what this performer can do with his current! [See my comments on electric chairs in DAY TWO of the Stage Competition reviews - after I got zapped the FOURTH time!]

* OH… and for those who are not ‘in-the-know‘, we were all informed after this act, by an irate Chinese registrant, that Taiwan is not a country!!! Ugly scene… and news to many of us. Taiwan citizens were only allowed to register at FISM Beijing under the title “Chinese-Taipei”. Many Taiwanese registrants blacked out the “Chinese” title on their name cards. Politics and FISM don’t mix *

103. CHRISTIAN BIERBRAUER

Card Magic

Germany

Sponsor: Magischer Zirkel von Deutschland - Wolfgang Sommer

Started his act by saying, “Let’s make a little excrement before we start!” (I think he meant to say ‘excitement‘). Red balloon bursts to produce a blue deck of playing cards. Volunteer verbally chooses a random playing card, which turns out to be the only card with a red back. Volunteer shuffles deck face up and face down and signs one card of two colours. The signed blue back 4H turned to a red back signed 4H. Signed cards found inside empty box. Pretends to take a card out of the box and asks, ‘Is this your card?’ Volunteer responds, ‘yes‘, and holds invisible card. Card should be missing from the deck. They are taken out of the box and shown in order, all backs facing the one way - the 4H missing from the deck. Christian takes card and throws it up and turns around to show his back with an envelope attached to it. Inside the envelope is the signed card - 4H. Clever.

104. SHUNYA OKONU

Micro Magic

Japan

Sponsor: JCMA Japanese Close-Up Magicians Association - Tashiro Shigeru

A little comedy in this act. Cigarette and a cigarette lighter from a card pack. Throws away cigarette, produces a coin and then uses fire from the lighter to make the coin vanish. Three coins produced from lighter - then vanish. Then two coins appear and the lighter itself changes into a third coin. Takes a red satin hanky to produce a coin and an oversized lighter. Large coins appear from red hanky. Takes the card pack, but now cards appear inside the pack. Takes the Queen of Clubs and produces with it the other four Queens - drops a card, picks it up with his foot - does travelling cards form one hand to the other hand. Shunya says he will do a classic of magic - “Oil and Queens” (hmmm). A vanished Queen appears stuck to the back of a lighter fluid can. Volunteer selects AC and 9C - signs both cards and Shunya loses them in the deck. Volunteer shuffles the cards - uses lighter to vanish signed card. Inside deck, there is one ‘burnt’ card - which is the volunteers signed card. Vanishes lighter, appears in the deck. Inside lighter is the signed card - AC.

105. MAGO ERNESTO

Card Magic

Venezuela

Sponsor: Circulo Magico Argentino - Ted White

Takes cards out of the packet and spreads the deck of cards. Volunteer picks a card - 4D, then performer talks about the Power of the Joker . He puts the Joker in an empty wine glass. The 4D blue back turns to red back - then all cards turn to red backs and card case turns to a red case. Joker in the glass turns into the volunteer’s card - 4D. Then a transference takes place. The 2 Jokers are under the glass. Ernesto throws up the card - 4D, which turns into the 2 Jokers - and under the glass is the card - 4D. Volunteer signs the 4D card and the card is placed face down in the middle of the deck. Jokers are in his hands. He slowly turns all the spread cards over to show the 4D has vanished. He flicks his hand holding the Jokers and the 4D ends up between them. He places a half concealed (by half an envelope) green back card in the empty wine glass - a green ribbon is threaded through the card. Ernesto tears one corner of the signed 4D and places it in the middle of the face up deck, face down - then it travels to his pocket. Corner matches. He uses a paper clip as a wand - by attaching the torn edge to the signed card using the paper clip. He peels off the signature on the card and sets the corner alight, restoring it properly. Volunteer verbally selects another card - 3D, which turns out to be the green back card sitting in the wine glass with the green ribbon attached. Good effects.

106. SHOHEI KOMORIYA

Parlour Magic

Japan

Sponsor: JCMA Japanese Close-Up Magicians Association - Tashiro Shigeru

Hand written signs on cards before Shohei begins: ‘Shohei’ - ‘I’m from Japan’ - ‘nice to meet you’ - ‘enjoy’. Wand produces olive coloured silk, then produces yellow tie with silk. Wand vanishes - finds it in shoe. Silk turns to a yellow tie in his hand and he puts it back on. He says he wants to be a baseball batter - music for act had sound effects for his moves. Magic with a miniature white ball and two red plastic cones with a string attaching them - cups and balls style routine. Throws a ball into the audience and gets them to throw it back, but it turns into a heart. Uses the wand as a bat - silk produces a full size baseball bat. Under a red cone - many small balls appear. Shirt changes to red - takes off coat - flash to glove appearance on the bat, replete with a baseball hat. Silk scarf is placed around his neck before he exists. Different.

107. RUNE

Micro Magic

Norway

Sponsor: Magic Circle of Norway - Henning Warloe

This act was a little weak, although it had potential to be interesting. Music - shows hands empty and produces a silk and a tall glass, half filled with water. Plucks invisible ‘nothings’ from the air. Traces lines and lines of words with his finger in a thick book for no clear reason, flicks his wrist - not sure why, then tears part of the page out of the book and lights it to produce a deck of cards. Spreads cards. Volunteer selects 7H, so Rune finds the other three 7’s in the deck, then all cards vanish and found inside deck. Volunteer selects a card, signs it - 10D. Rune puts card into deck, then shuffles and spreads cards face down. Rubs the glass of water with red silk - water turns red. Takes out red envelope from pocket - inside envelope is signed 10D. Red silk draped over blue back card, which turns to a red back.

108. SITO QIRONG

Card Magic

China-Macau

Sponsor: China Magic Art Society - Lin Jian

An act where the magician bequeaths his love the Mona Lisa painting. Sito takes from a picture frame, three cups and three sponge hearts - and does cups and balls with obvious loads, using a glass rose as a wand. Mona Lisa appears in the picture frame. He produces an engagement ring in a transparent box, gets down on one knee and presents it - and the glass rose - to Mona Lisa.

109. JEREMY PEI

Parlour Magic

Singapore

Sponsor: The Great Wong Ring - John Teo

Basic stand up rope routine using a yellow rope. He then moves behind the close up table and produces two cherries from red rope that was originally a rose bud - then uses the two cherries, two cups and two rings for a cups and balls style routine. Produces white candle and lights it. Puts cherries into one of the cups and produces a cherry coloured liquid load.

110. OLMAC

Card Magic

France

Sponsor: Cercle Francais de Illusion - Jean Claude Crispon

3rd Card Magic, FISM 2009

Competed FISM 2003 on stage, General Magic with a black light act.

Music to a ‘Find the Aces’ routine. Marks the aces with the number 15. Vanishes cards, transferring them to the deck on the table, then does a series of transferences, appearances and vanishes of cards and deck. Places aces on top of wine glass and the aces visually change value, then back again to aces. Aces move to a brown envelope. Inside envelope is three black pockets, which turn out to be his outside coat pockets that vanished off his coat (this was a surprise). Inside the top coat pocket are the four aces. Inside the glass is now a card that reads, ‘Thankyou’.

111. SATORU

Micro Magic

Japan

Sponsor: Society of American Magicians - Bruce Kalver

Competed FISM 2000 - and at FISM 2006 with this same act

Eccentric character. Prediction. Volunteer shuffles cards. Satoru shows his wallet with a bill. Volunteer chooses a card, which was predicted on the back of the bill. Does a bit of business with toothpicks that didn’t go anywhere or add to his routine. Cards are placed on the floor, three volunteers each put their foot on a randomly selected card - that turn out to be the 4C 3D, KH. 4C was revealed written on the bottom of Satoru’s shoes, 3D on his socks, KH on his bare foot skin… then all three selections were shown again, written on an umbrella.

112. JAQUE

Micro Magic

Spain

Sponsor: Sociedad Espanola de Ilusionismo - Armando Gomer Bernado

Jaque drinks ‘whiskey’ throughout his gambling themed act. Produces coins for a matrix. Changes coins to poker chips for a coins across routine. Produces a dice cup and colour die from a red silk, then finishes his whiskey. Colour dice turn to ice. Liquid load of whiskey from the dice cup, with which he then pours himself another.

113. No show due to lost luggage. Will perform tomorrow.

While the competitions were on, registrants had the option to hang out in the Dealer's Room or attend lectures by Henry Evans, Jeff McBride or Shoot Ogawa.

After dinner was the

Stage Magic Gala Show #1.

(Report by Tim Ellis)

With the outstanding Opening Show still fresh in our minds the crowd was already buzzing with anticipation for the first Stage Magic Gala Show of FISM 2009.

Starting around 15 minutes late the show commenced with the familiar gong sound effect and an announcement introducing Fujiyama Shintaro from Japan who recreated a classic oriental water spouting act from 120 years ago. Yes it was beautifully staged complete with elegant costumes and sets, and when it was first performed it would have been an absolute sensation. Unfortunately, it was too long and – basically – too obvious. It’s one of those acts that has been destroyed by technology. It was lovely to watch from an historical perspective though. More a piece of theatre than magic.

Mac King, our compere, came on and was very warmly received. He simultaneously performed his cut and restored rope effect while discovering just how many people in the audience spoke English. It’s always a challenge to compere a FISM show in just one language, but Mac ended up doing very well.

Next act was Double Fantasy from Ukraine & Belarus. They performed an elegant Artist’s Dream themed act which featured appearances, vanishes, transpositions and costume changes. It was an imaginative and well executed act that, despite some poor lighting choices and an inappropriate bulge in the Asrah, was very well received.

Mac King returned to do a few more trick including his Shadow Tent, with a Chinese boy who didn’t seem very talkative at all. Mac asked him “Who did you come with?” (No response) “Your parents?” (No response) “Your mother and father?” (No response) “Your abductors?”

Mac finished his set with his Cloak of Invisibility, and another hilariously odd volunteer who – when asked to ten count cards from a deck onto Mac’s hand – decided to get each card from different parts of the deck. From the look on Mac’s face, despite performing that trick thousands and thousands of times before, I got the impression that was the first time that had ever happened... and he handled it beautifully!

Yang Gang, the Chinese Chair Balancer, came on next and performed a series of handstands on a tower of chairs that got so high he disappeared above the proscenium. His act was very clever and, as most of the magicians in the audience could barely balance on one chair, we were all very impressed.

Mac returned with the vanishing earthworm and introduced “Magician of The Year”, Jorgos, from Greece. Jorgos performed his familiar ‘Cinema Magic’ act. Is it too familiar now? Judging by the audience response either it is, or he just didn’t have his heart in it. As he came out to take his bow he gave a Zorba dance with the enthusiasm I’ve previously seen in his act.

Another quick Mac King spot followed as he performed a stage version of ‘Silent Treatment’ and then came Eun-Gyeol Lee of Korea. Eun-Gyeol came out of two years compulsory Military Service just two weeks ago but the act still looked fresh and dynamic. The crowd loved it. His dove productions, card manipulations and precise sound effects were spot-on and his showmanship has improved tremendously.

Mac King was back with a quick cure for the hiccups as he vanished his head, then it was the FISM 2006 Stage Grand Prix Winner, Pilou, from France. Again, a great act, (technically maybe even better than the last FISM), but somehow it was lacking the same energy and charm we saw last time.

Mac King came back for his final spot where he took a big chance by getting someone to sign a Chinese bill. “Not across Mao’s face” he said. I can’t even begin to imagine what the reaction might have been if he tore it in half... After a series of very funny moments Mac produced a phone from his shoe which he gave to the volunteer saying “It’s for you. It’s Eric Eswin.” After listening for a moment the volunteer got the biggest laugh of the night by saying “He says the next act is ready.”

The next act was Peter Marvey. Let me preface this by saying I think Peter Marvey is a great magician. Both Sue-Anne and I love think his manipulation act in his black velvet suit is the best we’ve ever seen. However, this time Peter Marvey was doing his ‘Flying’.

At first, I thought it was a marionette act with a life size puppet.

No, you couldn’t see any strings, but the way he moved made it clear that he was being suspended, not flying. Then for the next ten or fifteen minutes he used various odd devices to “prove” there were no strings. At one point he did a mid-air costume change, which was nice, at another point he created a snowstorm while he was flying which almost seemed like a poke at David Copperfield. Unfortunately, if you choose to do any type of flying you will be compared to him, and drawing more attention to him is the last thing you should be doing.

When he closed the show at FISM 2006 he didn’t receive the strongest applause out of all the acts and this time the same thing happened. It was a very anti-climactic finale to the show.

Overall the show had some great moments, it was well produced and ran to time, but despite a great line-up of artists it never really “clicked”. Perhaps I’m expecting too much but almost all of the acts on tonight’s bill have received standing ovations in the past but tonight there were none.

After the Gala Show those who weren't already exhausted could head down to the Food Court area which was transformed into a 'Magic Salon'. A live salsa band kept the energy up high while David Williamson, Juan Tamariz and Lennart Green entertained.

Well, I was told they entertained. This was as close as I could get to seeing them...

(Pictures on this page courtesy of Craig Mitchell & Detlev Drenker)