Sue-Anne Webster's FISM reports

Welcome

2009-09-25T22:21:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Sue-Anne Webster's FISM Reports.

Here you'll find detailed reports on all of the competitors and events of the FISM World Championships of Magic 2000, 2003, 2006 and 2009.

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FISM 2009 - Final Comments

2009-09-23T19:59:00.000-07:00

(By Tim Ellis)

It was over three years in the making and FISM Beijing is now over. As it said in all the press releases: “Mr. LIN Jian, Executive President of FISM WCM 2009 promises that 24th FISM WCM will be the most successful convention in the FISM history.”

The big question now is – did they deliver?

Was it worth the risk of moving FISM outside of Europe to make it truly international?

Let’s take a look at my personal FISM Report Card.

SUBJECT: ECONOMY – 85%

Registration: All the pre-registration hype promised that FISM 2009 would be the cheapest ever. At a registration of 350 Euros (or 388 Euros if you book later) it was definitely an absolute steal for what they delivered and much cheaper than previous FISMS. FISM 2012 is already offering an early bird price of 450 Euros – and that includes one banquet. The support of the Chinese government and the low cost of living in China certainly helped as well.

Airfares: China promised great discount deals but didn’t offer anything until only a few months before FISM. Thanks to the global financial crisis however, cheaps flights to China were in abundance!

Hotels: In the initial China offer, we could get a 5 star hotel for the equivalent of $150. Once they changed venue to the CNCC however, the price went up to $220 a night. Not really as cheap as we expected. Yes, there were cheaper hotels in the vicinity, and FISM offered shuttle buses between the CNCC and the hotels, but did anyone actually see any buses? As far as I know there were none and people spent the money they saved on cheaper hotels on taxis back and forth all week. (Thankfully taxi fares in China are very cheap).

Food & Drink: One drawcard FISM promote was how cheap it was to eat and drink in China. 600ml Coke for 48c etc. Yes, you could get a can of coke for around 40-50c at the nearby Northstar Supermarket, but it cost you $2 each way in a cab to get there. Otherwise the only place (other than the 4 and 5 star hotel restaurants) to get a coke was in the FISM food court for $3 a can. (During the week the price was dropped to $2 a can). A few shops or cafes in walking distance of the venue would have been a great option, but with 2,500 captive registrants I think the food court did a roaring trade...

SUBJECT: VENUE – 70%

Overall: The CNCC was a brand new, very modern venue, but I couldn’t help think we were the beta-testers as FISM was the first convention they hosted. Plasma screens in all the foyers showing highlights of the previous days were an excellent idea and really brightened up otherwise dull and cold concrete rooms. (Though the music got extremely repetitive after Day One).

Food Court: This was a great way to transform an otherwise dull space into the central hub of FISM 2009. Lots of tables and chairs, big plasma screens, a stage with live music at lunch time and late at night, and dozens of food and drink stalls selling everything including fresh won ton soup, noodles, pizza, pasta, hotdogs, sandwiches, chips, fresh fruit, soft drinks and alcohol. The dealers den, registration desk and exhibition areas were all directly connected to the food court. Also, to speed things up, you had to buy an IC Card (a sort of debit card) to use to make purchases.

Theatre: There were two theatres one flight up from the food court. Identical theatres one seating about 800 which was used for the stage competition, and the second seating 2,200 which was used for the gala shows. The theatres themselves were merely converted exhibition halls so the atmosphere was very cold. The stages were portable, and were the most amazing portable stages I’ve ever seen! The seating was tiered except for the first twenty of thirty rows which were flat. Many people who booked early to get seats up front close to the stage were very disappointed as all they could see was the head of the person in front of them. They ended up watching the shows on the big screens either side of the stage, but the sound and vision were so out of sync it was like watching an old dubbed movie.

Auditorium: This is where the close up competition, and some of the lectures, were held. Comfortable tiered seats with fold out desks helped add to the atmosphere, but as the performers were working on stage the first two rows couldn’t see the surface of the tables and had to watch the acts on the out-of-sync video screen. Also, because the acts had to perform downstage in front of the video screen, the curtains couldn’t be closed on the close up table properly between acts and an ugly black screen was brought out between acts so they could set up – which looked very unprofessional. The video screen was not only out-of-sync, but often washed out by the lighting. Obie O’Brien often set the lights correctly but when the show started CCTV seemed to set everything back to the way they wanted. Three years of preparation seemed wasted as most of the decisions (where the table was going to sit, how the stage would be lit, how contestants would get on and off etc) where made on the day. As at past FISMS, because the auditorium only seated 300 or so, people lined up outside for an hour in hopes of getting a seat, and this lead to a few ugly incidents. If only FISM could solve this by issuing ticketing or something. No-one wants to waste their FISM time standing in line.

SUBJECT: SECURITY – 40%

Entering: Everyone who entered the CNCC (except the VIPs) had their bags searched, badges checked and had to walk through a metal detector. I don’t know what they were looking for, but it certainly made the event feel more important. You could get through without being searched if you did a trick for the security staff though, or entered through the open backstage doors.

Badges: Though you were checked when you came in, many locals collected the badges of their friends, left the building and returned with more magicians wearing their friends badges. By about the third or fourth day of FISM staff were instructed to eject anyone who wasn’t wearing their badge (except VIPs of course).

Photos & Videos: The rules of FISM were very clear – No Flash Photography or Videotaping during the contests, shows or lectures – yet at least 50% of the registrants did. When the warning was given at the start of an event (English and Chinese) people cheered and others did put their cameras away. More often than not no warnings were made and people filmed unchallenged. Many times friends of the performers or competitors told people in the audience to stop filming or tried to get security to stop them. One performer went to get a security guard only to find him filming the gala show with video camera in hand pointing at the stage. Most performers try to show their fellow artists respect, but if they are not told not to film before a show, and they see others filming and not being stopped, it’s too easy to join the crowd. Many top performers refused to come to FISM because they didn’t want their acts video taped. They were able to request that CCTV not film their act, as Omar Pasha did, but they felt that FISM wouldn’t protect their intellectual rights – and they didn’t. Unless FISM takes this rule seriously and actually starts throwing people out of confiscating cameras, or using metal detectors to stop all cameras and phones from entering the theatres, then don’t make these rules.

Dealers: FISM issued several statements promising that knock-offs in the dealer room would not be tolerated. They even had all dealers sign documents agreeing that if they were caught with knock-offs the items would be compensated or the dealer would be ejected. Many of the big dealers felt FISM were not serious and chose not to attend. As it turned out, they were right. One dealer walked around the other booths before FISM opened and found over 40 knock-offs on open display. He reported it to the dealers committee who said he needed to start a petition... nothing was done. On the other hand, when Juan Mayoral, Rocco, and I approached them on separate occasions and pressured them, they did confiscate the items from the pirate dealers, but the items resurfaced a day or so later. The quality and range of items this year was, in general, poor. There were a lot of bargains to be had but $2 plastic appearing canes (I saw some after FISM in a toy store too) and plastic floating tables are on par with the Masked Magician. There were some blatant knock-offs too – D’Lites being sold by the bag full a few stands down from Rocco (who correctly pointed out that FISM allowing that to happen was showing huge disrespect to him as a guest artist), one stand had an Impaled illusion in the aisle and an Origami behind the counter. Unless FISM takes this rule seriously and throws people out of the dealers room, they can’t expect quality dealers to attend in future. Again, why make a rule if you are not willing to enforce it? These people are paying for the privilege of dealing at FISM where they made an absolute fortune. If they can’t stick to the rules, throw them out. Why pander to a Chinese “Toy Company” who sees magic as a business not an art and considers our ethics a joke, when you could have Collector’s Workshop, Lossander, Kevin James and other quality dealers attending in their place?

SUBJECT: EVENTS – 75%

Chinese Shows: Overall the shows were excellent, with the opening gala and the all-Chinese banquet shows outstanding. World-class acts, precise audio and visual cues, everything went like clockwork.

Magic Galas: The magic galas paled by comparison. The talent was there, but it was almost as if the crew were simply not interested: Curtains opened too soon, closed in the middle of acts and sometimes only closed part way. The wrong music tracks played on a few occasions, microphones got feedback, and lighting cues were missed or the wrong states were played exposing things that shouldn’t have been seen. Performers reported that the crews were difficult to deal with, generally refusing to do anything unless word came directly from their boss. This proved to be a headache to many performers and resulted in tension backstage in not only the shows but the comps as well. Even though there was a stage manager brought in from the USA, the Chinese crew didn’t recognise him as boss. Even when Topas was on stage and asked for houselights, it never happened, and you could see the frustration growing on his face. This has happened at FISMs in the past, but never quite like this. After FISM ten performers were booked to stay on and do a series of massive public shows. The AV problems remained the same. One artist told me he asked a tech to play his music at a different time in the show. The tech said he wouldn’t unless the magician taught him some magic.

Lectures: As usual with any FISM we had a mixed bag of lectures. Some were outstanding, others looked unprepared while some were simply dealers dems. The 2009 lecture schedule was very thin compared to previous FISMS and very few were repeated, which they usually are, often in different languages.

Banquets: Two banquets, each equally sumptuous. An astonishing venue seating 2,500 with each table having it’s own waiters and an abundant supply of food and drink. Add to this a world-class line up of the best non-magic acts China has to offer and FISM have raised the bar to an impossible standard for future FISMS. The only criticisms I heard were: no magic acts, no food if you don’t eat Chinese, the music was waaaay too loud.

Stage Competition: This year the standard was very low. Not as many bad acts as previous events, which was good, but hardly any outstanding acts either. Mike Close, booked while FISM where still in negotiations with Frank Wilson, is a talented magician but it really wasn’t the same without Frank. He seemed to keep the energy in the room between competition acts and held focus on the stage. Several questions were raised about sponsors: Should Jury members be allowed to judge the acts they sponsor? How can sponsors not know what the artists they sponsor are going to do?

Close Up Competition: Again the standard was very low, and only 35 entrants too. Lots of technical issues with mics being turned on too late, the video screen being washed out and out of sync, and local crew doing what their bosses told them not Obie O’Brien who was hired to make the comp run smoothly. Also, the people who always got to make the final decisions seemed to be not Obie, or the local FISM crew, but CCTV. One CCTV staff member sat next to the head of the Jury, a chair which must be kept vacant, even Eric Eswin is not allowed to sit in it. But he was allowed to stay there because of the large amount of money CCTV was paying for the rights to film. He even blatantly watched everything Boris was writing down on his score sheet and took notes!

Magic Salon: After the evening gala shows everyone headed back to the food court area for the Magic Salon. The atmosphere was great with food, drink, dancing to Cuban bands, but not much magic. Juan Tamariz did several shows to small groups in one room and the lines were always long. David Williamson and Lennart Green tried to spread themselves among the registrants but everytime they started they were surrounded by people five deep so only about 30 or so could watch each magician at any one time, leaving 2,400 magicians missing out. Better staging or more magicians would have been great, as they did in Den Haag, or more magicians in more rooms, as they did in Stockholm.

Exhibitions: The massive photo exhibit of pictures by Zakary Belamy and the Chinese Folk Exhibition were both excellent additions and this sort of this definitely should be included at every FISM.

Registration Desk: Efficient, easy to find and never crowded. A big bonus here for FISM organisers. On the other hand, we arranged for pre-registration for our Aussie group at 10am in the CNCC Grand Foyer the day before FISM started. We all waited in the foyer for 30 minutes but no-one showed up. We found an organiser an hour later who apologised, got the right person on the phone, and it was rescheduled for 5.30pm but again no-one showed up.

Staff: Staff overall were excellent. Not as many English speaking staff as promised in the original bid by China, but they certainly tried hard. One plus would have been more announcements to registrants to keep them informed and up to date. Even messages typed on the plasma screens would have helped. Communication was always going to be a problem at FISM China.

SUBJECT: MEDIA – 80%

FISM Website: This was the first port of call for most interested in finding out about FISM 2009 and it was extremely disappointing. Layout and design was amateurish, updates were infrequent and often wrong, and the forum was abandoned and filled with spam. This could have been a powerful promotional tool as was Stockholm’s website in 2006, and it could also have been a great live broadcast site during FISM where the rest of the world could get the latest FISM news. But it wasn’t.

Press and Television: This is where FISM excelled. Maybe it was because of their deal with CCTV but FISM was all over the television every day and night, with some evening broadcasts showing entire shows or competitions. Whether the FISM contestants had agreed to such open use of their acts or not is debatable, but it certainly did increase the awareness of FISM in China. There was also a lot of coverage in the local papers including a two page colour spread. Every day there was a 1pm Press Conference and FISM 2009 was even picked up by CNN and some other international media outlets. Of course, this offered the opportunity for FISM China to make bold statements like “Peter Marvey is a far better magician than David Copperfield”.

Daily FISM: Similar bold statements were made in the daily FISM newsletter we received each day. Unfortunately, this double sided A3 flyer mainly did nothing more than repeat the previous day’s program of events rather than offer any helpful information to prepare us for the next day. Again, this was a wasted opportunity that could have been so much more.

SUBJECT: AWARDS – 70%

Trophies: The trophies themselves were beautifully made copies of the 2006 FISM awards. They also came with their own road cases so the winners could take them home safely, brilliant idea. Unfortunately, two broke a few hours after they were presented. Also, in the case of ties, one of the magicians got a blank trophy and was told they would get a plaque mailed to them they could stick on. Maybe the next FISM could try what we did at the 2004 Australian Convention and get and engraver in to engrave the trophies complete with the winners’ names before the presentation. A small extra cost but well worth the effort.

Ceremony: The ceremony was fantastic. Efficient, straight down to business and very professionally staged. Still, it would be nice if the first place winners were allowed to say a few words. However, a lot of the excitement was ruined by someone deciding to run the rehearsal for the Close Up Grand Prix the day before the awards were presented. As a result, the winners were notified before the presentation, plus due to a glitch courtesy of CCTV, the rehearsals were broadcast in house throughout the centre immediately before the banquet, so everyone knew who the winners were in advance. This was not necessary as the rehearsals were scheduled in the programme for after the award ceremony.

Grand Prix: Everything was going tremendously well and very smoothly (well, except for all the tech troubles the guest artists had to battle through) until the time came to present the awards. The two Grand Prix winners were announced, celebrations began, then they were sent off as a dignitary came on and read a speech which essentially told us how many days FISM lasted, how many registrants attended, and what a success it was for China. This VIP performed the vanishing audience as, the longer his speech went, the more audience members filed out of the theatre. Why not do the speeches first, then announce the winners and party on!

SUBJECT: POLITICS – 45%

FISM in China was always going to generate political feelings, but when Mago Larry had three flags from Asian countries randomly chosen for a mental effect in the Close Up Comp and his prediction was revealed to be three countries he’d like to visit and one was Taiwan, a Chinese registrant leapt to the stage at the end of the act, physically dragged the bewildered contestant back on stage and demanded he apologise to everyone because “Taiwan is not a country”. Now the poor guy, like most magicians, was not aware of Chinese/Taiwanese relations and was totally humiliated. Other Chinese in the audience applauded while everyone else in the room sat stunned. The registrant, regardless of his political views, should have been reprimanded for invading the stage but he wasn’t. The magician was not making a political statement about Taiwan, but the Chinese registrant was. Taiwan was not allowed to have their flag flown with all of the other FISM countries (though FISM recognises them as a country, China does not) and China printed badges for the Taiwanese registrants saying they came from ‘Chinese Taipei’ instead of ‘Taiwan’. Many Taiwanese used black markers to cross out Chinese Taipei and wrote in Taiwan instead. All of this ran against Eric Eswin’s opening FISM address where he said FISM was not a country, but a feeling.

TOTAL SCORECARD - 66.48%

In some areas FISM China did exceptionally well only to be let down in others.

As far as most registrants were concerned, they had a fantastic time. Dealers and artists, not so much. It was a great first try for China and exceeded our expectations in many ways, but in others they failed to deliver on their promises.

Bring on Blackpool!

FISM 2009 - DAY SIX

2009-09-23T03:02:00.000-07:00

Friday, July 31, 2009

FINAL DAY

(By Tim Ellis)

Today started of with the highly anticipated Rocco One Man Show. Though scheduled and introduced as a one hour show, Rocco ran a tad over time and finished at 12 noon, when the Awards Ceremony was supposed to start.

Everyone was very excited to see Rocco, but as the show went on and the objects produced became more and more bizarre... people who weren't used to Rocco's unique style became visibly restless.

I had to leave after an hour to get in position for the awards show, so I have no idea how it finished.

Others chose to attend Lennart Green's lecture.

However, THE AWARDS!

First, it was produced and presented extremely professionally with no nonsense, no long speeches, just presentations with plenty of time for celebrations afterwards.

It began with Eric Eswin explaining that one competitor (Juan Ordeix, though he was not named) had been eliminated for using a stooge in his act. The audience actually applauded this to show their approval. (They Jury spent hours on this one act. Juan was questioned and he explained his methods to them, but the methods explained didn't match what he did on the videotape. After extensive deliberation the jury was satisfied that he had broken the FISM 'no stooge' rule and unfortunately had to be disqualified).

Then the award winners were announced:

Invention
- Jorge Luengo - Spain

Most Original Act
- Charming Choi - Korea

Micro Magic
- 1st place ... not awarded
- 2nd place ... Vittorio Belloni - Italy
- 3rd place ... tie Simon Coronel - Australia and Johan Stahl - Sweden

Cards
- 1st place ... Shawn Farquhar - Canada
- 2nd place ... Kristian Nivala - Finland
- 3rd place ... Olmac - France

Parlour Magic
- 1st place ... Marc Oberon - UK (originally in Micro, recategorised by the Jury to Parlour)
- 2nd place ... Charlie Caper - Sweden
- 3rd place ... Latko - Argentina (originally in Micro, recategorised by the Jury to Parlour)

Comedy Magic
- 1st place ... not awarded
- 2nd place ... Brynolf & Ljung - Sweden (originally in General Magic, recategorised by the Jury to Comedy)
- 3rd place ... Cheff Magic - Denmark (originally in General Magic, recategorised by the Jury to Comedy)

Mentalism
- 1st place ... not awarded
- 2nd place ... tie - Nicolai Friedrich - Germany - and Rob & Emiel - Netherlands
- 3rd place ... Tony Montana - Argentina

Stage Illusions
- 1st place ... Julius Frack - Germany
- 2nd place ... Magic Sky Group - China
- 3rd place ... not awarded

General Magic
- 1st place ... Soma - Hungary
- 2nd place ... Ma Yanyan - China
- 3rd place ... Siebensinn - Austria

Manipulation
- 1st place ... tie - Yo Kato - Japan - and Han Seol-Hui - Korea
- 2nd place ... Sebastian Nicolas - Germany
- 3rd place ... An Ha Lim - Korea

After the awards, while the final show was being prepared, registrants took one last chance to visit the Dealer's Fair (which was a very disappointing fair on many different levels) or they attended lectures by Rocco or Miguel Puga.

Finally it was time for the Closing Ceremony and the awarding of the two Grand Prix prizes.

Mike Caveney hosted in a laid back style as he gave a brief history of FISM between the competitors performances.

Guest act was Topas with a series of very unique and original illusions.

Finally the Grand Prix winners were announced:

CLOSE UP GRAND PRIX - Shawn Farquhar
STAGE GRAND PRIX - Soma

Then, just to kill the excitement of the moment, a politician gave a very long speech and FISM was officially over.

A week later, the following score sheet appeared on the week.

FISM WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS OF MAGIC 2009
Special Awards and Total scores of all contestants

SPECIAL CONTEST AWARDS
Creativity & Artistic Vision - Jim Steinmeyer (USA)
History, Research & Scholarship - Bill Kalush (USA)
Theory & Philosophy - Juan Tamariz (Spain)

FISM World Championships of Magic
GRAND PRIX STAGE MAGIC 2009: SOMA - Hungary
GRAND PRIX CLOSE-UP MAGIC 2009: SHAWN FARQUHAR - Canada
MOST ORIGINAL ACT: Charming Choi - Republic of Korea
INVENTION: Jorge Luengo - Spain

General Magic
Soma Hungary 81 (1st Prize + GRAND PRIX STAGE MAGIC 2009)
Ma Yanyan China 72 (2nd Prize)
Siebensinn Austria 71 (3rd Prize)
Xavier Tapias Spain 70
Qu Lei China 69
Sergey Yanpolskiy Russian Federation 68
Latko Argentina 67
Mayuko Japan 63
Jae Hoon Lim Republic of Korea 63
Ernesto Italy 62
Duo Kybalion Spain 61
Red Hat Republic of Korea 60
Liao Xiaorun China 60
Jeff Lee Taiwan 60
Andost USA 60
Artyom Shchukin Russian Federation 58
Avon Lee Hong Kong 56
The Tramp Switzerland 55
PJ Wen Taiwan 55
Jiang Qiwei China 55
Naka Kyosuke Japan 55
Kenneth Chan Hong Kong 54
Akua Shin Japan 53
Leriko Russian Federation 52
Martino Greece 50

Manipulation
Yo Kato Japan 80 (1st Prize tie)
Han Seol-Hui Republic of Korea 80 (1st Prize tie)
Sebastian Nicolas Germany 78 (2ndPrize)
An Ha Lim Republic of Korea 77 (3rd Prize)
Hyun-Joon Kim Republic of Korea 74
Jordan Gomez France 70
Liu Mingya China 70
Maia Jiang China 69
Liu Zihao China 63
Dion The Netherlands 63
Zhang Chao China 61
Hugues Protat France 58
Alan Taiwan 55
Serge Fergini Russian Federation 51
Masahiko Matsuda Japan 51

Stage Illusions
Julius Frack Germany 80 (1st Prize)
Magic Sky Group China 72 (2nd Prize)
Bo Wen China 59
JeiMin Republic of Korea 55
Wang Qimo China 54

Mental Magic
Nicolai Friedrich Germany 70 (2nd Prize, tie)
Rob & Emiel The Netherlands 70 (2nd Prize, tie)
Tony Montana Argentina 67(3rd Prize)
Jorge Luengo Spain 63 (Invention)

Comedy Magic
Brynolf & Ljung Sweden 72(2nd Prize)
Cheffmagic Denmark 67 (3rd Prize)
Roman Burenkov Russian Federation 52

Card magic
Shawn Farquhar Canada 81(1st Prize + GRAND PRIX CLOSE-UP MAGIC 2009)
Kristian Nivala Finland 77(2nd Prize)
Olmac France 76 (3rd Prize)
Min Hyung Kim- Republic of Korea 68
Ryu Hyun Min - Republic of Korea 66
Dai Hewga Japan 65
Giacomo de Carlo Italy 62
Christian Bierbrauer Germany 62
Sho Arai Japan 59
Martin Lübcke Germany 58
Kif China-Hong Kong 57
Lv Siyuan China 55
Ramon Rioboo Spain 53
Sito Qirong China 52

Micro Magic
Vittorio Belloni Italy 73(2nd Prize)
Simon Coronel Australia 72(3rd Prize, tie)
Johan Ståhl Sweden 72 (3rd Prize, tie)
Mago Bruno Peru 70
Jaque Spain 69
Satoru Japan 65
Daly Tang Hong Kong 64
Shota Japan 62
Rune Norway 56
Shunya Okuno Japan 55
Katsuya Matsuda Japan 53

Parlour Magic
Marc Oberon England 81 (1st Prize)
Charlie Caper Sweden 75 (2nd Prize)
Latko Argentina 73 (3rd Prize)
Charming Choi Republic of Korea 71 (Most Original Act)
Shohei Komoriya Japan 67
Yves Doumergue France 65
Jeremy Pei Singapore 63
Mago Larry Argentina 55
Rod Chow Canada 53

FISM 2009 - DAY FIVE

2009-09-23T03:00:00.001-07:00

Thursday, July 30, 2009

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.

(Photos on this page courtesy the FISMPics Flickr Photostream)

FISM 2009 - DAY FOUR

2009-09-23T02:53:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

STAGE COMPETITION

(By Sue-Anne Webster)

33. JULIUS FRACK
Stage Illusions
Germany
Sponsor: Magischer Zirkel von Deutschland - Wolfgang Sommer

1st Stage Illusions, FISM 2009
Competed at FISM in 2000 & 2003 with different acts
Began act with a large metal circle with struts on this inside, forming geometric shapes. Julius fills in the shapes with metal blocks forming the image of a human. Lady gets out of it dressed in a long, light blue dress with a white shoulder scarf. Julius puts a table on two trestles (A-frame table supports) - lady lies on top - Julius takes away table and stands behind her. He drapes his coat over her middle section and walks right through her. Unbelievable! He then takes away both trestles so she levitates, then he draws her upwards and downwards by her scarf - still levitating. He uses his blue scarf like a hoop to prove there is no support. Julius dons a long shiny black coat to perform a bass drum illusion. Both Julius and the lady beat the drum in time to the music. He unlocks front of the drum and the lady (now dressed in a white dress) gets inside. He bangs on the drum, turns it around so audience can see she’s still there (drum skin was slightly transparent), then she disappears and reappears behind the audience, running to the stage blowing a whistle. Clever illusions… particularly the second one. Lovely looking couple.

34. DUO KYBALION
General Magic
Spain
Sponsor: Circulo Ilusionismo Malaga - Armando Gomez Bernado

Competed on ‘Tiene’s Talento’ in 2008
Use of media - screen with video of performer walking in an airport. Screen rises revealing the performer. He shows his coat, then does a costume change. Back on screen, a picture of Russia is shown and a lady appears on screen. Screen goes up revealing the lady. They both then do a sequence of costume changes depicting various countries that are shown on the screen. They both end up going behind the screen, their moving images are shown on screen as a plane shoots slowly up between then and explodes into fireworks along with two pyros exploding next to the screen. Screen falls to reveal they both vanished. Mediocre act.

35. MA YANYAN
General Magic
China
Sponsor: China Magic Art Society - Lin Jian

2nd General Magic, FISM 2009
This act is original, mixing two performance styles - magic and ballet. Performer does ballet - mainly posing on the points of her toes - whilst performing magic in a black leotard, red tutu and white stockings. She produces a fan on her foot that is raised at head height, then produces another fan, cards and glitter. The card spins in the air around her body and, upon catching it, changed into a long coloured silk. She then does a series of productions and manipulation of silks, fans, glitter, cane and cards… all with ballet moves on the tips of her toes. She finishes the act with card flinging and produces two large multi-colour flags. This seems popular with the audience.

36. SERGEY YANPOLSKIV
General Magic
Russian Federation
Sponsor: Russian Association of Magicians - Vladimir Rudnev
Black outfit and cape. Lights three large candles, attached to a round silver base, with a fire stick. Shows a big magic book, smoke and confetti come out of it, then fire, which is extinguished when he pulls out a large light blue cloth used to do a zombie routine with the three lit candles. He whips away the cloth and the candles continue to float in front of him, then uses the cloth to float the candles back to their stand. He lights another three candles and drapes a white sheer cloth in front of the them. When he slowly raises the cloth, we see the flames levitate up and off the candles behind it. The flames then gently bounce around and settle back onto the candle sticks before the cloth is whipped way. He blows out two of the flames, leaving the middle one to be captured in an opaque tube, floating up and then down the tube, then settles it back on the candle. Sergey produces a large red fan, taking the flame from the candle onto one end of the fan. The flame moves around the edge of the fan as Sergey walks over to light a seventh candle. He blows the candle out which changes to a long white silk and glitter. Shows a tube, pulls white silk through it and out the other end, turning purple. He then uses a red cloth with gold trim to produce a smoking gold vase. Another candle rises from it, lights it, takes it with the red cloth dangling from it, holds the cloth as the candle levitates for a moment (not very effective), then vanishes the candle. He takes a red fan and a flame appears in his hand, then closes hand as the fire turns to snow. Snowstorm. The candle flame effects were effective.

37. SEBASTIAN NICOLAS
Manipulation
Germany
Sponsor: Magischer Zirkel von Deutschland - Wolfgang Sommer

2nd Manipulation, FISM 2009
Competed at FISM 2006 with a similar act.
Performer begins by producing a clock (face) and vanishes it to confetti. Produces white balls - manipulation, until one ball left, tosses it into the air, changes to a clock. Back to balls, then adds one red ball, then eight balls. Keeps the red ball, changes to red silk with instant clock appearance - vanish - appear - vanish to silk, produce clock, changes to card. Produces more cards until they form a flower in one hand, then tosses them. Produces a card fan, then single cards, lights a card on fire, fire to hand which produces a clock, then disintegrates to confetti. Produces another clock, then more clocks to decorate his ‘time’ prop. Covers the prop with a black velvet cloth, changing it to an hour glass. He was easy to watch and very skilful.

38. NAKA KYOSUKE
General Magic
Japan
Sponsor: Society of Japanese Magicians - Junichiro Sejima

Black tails with red lapels. Fire to silk to red mask on face. White silk - fans - white mask. Does a mask routine with red, white and black silks, fans and masks. A bundle of silks become a big red and black cloak - coat tails change to white. Produces two red silks and four red fans, then does another mask routine. Average.

39. No competitor listed in the programme.

40. RED HAT
General Magic
Republic of Korea
Sponsor: International Brotherhood of Magicians - Joan Caesar

Red outfit and hat, ‘playing’ the harmonica. Some bad basic manipulation of the harmonica, with a lot of stylised mechanical body moves. Produces red cane, red material to red ball, then confetti - a flash - and a mask. More mechanical body moves. Hat to mask changes, spins hat and it floats for a few seconds. More red and yellow mask productions and manipulation.

41. BRYNOLF & LJUNG
General Magic
Sweden
Sponsor: Svensk Magisk Cirkel - Per Ekland

2nd Comedy Magic, FISM 2009 (recategorised by the Jury)
They reached the Grand Final of ‘Sweden’s Got Talent’ 2009.
This act left us wanting more! It was too good to be such a short act. Two guys working in tandem describing how magic is ‘sleight of hand, misdirection and surprise’. They illustrate this in a comical and very entertaining way, leaving us wanting more. One takes a newspaper and produces a tennis racquet, the other produces and manipulates tennis balls, then has his pants pulled off by his mate who pulls out a tennis racquet from them. To Austin Powers, ‘Soul Bosanova’, the pants-less guy did the ‘bowling ball out of the big pad’ trick, then went back in time to show how it was done - in slow motion - to slow Austin Powers, ’Bosanova’ music. It shows that his friend actually did a costume change that we never saw in ‘real’ time, so he could secretly help with the trick. He comes out in what looks to be a parody of a tight fitting Flash Gordon super hero outfit, to put the bowling ball behind the pad - runs back behind the screen prop in slow motion to do a costume change back into his suit, while the pants-less guy produces the bowling ball which falls to the ground in slow motion. He then apparently nearly falls over (the lean) which we couldn’t actually see in normal time, his friend races over to help him back up, then time goes back to normal. Very, very clever!

42. QI YUANRUI
General Magic
China
Sponsor: China Magic Art Society - Lin Jian

This act is cruel to animals (fish).
Two men and one woman on a set with three small fish tanks, each surrounded with large lily pads. They dress in traditional style fishermen outfits. They catch small and large live fish from the air in nets and on fishing lines, putting them in two of the tanks. Bubbles float into the air - one bubble is caught resembling a white ball - production of balls and manipulation. After a ball spins around the performer, he produces a flower, then eight balls, then twelve balls. Produces another large fish in a small net. Covers third tank with a black cloth for a moment, then many small goldfish appear. Rope routine, then catches two large fish at the end of the rope. A low Chinese style table is brought out with a fire bowl made of sticks on top of it. Fire in the stick bowl, and a fish is caught from the fire. Some of the fish are floating on their sides, some regain consciousness. Produces a large flag wishing success to the conference, produces more flags and a large shiny Christmas tree, more fish in bowls are brought out.

43. AN HA LIM
Manipulation
Republic of Korea
Sponsor: International Brotherhood of Magicians - Joan Caesar

3rd Manipulation, FISM 2009
Classical music. White silk to white card production to colour production of cards. Then up-beat music to more card productions and manipulation. Very skilful, but uses the same prop - cards - over and over and over…

44. ROB & EMIEL
Mental Magic
The Netherlands
Sponsor - Nederlandse Magische Unie - Ronald Moray
Equal 3rd Mental Magic, FISM 2009 - with Nicolai Friedrich Germany

2nd Mental Magic, FISM 2006 with a similar act - tied with Jean Thomas Loewe, Germany.
Team effort. One sits in a chair on stage, blind folded, the other goes into the audience to ask his blindfolded friend what the objects are in the hands of the audience. Then the blindfold comes off and the mentalist goes into the audience to prove he hasn’t got an ear piece, closes his eyes and announces the audience member’s cash note serial number. Fast pace mentalism. Absolutely amazing - but I preferred their autistic act at FISM 2006, because the use of autism gave the act more depth… although the use of autism also attracted a few complaints.

45. NACHO DIAGO
General Magic
Spain
Sponsor - Sociedad Espanola de Ilusionismo

Wardrobe set. This is act with no punch and very little magic, reminiscing about childhood. The performer does a few small tricks - too small for stage - and a lot of fiddling about with an umbrella that almost acts like a dancing cane. Plays with his big teddy and an old sling shot, tries to blow bubbles and produces a light bulb for his bedside lamp that moves and interacts with him like it was alive, as he balances a bulb on his hand. He plays with his imaginary drums to a drum beat for a while - then drapes a large cloth over his air drums, which hold a shape of a drum set under the cloth, and… well… that’s it. The audience waited for him to pull away the cloth to reveal a real drum set… but, he didn’t. The act just petered out to nothing.

46. AKUA SHIN
General Magic
Japan
Sponsor: Japan Professional Magicians Association - Haruhiko Nagisa

Tails outfit. Pours out streamer from his cane and produces two small silver flowers. Cane changes to red cane, then disintegrates into flowers. Produces glitter cards, then a card pattern top hat. Glitter card production, card fans, glitter, silks and streamers. Red silk produces red glitter balls - manipulation sequence. Large glitter flower to glitter streamers, more card fans and single card productions, glitter fans and streamers. Average.

47. JUAN ORDEIX
Mental Magic
Argentina
Sponsor: Club Porteno de Illusionism - Daniel Ulman

Disqualified at FISM 2009 - for using a stooge.
Winner: 2nd Mental Magic, FISM 2006 - tied with Timothy Trust & Julie

Fast talking performer. Aretha Franklin ‘Think’ music. Throws ball out to audience for four random volunteers. They all hold balloons - yellow, green. red and blue. Each balloon has something written on a small piece of white paper inside them - the predictions. They are asked questions… as well as an audience member. Their answers are written on a large white sheet. Yellow - represents jury; Green - May and 25 (number given by jury); Red - 3 and Clubs (was given by one of the balloon holders) and the number 872 given by audience member chosen by performer. So… answers: Green - go to 77 (page 77 of FISM souvenir brochure and there is a picture of the French flag covering the whole page); Red - 3 of Clubs; Blue - page from a magazine dated May 25; Yellow - $50 bill… 872 written on the bill. Received a standing ovation.

48. MAGIC SKY GROUP
Stage Illusions
China
Sponsor: China Magic Art Society - Lin Jian

2nd Stage Illusions, FISM 2009
Chinese style basket on a large stand. Large cloth covered the big basket with holes large enough to see through basket - levitates (very rough), then a lady in pink appears. Instant costume change for performer - a blue outfit, Chinese style. Chinese trunk with transparent front. Lady takes out cloak and head piece from the trunk, instantly a person (creature) in tight white and blue leotard appears in the cloak, takes off cloak and gets into the trunk. Cloak goes over performer who then disappears besides the trunk. Creature appears - girl vanishes - creature vanishes - Performer appears - creature in chest and comes out. Changes a black and white picture to a coloured picture, but too obvious. Last illusion looks like an enormous Chinese plate. Lady ‘defies gravity‘, all over the plate, but there was absolutely no mystery to this illusion what-so-ever. Hoop goes over her to ‘prove’ she is not hooked onto the prop, then the prop is turned around. She is unhooked, then hooked again. A large scroll of paper is unrolled in front of lady… and she vanishes. I was surprised they received an award.

CLOSE UP COMPETITION

(By Sue-Anne Webster)

127. GIACOMO DE CARLO
Card Magic
Italy
Sponsor: Club Magico Italiano - Domenico Dante

A card routine telling the tale of the last major famous French vs Italian soccer game, using a close-up pad in the guise of a soccer stadium. In the end, he takes off his jacket to reveal his UV yellow umpire shirt - blowing his tie, which is a whistle. On top of the table, he finds the silver medal under the French flag and the gold medal under the Italian medal - then inside a big chip packet, that was resting on a chair, he reveals a large gold trophy won by the Italians. Amusing.

128. SHOTA
Micro Magic
Japan
Sponsor: JCMA Japanese Close-Up Magicians Association - Tashiro Shigeru

Takes out a coffee cup, cards and water from a blue paper bag. Puts coffee beans in a wine glass. Volunteer selects a coffee bean - then turns some beans into coins. Coins across routine from performer to coffee cup. He does some business with coins - making real coffee. Two volunteers each takes a card and signs it - 3D and 5C - and places cards back into the deck. Shota shuffles the deck and does a series of card moves in an attempt to find the cards. He finds all threes, except the 3D - which he finds in the glass with the coffee beans. He changes the 3D to the 5C, visually in the glass.

129. KRISTIAN NIVALA
Card Magic
Finland
Sponsor: Finnish Magic Circle - Robert Jagerhorn

2nd Cards Magic, FISM 2009
Competed FISM 2006 with a similar act.
A nicely dressed lady plays a piano - complementing Kristian’s routine. Kristian mimes holding a deck of cards, taking the cards out of the pack and spreading them, selects one… which then appears in his hand. Another invisible card is thrown into the air - appearing, then another and another until he spreads a real deck. He gets the aces signed by audience members, loses them in the deck and finds them by doing card manipulation. Small ace to large ace. When large card appears, he taps the card case and it appears in the box. Red back signed cards turn to blue. All red back cards turn blue… so do the large aces, the box and the rest of the cards. Nice act.

130. LATKO
Micro Magic
Argentina
Sponsor: Entidad Magica Argentina - Ray Francas

3rd Parlour Magic, FISM 2009
FISM 2006 – Competed in Stage Magic (as he is again this year)
Sits at a desk with a lamp that doesn‘t work, cups and a box. Music. Wearing blue shirt and tie, the character learns how to do magic from an instruction manual, “Cups and Dice Tutor“. Does matrix with dice, ending in a cup load of mini sized dice and one large dice, proving it couldn’t all fit in the cup. Does cups and balls, producing a light bulb which he screws into the lamp… and a red ball to hang on the switch string. Then he produces pawns for a chess set - then instantly visually changes the mat to a chess board while cups are on it, then produces the rest of the chess pieces under the cups. Ends by producing a wine glass and a liquid load from the cups. Nice routine with some meaning.

131. LV SIYUAN
Card Magic
China
Sponsor: China Magic Art Society - Lin Jian

Music with good emphasis for his moves. Shows an empty card pack - tosses it in the air - then shows the pack full of cards. Spreads the cards. ‘Find the Aces’ routine. From the aces he plucks the four pips - Clubs, Hearts, Spades, Diamonds - all big enough to use for a matrix routine. Produces a wine glass, and another glass from a card, then another two glasses. Does a ‘pips-on-and-off-the-cards’ routine in various ways, until he produced a liquid load from hand, filling the glasses. Then the 10, J, Q, K of each suit is produced, ending in a mini snowstorm.

132. DAI HEWGA
Card Magic
Japan
Sponsor: JCMA Japanese Close-Up Magicians Association - Tashiro Shigeru

Winner of the European Magical Close-up Championship at Blackpool 2009.

Does a card routine using an iPod and speakers. Cell phone to new deck of red back cards in new deck order. Volunteer shuffles and touches a card - 7H - volunteer signs card that is then lost in the deck. Dai finds the card with the iPod to a drum roll and cheering sound effects. The signed card ends up between two other cards. Volunteer touches two other cards - KH and 8H and, with the 7H, all three cards are put back in the deck and shuffled. Dai finds all three cards as the music gets louder. One card, KH is found face down in the deck. The 8H is found in the iPod, then the music stops. Inside the iPod is the 7H with the volunteer’s name written on it. Now, there’s no music - so Dai goes back in time - restores iPod and starts again. He asks for the volunteers name again - asks for a pack of cards (a new pack is found on the table). He opens the card case - all cards in new deck order, with the signed 7H in correct position.

133. JOHAN STAHL
Micro Magic
Sweden
Sponsor: Svensk Magisk Cirkel - Per Eklund

Equal 3rd Micro Magic, FISM 2009 - with Simon Coronel
Coffee cup and sugar cube manipulation/cup and ball style routine with a black felt tip pen as a wand - all played to the volunteer for the audience. Sugar cube vanishes and reappears, changes into the pen and back again - sugar cube from pen lid, pen vanish and relocates in various places - pen changes into a chocolate bar. More pen appearances and vanishes - pulls a spoon from volunteers ear - cup cake under the cup - then larger cup cake appears under the cup. Johan removes his jacket and produces a drinking glass - pen reappears (bare arms, no sleeves). Taps the cup with spoon, stirs - then pours liquid load into the glass. Johan puts on a napkin, produces a jug and pours a second cup of coffee - then he gives the tray of food and drink to the volunteer. Nice routine, but misdirection didn’t always work, as the act appeared to be designed to play more to the volunteer than the audience.

134. SHAWN FARQUHAR
Card Magic
Canada
Sponsor: International Brotherhood of Magicians - Joan Caesar

Grand Prix Close-Up, FISM 2009
1st Card Magic, FISM 2009
FISM 2006 – 2nd Place Micro Magic.
FISM 2006 - 2nd Place Parlour Magic with the same as Card Magic, FISM 2009
FISM 2003 – Tie for 2nd Place Micro Magic with Nicholas Einhorn

A smoothly presented card routine performed to “Shape of my Heart”, by Sting. Before the music starts, a brand new deck of cards - sealed in plastic - is opened. Performer goes to place cards into volunteer’s hands, but the deck has re-sealed itself. Shawn re-opens deck and volunteer shuffles the cards. Shawn shows cards and shuffles them. Volunteer chooses a card - 10H - and signs it. Shawn sits at a table and the music starts, showing the signed card, then proceeds to lose and relocate the card to the lyrics of the song - cutting, shuffling and fanning cards, showing the Aces and court cards with a faded King. When the song ends, Shawn goes to give volunteer her signed card, but the deck is resealed. It is inspected, reopened and the cards placed into the volunteer’s hands in new deck order, the faded King is located in its proper new deck order position - as is the volunteer’s signed card. Beautifully executed routine. Very well rehearsed.

135. VITTORIO BELLONI
Micro Magic
Italy
Sponsor: Club Magico Italiano - Domenico Dante

2nd Micro Magic, FISM 2009
Shows the four aces. Spreads cards on the table and leaves them spread. Shows coins and places them in a purse. Opens the purse to reveal the four aces. The coins end up under the spread deck of cards. Four coins go into the purse that is set alight - the fire burns the purse invisible, except for the metal frame/clasp. Vittorio pulls out invisible coins - uses four invisible coins and the four ace cards to do a matrix routine. The coins become visible during the routine. Four coins to one corner - click of the fingers and their back each under a card. He then makes the routine ‘more difficult‘, by doing the matrix routine with transparent cards. Then does it again with Chinese coins, then produces a large coin. Four cards over four coins, each vanishing. He takes a pair of scissors and cuts a card into four pieces, vanishing them one by one, but turns the last small card into a large card, which turns transparent along with the rest of the deck. He had a lot of energy and the crowd loved him.

136. ALEXANDER POPOV
Card Magic
Russian Federation
Sponsor: Russian Association of Magicians - Vladimir Rudnev

Competed FISM 2006 with a similar act.

Disqualified for being below FISM level. Volunteer checks a deck of cards and the packet. Volunteer selects a card and performer puts it back in the deck. Alexander manipulates the cards with difficulty… and mumbles constantly, completely confusing the volunteer and the audience. I couldn’t tell if this was a similar act to his 2006 performance at FISM, or not. He was at least fun to watch when he competed in 2006.

137. MARC OBERON
Micro Magic
Great Britain
Sponsor: Magic Circle London - Jack Delvin

1st Parlour Magic, FISM 2009
Competed FISM 2006 with a similar act.

Marc asks various audience members to name cards. He skilfully finds each one in various ways, including making a selected card rise from his pocket. Extremely clever. He then changes a card into gold and goes into a routine themed on gold, human nature and myth throughout history - producing a gold sphere, an Oscar trophy, an apple from the Garden of Eden - depicting sin, which turns to gold; a flat looking white rose, turns to a red rose, then to a 3D looking gold rose; produces a golden egg from a paper origami swan, which also turns to gold; Osiris’ feather turns to gold. He then blows a gold coin into existence, vanishes it, produces it again, then does a transference of it from hand to hand - then a ‘coins across’ using three coins from hand to hand. The three coins turn into a golden key, then to a large key. Then Marc produces a huge key to finish. Interesting routine, but the handling of loads looked a little awkward at times. His lovely English voice was very clear and measured; his fine use of pauses and intonation enriched his tales.

138. KATSUYA MASUDA
Micro Magic
Japan
Sponsor: JCMA Japanese Close-Up Magicians Association - Tashiro Shigeru

Katsuya begins his routine with a ball in a cube that lights up, then goes out. He twists the cube and the ball turns to metal. Volunteer holds one card and selects a card from the deck in Katsuya’s hand. He puts the selected card into his pocket. The card that the volunteer is holding is the 9D… the card in Katsuya’s pocket is revealed to be the 9D, as well. Katsuya punctures the card - threads a feather through the hole, which is then revealed to be sealed. He has the volunteer check that the card is back to normal. Volunteer selects a card, signs it - returns to the deck. Puts a card in the deck that is not the volunteer’s, but Katsuya uses a wand to visually change a different card to the chosen card, while it is protruding from the deck. I believe all three tricks will undoubtedly soon be available in your favourite magic shop.

139. KIKO PASTUR
Card Magic
Spain
Sponsor: Sociedad Espanola de Ilusionismo - Armando Gomez Bernardo

FISM 2006 – 3rd place in Cards, with a different act.

The theme to this act is to imagine a world with no time, only images. Four aces are used. Volunteer selects a random card - 10H. Performer changes some of the cards to be the tens. Tells his story with cards, changing the four aces to four tens, then to four Queens… describing them as images - memories, dreams. He turns cards back to the aces. Volunteer chooses the AH, then chooses the AS. He shuffles the Aces, finds the AH and the rest of the suit - donning a blindfold from the 5H onwards, finding the cards by ‘feel’. He ends the routine with all the Hearts and Spades in order.

124. MAGIC JULIAN
Micro Magic
Spain
Sponsor: Sociedad Espanola de Ilusionismo - Armando Gomez Bernardo

This performer’s props were damaged in transit. He tries to perform his routine, but his prop fails him. A shame, because it looks interesting. Coins and cards, appearing, disappearing and travelling… but the effect is ruined by the damaged apparatus/prop.

As an alternative to the competition and the Dealers Fair, today FISM offered lectures by Mac King, Lennart Green, and Miguel Puga.

Stage Magic Gala #2
(By Tim Ellis)

Tonight’s show started with a very clear warning, in English and Chinese, telling people not to video or to use flash photography. This simple warning resulted in a lot less photography than at the previous shows.
The extremely talented Topas came out as host and introduced the first act. Topas has “it” and from the moment he walked on stage the audience loved him. They knew they were in the hands of a professional who would guarantee them a good time.
He began with a song, a “FISM Anthem” which will undoubtedly hit the internet soon. It was hilarious as it spoke about things that only magicians would laugh at and, to cap it all off, for the final verse he was accompanied by “The FISM Choir” of Max Maven, David Williamson, Luis DeMatos, Eun-Gyeol Lee and so many others.
Omar Pasha was first up with his black art. Though we’ve seen the act many times before it was wonderful to hear the gasps and reactions of the hundreds in the audience who hadn’t. They were amazed by every vanish and transformation.
Topas returned and began his great finger manipulation interaction piece with the audience but, when the technicians didn’t bring up the houselights after he asked several times, he just dropped it and introduced the next act, David Sousa.
David Sousa performed his 2006 FISM award-winning act of very slow and deliberate card manipulations, which was so well received he was inundated by fans the next day after photos and autographs.
Topas returned with another MC bit and, because I can’t remember exactly which bits he did when, I’ll quickly go through them all here.
One was ball manipulation accompanied by himself on bongos, another was his combination of sound effects with specific movements, and his main spot was an illusion where he removes the centre of his arm – but repeated three times: first we saw “The First Rehearsal”, next came “The Opening Night”, and finally was “The 1000^th Performance”. It had the audience in hysterics.
Topas had a few issues with the crew, which he handled beautifully.
They seemed to think that the best way to let him know the next act was ready was to just open the curtains before he even introduced them.
Another time, while he was doing his bongo routine, a stage hand pushed through the curtains and started sweeping up about six inches directly behind him. When he finally noticed, Topas turned this around and got a great laugh.
The next act was the hit of the night, about a dozen Chinese women doing the most astonishing diablo act this side of Cirque du Soleil. Somersaults, flips, multiple diablos.. more variations than you could imagine resulting in a prolonged standing ovation.
Peter Marvey returned with three illusions that he had to cut from the first Stage Gala Show because it was running too long. He pulled the skin off a girl in a box leaving only her clothes ala invisible man... didn’t really work. He did one where he pulled his own head off and it sat on a table in front of him. This was nice when he did it at FISM Dresden, but it just seemed to go on a bit too long tonight. Finally he was sawed in half riding a unicycle... yes, I know it sounds weird, it looks weird too. He gets into a very strange box with a crane thing grabbing his waist, then is sawed in two and then his lower half rides the unicycle around the platform of the box... personally I preferred the small trick he did as build up where he sawed a ten foot pole in four pieces, put the pieces in a small bag and restored them.
Shi Lei & Jiao Jiandong are very famous here for their bird impressions and hand shadows. After seeing their act I can see why. It was another highlight in the show.
Merok was dressed all in black with a sombre attitude (Craig Mitchell described him as “one of the Addams family”) and he performed manipulation and dove work. I enjoyed it and felt the odd character made the act interesting. Others didn’t.
I.Ma.Gi.A was another act that some people felt didn’t belong on a show of such a high standard. Again, I disagreed. Their act is set with cardboard boxes all over the stage with two guys moving the packages about. Lots of magic happens and the main effect is a levitating cardboard box with a girl inside. (If you were at Blackpool this year you would have seen the Dutch trio ‘Magic Unlimited’ copying it).
I.Ma.Gi.A provided yet another style of magic, a different colour, on the show and I enjoyed their act.
Victor Voitko however, was disappointing. He began with his award-winning floating linking rings from FISM 1994, but the end messed up. He then got a member of the audience up and had her go into a tent and change clothes and put a wig on. “She” did a sexy dance in the tent (we saw her in silhouette) and then went to a table and sat down where Victor woke her up and did a very long, sexy levitation before transforming her back to who she was... and then making the sexy girl appear too and sending the volunteer back.
Magic aside, what was the message he was sending in all this? The plain girl from the audience wasn’t sexy enough for him. And when he got his sexy girl he didn’t need the audience member anymore.
Yunke was the second last act with some interesting illusions. First he made his assistant appear from a chair, which was quick and effective. Next he had her lie on an ironing board, covered her with a cloth, and steamed her flat. I loved it. I thought it was completely original and box-free. Finally he did the “table of death” where he had to escape from the table before the spikes fell on him. They did fall on him (we saw it in silhouette) then he pushed them off him, whipped the front curtain away and jumped out of the box. Similar effect, with the same impact, as a finger chopper.
Jeff McBride closed the show with a long set beginning with his mask changing routine. Next came his miser’s dream and water bowl act, both of which were very effective and a change of tempo, and he sent the audience crazy at the end with his high energy card manipulation act. (He told everyone “If you have my DVD grab a deck of cards and play along.”)
Overall it was a sensational show and full credit to everyone on the bill.

Later in the night the magic continued in The Magic Salon. Here's a little taste:

(Photos on this page courtesy of Craig Mitchell and the FISMPic Flickr Stream)

FISM 2009 - DAY THREE

2009-09-23T02:44:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

STAGE COMPETITION

(By Sue-Anne Webster)

17. WANG QIMO
Stage Illusions
China
Sponsor: China Magic Art Society - Lin Jian

This was a totally weird act that went nowhere. Back screen projects a picture of the universe. Wang appears on screen, walking in the universe, then ‘jumps off screen’ and is lowered to the stage from top the rafters. Wang meekly walks forward, with his shoulders slightly hunched, and does the lean. He gestures to the screen and the scene changes to a cartoon picture of a bridge over water with cars driving on it. He tries to do something, like sit on air - but it didn’t work. Then we wait while he gestures about the stage and at the screen. We finally figure out that he’s trying to hitchhike. He makes a car on the animated screen stop with his ‘magical powers’ (with a click of his fingers) and ‘pulls it off screen‘ (the car just drives onto the stage). Wang offers money to the driver, but the driver refuses to give Wang a lift and drives back off the stage. Wang brings a helicopter from the screen to the stage. A lady gets out and gives him a lift, so they climb into the very big toy-like helicopter and it takes off and ‘flies into the screen‘. Wang comes back from the audience to the stage, waving and slouching as he did throughout the performance. His white satin shirt hadn’t been ironed. He climbs the stairs back onto the stage to a small burst of glitter confetti from the wing. Big ideas that don’t deliver.

18. SIEBENSINN
General Magic
Germany
Sponsor: Magic Ring Austria - Rudolf Heuer

3rd General Magic, FISM 2009
A lot of thought went into this act. This performance was a story about mastering your own ‘puzzle of life’. The performer does this by firstly telling the spooky story of Fletcher Robinson - implying he was the real author of the Sherlock Holmes detective stories. He told the story of the way he died… and the way Arthur Conan Doyle - referred to as Arty - died. He starts with a wine glass smashing in his hands, then shows his fob watch, which vanishes as we go back in time to 1896. He uses a cloth to produce another wine glass that fills with liquid of its own accord. As he talks, smoke fills his hand, a picture of Fletcher Robinson is taken from its frame, crushed, but returns back in the frame. He takes out the picture again and burns it up, but it returns and cracks. His next story is about life and love, being poetic - the puzzle of life. Shows a wooden puzzle in a frame. He takes away the frame and rearranges the puzzle in a different order, then adds a couple of extra pieces, but it all goes back together - again in a different order, but still fits within the original frame. All costuming and props were properly themed for the act.

19. ROMAN BURENKOV
Comedy Magic
Russian Federation
Sponsor: Russian Association of Magicians - Vladimir Rudnev

An exceptionally neat and tidy chef in a gold, shiny outfit who dons an apron dotted with fruit pictures, and a chef hat lined with hearts. The performer’s stage skills were very good, but this was a children’s act with elementary magic. Cracks an egg into a glass. Shows a cookery magazine, folds it and throws in the egg, lights it, opens the magazine and shows a rubber fried egg. He takes out an apple from a paper bag before doing a vanishing bottle trick. Takes a red silk, polishes a tea pot, puts part of the red cloth in the pot, pours water in the pot, lights a fire under the pot to boil the water and then pours the now red liquid into a glass. He takes out the silk, which is now half red and half white (because the dye ran out into the water), then proceeds to do a dove pan cooking routine that ends up producing a string of rubber bagels.

20. TROND HAGEN
Manipulation
Norway
Sponsor: Magic Circle of Norway - Henning Warloe

Disqualified for performing at a level way below FISM standard.

21. Rescheduled to perform on Day 4

22. JIANG QIWEI
General Magic
China-Macau
Sponsor: China Magic Art Society - Lin Jian

This was a colourful, but awfully unrehearsed act lacking any sense of magic. Lady in a dress, holding a basket. Takes red head band silk and changes it to a flower for her hair. Pulls feather flowers out of her sleeve. Takes earrings, turning them to paper flowers and confetti. Plucks a couple of leaves off prop plant, turning them to flowers. Did some sort of paddle move with a leaf, then pulls out a vase full of paper flowers from the plant. Takes a mirror, brushes her hair and tries to pull out paper flowers from the back of her neck, fumbling. Mirror to paper flowers and throws them in the air with confetti. Cuts out a paper butterfly, stands awkwardly close to her fence prop so lots of paper butterflies could fly into the air. Pulls out a big yellow flower from her dress. Plucks yellow flowers from plant, so new red ones could ‘miraculously’ bloom. Reaches for her basket and tips it towards her so lots of paper flowers spring forward like a flower fountain. She then does a really slow costume change behind a large cloth that also strangely changes its pattern, then reveals her new outfit and a new tree. Produces flowers for her ears and lets go of a few wind-up paper butterflies.

23. TONY MONTANA
Mental Magic
Argentina
Sponsor: Red de Magos Solidarios - Jose Luis Bory

3rd Mental Magic, FISM 2009
Two volunteers, pre-selected by jury, each had to wear a sign - their names and favourite number. “Ellis 22” and “Eric 6”. Ellis drops a magazine on the floor to a random page advertising a watch. Eric opens the prediction to show the selected page. The volunteers are given two sets of three different large photos of the performer in different poses. All the photos are put into envelopes and sealed. Each volunteer shuffles their set of three envelopes - and each volunteer is told to drop two envelopes, of their choice, to the floor, leaving Ellis and Eric with one envelope each. They open their envelopes and they are the same images of the performer with a cigar in his mouth. Then a prediction in a glass tube reveals a message “Thanks to Eelis 22 and Eric 6”. It would have been even better if “Ellis” was spelled correctly.

24. THE TRAMP
General Magic
Switzerland
Sponsor: MRS Magische Ring Schweiz - Sven Bolliger

Competed FISM 2000 with a similar act.

An potentially effective piece. Bit slow to start. Backdrop of city landscape. Sound effects of birds and cars. Fog. Tramp lies on a park bench near a light pole and a bin full of rubbish. Tramp wakes up, sits up, pulls out a string, lights it - flame to watch. Pours a drink from his thermos, levitating his cup. Puts tobacco in his mouth, then small paper, spits out a cigarette and lights it, coughs and stubs it out. He finds one bill in his old bag, then shakes his bag to reveal a load of bills filling it up and falling out. Picks out a banana skin and black tape from the bin before picking out bits of newspaper - restores it, showing pieces stuck together by black tape. Picks out a beer bottle, opens it with his teeth, nothing in it so he rolls up paper and crushes the bottle. Takes light bulb from lamp, bulb lights up in his hand. Zombie light bulb… then he had technical problems and couldn’t finish the act.

25. AVON LEE
General Magic
China-Hong Kong
Sponsor: Magicians Association of Hong Kong - Albert Tam

A clone of Eun Gyeol Lee, but his timing was off through most of his act. Upbeat music. Flame to silk to fire sticks - produces dove, but dove flew away into the rafters. White rose to confetti, flash to dove, white silk to candle (drops one), then two candles and dove. White ball, then small magnifying glass to large magnifying glass that he uses to heat up the ‘egg’ to explode into a bigger egg with a dove inside. Cane to fire string, confetti to steel ring set alight to produce a dove. Yellow silk to yellow dove to yellow confetti. Sets cage on fire and doves disappears. Produces a couple of bird cages from a burst of smoke, then a dove.

26. YO KATO
Manipulation
Japan
Sponsor: Junichiro Sejima, Juno Kim, Pairuch Trarasansombat

Equal 1st Manipulation, FISM 2009 - with Han Seol - Hui
Smart shiny black suit, red tie and wand. Skilful and relaxed performance, nice to watch. Colour changing wands - manipulation and juggling. Wand to streamer. White thimble routine with wand tips - manipulation. Colour changing thimbles red/green… and thimbles and wands. Then elegant colour changing thimble routine, then colour changing wands again - productions and manipulation. White silk to tie. He received a standing ovation.

27. LIAO XIAORUN
General Magic
China
Sponsor: China Magic Art Society - Lin Jian

Traditional colourful warrior outfit on an elegant lady - purple with red cape. Bow weapon and multiplying arrows. Produces a sword and a shield, then did a mask changing act. Produces a flag and does an awkward costume change behind a screen to a yellow and green elegant dress. Feather flowers from head dress. Trouble with loads. Mirror and comb from silk. Combs hair, throws out flowers. Takes a red fan - colour change. Produces flowers and puts them on her shoes. Red card production, including a tassel for her dress, then more cards and card flinging, changing the set design through her act. Yellow to red flower, produces lanterns with obvious loading. Another costume change to red outfit with head dress and umbrella.

28. NICOLAI FRIEDRICH
Mental Magic
Germany
Sponsor: Magischer Zirkel von Deutschland - Wolfgang Sommer

Equal 2nd Mental Magic, FISM 2009 - with Rob & Emiel
Competed FISM 2006 with a different act.
3rd Place Mental Magic FISM 2000 with a different act.

Talks about how photography captures and holds living memories. Images hold emotional value. A lady volunteer has a picture with personal meaning - of a loved one. Photo is placed in an envelope and mixed with other envelopes. Another volunteer shuffles the envelopes again and gets audience members to pick an envelope. They are told to stand and hide the envelopes behind their backs. Lady writes what the picture is about on paper, folds paper and is asked to concentrate on what she wrote. Nicolai describes the look of the person, names them and tries to ‘channel’ their date of birth and mentions they were creative with origami. This was a clever effect, however Nicolai exposes his ‘channelling’ technique. He then tells the standing audience members, one by one, to tear up their envelope, leaving two audience members standing. Lady volunteer gets the last choice in which of the envelopes to keep safe. The envelope she chose was the right one and the picture survived.

29. JEIMIN
Stage Illusions
Republic of Korea
Sponsor: International Brotherhood of Magicians - Joan Caesar

An act with a bit of abuse thrown in to spice it up. White Elvis Presley style outfit. A cage illusion is brought on stage and a cheeky cartoon girl with a mask appears from it. JeiMin hits her over the head and she leaves the stage. Another girl appears in the cage. She is ‘normal’ and pleasing to the eye, so was spared a slap to the head. JeiMin does a floating guitar illusion. He puts on a plastic Elvis wig and gyrates to ‘Twist Again‘, by Chubby Checker. Cartoon girl comes on to dance with him, but JeiMin hits her over the head again - she exits. Pretty girl enters with a guitar. They dance. Girl leans on the guitar. JeiMin hits her in the head with his wig to ‘put her to sleep’ and does a levitation with her on the guitar. More dancing and gyrating. A large flimsy cage is brought on and covered with a pink cloth. A box appears inside the cage and out comes the cartoon girl again. JeiMin hypnotises her to take off her mask, but the girl is revealed to be a man. Cartoon girl puts her mask back on. Another large flimsy cage is brought on. Cartoon girl gets into the cage, the door is closed and opened. Cartoon girl gets out again, but when the mask is taken off, it is revealed to be the girl in the costume. He levitates her without any props - just himself, the girl and the stage. I’d slap JeiMin in the head, if he dared to slap me like that!

30. ALAN
Manipulation
Chinese Taipei
Sponsor: Society of Japanese Magicians - Junichiro Sejima

Cards, confetti, fans and silks were produced and manipulated in a red and white colour theme - along with the prop table and clothing trim. As these items were produced and manipulated, they slowly all turned to blue and white - along with the prop table, costume and table set. The act ends with a blue and red theme. Blue and red confetti to end performance. Obvious loads.

31. BERK ERATAY
Mental Magic
Turkey
Sponsor: International Brotherhood of Magicians - Joan Caesar

Winner of Turkey’s version of ‘Phenomenon – The Next Uri Geller’

A ‘freak’ from the forest, chained and clothed in a white restraint type suit, is brought on stage by an old professor. Volunteer, separated from the ’freak’ by a screen, is told to stick large pins in a rag doll representing the ’freak’ - voodoo style. The ‘freak’ starts bleeding supposedly where the pins are stuck in the doll… but, the wounds did not match where the pins were stuck. The act could have some sort of potential… except for the fact they use an electric chair on the volunteer! I WAS THE VOLUNTEER WHO GOT SNAPPED IN THE BUTT BY ELECTRICITY… AGAIN!!! (see close-up reviews).

** INTERMISSION **

I want to pause here to tell anyone who uses one these stupid electric chairs, that it’s INHUMANE!! It HURTS!! You are HURTING your guest on stage who is good enough to play along with your act to help you look good! People don’t like creatures being hurt… so, WHY HURT A HUMAN??!!

People disguise their hurt through humour. The volunteer might laugh it off for the time being, but it hurts both men and women. I will tell you how it hurt me. I have a good sense of humour, I can laugh at myself and I can take a bit of teasing… but, when I am electrified without knowing it will happen to me, I will finish my job on stage, leave and sit quietly - because my mind goes blank. I can’t think about anything. I begin to realise I was abused. I feel humiliated. I feel used and discarded for the entertainment pleasure of the performer and the audience who do not know what actually happened to me (non magicians do not know chairs are electrified). The pain stays for hours. It may not be the result of the physical electric slashing across my backside that I feel for hours afterwards, but I still feel a stinging sensation, which reminds me of the abuse and humiliation I endured on stage. Then, when I have a private moment to myself, I cry.

How do you know this does not happen to your other lady volunteers? How do you feel now, that you know? Will you still use that ‘nice’ little implement of torture you thought would enhance you and your act after knowing you have hurt and humiliated somebody? What if it was your loving wife, girlfriend, mother, grandmother, aunty or daughter that some thoughtless performer zapped and abused? Your volunteer has a right to choose whether they will participate in anything that will harm them before they help you.

Some people asked me why I didn’t walk off stage, kick the chair, hit the performer and sue him. Well, I didn’t think to do that at the time, especially when I was trying to help a FISM competitor do their best… but, I warn you, I will do all of those things if it happens to me again.

I have a solution to zapping. Cue your audience members. I do! I secretly ask them to pretend the seat is hot. Simple. It works every time… the audience love it… and your volunteer is happy to be involved with you on stage. You make them look good and feel good… and in turn, they will make you look good!

The electric chair should be banned from FISM. I’ve been informed that FISM rules are changing to disqualify any performer who hurts a living creature.

*******

32. P J WEN
General Magic
Chinese Taipei
Sponsor: Black Hat Magic Association - Kai-Fu Wang

Dressed in a black suit, yellow tie, and yellow glasses he began with colour changing light bulbs. He gets a phone call to meet a girl. He does a costume change to a white suit. He takes a silk and changes it into ink underpants. Flower appears from another silk. Flower to silk sequence. Gets a phone call - the girl has been caught in a big traffic jam so he makes uses a huge silk to make her appear holding the steering wheel of her now abandoned car.

CLOSE UP COMPETITION

(By Sue-Anne Webster)

114. CHARMING CHOI

Parlour Magic

Republic of Korea

Sponsor: Korean Magic Society - Eun-Sun Chung

Most Original Act, FISM 2009

Competed FISM 2006 with a different act

Competed FISM 2003 with a similar act

“Charming, charming, charming Choi” dresses in a white outfit with blue trim. DVD prediction. Shows different DVD’s - of magicians, porn and The Little Mermaid. Volunteer secretly selects The Little Mermaid - ‘prediction’ was correct. Pulls out a red silk from the cartoon picture hair of the Little Mermaid from the DVD cover, produces a straw from it, then blows bubbles into a fish tank of water to produce the balls for an underwater cups and balls routine performed to the music, ‘Under the Sea’, the end load of goldfish fills the fish tank. The volunteer is given the DVD as a present… but, it is only the box and cover… it does not contain a DVD. Tsk, tsk, tsk - naughty!

115. DALY TANG

Micro Magic

China-Hong Kong

Sponsor: Magicians Association of Hong Kong - Albert Tam

Performs the “two coin” trick that keeps ending with three coins, so tries the ‘three coin’ trick, but ends up with six. Puts coins in a chequered purse and vanishes. Background piano music. Card trick - a four Ace routine. Ace transference from hand to hand, then hand to table. Aces turn into Queens. Spreads cards, now with blank faces. Turns over Queens to show black stripes on the faces of the now blank cards. As he places the striped cards on the all-blank cards, it creates the effect of a piano keyboard. Nice visual surprise ending. Average.

116. MARTIN LUBCKE

Card Magic

Germany

Sponsor: Magischer Zirkel von Deutschland - Wolfgang Sommer

Card to object routine. Ice-cream treat in a box produced from flash string. Ice-cream goes on display stand, while volunteer checks and shuffles cards. Martin cuts cards and has volunteer sign a card. Red felt pen changes to green. Puts card back in deck, cuts cards again and shuffles. Asks a spectator for a number between 1 and 20. Number chosen is 17. Martin asks volunteer to flick over some of the cards in the pile. Exactly 17 were flipped. Shuffles signed card back into deck. Volunteer checks the deck, but her card has vanished from the deck. Then Martin makes all cards vanish from his hand. Volunteer checks ice-cream treat and sees a corner of her signed card, 8D. Martin breaks ice with a wooden mallet. The card inside is the signed card. Martin closes up the ice treat package, then opens it again to reveal a real ice treat for the volunteer. The ending was the highlight - at least the volunteer received a real prize this time.

117. NEKTARIOS

Micro Magic

Greece

Sponsor: Academy of Magicians - Gousis Christoforos

Phone rings, we hear a lot of babble. He changes cell phone to cards - produces a ‘smiley face’ coin from card, which ends up blank. Produces more coins with smiley faces. He finds the court cards (couldn’t tell which ones, because the camera didn’t zoom in). Does a matrix style routines using cards and coins - cards change into smiley face cards. Cell phone rings again - more babble. Changes cell phone to a smiley face. Vanishes coins and his shirt changes to a purple top with a big smiley face. The smiley faces brightened the act.

118. SHO ARAI

Card Magic

Japan

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

Suit and red tie. Shows a blank card and changes it to the AS - then produces 2S, 3S and 4S. He drops one card - then ’magically’ pulls it up from the floor. Changes cards into a pack, then opens it, showing a full deck inside. Takes out cards and finds the AS, 2S, 3S and 4S again, all in different ways. Audience member shuffles the cards, then he shows the cards in new deck order. More fancy moves to produce AS, 2S, 3S and 4S again by flicking them from the deck, then the rest of the spades - sticking them all over his jacket and arm. Shows all cards are in order. Shows AS, then takes out the large, middle spade logo as a pin to stick on his jacket… then tosses a bit of glitter.

119. ROD CHOW

Parlour Magic

Canada

Sponsor: International Brotherhood of Magicians - Joan Caesar

This act is the story about the performer’s life in magic - starting with his first pay cheque - a Canadian $20 cheque. Shows more pay cheques from children’s shows, then turns them all into cash - all $20 bills. His shows price increases - showing $20 to $50 to $100 and then to credit card. He starts to enter competitions, dreaming about winning a gold medal (which he produced). Produces a ring (accidentally dropping a big ring) and went to turn it into a big gold ring (but couldn’t, because he dropped it earlier). He says how he wants to go to Hollywood, producing gold bars and American money, then pulls out a line of US $$ all strung together. He then talks about going to Las Vegas, pulling out a cape of cash, then changes his shirt to cash with a light-up green $ sign on his cash shirt. But, he says that magic - to him - is not about fame or fortune, but to make people happy… so changes all the money back into his old pay checks - because he doesn’t really want it. Hmmm.

120. RAMON RIOBOO

Card Magic

Spain

Sponsor: Sociedad Espanola de Ilusionismo - Armando Gomez Bernardo

Volunteer selects a card, but Ramon holds tightly onto the cards, even when the volunteer signs the selected card. The card is lost in the deck, then found. Volunteer chooses a card, again. She takes it, but Ramon takes it back (looking dodgy). She signs the card, which is revealed later - stapled. Then a hard to follow sequence with a blue card/red card prediction. Another hard to follow card routine, where another card is signed. Ramon selects a card, revealing it to be the same card. Very confusing.

121. KIF

Card Magic

China Hong Kong

Sponsor: International Brotherhood of Magicians - Joan Caesar

Competed FISM 2006 with a different act.

Kif ate mints to ‘help his memory.’ Three volunteers each choose a card from a spread deck. Performer memorises the pack in less than five seconds and bets a volunteer keeps his money if he fails to memorise it correctly. Kif seems a bit rough and rude to his volunteers. He then gets his volunteers to remember the cards, too… by giving them mints to help their memory, then gives the volunteers instruments to mark when their card colour is shown, indicating which cards they want by sounding their instruments, until the whole deck is dealt. The routine is confusing.

122. CHARLIE CAPER

Parlour Magic

Sweden

Sponsor: Svensk Magisk Cirkel - Per Eklund

2nd Parlour Magic, FISM 2009

Winner of ‘Sweden’s Got Talent’ 2009

Charlie is dressed in old style street attire complete with braces. Changes a cane to a black silk tie and produces a fob watch. Uses a red silk to vanish fob watch. Silk to glass to wand - vanishes silk, then vanishes wand. Takes out a purse and pulls out the fob watch on its chain, then pulls out the red silk which changes into a flower that he places on his coat. Then pulls out the wand and his black silk tie (that we only just discover went missing). He brings a volunteer on stage (me) and offers me a chair joking that he couldn’t find the extension cord (joke about my electric chair experiences) which got a huge laugh. He produces a can of Coke from his shoe. He then he does a cups and balls routine - the cups and the balls are wearing bowties (like him). Takes rose from his jacket and a ball from his pocket, drinks coke from a solid glass… then the ball appears under the clear glass, puts ball under his hat. Wraps the glass in newspaper and places the newspaper in the volunteers hands, then crushes the volunteers hands together, vanishing the glass. Then the ball is shown under the glass, under the hat. Oranges and lemons appear under the cups, then an onion, a watermelon, wearing a bowtie appears under his hat. A fun routine… especially for the volunteer.

123. MIN HYUNG KIM

Card Magic

Republic of Korea

Sponsor: Korean Magic Society - Eun-Sun Chung

Music. Funny, light and happy performance. Shows a small soft drink bottle with some clear water inside. He shakes the bottle and the liquid turns red. The bottle lid keeps going missing throughout the routine. Card trick - spreads cards, then does a ‘find the aces’ routine. Audience member chooses the AD. Finds all Aces in different ways to sound effects and funny facial expressions. Sad music plays when he can’t find the last card. So, he brings out his He thinks all is lost, so he brings out his mechanical Barbie doll to help him. Then he finds his lid to his drink bottle again, hope is returning when he sees his Barbie doll. He winds up the mechanical Barbie, it twists around to the audience showing his face on the doll and the KD in it’s hand as the sound effects of a hallelujah choir singing play.

124. Damaged props in transit. Will attempt to perform on Day 3.

125. MAGO BRUNO

Micro Magic

Peru

Sponsor: FLASOMA - Hector Carrion

A theatrical performance… something different. Performer plays a character who is late for work. A white phone rings. A sticky note is found attached to his head. Phone rings again, he answers - his boss is angry with him. He must get to work or he loses his job. A small lighter is changed to a big lighter, lights a candle on his desk. He puts on his coat, but a big button goes missing. He goes to thread a needle, but the string flashes and vanishes - producing a large needle and a button. He does a series of cup, needle and thread manipulation. His desk clock ends up where his button should be on his coat. Phone manipulation, then multiplying alarm clocks appear everywhere. Clocks even end up on his glasses. Then his phone turns into clocks.

126. RYU HYUN MIN

Card Magic

Republic of Korea

Sponsor: Alexander Magic Family Korea - Juno Kim

A letter inside an envelope reads that the sender sent cards. He produces a deck of cards from the envelope. Volunteer signs the card and is put back in the deck. Then, inside the deck is an envelope - in the envelope is the signed card. Volunteer signs another two cards - so he ends up with a signed 9H, 3C, 6D. From the beginning of the routine, on the table, there is an envelope on a stick. It is revealed to hold the volunteer’s three signed cards. Ace routine - the aces transfer from the close-up mat to the envelope on the stand… and then the three signed cards in the envelope appear on the table.

113. YVES DOMERGUE

Parlour Magic

France

Sponsor: Fédération Française des Artistes Prestidigitateurs - Peter Din

This act woke everyone up! Yves talks about the nightmare he dreamt - sitting on stage with everyone looking at him. He describes how everything in the dream was fake and not real, showing the chair he sitts on is just paper. Three volunteers are brought up on stage to play a “dangerous game” with firecrackers. Each volunteer is given a different colour t-shirt to wear for a prediction (in his dream). Everyone on stage puts on ear muffs. Performer blows up a firecracker in a small bin, which produces an enormous BANG - deafening the audience. The performer then plays Russian Roulette with firecrackers. He gives the volunteers a choice of firecracker to take. One is real. Performer leads everyone to believe that he has taken the real one… and so puts it in his mouth - and lights it. It turns out to be a dud… but he slaps blood on his face in an attempt to shock the audience, dramatically stating, “Don’t worry - it’s just a nightmare!” Then envelopes are revealed on the back the volunteer chairs, containing a dream prediction stating what each volunteer did on stage - like the red t-shirt being put on backwards. Well… the routine certainly went off with a bang… and deafened everyone in the process.

Those not interested in the competition attended lectures by Victor Voitko and Juan Tamariz.

Close Up Magic Gala Show

(By Tim Ellis)

Tonight there was a delay in opening the doors to the 2,500 seat theatre where the Close Up Gala was staged. Once inside, Hank Moorehouse announced that the cameras had not been available earlier in the day, but they were going to do the best they could without any camera rehearsal.

So, with a camera on stage, one on a crane, three on a huge podium (and at least another thousand in the laps of disrespectful registrants) the show began.

David Williamson kicked the show off as MC and immediately put everyone in a good mood with his charm and spontaneity. He ran through the crowd and selected two volunteers to sit at the close up table on stage (directly under a big screen with two huge LED screens on either side) and introduced the first act.

FISM award-winner Henry Evans performed some of his trademark card effects including the inimitable ‘Ten Exact Cuts’ and though a lot of the card work was hard to see, it was still very enjoyable.

David returned to perform ring and rope and while he did he’d arranged a Chinese tailor to come on stage and measure him up for a nice cheap jacket. You can imagine the comedy than ensued climaxing with David throwing the guy over his shoulder and walking off with him as he introduced Shoot Ogawa.

Shoot suffered the worst at the hands of the TV. First he had to remove his white jacket because it was too bright on the screens, then his dark shirt and pants made him blend into the background. He performed several effects including his ‘Ninja Rings’ but when he did a very nice coins to glass effect, some of the magic was completely missed because of poorly composed camera shots.

David returned in his new suit, which look comically awful, and kept the show pacey by introducing Miguel Puga.

Miguel began with a great synchronised audience-clapping bit (which would have been more effective if the video screens didn’t have a one second visual delay on them) Next he did some nice card work, but his act really went up a notch when he got two volunteers on stage performing signed card to pocket with him. At one point he asked the cameraman to move back a bit. He didn’t. So Miguel physically pushed the camera back about 15 feet. The cameraman just moved back much to the audience’s amusement. Obviously the director was speaking through his headphones and overruling the performer’s request...

Next up was Hernan Maccagno who looked like a cross between early Juan Tamariz and current Weird Al Yankovic. He started with a ‘Zone Zero’ type effect where oranges where produced and thrown to the audience, but then he talked – a lot – and English is not his strong suit. By the time he sat down and began a trick with four cards that went on for quite a long time, the audience had already grown very restless. In the end he performed a very nice routine to a music box, but he was the low point of the show.

David introduced Lennart Green next, and everyone was very excited. He sat down and began with a trick with a glass of drink, but the camera angle from the side exposed it. He also had some serious trouble with his deck which caused him to toss the deck and start again with a new one. His finale, blindfolded with gaffa tap while his head was wrapped in tin foil, was sensational and even though he seemed a little off form, the audience loved him.

David Williamson returned with Rocky (and the crowd went wild!) He found possibly the cutest kid in China sitting in the front row (and he spoke English!) and did an hilarious Rocky routine that really got the show back on the rails.

Rick Merrill, World Champion of Close Up Magic (for the next three days), closed the show. He began with some coin magic and went into a six card selection and revelation that included some gags and one Pendragons joke that pretty much crossed the line. Rick then went into his award-winning coin and sharpie act and got a sensational reaction.

Still no standing ovations, and this time it looked like the lights, sound and video people had better things to do than support the magicians (maybe they spent all day tech rehearsing the acts for the Thursday banquet show?) There were many instances of audio feedback, the lighting was too dark in many places, house lights did not come up when they were asked for, and the camera work (essential for such a huge crowd) was very poor compared to the Opening Show.

Maybe next FISM we’ll get back to a more traditional size Close Up Gala of say, only 700-800 people?

After the show, close up fans headed to The Magic Salon where the experience close up magic in a more suitable environment, while others preferred to let the rhythm take control.

(Photos on this page by Detlev Drenker)

FISM 2009 - DAY TWO

2009-09-23T02:43:00.001-07:00

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)

FISM 2009 - DAY ONE

2009-09-23T02:27:00.000-07:00

Sunday, July 26, 2009

First Morning

(By Tim Ellis)

The first day of the FISM 2009 program reads a little dry.
8.30am - Registration Desk Opens
9.30am - Magic Fair (Dealers)'
4.30pm - Opening Ceremony
7.00pm - welcome Dinner

No lectures, no competitions...

Yet, the way they have set everything up has worked extremely well.
Between the different rooms of the Magic Fair they have set up a temporary Food Court with lots of seating and relaxation areas and, as I type, there are hundreds of magicians mixing, mingling aand browsing through the dealer's exhibits, enjoying food and drink, watching Chinese music performances on the food court stage, and strolling through the photographic and folk exhibits.
The ample free time is working very well as everyone is getting a good opportunity to spend quality time meeting up with their friends from all over the world.

So far the buzz is "Yes, there have been some mistakes here and there, but despite that this FISM is excellent."

The Magic Fair certainly has a wide mix of exhibitors. Many from Asia with effects and props which most Western registrants have never seen before, and for the Asian registrants there's a big variety of magic from European dealers as well. It's only been open four hours but already a lot of dealer's have 'Sold Out' signs on some products.

One problem that's only going to get worse as the week goes on though, is the carpet in the Magic Fair rooms. For some reason those in charge have decided to place protective carpet over the carpet in the rooms (this is the first convention ever held in the Chinese Convention Centre... so maybe they want to keep it looking fresh). As a consequence the top layer of carpet keeps bunching up and people keep tripping on it. Unfortunately, it makes the Magic Fair look a little less than professional.

The Food Court on the other hand, is very, very good. You purchase an 'I C Card' at the "Saling Desk" (excellent example of Engrish) and charge it up with 100 Yuan (about $20 Aussie dollars). Then you go from stand to stand purchasing anything you like from a huge selection of food and drinks. And your 100 Yuan goes a long way!

In about an hour or so FISM 2009 officially kicks off with the Opening Ceremony. Hopefully, I'll have a full report on it here shortly, plus I'll add some more pics to the photo album so you can get more of a taste of what we're experiencing over here in Beijing.

Official Opening

(By Tim Ellis)

4.35pm and the main theatre was still filling as two and a half thousand magicians passed through security and made their way into the main theatre for the FISM 2009 Opening Show.
On every seat was a glossy double sided A4 card in pink (FISM 2009 President Mr Lin Jian’s favourite colour) printed in gold with the program of the opening show on one side and the behind-the-scenes credits on the other.

With the chime of a gong the theatre darkened and FISM 2009 was underway. First were the traditional speeches from various dignitaries welcoming us all to FISM. This was followed by a very unique opening moment where a huge clear Perspex button was pushed and it lit up with welcoming words as air cannons were fired. Then Eric Eswin welcomed the registrants in several different languages and the FISM Presidents from all over the world (including Sue-Anne Webster from Australia!) were introduced.

The whole official portion was over in less than 30 minutes and presented very efficiently and professionally. Now it was time for the show.

Jiang Hua, a famous Chinese television personality, acted as host and explained that the show would highlight the Chinese female magicians who had won national and international awards, as well as showcasing many different Chinese cultural acts.

First up was the Yishan Drum dance, which was a great start to the show and, with extremely good lighting and staging, really set the tone for the whole of FISM. First magic act was Huang Zheng with her beautiful manipulation act ‘Memories’ which was especially well performed and got a great reception.

Another dance followed, and all of the dance numbers were energetic, very different to each other, and just long enough to provide variety between the magic. This was followed by Zhao Yuying with a fan production act. Though extremely well done, the act was possibly a little long as much of the content involved fan production after fan production, but was spiced up a little near the end when she went into changing masks.

Next was a ‘Clogs Dance’ followed by Xu Fengmei who performed the traditional Chinese water bowl production act. As Jiang Hua explained, it was very unusual for a woman to perform this act and she did a good job of it, but no matter how many times I’ve seen this act performed it really isn’t that much of a mystery as to where all the bowls come from. But once again, she did a good job and the production made the act look very good.

A two person dance entitled ‘Legendary Vine’ was next and it was almost something you’d see an experimental dance troupe in the West performing. Very different to all of the other dance numbers, but fascinating to watch.

Next came the act that stole the show. An astonishing acrobatic performance by the China National Circus. Women balanced bowls above their heads on one foot while they stood on the other, as men tossed them through the air onto each others shoulders. The flips and flexibility are impossible to describe and I kept hearing gasps from people all around me and the degree of difficulty kept rising. Finally, they threw a girl (who was balancing a bowl the whole time) onto the shoulders of a man who was standing on the shoulders of another man. As she somersaulted down to the stage the audience leapt to their feet in a standing ovation.

After another dance, this once featuring a lot of black light effects, we had the very unusual act of Shen Juan who the introduction promised would delight us with “thousands of flowers” and she did! She produced a seemingly endless amount of flowers which seemed to literally explode like fireworks from her barehands. At the end of her act the stage was absolutely covered in flowers and I can guarantee there wasn’t a single magician who wasn’t thinking “How long does it take to reset that act?!”

The show finished with the Yunnan Kunming Folk Dancing and Singing Theatre and a curtain call featuring all the artists who got a tremendous response from the crowd.

Almost everyone I spoke to afterwards said it was the best FISM Opening Show they’d ever seen.

We had half an hour before the ‘Welcome Dinner’ and the energy and excitement in the crowd was palpable. They were really charged and ready for a great week of magic.

Entering the ballroom it was really quite amazing to see reserved table seating for 2,500 with a fully professional stage complete with comprehensive video support (there must have been at least eight cameras) and a waiter or two at every single table! No-one’s glass was allowed to be empty, whether soft drink, water or wine, and there was more food than anyone could eat. (And we get a second banquet later in the week!)

Complementing a menu featuring jelly fish in vinegar, Chinese date with honeydew, sautéed celery and gingko with black fungus, and braised sliced weever with cheese and cream, we had an equally eclectic selection of Chinese entertainment. Plus we each got a beautifully designed souvenir menu (which is proving very useful as I type this report!)

Another CCTV star (Wang Xuechun) introduced the acts and we were treated to Li Huaixiu and Li Huaifu who sang a traditional song which demonstrated an astonishing singing range as well as a cheeky sense of fun, a spectacular number from the Beijing Dance Academy, the Acrobatic Troupe of China Railway Art Ensemble with a show-stealing display of rola-rola balancing,
Hou Yanqiu who displayed absolute virtuosity on the traditional (and extremely high-pitched) instrument the Suona, a sample of Beijing Opera from the colourful Beijing Opera Troupe, some songs from one of the most popular Chinese singing stars Abao, and a final dance number from the Bejing Dance Academy.

Again, production of the show was extremely professional and video coverage for the massive ballroom was very well done.

Everyone left the ballroom satiated by Chinese food and culture and totally blown away by the presentation.

Yes, there was absolutely no magic in the dinner show, but we were treated to what appeared to be the absolute best in many facets of Chinese entertainment. Most people I spoke to afterwards said they wouldn’t have changed a thing and rated the first day of FISM 2009 a 9 out of 10.

If they can keep up the standard for the next few days, this may well be the best FISM ever.

(Photos on this page courtesy of Craig Mitchell and Detlev Drenker)

FISM 2009 - INTRODUCTION

2009-09-23T02:13:00.000-07:00

Saturday, July 25, 2009

(By Tim Ellis)

It's the day before FISM officially begins, but there are already a lot of magicians buzzing around the two main hotels (the Intercontinental and the Grand) and lingering in the Convention Centre.

We received our FISM Goody Bags today. They are absolutely top quality computer bags that will be used proudly by all the registrants for a long time to come. For the curious, here’s what they contained:

Name Badge and Lanyard.
Envelope of tickets with seating to all events.
FISM 2009 pen.
FISM 2009 fan.
FISM 2009 lapel pin.
Bicycle rider back deck of cards.
Ace brand deck of cards.
Deck of cards with Beijing scenes.
FISM 2009 ruled notebook.
Northstar Property Investment spiral bound address book.
Northstar Property Investment advertising folio.
Large FISM 2009 envelope containing a folder of FISM 2009 commemorative stamps.
Regular DL FISM 2009 envelope with FISM 2009 stamp on it.
Coupon from Hanky Panky Magic to redeem for a FISM 2009 baseball cap.
FISM 2009 T-Shirt (pink).
Elegantly produced FISM 90 page Programme.

The FISM venue itself, The China National Convention Centre, is so new that we are the first conference it has hosted.

Of the two main hotels, only The Intercontinental has a walkway connecting it to the Centre. The walkway from the Grand has not yet been completed.

The Centre looks very professional, but with a slightly cold atmosphere. Lots of bare walls and concrete. Once filled with magicians however, I'm sure the atmosphere will warm up.

They say over 2,500 magicians have registered which is a great success for China.

Only 100 competitors though, which is disappointing, but hopefully the lack of quantity will reflect a higher than normal quality.

FISM 2006 - DAY SIX

2007-10-17T03:23:00.000-07:00

Saturday, August 5, 2006

(By Tim Ellis)

Final day of FISM and what an incredibly empty schedule!

10.00am - Gaetan Bloom lecture. Noon - Banachek lecture. 1.00pm - Pavel lecture. All lectures in a rooms that seat from 250 to 500 people... so what do the other 2000+ people do?

Hang out in the dealers room from 9.00am to 3.00pm when the finale of the Close Up Contest begins.

I know a lot of people on the Swedish FISM organising team, and they have spent a lot of time and put in a lot of effort into the planning of this FISM, but there have been some basic mistakes and the registrants are calling this the worst organised FISM ever. (I'm sure there have been worse, but I hope Beijing learns a lot from this experience).

Actually, most of our "free time" at FISM was spent catching up with our magic friends and colleagues from all over the world. That's the absolute best aspect of FISM, but it's also it's downside. There are so many people to catch up with you don't have time to spend more than a brief conversation or maybe share a meal with them before you have to say hi to someone else or move in to a lecture or a show.

Speaking of lectures... David Jones and Nelson both told us that the Armando Lucero lecture was sensational! In fact we heard that most of the lectures were very good. The only problem is that you can't see lectures and the competition, you need to make a choice. (And as was pointed out on another forum, there were plenty of lectures for the 500 people who were free when 2000 people were watching the Stage Competition, but comparatively nothing for the 1800 people who couldn't get in to the 700 seats in the Close Up Competition rooms.

There were also some problems here at the Rica Talk Hotel. (Totally out of the control of FISM, of course). You heard about our overheating room... apparently onre group of people got trapped in a hotel lift for 45 minutes the other day. A day later one of that same group was again trapped in the same lift! Someone also told us that the soap dispenser on the wall of their shower fell off and they were told just to "put it back up". Well, it's a brand new hotel so I guess we should expect teething troubles.

Regardless... we all headed in to the Victoria Hall for the Close Up Competition Finale. Tim was a jury member and sat in the front row (as opposed to on the stage, which was the original plan, because it would have looked bad for the TV crew who were filming the event) and the jury watched the contest on 10inch TV monitors under the stage! Luckily they were close enough to watch the acts live because the camera work was shocking! They kept cutting to wide shots when you needed close ups and audience reactions when the magic was happening... they hadn't seen the acts before so what can you expect I guess.

Max Maven came out as the host for the afternoon's show and introduced the proceedings as well as David Stone as the first competitor. He performed his act better than he had in the close up room but the camera work meant the audience missed quite a lot of his effects (and how do you misdirect a camera when you are stealing a bottle from a table in full view???) David received a partial standing ovation).

Helder Guimaraes was next with his card act and, though it has a very slow start, it builds up to a climax that is so impossible it leaves people gasping that it must have been a stooge! (No, it wasn't, she was just as amazed as we were). Helder received a partial standing ovation.

Martin Eisele followed with his hilarious matrix act, but he didn't seem to be as in as good form as he was in the close up room. The fact that someone's mic was on and we could hear muttering all throughout the first half of his act only made things worse for him. Martin received a standing ovation.

Rick Merrill followed - just like he did it the Close Up Comp. These two have very similar on stage characters so why they couldn't separate them by one other performer I have no idea. (I'm sure they chose the running order out of a hot to be fair, but by not separating them they put Rick Merrill at a a slight disadvantage. However, Rick Merrill delivered a killer set far better than in the close up room. (BIG standing ovation!)

Shawn Farquhar was last on the list and, though many found his patter way too fast to follow, he appeared to be very confident until he had a mishap with his featured card effect.

After that the jury had to leave the room and deliver their verdict based only on what they saw in those performances.

While they were out Kevin James did his amazing Sawing In Half routine (people said it was great until the restoration of the body which became very obvious) and SOS and Victoria who did a quick change act.

Then it was time to present the awards. Because of the fact they were taping the event for TV they had to announce the Grand Prix Winner before they announced the winners of the Close Up and Cards categories. Why? They figured that if the announced the winners of the other awards first, it would be obvious who had won the Grand Prix and the tension and reaction to the announcement wouldn't be as strong.

This was a bad idea.

The five finalists came on stage, then it was stop - start - stop - start for the filming as a TV host took over from Max Maven and called Eric Eswin on to announce the Grand Prix winner.

The audience went along with it all at first, and went crazy when Rick Merrill was announced as the winner. But then they started to go crazy in a bad way when someone took Rick's trophy from him and the host explained they were going to retake the presentation scene. After more faffing around people started booing, hissing and many walked out. Patience and tolerance, I think, are virtues that seemed to have run out with a lot of people by the end of the week.

Eric Eswin returned to announce the winners of the various categories and, as you may have heard or read on other reports, this was a shambles. Names were read out too quickly or while the audience was applauding so you couldn't hear who got what. Shawn Farquhar went up to accept his award and Dag Lofalk said "Who are you?" Shawn explained he was the 2nd place winner and Dag said "Are you sure?" There was only one trophy for one invention winner and nothing for the other, Eric explained they could collect it tomorrow. Rocco wasn't even in the building to collect his award when it was announced.

This was not the professional standard that magicians have come to expect from FISM Award Ceremonies. Many said it looked more like a local magic club prize night than the world championships of magic. They even had an Olympic style "1, 2, 3" podium for the winners to stand on. A nice touch as they got up, but then they had to get back off immediately as Eric started to announce the next winners. Maybe they could get up on it, have an official photo taken, dim the stage lights to a spot on Eric as the winners are led off the podium in the darkness and repositioned on the stage before the lights come up again.

The winners in the Close Up category were:

Grand Prix Close-Up ... Rick Merrill, USA

Micro Magic 1 - Martin Eisele, Germany 2 - Shawn Farquhar, Canada 3 - David Stone, France
Close-up Card 1 - Helder Guimaraes, Portugal 2 - Lodewijk de Widt, Netherlands 3 - Kiko, Spain

Inventions - Mathieu Bich, France. Pierric, Switzerland

Comedy - Rick Merrill, USA. Stonkel, Germany

Most Original Act - Rocco, USA

SWEDISH MAGIC CIRCLE AWARD - Rick Merrill

The crowd was very pleased with the results, but not with the way the show was run and the mood in the foyer as we waited the 90 minutes between the Close-Up and Stage Awards show was palpable.

Next came the Stage Awards show. It opened with Eric Eswin who was first cheered, then booed and hissed. He handled this appalling display with dignity simply by saying "Thankyou", which resulted in a big cheer and applause. He apologised for the earlier fiasco and promised there would be no retakes.

Rich Bloch was MC and he was superb. He kept the audience under control and had some very funny bits (I loved the fly on his nose that revealed a thought of card).

Sittah was first with her illusions, which looked great with the flash TV lighting, followed by Pilou who suffered badly as the flashy lights made it very hard to see his manipulation work. Same situation with David Sousa and Dai Binchun. Even Gaston had technical difficulties to overcome. His mic was playing up when he came on and he had to restart his act, then a baby started crying... he handled it like a true professional and got a huge standing ovation. Lee Eun-Gyeol was the only act other than Sittah that shone under the staging conditions (and no, the live bird that was sitting awkwardly in one of the cages he produced was not dead as some people were saying).

The judges retired to deliberate, we had a long intermission, then returned not for the announcements... but for a show starring Norbert Ferre and Rafael. Very good performances by both of them but the night was getting on... During Norbert's act, there was a very nasty incident where a groupfrom he other room, who were watching on the big screen, actually tried to break in to the main hall and created a mini riot (which was apparently quelled by Derren Brown). Vice President of the Swedish Magic Circle describes it:
The incident during Norbert Ferré’s act was that he (Ferré) never uses a microphone on stage and turned down a lapel mike and naturally nobody could hear him in the other room. But to try to barge in screaming like that only disturbed Norbert’s great act.

Finally the results were announced. The finalists from the close up were also gathered on stage but... David Stone was missing! (He was in the other room as he didn't get a seat in the hall!!!! He saw the others on the stage via the screen and raced in and jumped onto the stage during the filming... in his street clothes! I'd love to see how they're going to edit that it for continuity.)

As before, the TV host came out and did what he had to do then literally ran off the stage handing it over to Eric and the team to announce the other finalists. Yes, this time it was just as amateurish as before. Sadly it looked unrehearsed and badly improvised.

Grand Prix Stage ... Pilou, France

Manipulation 1 - Dai Binchun, China 2 - David Sousa, Portugal 3 - Arthur Trace, USA

General Magic 1 - Eun Gyeol Lee, Republic of Korea 2 - Die Zauderer, Germany 3 - Dion, Netherlands

Parlour Magic 1 - Gaston, Germany 2 - Shawn Farquhar, Canada 3 - Julia Guilhem, France

Stage Illusions 1 - Sittah, Netherlands 2 - Hugo Valenzuela, Argentina 3 - Marc & Alex, Germany

Mentalism 2 - Timothy Trust & Julie Germany tie with Juan Ordeix, Argentina 3 - Robert & Emiel Netherlands tie with Jean Thomas Loewe, Germany

LAS VEGAS CONTRACT - Eun Gyeol Lee

FRANCE/MONACO CONTRACT - Sittah

LONDON CONTRACT - Mikael Szanyiel

SWEDISH MAGIC CIRCLE AWARD - Pilou

MOST ORIGINAL ACT - Hugo Valenzuela, Argentina

COMEDY PRESENTATION - Die Zauderer, Germany. Mikael Szanyiel, France

INVENTIONS - Ross Mickael et Bethy, France. Cesaral Magic, Spain

The results of the judges were not universally accepted with most feeling that Lee Eun-Gyeol should have received the Grand Prix and puzzled as to why Dai DinChun won Manipulation. But what is FISM without controversy?

After the show ended (11.00pm) we all headed off to the magic party at Scanic Sergel Plaza. Bob Sheets, Lennart Green and Juan Tamariz were performing and Nick Nickolas was running an official FISM Poker Game which Danny Archer and Gazzo were winning!

FISM 2006 - DAY FIVE

2007-10-17T02:24:00.000-07:00

Friday, August 4, 2006

(By Tim Ellis & Contestant reports by Sue-Anne Webster)

Second last day of FISM! Everyone gathered in the Victoria Hall bright and early (some people line up, and it's a VERY long line, while others just gather around the doors and as soon as they are open it's a race to see who can get to the best seats. Often people who line up early end up sitting at the back while people who walk up to the doors just as they are opening end up in the front row... it's an issue that future FISMs need to think carefully about).

The Stage Jury took their seats and watched another batch of contestants. The trends in stage magic this year seem to be voice-over introductions at the start of acts, instant costume changes (some more instant than others), LCD screens and video projectors, and we've had a few singing acts too. One talked about act was Aaron Crow who fired an arrow through an apple on the head of a volunteer, another was illusionist duo Marc & Alex who used so many pyros that the smell of their act lingered in the theatre all morning....

STAGE COMPETITION

81 - Marc & Alex
Stage Illusions
Germany
Sponsor – Wolfgang Sommer (Magischer Zirkel Von Deutschland)
This was an energetic act with plenty of girl dancers and lasers. Marc and Alex appear from the same illusion to begin the show. Marc and Alex wasted no time as they launched into their next illusion. They performed the sub trunk with the Pendragons’ tear apart cloth, then immediately performed a fire cage illusion with another rip apart cloth revealing two girls dressed as leopards, who ended up attaching themselves to the illusionsists. Fire sticks were twirled as one illusionist graffitied a picture of a girl on a large piece of paper on one side of the stage, a glass box illusion was covered briefly on the other side of the stage to reveal the girl. A girl was forced into another box illusion shown empty at first, rods were poked through the box, then the screen was burnt to nothing revealing the girl had vanished. The same illusion was covered briefly with a cloth and she returned, but then another girl appeared from the same box, then two more girls (one inside the box and one on top of the box), then a very large cloth made that illusion vanish and in it’s place yet another two girls appeared. I guess it’s almost every man’s fantasy.

82 - Gustavo Raley
General Magic
Argentina
Sponsor – Rene Oscar Hernando (Centro Magico Platense)
Gustavo began his act playing the ultimate dag with weird stylized movements to the music of ‘The Entertainer’. He did a double colour changing suit, a bad version of the torn and restored newspaper, floated an old music box then changed it behind a cloth to a ghetto blaster, changed his costume to a red glossy shirt behind the same cloth and also changed his face to look like a hip magician with spiky hair with blonde tips. He produced a coke can and a glass to drink it from. A silk was crushed into the glass and vanished, reappearing out of the same coke can. He immediately poured another drink from the same coke can. Very clever. He pulled cards off his card tie, took a 70’s vinyl record and changed it to a CD, playing easy music. Gustavo crushed a sheet of aluminum foil that changed into long running silver streamers. He bunched up the streamers and from it produced a microphone and a large mirror ball. The stage went dark, two torches were used to parody the 20th Century Fox sound track movie spot lights, then Gustavo did a shadow routine in front of a projector. He formed with his hands Woody Woodpecker (the cartoon character), the Pink Panther, Bart Simpson, ‘Thing’ form the Adam’s Family, produced a playing card, a chicken, a kitten and two people dancing. Lights went up, he picked up a large cloth and instantly changed into roller skates, picked up his ghetto blaster and his coke and skated off stage.

83 - Nana Hitomi
General Magic
Japan
Sponsor – Junichiro Sejima (Society of Japanese Magicians)
Japanese set. Nana produced red silks and changed them to masks, then to an umbrella, then produced another mask and did a zombie routine with it.. She vanished the mask and made it appear in a picture frame. She took large paddles and did paddle moves (as in close-up paddles but much larger), using silks to help. She produced shuttlecocks and batted them with the paddles. She made pictures appear on the paddles, then multiplied the paddles and produced a really large paddle. She juggled with something pink, dropped it, changed it to streamers at the same time produced another umbrella. Nana did a slow instant change behind the umbrella, then produced more streamers and confetti. She performed a silk fountain, produced more long streamers, gathered and folded them to produce a cape. She picked up her paddles and did more paddle moves, produced more pink streamers and four large floral bouquets. A very colourful act although the moves were fiddly and not very deceptive. It was good to see her doing a different act from her past two FISM performances.

84 - Simon Pierro
General Magic
Germany
Sponsor – Wolfgang Sommer (Magischer Zirkel Von Deutschland)
Simon performed as a 1950’s kitchen hand (dressed in a blue/green washer’s outfit and white apron) who wished for a wealthier lifestyle to attract an ‘uptown girl’. He magically produced an uptown girl at the doors of the restaurant. She walked in to the song ‘Uptown Girl’. She passes right by him, he does ‘the lean’ to kiss her (but of course doesn’t). He tried to impress her by juggling some dishes and instantly cleaning the dirty dishes. He played the plates like a guitar to woo her. He changed a white plate to one with a red painted heart. She left, then he started to dream of a different life he could have. He changed something kitchen-like on the wash bench into a small Statue of Liberty. He did ‘Miser’s Dream’ with a clear cylinder, produced a model of an expensive car, threw up a checkered cloth for an instant costume change to a black suit (he had changed professions). He manipulated cards, changed a Time Magazine cover to show his photo on the cover, produced a cigar, produced fish from his fist and put them in water. Then everything he touched turned to gold. He had the Midas touch – the statue turned to gold, his vest, his wallet, a bag. Things started to go weird and there was thunder. Everything started to turn back to normal The girl walks back in the restaurant, he held up his checkered cloth and the girl changed from an uptown girl to the ‘girl next door’ and they live happily ever after. (He performed this act in FISM 2003 where he received 2nd Place in General Magic).

85 - Nikolai Dmitriev
General Magic
Russian Federation
Sponsor – Vladamir Rudnev (Moskovskiy Klub Fukosnikov)
A picture on an easel and a music stand and sheet music were on stage as Nikolai entered in white tails, took a note off the sheet music and began a manipulation act with the black music notes. He multiplied them with a bit of fiddling and exposure. He picked up a stick and turned it into a rose by magically adding leaves and a flower. He produced a very long lit white candle and placed it on a stand. He produced silks and various objects to place on the picture, he made a frame for the picture and turned it upside down. He had made an outdoor scene, magically making a red ball rise representing the sun.. He took a ball from behind the painting and did a large multiplying ball routine, except some balls were so obviously smaller than others. He juggled some balls, rolled out a Stockholm FISM 2006 banner and stood behind it with the ball on top.

86 - Florian Zimmer
Manipulation
Germany
Sponsor – Wolfgang Sommer (Magischer Zirkel Von Deutschland)

Florian presented a different approach to producing the usual items used in manipulation by using a white spray can. He sprayed white spray onto his hand, the spray forming a white ball that he was able to manipulate. He used a cloth to squash the ball to form a smear of paint on the material, so when he slapped the cloth with the smear onto his T-shirt, he transferred the paint to create his name. Florian sprayed more white balls into existence before he changed the white spray can to red, threw a white ball into the air, sprayed it and it turned into a red ball. He then sprayed more red balls into existence. Florian lights a real fire on the barrel that made up his set. He sprayed the fire to douse it out, simultaneously his spray can turned white. He sprayed a white card onto the barrel, peeled it off to do a card manipulation routine with white cards. He tossed a white card into the air and it turned green. He sprayed cards into his hand, sprayed the air and plucked cards from the air then sprayede fans of cards. He covers his eyes with a fan of cards to produce sunglasses on his face. More card manipulation, white turning to green, he wiped green cards across his glasses so they turned green, too. Florian did a green card manipulation as well as manipulation at the tips of his fingers. He sprayed a red can into existence, his glasses turned red. He heard a police siren, so he sprayed himself a green hat, picked up a board and sprayed the letters “BMX”, a flash pot exploded, a real BMX bike appeared and he rides off the stage. A clever idea using a spray can to produce items.

87 - Dai Binchun
Manipulation
China
Sponsor – Lin Jian (China Magic Art Society)

Dai did an act reminiscent of Bin Lin. He began his act sitting on a chair, produced sunglasses, vanished a cane and produced card fans to music from “Riverdance”. He scaled cards, manipulated and produced cards at his finger tips, more card fans and single card productions, produced large card fans, then back to small card fans, flung a card to catch it, did a little dance while producing more cards and scaling them. Dai then went to his chair to produce a large pop up card pyramid, produced a cane and sat back on the chair in his original starting position.

88 - Timo Marc
General Magic
Germany
Sponsor – Wolfgang Sommer (Magischer Zirkel Von Deutschland)
Timo began his act in a blue suit, lit flash string that didn’t work but produced a paint brush regardless. He went over to a blue screen (rear projection) and ‘painted’ orange letters on the screen which fell off into his bag. He wrote “Hello” to the audience, then painted an orange spot which he plucked off the screen to become an orange ball. He slapped his trouser pocket with it and his pocket turned orange. He painted a wriggly line on the blue screen so he could off a rope to do some rope tricks. He produced a blue rope, painted an orange spot on the screen, slaps the rope to the screen and the orange spot attaches to the rope as a knot. He untied the rope and an orange section on the blue rope remained. Timo poured orange paint from a cup into his hand and an orange ball appeared and turned to confetti. He then played a mock game of soccer with a little figure on screen. As Timo turned away, the little figure went to follow him but bumped into the side of the screen and fell down. Timo held a cloth up to the screen and it ‘broke’ (a crack appeared across the screen with the little figure incapacitated). Timo then went behind the screen to do some shadow work with a few tricks then he pulled off his head and held it on top off the screen for all to see, his arms came off his body, then a flash pot exploded as Timo did an ‘instant’ costume change into an orange suit.

89 - Eun-Gyeol Lee
Manipulation (re-categorised by the Jury into General Magic)
Korea
Sponsor – Richard Dooley (Society of American Magicians)

Many people, including myself, believed Eun Gyeol should have won the Grand Prix award. He performed this act at FISM 2003 and came equal 2nd in Manipulation. His exceptional ability and skill in magically producing, vanishing and manipulating objects, cleverly and seamlessly segueing from one trick to another and his incredible ease and confidence in being able to entertain an audience, all with a charming demeanor and beautiful smile made him stand out in the competition. Eun Gyrol produced a fan of cards that transformed into a dove, produced a ball that turned to a silk to produce a glass. A flash appeared in the glass that turned to a silk that produced a dove. He produced a candle and lit it but it turned to confetti. He produced another candle that transformed into a ball which disintegrated into a puff of smoke. Another ball turned into a candle, a flash then two candles, back to a ball to a silk then a dove. A fan of candles, then card manipulation and vaporised the cards to smoke. Card productions to silk to another dove, more card fans and card productions then card manipulation at his finger tips that he made looks so easy! He scaled cards, card to dove, kept a ‘feather’ from the dove, lit it to transform it to cards and did an upside down riffle shuffle. Eun Gyeol then produced a flash and confetti to produce two hats, one with a card fountain. He took his bird cage and lit it, when it sparked all over the cage it exploded to produce another two large bird cages with doves, a huge fan of cards, another two large bird cages with doves, then a third with a lot of streamers to finish the act. A true winner.

90 - Magic Wave
General Magic
Netherlands
Sponsor – Ronald Moray (Nederlands Magische Unie)
Magic Wave performed a very similar act at FISM 2003 where a ‘surfer’ and a skateboarder have a ‘friendly’ duel. The act began to music from the ‘Beach Boys’. The surfer did an instant change into casual clothes. The skateboarder pointed his finger at the surf board on stage and magically broke it in two, then produced sunglasses and put headphones on to listen to his music. The surfer fired a flash and the head phones exploded. They both produced a never ending stream of sand from their empty hands (3 kg in total – 6.6 lbs of sand!) all the while transferring the pouring of the sand seamlessly and effortlessly between each other. The sand turned to a ‘snowstorm’. The skater spray painted a girl on large paper the surfer was holding, he draws a cigarette and the surfer had a cigarette materialize in his mouth. The skater tears up the paper and restores it. The surfer peels off the bird in the picture and it becomes a toy bird that flaps its’ wings. The skater produced a full scale surfboard from behind the paper. The surfer produced and multiplied bottles then they both juggled them around each other’s body. A clever act.

91 - Kazuma
General Magic
Japan
Sponsor – Junichiro Sejima (Society of Japanese Magicians)
This act featured a projector to highlight Kazuma’s act. Kazuma did a (pink) ball manipulation to begin his act then produced white confetti. The balls instantly multiplied to eight balls between his fingers. His movements were very smooth and almost robot like. He did a green and pink ball production before he used the projector screen to form shadows, like producing a ball. His own shadow turns a negative of itself then multiplies himself into three, where one of his shadows answered a mobile phone. He opened an umbrella because it started to rain on screen and did an impressive back bend before he came back out from behind the screen to produce a CD to CD manipulation and production (all choreographed especially to the music) then the CDs vanished to confetti. He produced a silk then did more CD productions with befitting screen images to match. A voice was heard “Welcome to the next level”. His CD turned green and so did his shirt, he produced a card fan (to music that confused the senses), floated a glowing ball that changed to glowing confetti.

92 - Junge Junge & Der Romer
General Magic
Germany
Sponsor – Wolfgang Sommer (Magischer Zirkel Von Deutschland)
Junge Junge (without Der Romer) won 1st place in General Magic at FISM 1997 for a completely different act. This time, they did very little magic and a lot of chapeaugraphy and projector screen work. To music (like Yello and the Beatles), they began twisting their felt hats with a Western theme, then Spanish, rap style, Chinese, a Star Wars Stormtrooper (or Darth Vader), Madonna, herding cows, accident victim, Nuns, babies and a Titanic scene. Then the three of them did the most incredible and impressive choreography and interaction with a screen projection I’ve ever seen. They multiplied themselves, so there were two of each performer, making six. Each performer had himself reflected of the screen behind and beside themselves (totally six ‘people’). They interacted with their doubles on screen, doing a kind of levitation where the middle section of one performer floated upwards, higher than his head and legs. They jumped on and off screen with the most amazing precision and perfect timing. The extremely clever finale had them, with their three doubles on screen, take their clothes off and swap them with each other, ending up in the same clothes they started with in the first place. They all threw their clothes back and forth to each other and their doubles, transferring them through the visuals on screen and back to real life. You have to see this act to believe it!

93 - Malin Nilsson
General Magic
Sweden
Sponsor – Dag Lofalk (Svensk Magisk Cirkel)
Marlin dressed and acted like an Oliver Twist type character. She wore a black top hat and black dress with stockings and boots reminiscent of a street urchin. Her bushy blonde hair added to the affect. Malin is a strong performer and her moves were well rehearsed and choreographed. She began with a rings routine, some of the moves were very clever. She performed fabulous hat juggling and played with her wand, making it appear from it’s usual place in her right boot to her mouth. She produced a small mirror and a lipstick, although something went awry at this moment she recovered without a beat. She pulled out a rope tied like a rabbit from her hat (after she had proven her hat empty by juggling it) and pulled out scissors to do a good rope routine. Her moves were sharp, metered, deliberate and dramatic and performed to plucking notes on a piano. The rope ended back up like a rabbit. A very good performance.

94 - Aaron Crow
Mental Magic
Belgium
Sponsor – Olivier Prestant (????)
Aaron performed a “genuinely terrifying” act at FISM 2000 and won the 2nd place award for Mental Magic. This time, he performed another crazy act in the Mental Magic category. It was a mental act, not a Mental act. Dressed in a futuristic cloak, Aaron wielded a green laser gun (or arrow). He then went into the audience for two volunteers (partners), brought them up on stage and acted as ‘cupid’. A target was set up on one side of the stage. He took off the lady’s (wedding) ring, sat her on a chair, placed the ring inside a green apple, balanced it on a cushion and placed the cushion on her head, kept in place by her partner. On the opposite side of the stage to the target, he picked up his large red arrow and stung it on his bow, stood on a spinning plate, prepared the arrow for firing and spun himself in circles, aiming for the ring in the apple. The laser pointed at many people in the audience as he spun around on his disc a few times before he finally let go of the arrow. There was a second or two delay before the apple fell off her head and the arrow landing in the target. Her ring was found attached to the arrow, Aaron took it off and performed as a minister at a wedding as he had the lady’s partner put the ring back on her finger, asking them to kiss.

95 - Yasu Okai
Manipulation
Japan
Sponsor – Maki Kitami (Japanese Professional Magicians Association)
Yasu is a very skilled performer with a lovely smile and clear moves. He performed card manipulation, coin magic to a large coin, produced a card fan by ‘warping’ the coin over his hands, did a another multiplying card routine to finish.

96 - Ben & Alex
Stage Illusions
France
Sponsor – Guy Lamelot (Federation Francaise Des Artistes Prestidigitateurs)
Ben and Alex played a policeman and a driver with a traffic infringement. The scene opened to traffic noises and a policeman writing out a ticket for a parking fine. The driver stole the policeman’s infringement pad and the policeman punched him. The policeman took cover in a large metal box labeled ‘radioactive’ that was sitting on four red and white striped legs (like the water poles in Venice). The driver pulled out his gun and shot the box and bullet holes appeared. The box became a sword box, so the driver shoved speeding signposts through the holes, pyros exploded and the driver went to leave but he heard crying coming from the box and a white ‘surrender’ flag waiving from one of the holes. A letter was pushed through a hole tied up with ribbon. It turned out to be a speeding fine. The driver lit a stick of dynamite and stuck it through a hole, exploding inside the box. A weak whistle was heard from inside the box, the policeman found his way out of the box (after the sign posts were taken out), his uniform in tatteres and ran after the driver who was trying to escape.

97 - Park Min Soo
Manipulation
Republic of Korea
Sponsor – Eun-Sung Chung (Korean Magic Society)
Park Min Soo started the act by throwing out streamers. He produced silver cards and performed fast moves with something shiny. Small shiny objects are very hard to see. The silver cards turned into a dove. His assistant (a man) stood behind Park Min Soo to give the impression that he had four arms doing card productions. The props were now white alongside both performers dress in white making everything hard to see. He produced doves (which were white), card fans, single cards, card scaling and money notes (but hard to tell). He climbed into a glass pyramid and severely misjudged his vanishing act. What the audience saw was Park Min Soon climbing into the illusion and then into the trapdoor in the base. Then nothing happened. After a while the curtains closed.

98 - Manuel Muerte (Replacing Wave who was listed in the programme)
Manipulation
Germany
Sponsor – Wolfgang Sommer (Magischer Zirkel Von Deutschland)
Manuel performed a parody act of a Las Vegas performer, or a magician trying to be a Las Vegas performer but most of the audience misunderstood the aim of the act and felt it to be a ‘lost, vague-ass’ performance. A lady announces “Manuel Muerte”. She adjusts the tuning on the radio (that was receiving signals through coat hangers). He came on to do some (deliberately) bad tricks and announce “The End”. His hand then got caught in the microphone stand, then two fake hands were caught in the microphone stand. The lady did an instant costume change, Manuel pulled out a broom from his jacket and gave it to her to clean up. He did multiplying silks, thinking he was a great performer. During his act, the lady brought on table after table of props and for somewhere to put his used tricks. He shot a bird and many of the tables started to wheel away from him. He went gun crazy, scaring away his props. The humour fell flat.

99 - Bravo Nakaya
General Magic
Japan
Sponsor – Maki Kitami (Japanese Professional Magicians Association)
Bravo came out in a blue tails coat with gold trim, white shirt, black pants and a Spiderman mask. After tossing a few throw streamers (webs?) he produced a silk which read ‘The End’. He made some food appear, took off his mask and held a small black screen in front of his chest and a hand came through his stomach. This was followed by several odd objects climaxing with a small stuffed white tiger. He took two battery operated dancing hula dolls which he placed on tables on either side of the stage and told us how amazing it was that they danced but didn’t fall off the tables. He announced he would perform the “Human Body Exchange” and tried to hypnotise his assistant, but fell asleep on the floor himself. She held a large silver hoop of fabric over the two of them, lifted the cloth then, when it was dropped, he was holding the cloth and she was sleeping on the floor. He then displayed a cage, not an ‘Illusion Cage, but a pet cage for a large dog. His assistant climbed inside and he covered it with a cloth. After a moment or two he pulled the cloth off the cage revealing a tiger… well, it was his assistant now wearing a tiger suit. This was pure Japanese comedy magic and the audience laughed a lot.

100 - Huang Zheng
Manipulation
China
Sponsor – Lin Jian (China Magic Art Society)
The scene opened with a beautifully dressed Chinese lady standing next to a full-sized autumn tree. A leaf fell from the tree which she picked up and crushed to sand, then produced a yellow silk. She produced flowers, confetti and cards very elegantly, and did a series of card fan manipulations. She changed a plume into a paper bird which span when she blew on it. She produced some red cards and another yellow silk from which a large number of flowers appeared. This was followed by card scaling, silk fountains and more confetti. For the climax she took a flute and brought on winter. As she played it snow fell from the ceiling and the leaves all fell off the tree revealing bare branches in the shape of a heart.

101 - George Marek
Stage Illusions
Czech Republic
Sponsor – Frantisek Cach (Czesky Magisky Svaz)
This act was set in a graveyard and began with George stumbling across a large crypt. Zombies seemed to emerge from the ground and they went into quite a long dance routine with him. The four female zombies opened the crypt on all four sides to show that it was empty, they threw a large white lycra sheet over it and gradually we saw hands and a face pressing against the lycra from within the box. George pulled the sheet away and there was nothing there. This was repeated several times and each time there was no-one in the box. Finally George was put into the box, it was covered with the sheet, and he vanished. There was quite a lot of dancing and movement for what was, essentially, one effect.

Those who didn't watch the competition enjoyed lectures by Armand Lucero, John Gallo, Cellini, Tim Star, Jeff McBride, the one man show from Juan Tamariz (an additional session is scheduled for tomorrow) and the hit event seems to have been the Cheating and Gambling session.

After the competition came an event on Corporate Sessions where Paul Daniels, Bill Malone, John Houdi, Magic Christian and Banachek spoke about various aspects of magic in the corporate arena.

From there we joined the massive line to get into the banquet. 2,800 people got a free drink and headed inside to grab a table. (One person described the set up as the biggest garage they'd ever been in). Frank Wilson was there playing and entertaining us all in his usual superb style. During his opening rendition of 'Let Me Entertain You' he was more energetic than usual as he used one hand to fight off an older magician who was crawling all over him trying to turn his volume down until an official came up and pulled the guy off Frank. (Frank desrves an award for bravery for that one!)

Three special awards were presented this year. Gaetan Bloom received the FISM Award for 'Creativity and Vision', Eddie Dawes was presented with the 'History and Research Award', and the late Tommy Wonder was given the 'Theory and Philosophy Award'. Tommy received a long and emotional standing ovation and Max Maven, who came up with these awards, pointed out that most of the votes came in before Tommy passed away and he was well in the lead at that stage. Not only that, but Tommy voted for Juan Tamariz.

Then the show commenced. MC John Houdi did a good job introducing Kenji Minemura who performed some extremely eye-popping sleight of hand with cutlery, glasses, and bottles.

Gaetan Bloom followed with some fairly standard magic but presented with his usual French charm. He finished off doing a very funny display of card productions while wearing boxing gloves.

Ardan James absolutely stole the show with his exceptional mime and charming personality, finishing his set with Tina Lenert as two old people dancing to Madonna's 'Vogue' (Boris Wild said he'd never listen to that song in the same way again!)

One thing that should be mentioned is Eric Eswin announcing that China had won FISM 2009. This was received by a huge cheer and applause... followed by an even longer session of boos and hisses. Hmmm... I guess there are a lot of people who won't be going to China.

Eric also announced the 6 highest scoring acts in the Stage Competition who will compete for the Grand Prix tomorrow. (He announced the close up acts earlier in the day). For the record, the top acts who are in the running for both Grand Prix's are:

CLOSE UP GRAND PRIX
Rick Merrill, Martin Eisele, David Stone, Shawn Farquhar (all in Micro) and Helder Guimaraes (Cards).

STAGE GRAND PRIX
Pillou, David Sousa, Dai BinChin (Manipulation), Gaston (Parlour), Lee Eun-Gyeol (General Magic), and Sittah (Illusions)

FISM 2006 - DAY FOUR

2007-10-17T01:10:00.000-07:00

Thursday, August 3, 2006

(By Tim Ellis & contestant reports by Sue-Anne Webster)

What a full day it was today! 9.00am sharp for another batch of stage competitors while Kevin James, Gazzo, Banachek, and Jeff McBride lectured, Juan Tamariz did a one-man show and the Cheating and Gambling workshop was presented.

In the main theatre the audience for the Stage Competition, though overly enthusiastic on Monday, had become much more fickle. Acts that were otherwise quite good seemed to have become "not good enough" for the FISM crowd and many dextrous displays of skill were greeted with courtesy applause. The second last day is not a day you want to be in the stage comp... on the other hand it was the last day of the close-up comp and the crowd there was really in the mood for magic. We saw every possible extreme from outstanding performances to disqualifications.

STAGE COMPETITION

61 - Jan-Thomas Loewe
Mental Magic/Invention
Germany
Sponsor – Wolfgang Sommer (Magischer Zirkel Von Deutschland)
A unique themed mental magic act. Jan-Thomas Loewe called himself a Mathematician. He said he predicted numbers the jury was going to select. They were to name six numbers, the seventh number the jury member changed from 33 to 43. A movie was played, the date of the movie being Saturday 26 Feb, 2006. The season was winter (unlike the summer the audience was experiencing at FISM, Stockholm 2006). All the numbers were correct, including the seventh number change from 33 to 43 as predicted. He even handed out photographs of the filming day to the jury for verification. A very clever performance.

62 - Kenneth Chan
General Magic
Hong Kong, China
Sponsor – Albert Tam Wing Cheun (Magician Association of Hong Kong)

The act was set in a bar with no bartender. Kenneth began with a bottle that he turned into a red ball to do a multiplying ball and manipulation routine ending with eight balls. A red silk was used to produce a champagne bottle. He drank from a Martini glass and rang for the bartender to pour him another drink, but no-one comes to the counter so he pours himself a drink and helps himself to a cigar. He blows smoke and his drink turns to confetti, then he did a card fan production, then multiplying cigars, produced a card fan, card fountain, and single card productions. He did a diminishing card effect, produced glasses for his eyes, took the drinks menu and a blue silk to produce a large fan of cards. He then took a picture of a drink and changed it to a real drink and used a large cloth to produce a waitress.

63 - Karim
General Magic
Spain
Sponsor – Josep Roma I Sainz De La Maza (Sociedad Espanola De Illusionismo)

A neat routine to the song ‘Sixteen Tons and What Do You Get’ where Karim produced bottles, did a thimble routine where the thimbles disintegrated into confetti. His red tie became animated, he tied a knot with it in his hands, it untied itself and very cleverly jumped back up to tie itself back around Karim’s collar. He produced a drink for refreshment, lit a candelabra, to tango music he did a paper flash to rose into nice rose productions. He then produced a card fan to confetti, cards to make a card fan, produced more bottles and more card fans. All clean productions.

64 - Paulo Maderal
General Magic
Argentina
Sponsor – Ray Francas (Entidad Magica Argentina)

Paulo was dressed in what looked like a school blazer and stood next to a lamp post. He used glass and coins to start his act which were hard to see. He produced a glass, then coins and notes to put in the glass as if he was collecting money. He picked up a large coin with his foot and made it bigger, made a red ball vanish and reappear a number of times using a silk, then used a white ball for a short multiplying ball routine. He made a hat appear, a lit candle appear then went into a card production and card scaling with random flights. He ended by doing an obvious steal for a large fan of cards that turned into an accordion.

65 - Jakub Kroulik
General Magic
Czech Republic
Sponsor – Frantisek Cacc (Cesky Magicky Svaz)

Jakub’s act was set in a producer’s casting room with an old movie style setting. He entered the stage moving in an eccentric way, knees out and bouncing around. He made a photo of an actress in a frame vanish and reappear and hung it up. He conjured a large fob watch and multiplies it. An actress entered his room and he put on some gloves. He tried to woo her and give her a flower, but she constantly rejected him even after giving her a present. She stomps out of the room, only to reenter to get her present. He performed multiplying cigarette boxes but his eccentric movements, cluttered set and small props made it hard to see what he’s doing. He continued with cigarette manipulation, produced lollies (candy) and coins at his finger tips. He produced money notes which interested the actress. She grabbed the money but it turned to plain paper. He threw more money in the air and stood in front of the lady so she could do an instant change of costume from a red dress to a red dress with money on it, they waved and left the stage. Jakub performed a completely different act at FISM 2003.

66 - Mann O Mann
Stage Illusions
Germany
Sponsor – Wolfgang Sommer (Magischer Zirkel Von Deutschland)

The set featured a street bench. A street cleaner walked past it with a load of cleaning equipment on a trolley. A the cleaner walked past the bench, another cleaner suddenly appeared sitting on the bench reading a newspaper, then had his head twisted around by the first cleaner who then took away the newspaper, so he gets revenge by taking the first cleaner’s head for an instant.. They put bottles in a ‘No Bottles’ box cleaned the rest of the set. One moved the bottle box and it fell apart, but there were no bottles in it. One cleaner put the other cleaner in the equipment box on the trolley and squashed the box, making it a smaller box. He puts a garbage bin through a hole in the squashed box to ceate a large hole so we can see the squashed cleaner wasn’t there. He put cleaning equipment through the box as well (like a sword box) such as a mop, broom and shovel. He took the cleaning equipment out of the box and the squashed cleaner appeared OK, but his work clothes were in tatters. The other does an instant change into casual clothes, a ‘Happy sign’ was held up to cover the park bench briefly to change it into a motor bike.

67 - Rolf Reiner
General Magic
Spain
Sponsor – Paschoal Ammirati (???)

Rolf wore a red tie that played up, sticking out the bottom of his vest, then it pops out of the top of his vest and caught itself on a black satin cloth from his bag, then Rolf performed a zombie routine. We slowly realise that he’s done it with his tie. The tie had a cold (known from the sound track). Rolf did a ‘tango’ zombie routine. He put sunglasses on the tie and gave it a lollypop, it choked so Rolf gave him some alcohol, then it burped and went to sleep. He put the tie in a bag and closed it. The tie woke up and knocked on the inside of the bag. Rolf opened the bag and the tie sat up. He turned his back and the tie appeared on his back. This was the same act but a better performance than at the last FISM.

68 - Cody Stone
Manipulation
Germany
Sponsor – Wolfgang Sommer (Magischer Zirkel Von Deutschland)

Cody entered the stage on a skateboard. A wrist band appeared on his arm, a screw driver appeared and a drink appeared on his skateboard. The wrist band changed colour and so did his drink. He did a thimble style routine with his wristband. He made a CD appear, then took off his skateboard wheels and produced a spanner to fix them. Sunglasses appeared. Cody did flip stick moves with the spanner and did ball moves with the wheels. A wheel turned into a silk which was use to make the wheels magically appear back on the axles of the skateboard.

69 - Zhao Yuying
General Magic
China
Sponsor – Lin Jian (China Magic Art Society)

The first moves Zhao made in her colourful traditional costume was to display a (real) fan with her foot in an impressive arabesque. She produced four fans on top of each other, collapsed them and split the remaining fan into two fans. She produced streamers which turned into a fan, then two more. She threw the fans away, took a green silk and made another fan. After making more fans (lots of them), she covered her face with a couple of fans to do a mask changing routine. She finished the act with a silk fountain that produced foil flowers, did a bad steal to produce two large fans and three or four extra scary arms appeared sticking out of her back also holding fans.

70 - Die Zauderer
General Magic
Germany
Sponsor – Wolfgang Sommer (Magischer Zirkel Von Deutschland)

The ‘Silk of Power’ returned for the second time!!! Two knights in shining armour entered the stage holding the ‘Silk of Power’ followed by a third knight stooped over aided by an old person’s ‘walker’. They entered playing the trumpet and drums. The old knight accidentally put a third instrument resembling a large stick (maybe his sword) through the top of the drum. From inside the drum, you may have guessed, a vacuum cleaner sucked up the ‘Silk of Power’. A funny piece of play with the knight’s visors occurred before their big, serious swords became musical instruments: a pipe, guitar and a microphone. The vacuum cleaner in the drum was pulled out with the ‘Silk of Power’ stuck in the end of it. It sucked the red silk down it’s ‘throat’, so the knights took it apart in the style of ‘nest of boxes’. One knight found a balloon inside the vacuum and blew it up, popped it and the ‘Silk of Power’ appeared. A bird flew past and plopped on the ‘Silk of Power’. They played the spoons on a knight’s helmet. The bird came back and was speared by a sword. They used detergent to wash the ‘Silk of Power’ and decided to wash their own clothes inside their armour as well. The silk shrank and as they wrang it out, it restored. They then split the ‘Silk of Power’ into three ‘Silks of Power’. The first two knights turned their silk the right way up to display crown emblems, the third turned their silk upright to display a McDonald’s emblem. It rained and the knights turned their ‘Silks of Power’ into umbrellas. They received a standing ovation. Die Zauderer competed in 1997, 2000, 2003 receiving 3rd, 2nd, and 3rd places prizes in Comedy respectively. This year the Comedy category has been removed (it will be back next year) and instead awards for ‘Comedic Presentation’ will be given out.

71 - Paolo Giua
Manipulation
Italy
Sponsor – Domenico Dante (Club Magico Italiano)

Academy Awards themed act. Paolo, dressed in a tuxedo, did an academy award production, then a card fountain. Some cards in his hand became smaller and smaller until they flashed into confetti and another Academy Award. He performed a red and yellow ball manipulation routine, a cigarette production using a silk, then produced another Academy Award that blew out a smoke pot. Paolo then did magic with a smoking cigarette, transferred the smoke into a container, produced champagne, a silver shower, glittery confetti and a confetti canon to end with a large Academy Award.

72 - Grupo De Teatro Magico Da Api
Stage Illusions
Portugal
Sponsor – Fernando Maques Vidal (Associacao Portugesa De Illusionismo.)

A parody act about magicians. Two boxes on stage were part of an illusion. Dressed in ‘typical’ magician and assistant garb, the magician produced spring flowers. His cane was wrapped in newspaper, vanishing as he unrolled it. He is confused. His assistant acts overly happy and excited, looking like they’re made the act up on the spot. They put one box inside the other and produced another lady. Two audience members (part of their team) yell out and came to the front of the theatre, protesting that the magic was old and the magic props could be bought at the supermarket. They asked to see the illusion done from behind. So, the performers prepare the act again. A cleaner came on and tried to sweep up the mess as they prepared to do the illusion again. The same effect was seen from behind. The magician produced a feather duster instead of his cane this time, his assistant got in the box, but in the end the two protesting audience members were found inside the box and the assistant ended up in the audience.

73 - Caesaral Magic
Mental Magic/Invention
Spain
Sponsor – Vicente Rafaeles Riera (As. Catalana De Mags Ill. Prof. Y Empr.)

The act began with three small tables on stage. The performer tried to mentally make something happen to things on the first two tables, but failed. Two pre selected volunteers took two watches from the judges. Mentalist asked for a torch and a ball. He performed an experiment of ‘energy exhaustion’. He transferred light from the torch to the ball while the volunteers were holding the items. He had to exchange a judge’s watch because the watch was too complicated. A volunteer changed the time on a watch and the mentalist changed the time on the other for his prediction.. He took a volunteer over to the third table to show the time was the same: 11:25.

74 - Fujimoto
Manipulation
Japan
Sponsor – Maki Kitami (Japanese Professional Magicians Association)

Fujimoto, with red eyeglasses and orange hair, took off a white glove, threw it to the floor and it became a ball. He took a cigarette out of his mouth and put it in a silk to vanish and reappear. He produced a small drink from the silk, drank it and doused out the lit cigarette he put inside his mouth. He blew smoke rings and pulled a white band from one of them with which he did some magic. He blew a bubble with smoke in it, then did a card production with card fans. From another smoke bubble he produced a silk, and another, wound them up and they turned into a cane. He used a rose as a microphone and sang into it for a while. He performed a rose manipulation, then a ball manipulation routine, turned a ball into a silk, then produced four red balls on his fingers and proceeded to do a thimble manipulation with balls, then a coloured CD production and manipulation. He drew a radio that became real and donned a head set to listen to the radio. A fire started in the radio and fire tried to run up the wire (flash string) to his ears, but it broke. An explosion in his ear pieces happened regardless and blew half of his orange hair blew half off. Fujimoto competed with different acts in FISM 2000 and 2003. This time his technique was marginally better.

75 - Marc Dosetto
General Magic
France
Sponsor – Jean Claude Crispon (Cercle Francais De L’illusion Jules Dhotel)

Sirens in the sound track started the act. Marc appeared on stage looking futuristic for a dove act. He took a CD which changed as he threw it into a bird. His bird flew off its’ perch and into the back curtains, but Marc was too concerned to do his act to notice. He produced sunglasses that transformed into a dove, poured liquid into a cocktail shaker and the contents transformed into another dove as he threw it into the air. He poured more liquid into the shaker which changed to yellow streamers, and from it another two doves. He threw a dove into the air transforming to streamers. Finally, Marc took out a huge gun and fired it. A Sulphur Crested Cockatoo came out of it and flew into the audience to stay. The doves in the cage on stage transformed to become a lady and her overly excited dog which jumped about the stage. The animals were not very well trained and Marc attracted whistles from the audience protesting that Marc didn’t stop to look after his birds.

76 - Duo Mira-Cool-X
General Magic
Switzerland
Sponsor – Ralph Kundig (Magischer Ring Der Schweiz)

Quite an entertaining and deliberately silly act. The magician in top hat and tails changed a cane to a red silk and calls for his assistant who didn’t come for a while. When she did, the assistant was a man in drag with great legs who wanted nothing better than to change the magician’s old classical music to modern hip music she could enjoy dancing to. The assistant grabbed the magician’s hat and pulled props out of it, gave it back to the magician who put it on, water splashing on his head. The magician left the stage to clean up, the assistant changed the music and turned up the volume. The magician returned, changed the music back, the assistant falls over the ‘sword’ stand, took a sword and scratched her back with it. She was given money as a bribe to perform, so she went to get into an origami box, slipping on the stairs. She tried to elegantly get into the box but her foot crashed right through the base of the illusion and she broke the side of the box. The magician accidentally pulled off her wig and her dress came off as he pushed her down into the box, folded up the box to make a small one, pushed swords through the illusion, went to display the illusion but two of the legs broke off, embarrassing the magician because it exposed a photo of a naked girl. He pulled out the swords, lifted the small box to the floor and reconstructed it, covered it with a black cloth and the assistant appeared behind it but wouldn’t get out until the magician gave back her dress. They bow and go to leave the stage as one of the swords she was wielding broke and the hilt gets stuck between the her legs in a revealing display.

77 - Chad Findlay
General Magic
South Africa
Sponsor – Christine Tait (South African Magic Council)

The set was darkened to reveal a screen that projected images of South Africa. Beside it stood a large lamp stand, a lit candle, a table and a mirror. Chad entered the stage singing. The magic echoed the sentiments in the songs he sang. He pulled a scarf out of an empty bowler hat which he flung onto the screen. He produced another silk and passed it through the mirror, then did a floating lit candle zombie routine. He took the silk away from the candle, still floating. Then the candle vanished. He covered the table with a cloth and produced a bowl of blue water. Blue was echoed in the screen behind. He went over to the lamp shade and the light goes out, he took the globe and poured water from the globe into the bowl. He picked up a top hat and pulled streamers out of it, then produced a silk. The white scarf came into view on screen and he plucked it out of the screen. Unfortunately, some of Chad’s props failed to work.

78 - Alex Ryazanov
General Magic
Russian Federation
Sponsor – Vladamir Rudnev (Moskovskiy Klub Fukosnikov)

Alex was dressed in shiny black tails with bright red trousers, lapels and hat. His assistant was dressed in yellow and black tails. Together they performed a light and happy routine. He produced two lard fans of cards and performed a strange card manipulation until he showed the cards were strung together. They did a colour changing cane routine, the cane changed into two silk. The lady accidentally knocked him in his private parts, a red ball appeared in his mouth. The lady changed a silk to flowers, the magician pulled off the lady’s shirt (her coat was still on). Alex poured a dink for himself and his nose turned red like a clown, then pulled the lady’s tuxedo off, but she ended up in a dress doing elegant tango moves. Alex’s black jacket turned into a glittery red jacket. He pulled a silk from the lady, but accidentally pulled off her dress, she ran off stage. She ran back in a little tails jacket, threw a cape over his face briefly to reveal him in a monkey mask, he carried her off.

79
Keiko Muto
Manipulation
Japan
Sponsor – Junichiro Sejima (Society of Japanese Magicians)

Keiko dressed in an elegant black and purple Kimono style outfit. To upbeat music she produced a fan, vanished it to produce a bell, then two silks and three (real) fans. The music changed as she performed a ball manipulation routine. The balls turned into earrings. She produced another bell, a wand with which she did flip stick moves, very clean and sharp. She produced mini fans, then a larger fan, colour changing fans, more fan productions, ending in a snowstorm and confetti canon, then produced an umbrella as confetti fell. Keiko has competed with this act at FISM 2000 and 2003.

80 - Illusionista Pedro III
Stage Illusions
Spain
Sponsor – Francisco Duaso Val (Asociacion Magica Aragonesa)

This act began with a lady switching channels on the TV to the magic programme, showing the act was about to begin. The TV flickers and turns off, then the words “PedroIII” appeared on the screen. As this happened, PedroIII appeared from an illusion. He then built the next illusion in front of the audience. It was a frame with two sides to it with a very thin base. Pedro III sat on one side of the illusion as his assistants erected the panels around him. As his assistants constructed the other side of the illusion, Pedro III seemed to vanish from one side and appeared on the other before they finished covering him up. Then Pedro III was tied up and put into the TV set. A lady gets on top with a large cloth and they do sub trunk exchange with the clothed being whipped away from the middle by Pedro III. It looked very fast. At FISM 2003 these performers presented an act with a haunted mansion theme so this was quite different.

CLOSE UP COMPETITION

41 - Shawn Farquhar
Micro Magic
Canada
Sponsor – Joan Caesar (Association Canadienne De Magiciens)

Shawn returned with the act that won him equal 2nd Place in FISM 2003. Brightly attired with an equally bright personality Shawn hand a volunteer choose and sign a card which was replaced in the deck which then resealed itself in it’s case. Shawn opened the case to revealed the deck was inside in new deck order and the chosen signed card was in its correct position. He followed this with his very entertaining cups and balls routine. Great moves, well performed, with the killer ending where the cups turn out not to be cups at all, but solid blocks of steel.

42 - Alex Stone
Micro Magic
U.S.A.
Sponsor – Richard Dooley (Society of American Magicians)

Alex Stone entered and began talking about magic and science. He looked extremely nervous and then proceeded to do the worst sequence of jumbo coin manipulations I’ve ever seen. He was either nervous beyond belief of simply not competent, either way he was below FISM standard. He even dropped one coin and said “S#*t!” as he picked it up. He did a matrix with jumbo cards that showed no skill whatsoever, then asked Rich Bloch to name any card and, while Alex told us what was going to happen, he basically looked for the card and reversed it in the deck. He then spread the cards and showed Rich his card was the only one reversed in the spread. When he took the shuffled deck and proceeded to give them one more shuffle himself, below the level of the table, the audience was laughing so much in disbelief the judges pressed their buttons, the red light lit up, and he was asked to finish.

43 - Kiko
Card Magic
Spain
Sponsor – Josef Roma I & Sainz La Maza (Sociedad Espanola de Illusionismo)

Kiko began with music and quite an unusual way of finding the aces. He spread the cards and blew on the deck, blowing the aces out of the spread. It was a little clumsy but very original and the audience definitely liked it. Next he had a volunteer choose a card (AS) and he found all of the spades one by one and laid them on the table. Next he changed the AS into the AH and then revealed that the cards on the table were no longer spades, but now all of the hearts. He had the four aces signed and proceeded to do a matrix type effect with the aces under a sheer cloth on the close up pad. Visually it was very effective as the aces seemed to simply vanish as he turned them over, but the method seemed to be quite obvious to a lot of people. Regardless, the audience loved him.

44 - Simo Aalto
Micro Magic
Finland
Sponsor – Robert Jagerhorn (Finnish Magic Circle)

Simo has almost been a fixture at FISM with his bell act which got him an equal 3rd Place in 1991, 2nd Place in 1997, and 1st Place in 2000. This time he presented cards and coins. He began by tilting his table forward so we could see and he did some very clean vanishes of a card using quite an innovative method. He manipulated coins, which got bigger, and he performed matrix, which he repeated with jumbo coins and cards. (It really is the year of the matrix!) He concluded with a production of giant coins.

45 - Joker Magic
Inventions
Hungary
Sponsor – Molnar Gergely (Budapest Magic Club)

This man presented his inventions to music and began by making a finger ring appear on a tray behind a large silk scarf. He took the ring and placed it on his finger, then proceeded to move it from finger to finger without taking it off. He showed a deck of cards which instantly became two decks, then took the cards out of a case and cut them to reveal a matchbox. Inside the matchbox was the ring and he proceeded to vanish the ring and cause it to reappear inside the case in several different ways. Finally he put all of his props on the tray, held up the large scarf and when he pulled it away they’d all vanished from the tray.

46 - VIP Magic (Emiel Lensen, Rob Mollien)
Card Magic
Netherlands
Sponsor – Ronald Moray (Nederlands Magische Unie)

Performed entirely to music this act was a mini-play as a smartly dressed gent sat down at the table and began reading a newspaper. He was joined by tough looking street guy who sat down, took out some cards and began flourishing them. From here they went into a duel of flourishes, cuts and ace revelations, each one trying to top the other. It was very well rehearsed and though there were a few fumbles they proved to be well prepared (one ace was dropped and immediately the performer pulled a spare out of his pocket).

47 - Martin Eisele
Micro Magic
Germany
Sponsor – Wolfgang Sommer (Magischer Zirkel Von Deutschland)

A voice over welcomed us to the children’s TV show ‘The little orange mouse and the blue elephant’ and introduced the guest performer ‘Martin the Magician’. Martin nervously entered carrying his close up pad and did some great comedy interaction with the voice over. He attempted to do his “four coin trick” but five coins kept appearing. He tipped the coins out of a glass and they became cards with which he performed matrix. The cards grew and he repeated matrix with the cartoon sound effects of the mouse and the elephant and, after the coins grew too, he did it one more time in fast forward. He finished by performing the most unbelievable matrix with dice. The cards were leaning against the dice so we couldn’t see them, yet when he lifted the cards the dice had vanished. Finally, with the cards flat on the table, the dice reappeared under each card. We saw the cards tilt up onto their edges by themselves and when he lifted to cards there they were! As he left he took his close up pad revealing stuffed toy versions of the little orange mouse and the blue elephant. Very funny presentation, great character work and a lot of skill and innovation. Martin received a partial standing ovation.

48 - Etienne Pradier
Card Magic
France
Sponsor – Guy Lamelot (Federation Francaise Des Artistes Prestidigitateurs)
Unfortunately Etienne was disqualified because he did not turn up. This was a pity as he did well at FISM 2000 and took 3rd Place in Card Magic in 2003.

49 - Rick Merrill
Card Magic
U.S.A.
Sponsor – Dale Hindman (Academy of Magical Arts)

Rick Merrill walked out carrying a pencil and began getting laughs before he even spoke. He plays a nerdish character who was “home schooled” and as he delivers a brilliantly scripted comedy routine he performs the most visual sleight of hand you’ve ever seen. He started by producing three coins, changing them into Chinese coins, then repeating the whole thing with jumbo coins. The coins seemed to appear and vanish at his fingertips effortlessly. He then went through a series of manipulations with a coin and a Sharpie that really has to be seen to be disbelieved. Finally, Rick whipped the audience into a frenzy with his “Sharpie impressions” (Penn, Teller, Uri Geller, Jeff McBride, Doug Henning and Shimada) and received a partial standing ovation.

50 - Jon Armstrong
Card Magic
U.S.A.
Sponsor – Dale Hindman (Academy of Magical Arts)
Jon began by having Rich Bloch and his wife both choose the same card as he riffled through the deck. Next he had Rich wrap a rubberband around the deck and Jon asked them both to choose a card as he riffled and looked away. He stuck a card to his forehead (2S) but it wasn’t either of the chosen cards (AS & 7D). In what appeared to be a very fast thinking “out”, Jon took his wallet from his jacket and inside were the two chosen cards. Quickly running out of time Jon had the deck shuffled and asked a lady for he phone number and then dealt it out, producing one card for each number, onto the table. Unfortunately Jon ran out of time and was disqualified.

51 - Hayashi
Micro Magic
Germany
Sponsor – Wolfgang Sommer (Magischer Zirkel Von Deutschland)

Hayashi entered into a long black leather jacket and sunglasses to music welcoming us to the matrix. He performed some effective coin manipulations climaxing with jumbo coins then went into a matrix routine. As a twist four more coins appeared, then another four. He presented several unusual variations of matrix including a very well received one-handed version. At the end he produced four more jumbo coins and then gave a brief demonstration of martial arts moved as he left.

Stevie Starr followed the close up comp and word must have spread as his show was packed out. After his success what will they have at the next FISM? Mr Methane? Puppetry of the Penis?

Our group got to see the Stage Gala Show while others headed off for a serve of the Close Up Gala. We were really hoping the show would be a winner because FISM needs a real boost right now... and that's exactly what we got!

Frank Wilson provided music, energy and fun before the show (and during it too!) and Helge Thun as compere was superb. He opened the show assisted by Flicking Fingers and Friends by giving an hilarious pre-show safety demonstration before kicking it off with Jeff McBride (starting the show with Jeff? A bold move but it worked).

Jeff presented a selection of his favourites including his mask routine, lights and fans, the bowls of water and his astounding card manipulations.

Following Jeff Helge performed the sliding die box. Not only did he perform it, he sang the die box song too! I'd love to tell you about it, but it's one of those acts you really have to see for yourself.

Marc Metral was next and almost stole the show with his ventriloquism. His act was supremely polished with a crazy lion puppet, two dodos, a talking dog, and four volunteers from the audience who became dummies and sang 'Singing In The Rain' with him. I say he almost stole the show because the audience was on the verge of giving him a standing ovation when he asked if they'd like to see one more. He created a rabbit puppet with a napkin which was very sentimental and cute, but changed the mood and resulted in a long and strong round of applause rather than a standing o.

Vik and Fabrini did their now legendary robot act. It was their first time at a FISM since winning first place in General Magic in 1988 (and they've been working non-stop ever since) and it was great to see the act live.

Mark Karvo closed the show with an absolutely classical bird act, very reminiscent of Channing Pollock, refined, dignified, powerful... just like you'd imagine a "real magician" would be. His final effect, producing a huge parrot that flew twice around the auditorium, got a big standing ovation.
After interval Helge performed a sketch with Topas which began as two duelling card magicians, then got very poignant as the two magicians began to teach each other, then became a pretty blatant statement of what magicians really do when they get together... again, you should have been there but it was a superb example of theatre and magic woven together with real thought, intelligence, and intent.

Jerome Murat was next with a beautifully artistic piece where he was a living statue with a floating head... that really doesn't come anywhere close to describing the act.

The Evansons performed their two person telepathy and it truly appeared to be real mindreading. Tessa told people phone numbers from their mobile phones, their middle names, the serial numbers on bills, and even the names of people in other people's photographs.

Anthony Gatto stole the show (the juggler always does!) with his Las Vegas act which included juggling nine clubs. He truly brought the house down and, as Helge described him, he truly is a juggling machine.

Helge, assisted by Topas, presented his homage to an illusion performed by The Napoleon's at FISM 1991 (I remember it too!). Topas managed to magical vanish from one cardboard box and reappear in another. However, Helge has taken the gag further and proceeded to do a backstage version of it which ended with the surprise appearance of Anthony Gatto in one of the boxes.

The final act was Peter Marvey with his unique illusions. The last time I saw Peter performing illusions was FISM 1997 and he was sensational. Now he seems to have become more 'Vegas' with flashy dancing girls and special effects. Personally, I preferred his old style. He did a boxless 'Interlude' and followed it up by emerging out of his own body... not as amazing as it sounds. Next he did his flying illusion which results in him visibly shrinking then growing again in full view. Again, I preferred the way he used to do it, this version seemed way too much of a production. He also did a weird igloo levitation that was hard to see because of way too much fog, and he did a flaming spiker of death which concluded with the production of three girls.

He was the right act to end the show because of the scale of his props, but he was also the act that received the weakest audience response.

Regardless, it was a sensational show.