march 2017 - dewsworldmandrake as a child (like most kids in those days) i was an eager reader of...

March 2017

Vol 14 Issue 3 Page 1

Vol. 14 Issue 3 March 2017

We meet the first Thursday of the month at Beth Sholom, 1050 S. Tuttle Ave. Sarasota FL. 34237

Workshop at 6:00 pm. Officers meeting 6:30 pm. General meeting and presentation 7:00 pm.

Visit our Web Site at HTTP://www.ibmring81.com

Kozmo was born Ted Brainard in upstate New York. As a child, he was endlessly fascinated by the art of magic and at age 9, he made magic his hobby. In the early 1980s, Brainard worked at Cornell University as a broad cast engineer. Brainard found himself unhappy in his career, discov- ering there was no passion in what he was doing and felt he needed a change. One day he heard about a street festival and wanted to see if he could make some extra cash performing card tricks there. Unbeknownst to him, Brainard made out like a bandit. In just three days, he raked in nearly two thousand dollars. In a state of disbelief in how much money he had accrued, Brainard wanted to test the streets out once again. So he brought his bag of tricks with him to the streets and performed - and again he yielded great results. Brainard was about to take his childhood hobby and turn it into a professional career. Brainard went back to Cornell University to quit his job in order to pursue his career in street magic. He decided to seek out the best in the art of street performing, so he set his sights on legendary street magician Jim Cellini. He had heard Cellini was performing in New Orleans at the time, so Brainard took a 4 day road trip from New York to New Orleans to meet the master. Cellini delightfully took Brainard under his wing and began training him in the late 1990s through 2003. Brainard, under the teaching of Cellini and the instruction of Gazzo, adopted the stage name Kozmo, and went on to become one of the world's top street magicians. He has also been the biggest voice in promoting Cellini's name in the United States and one of the biggest in promoting busking through various media. In 2006, he started a company called "Kozmo Magic," which is recognized as one of today's prem-ier magic video production companies. A year later, he launched "Reel Magic magazine," a conjuring magazine sold in video format. The magazine is jam-packed with exclusive interviews, magic trick reviews and tantalizing articles. "Reel Magic Magazine" continues to be the benchmark in the video magic industry. In December 2008, he used his earnings in busking to create a two-disc DVD set entitled, "Tales from the Street," which teaches the successful secrets of working and entertaining on the streets. Aside from lecturing, performing and working with new artists, he is currently focused on the con-tinual improvement and quality of "Reel magic Magazine."

http://www.all-about-magicians.com/jim-cellini.htmlhttp://www.all-about-magicians.com/gazzo.htmlhttp://reelmagicquarterly.com

March 2017


From the President

March 2nd Kozmo

April 6th TBD

Support

Our

Members

CIGAM

HOUSE OF MAGIC

1834 Tamiami Tr. 14 St W

Bradenton FL 34205

JONTI Head Magician

Slight of hand, DVDs, Lessons

Phone: 941-746-3200

Email: [email protected]

“Stevie “Dee”

Parties, Conventions,

Graduations.

You name it,

He does it.

Steve can be reached at:

941-752-9123 or

Last month we had an another successful Flea Market, with lots of goodies for the members to sell or purchase. And the great thing is, if you grow tired or what you purchased, come back next year and sell it!

Our lecturer on Thursday is Kozmo (Ted Brainard) who for many years made quite a nice living as a popular street magician. He has more recently become known, primarily to close up workers & mentalists, for the dealer items he mar-kets and for producing DVDs of his own effects & that of many prominent per-formers. A quick check on eBay will yield many examples of his treasures. So, if it's new effects or routines you want to see and enjoy and possibly adapt for ei-ther walk around or table performance, be sure to attend. Look forward to see-ing you there!

March 2017


MANDRAKE As a child (like most kids in those days) I was an eager reader of the comics. One of my favorites was Mandrake the Magician. The car-toon strip was originally created by Lee Falk and later taken over by Phil Davis.

What I did not know, however, was that there was a real magi-cian named Leon Mandrake whose appearance was copied for the car-toon character.

Born April 11, 1911, Leon Mandrake (it is unclear whether this was his real name or not) was raised in British Columbia. He enjoyed watching magicians throughout his childhood, and even did odd jobs for them in exchange for lessons in magic.

At the tender age of eleven he performed on the stage of the Edison Theater. By fourteen he was working for the Moyers Carnival doing fire eating, mind read-ing and ventriloquism. In 1927 (he was just sixteen), he began touring with the Ralph Richards Magic show — a lavish two-hour spectacular, working as an assistant.

In just a few years he put together his own show and began to tour through the U.S. and Canada. His first wife, Narda, worked as his assistance for a number of years. After that marriage broke up, he married Velvet, who had been an assistant to Harry Blackstone, Sr.

In the I940s and 1950s he and Velvet did theater shows and then began to do nightclub performances. Mandrake claimed to be the very first magician to adapt his act to a nightclub, working almost totally surrounded. He even did the sub trunk escape with Velvet, adding a com-plete change from a black tux to a white one as he emerged just seconds after the amazing "metamorphosis."

In St. Louis he met Phil Davis, who was drawing the Mandrake the Magician comic strip and they became fast friends. Davis even adapted the look of his cartoon character to match the real Mandrake.

Leon Mandrake often did publicity stunts to promote his shows. He would do a challenge blindfold drive, a prison escape or hypnotizing a girl to sleep in a department store window.

His full two-hour show might consist of a rapid-fire opening with about four minutes of pro-ductions and transpositions; his golf ball manipulation; levitation (even on a nightclub floor totally surrounded); the Miser's Dream; the Linking Rings; his Sub Trunk; and the Doll House Illusion. He might also include a comedy arm and leg tie (in which he would quickly release one hand yet re-turn it to the tied position in an instant); and "Shooting Through a Lady." In this effect a chosen card would be clipped to the front of Velvet's costume, then a spectator would fire a gun at her. The bullet, with a ribbon attached, would seemingly penetrate the card and her body and end up in a target behind her!

In 1964 they performed at the Pacific National Exhibition in Vancouver for 16 of the 17 days of the fair. On the one day they were not on stage a singing group performed and the crowd rushed the stage after only ten minutes. The group just happened to be the Beatles, and due to the uncontrolled furor of the teenagers, the show did not continue!

In 1978 the Mandrakes received a "Performing Fellowship" from Hollywood's Academy of Magical Arts (the Magic Castle) for their contribution to the dignity and stature of magic.

They did their final performance in 1985. Leon Mandrake died on January 2, 1993, at the age of 82.

Abridged & edited by Gale Molovinsky, from The Greats of Magic by Gerald Schiller.

March 2017


Trick of the Month AUTOMATIC ACE TRIUMPH

PLACE 4 ACES ON TABLE FACE UP GOING FROM LEFT TO RIGHT.

COVER EACH ACE WITH ANY 3 FACE DOWN CARDS. THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO ACCOMPLISH THIS MOVE. USE YOUR IMANGINATION.

IN A LEFT TO RIGHT POSITION THERE ARE 4 PILES. LET’S CALL THEM PILE 1,2,3,4 FROM LEFT TO RIGHT

SQUARE UP EACH PILE. TAKE PILE 2 AND PLACE ON TOP OF PILE 1. TAKE PILE 3 AND PLACE ON PILE 4. THERE ARE NOW ONLY 2 PILES REMAINING.

SHUFFLE OR HAVE SPECTATOR SHUFFLE PILE OR PILES AND PLACE FACE DOWN ON TABLE.

TAKE EITHER PILE AND TURN ONE OF THE 2 PILES UPSIDE DOWN.

PICK UP BOTH PILES, ONE IN EACH HAND AND CONTINUE TO LAY DOWN CARDS INTO ONE PILE, ALTERNATING A CARD FROM EACH HAND ONE AT A TIME, UNTIL ONLY ONE PILE.

DEAL THAT PILE FROM LEFT TO RIGHT ONE AT A TIME UNTIL ALL THE CARDS ARE DEALT INTO 4 PILES.

TAKE PILE NO 1 AND FLIP ONTO PILE NO 2, THEN FLIP ENTIRE PILE ONTO PILE NO 3, AND FINAL-LY FLIP ENTIRE PILE ONTO NO 4-

AT THAT POINT YOU CAN SHUFFLE OR CUT, YOUR CHOICE.

AT THAT POINT THE TRICK IS DONE. WHEN YOU SPREAD THE CARDS THE 4 ACES WILL BE FACE UP AND THE OTHER CARDS FACE DOWN.

CREAT YOUR OWN REVEAL. USE YOUR IMANGINATION.

Submitted by Jack Schultz

March 2017


Want More Magic?

Tuesday evening’s magical get

together is held at

Evies

1560 Main Street, Sarasota

Betw. N Orange & N Lemon

For more information contact:

Arnieism of the Month

Arniebaby wants you to know that- The cemeteries are filled with people who thought the

world- couldn't get along without them.

Your suggestions and submissions are not only ap-

preciated they are sought. Share a trick, an event or

anything that’s relevant to Ring 81.

Officers

Ring 81

President, Gale Molovinsky


Secretary, Vacant

Volunteer needed

Vice Presidents, Ed Kaczmarek


Treasurer, John Ames


Past President, Ed Kaczmarek


Newsletter, Joe Floersheimer

Email: [email protected] Program Chair, Jonti

[email protected]

On Saturday, March 4th the Humane Society of Manatee County will be having their "Paws in Motion" Walk-a-thon fundraiser at Sutton Park, Palmetto FL.. Since my wife will be there doing chair massage, I decided to get a vendor spot for Ring 81 to do magic.

So far, David Pitchford has kindly offered to bring a tent with Ring 81 signage. He is also on board to attend and perform.

This is a perfect venue for members to hone their skills and to help a worthy organization that is dear to the heart of one of our members.

The event is scheduled from 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM on Saturday, March 4th. Setup starts between 8:00 and 9:00 AM and breakdown is around 2:30 PM. The venue is at Sutton Park,6th St. W & 10th Ave. W Palmetto.

Additional information is on their web site: http://www.facebook.com/pawsinmotionwalkathon

Directions from Sarasota: North on Rt. 301,Washington Blvd., Approx. 12 miles. Left on Manatee Ave. W. Right onto 9th St. Continue to US41 Bus N/8th Ave., left onto 6th St. W. Sutton Park is on right. Approximately 14 Miles from Main Street

Even better program, that GPS to: 1050 6th Street W. Palmetto FL.

march 2017 - dewsworldmandrake as a child (like most kids in those days) i was an eager reader of...

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