PEORIA MAGICIANS ASSEMBLY

IBM RING 48 - SAM ASSEMBLY 51 - PEORIA , IL

AUGUST 2004

To access this site, just type in:

www.geocities.com/peomagic or go.to/peomagic

No August Meeting!

August Roundtable Meeting at Hardee's in downtown East Peoria - Sunday, August 15

7:00-9:00 p.m.

Come to the monthly Roundtable on the 15th of each month at 7:00 p.m. at Hardee's in

downtown East Peoria! Discuss and work on close-up magic or whatever you want!

If you meet people who are interested in magic, please let them know about our club and our Web site:

www.geocities.com/peomagic. Youth magic classes are at www.geocities.com/gjmagic.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

* No regular meeting in August!

* Sunday, August 15 - Roundtable, 7-9 p.m., Hardee's, downtown East Peoria. (101 N. Main St.)

* Annual Club Picnic - Date To Be Announced (either August or September)

* Wednesday, September 15 - Roundtable, 7-9 P.M., Hardee's, downtown East Peoria.

Branson Magic Review By Greg Joyce

On Saturday and Sunday, July 24 and 25, I went to Branson, Missouri, for my first visit. On

Saturday night, I saw Kirby Van Burch's show. He is a regular at Branson and has moved to an

older theatre on the West end of Country 76 Blvd. (where most of the shows are located). The

theatre is medium-sized (maybe 1000 seats). There is a magic shop in the lobby. The look is

similar to an older movie theatre in terms of seats and basic decor. There were about 500

people at this show. Shows are at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Wed.-Sat. and only 8 p.m. on Tues. and Sun.

There is no show on Mondays. The ticket price is $30.50 for adults and about half that for youth

12 and under.

There are two acts with a concentration of fast illusion sequences and male and female dancers.

Some illusions involve cages and boxes and wild animals such as lions, a black cougar and a huge

boa snake. In the second act, there is an extended version of the walking through mirror illusion

with a young audience member examining the mirror. Also included is a torn and restored glow

string effect sprinkled with a little of Kirby's personal philosophy. After the show, Kirby does

back stage tours for those paying the $12 extra fee and gives those folks a poster and a

laminated lanyard backstage pass. He also visits in the magic shop in the lobby. He was really

busy Saturday, so I came back to the lobby after the show on Sunday night. I talked to Kirby

and watched him doing close-up magic for several kids.

On Sunday night, I went to Daren Romeo's 8 p.m. show at the Welk Champagne Theatre. Daren

is an awesome performer who sings and performs magic at the same time, using a head mike.

His stage presence is even better than David Copperfield's and the ease at which Daren

involves, talks to and includes his audience is phenomenal. The theatre itself is magnificent,

perhaps one of the best in Branson. It is larger across and the stage appears wider and deeper

than the Peoria Civic Center Theatre. It appears to have at least 1500 seats. The lighting and

curtains are top-of-the-line and are magnificent in appearance. There are two huge video

screens showing the performance. There were about 800 people for this show.

Daren's show is just awesome - the illusions, the music, the emotion and the audience

involvement. Daren grew up in Long Island, New York, and performed in The Fantasticks on

Broadway from age 18-22. He then developed his magic and singing abilities into a popular show

in Las Vegas. Sigfried and Roy enjoyed his show and began promoting him and he is now touring.

The show is scheduled to be in Branson only from June 14-August 14. Highlights of the show

were the opening appearance illusion (don't get there late!), the close-up table brought into the

aisle for close-up coin magic (the table then floated), the pole levitation illusion accompanied by

a song from Jesus Christ Superstar at the conclusion of the first act, Daren's impersonations of

famous singers in a montage in the second act (Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, Johnny Mathis and

humorous parodies of Celine Deon, Elton John, Ricky Martin and The Backstreet Boys), The

Floating Light Bulb with a tribute to Harry Blackstone Jr. and Sr. (at the conclusion, the light bulb

went into the audience right over my head in the first row, left side) and the finale Walking

Through Mirror and Ashrah Levitation routine done to a song from The Phantom of the Opera.

Daren and his lovely wife (his main assistant in the show) come out after the show to sign things

and to take photos. The line was long, but I spoke to Daren afterwards with my compliments on

an excellent show. This is the one show, I'll always remember!

Next time, I plan to see Bret Daniels, Daren again, and a couple other shows. There is also a

show with a magician and ventriloquist duo (two guys, one named Hamner, I believe).

Daren's shows are $30.50 and Bret Daniels show is $33. There are lower prices for youth.

Also, pick up the coupon book at one of the information centers downtown or near the theatres.

There are $2 off coupons for most shows.

Sigfried and Roy's Animated Show Appears on Tuesdays on NBC!

"Father of the Pride" -- Tuesdays, NBC, 8:00 p.m. starting August 31!

For more info: www.nbc.com

MAGIC CONVENTIONS

* Abbott's Magic Company Get-Together - Colon, Michigan - August 4-7, 2004 -- www.abbottmagic.com

* Houdini Days Festival - Appleton, Wisconsin - September 2-5, 2004 -- www.houdinidays.com

(This looks to be a great event. Free outside Escape show Thursday night. Two days (Fri. & Sun.) of lectures

from the best well-known performers, only $50 for both days. Free outdoor public performances and talent

contest on Saturday. Evening show in the Fox Theatre on Saturday, $25.)

* Houdini Club Convention - Appleton, Wis. - September 3-5, 2004 -- www.houdiniclubofwisconsin.com

MAGIC LINKS

MAGIC ON TV: http://www.tvmagicguide.com/

MAGIC NEWS: http://www.magictimes.com/

MAGIC WEEKLY: http://www.allmagic.com/

(Includes new effects each week you can learn, dealers, events, videos, etc.)

PEORIA MAGICIANS ASSEMBLY ARCHIVE

PAST ISSUES OF PMA WEB SITE!!!

2004 January February March April May June July

2003 January February March April May June July August September October November December

Central Illinois Magic Get-Together – Peoria, Illinois – Saturday, May 3, 2003

2002 January February March April May June July August September October November December

The Peoria Magicians Assembly meets the first Friday of each month at West Bluff Christian Church, 2018 W.

Kellogg St., West Peoria.  The club does not meet during some months with special events, including July and

August.  Please consult the web site for current information.  Guests are invited to our meetings at no charge.

Membership is available for $15 a year beginning in July each year and is prorated.  For a membership application,

E-mail [email protected].

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For Directions to West Bluff Christian Church:  Take I-74 to Peoria, exit at University St. South (Bradley University)

Exit 91A.  Take University St. to the second stoplight (Avanti's Restaurant).  Turn right onto Main St. and go past

the overhead stoplight on the left at Bradley Field House and past the next stoplight at Bradley Park on the right.

Go two blocks further and Main St. curves left and continues on to Western Ave.  Go past the two stoplights on the

right and past McDonald's.  Go two more blocks, past the Kentucky Fried Chicken on the right and just before the

auto parts store, turn right (west) onto Kellogg St.  Go one block and park in back of the church.  We meet in the

basement. For a map to West Bluff Christian Church, click here and enter: 2018 W. Kellogg, West Peoria, IL.

THANKS FOR VISITING. PLEASE COME BACK!