On the Cover By Karl Rabe

Magic Messenger July 2024

Club Member Tara McAllister wows the audience with her version of Butterfly Blizzard in the club's Spring Parlor Show. (Photo by Mike Palko)

President's Corner By Dan Jones

Hello AAMC Members and Friends,

Secretary's Report By Karl Rabe

June Meeting

Our meeting kicked off with Karl & Bill Rabe performing their "Go Blue / Go Green" color changing silk routine. A large maze colors silk and a large blue colored silk match Karl's University of Michigan shirt and hat as Hail to the Victors plays.. then the record scratches and the music changes to the Michigan State Fight Song as Bill changes the silk to Green and White. This occurs several times as Karl and Bill try to encourage the crowd to cheer for their favorite university in the intra-state rivalry. The routine concludes when the music changes to the Notre Dame Fight Song and a huge Fighting Irish flag is produced by Karl and Bill.

President Dan Jones who announced this will be his last term delivered his first of six retirement speeches. Dan also introduced our newest member, Brian Mielewski. Welcome Brian. We discussed the recent local Houdini lecture "Just Wild About Houdini" presented by Jeremy Dimick of the Detroit Historical Society. Then we had a quick recap of our Spring Parlor Show which went off without a hitch and Dan Jones presented each of the on-stage performers with a signed and framed copy of the show poster. Our Treasurer, Rob Krozal, provided a recap of our finances for the show. We discussed ways to increase attendance.

Then it was on to the learning session. This month's topic was Color Changing Silks.

• Dan Jones shared a variety of gimmicks, including a hank ball and various sizes and shapes of palm-o balls.
• Our VP Sean Howell then demonstrated use of the palm-o ball for a color change.
• Mike Thornton jumped in and provides some hints and tricks on showing both hands empty while using a palm-o, as well as loading and dumping the loaded palm-o from a hat. Mike showed his method for popping the silk out the top of the hand when completing the color change.
• Our Secretary Karl Rabe shared a few more palm-os including a rubber one, as well as a metal dye tube with a sliding baffle from Rice Silks.  Karl also shared the Massall change tube including a home-made one.
• Don Oesterwind discussed a variety of silk effects.

Then it was on to performances.

• Kevin Peshick performed an entertaining and funny Henrietta the Mind Reading Chicken routine.
• Mike Reuter performed a stabbed card in bag with Tara assisting. Mike produced a shot of bourbon from the bag as a finale.
• Tara McAllister demonstrated a change she is making to her butterfly effect using a larger butterfly and larger fans.
• Bou-Yu Chen performed a card trick with Don Oesterwind assisting. The selected card disappeared from the deck and then later re-appeared but upside-down.

Parlor Show

Our Spring 2024 Parlor Show went off without a hitch. Many thanks to everyone who contributed and attended.

Production

• Sean Howell - Producer, Rehursals, Emcee, Marketing
• Tracy Howell - Stage Manager

On Stage Performers

• Jeff Boyer
• Alex Heath
• Sean Howell
• Kaylin Janiczek
• Tara McAllister
• Charlie Palko
• Karl & Bill Rabe

Front and Back of House

• Jim Molnar - Stage Hand, Balloons
• Carl Wallace - Sound
• Dan Jones - Balloons, Marketing, 50:50
• Jim Tate - Balloons
• Rob Krozal - Finance and Concessions
• Charlie Palko - Concessions
• Mike Bogdas - Popcorn
• Patty Rabe - Tickets
• Jacki Saunders - Tickets
• Dave Saunders - Usher
• Ming Louie - Usher
• Barb Louie - Usher
• Goodwin, Robert - Marketing
• Karl Rabe - Online Sales & Marketing
• Bou-Yu Chen and others above - Cleanup

Special thanks to Daniel Kearsey - Graphics Art (https://www.sixtyfirststreet.com.) for producing our poster free of charge.

Photos by Mike Palko.

Around the Town By Karl Rabe

• As you may have heard, the NICK DIFFATTE lecture was cancelled. Nick had to return to Vegas sooner than expected, so his Belleville show was cancelled.

Other Calendars

• Check out John Luka's Magic page and his well maintained list of Michigan Events
• All AAMC Events and details can be viewed on the website calendar.

Past Events

Ming and Barbara

A number of club members turned out at the Canton Library to see Ming and Barbara perform for about 120 young kids. It was a great show and a lesson in how to take a "trick" and make it into "entertainment". Among other effects, Ming performed the Linking Rings, Miser's Dream and the Floating Table. For each of these three effects it was good to see how Ming did not "over do" any of the magic. He produced maybe a dozen coins for Miser's Dream. He used three rings for the Linking Rings. The Floating Table maybe had 120 seconds total of air time. Each effect amazed and entertained the audience but also left them wanting more. Every word and move had a reason and was logical. Well done Ming and Barbara!

April, Dan, Bill, Charlie, Karl, Barbara, Bob's Hat, Ming, John's head, Mike

Kinetic Kay

Kinetic Kay was walking tall on Mackinac Island for their annual Lilac Day Festival. Kay may appear taller in this picture than in real life, because she is wearing heels. What a great outfit!

Magic Camp

A number of club member's volunteered for the Plymouth Community Arts Council Magic Summer Camp. Over a period of 5 days (9am - noon), 8 young folks were taught magic and stage craft, culminating in putting on a show for their parents on the last day of the camp.  We will have a more detailed summary soon.

The Student Performers

The Teachers Charlie, Dan, Morgan (PCAC), Karl and Phil (not pictured Brian)

Students created a persona, selected a costume and created a poster for their act.

We actually had too many volunteers from the club this year. Thank you to Mike Bogdas, Michael Doyle, Jeff Boyer and April Barrett for volunteering even though it ended up we didn't use you.

Alexander

A number of members attended a show in Ann Arbor put on by Alexander the Magician. There were a number of Ring 22 & 210 members in attendance.

Bill Rabe with Alexander the Magician

Members Karl, Bill and Patty attended Jay Gilligan's REFLEX show in Ann Arbor. If you ever get the opportunity to see Jay, it will blow your mind. We were lucky to get front row seats and I was amazed. Jay juggles 6 balls effortlessly and that is just the beginning...

Funny Business By Karl Rabe

Bad Jokes

• How does Tara stay cool in the summer? She uses slight-of-fan.
• A good magician's assistant is hard to find. They're highly sawed after.
• Mike's son asked him to make him a paper airplane. He tried all the magic he knew but his son is still just a boy.
• What's a magician's favorite kind of tree? The palm tree.
• What do you call a magician on a plane? A flying sorcerer!
• How many magicians does it take to do magic? Just one will do the trick.
• Who doesn't go to the emergency room after losing a thumb? A Magician
• Dan's therapist suggested he write a letter to his wife to explain that he is addicted to buying magic. But he just couldn't pick up the Penn and Teller.

Good Jokes