REVIEW: 9th Annual Daytona Festival of Magic
November 6-8, 2009 Daytona Beach, Florida
Summary: For the ninth time since 2001, Harry Allen and Irv Cook pulled off another
successful weekend get-together. Decent hotel property, decent lineup for the Friday
night cabaret and Saturday public show, a lot of lectures in a 48 hour period, teach-ins and a pretty good close show. Reasonably priced for a regional convention and Harry knows who his customers are and books accordingly.
This was my first Daytona convention but it won't be my last.
Convention registration opened at 12noon and the hotel was very accommodating by letting me check in at 11:30am just as I arrived. The majority of the rooms at the Daytona Beach Resort have full kitchens and a supermarket just across the street which is good as they don't have room service. The property is older not unlike a Holiday Inn but well kept, clean and has an attentive staff.
The dealer room was open early and had about 18 booths in two small rooms. Sadly there was a very small selection of books available although a ton of DVD's were offered by most. A sign of the times as I consider myself a book guy so I only came home with a couple of DVD's and a subscription to Kozmo's Reel Magic.
There were four lectures between 12:30pm and 6:00pm (Harry Allen, Charlotte Pendragon, Dave Hill,and Paul Richards). I wanted to mingle with some old and new friends and talk to the dealers before things got crazy so I decided to attend the Pendragon lecture. I heard good things about Harry, Dave Hill and Paul Richards from others throughout the weekend.
Charlotte Pendragon was disappointing as a lecturer. She seemed clearly uncomfortable
addressing a room full of people and if she had a structured lecture planned she didn't follow it. She didn't seem to have a topic in mind when she started and at times began to discuss stagecraft but seemed to drift off topic.
Most people find it difficult to stand up and address a crowd but I was surprised to see how uncomfortable she was considering her performing experience. After 35 minutes I had seen and heard enough and left.
The strolling magicians contest was staged during the Friday night deli bash which is very much what real world conditions are for the stroller. My input to Harry would be to have all the contestants queue up and have contestant #1 work table #1, then move to table #2 while contestant #2 begins to work table #1. This way all contestants would get to all tables before they were called up to the buffet. It seemed the contestants were basically told to work as many tables as they could without any other instructions which led to a chaotic scene at times.
Our table had four performers stop by out of approximately 15 - 18. Performers were judged by applause at the end of the meal. There has to be a better way.
The cabaret show was MC'd by Norm Barnhart and featured David Merry, Barry Mitchell, Normondo the Great (Barnhart) and closed with David Gerrard. All performers were well received by the audience but I was taken by the Gerrard's performance. Professional, entertaining and polished his presentation of the floating zombie ball was beautiful. I thought that bit was overdone and retired a long time ago (and rightfully so in many cases) but Gerrard's made it seem as if it was really a silver orb magically floating to the theme of E.T.
Back to the dealers room after the show, then the lobby to mingle, the bar for a quick drink or two and time to get ready for The Jinx lecture by Harry Anderson & Jon Racherbaumer.
A quick FYI here......I spent some time earlier in the day at Anderson's & Racherbaumer's booth talking with each of them, ran into Harry in the lobby and by the elevators. We chatted about the cabaret show, street performers I had seen in NYC in the early 1970's and his upcoming lecture. Anderson seemed mellow and personable.
At the start of the lecture Harry addressed the audience and let us know this was not going to be a typical lecture. He and Racherbaumer wanted to discuss Annemann's impact on them and the world of magic and wanted this to be somewhat interactive. Anderson also let the audience know this would not be family friendly or for the politically correct. So warned they began and made sure the bar was open so everyone could 'reload' as the night progressed.
Overall, for me, it was worth my time and money. Both Racherbaumer and Anderson provided insight to Annemann, his effects and thinking about magic and magicians. Everyone received a copy of the Jinx Tribute which was included in the October Genii magazine (and of course we had the opportunity to have it signed by both authors). Racherbaumer showed us some ideas that were inspired by Annemann and Anderson did the same with some of the material he was selling at the lecture.
Their dealer booth did no sales prior to the lecture as it was offered first to those of us who signed up for the lecture. Anything remaining went on sale Saturday morning to the general public.
During the night Anderson was funny, insulting, profane with rants that included sexist, racist, homophobic jokes and worked in references to health care, chemotherapy, the handicapped (directed at his friend Ricky Boone) and bestiality. He made sure to give shout-outs to David Copperfield, Jeff McBride and I'm sure I'm missing a few but you get the picture.
Again everyone was warned prior to the start of the lecture, the bar was open and the booze was flowing, an audience member was buying Harry the drinks the entire night when the formal lecture ended somewhere between 2:00am - 2:30am.
Both Jon & Harry stayed for autographs and pictures afterward. They were still there with about two dozen people when I staggered up to my room for the night.
The following morning I slept through both my wake up call and the chambermaid service so I missed both Bev Bergeron and Chris Capehart's lectures. I had seen Bev years ago but was really ticked off I missed Capehart which I understand was the hit of the convention.
The stage contest got underway just before the close up show started so you had to make a choice. Pavel, David Merry, Helder Guimaraes, and Kostya Kimlat performed for four different rooms rotating after doing approximately 12-15 minute sets.
The close up show was a real treat for me as my decision to attend the convention was made after seeing 2006 FISM winner Helder Guimaraes would be performing and lecturing. But first some thoughts about Guimaraes.
I first spotted him on Friday afternoon at the Pendragon lecture sitting in the back row by himself. With a deck of cards in his hand practicing something. Later that afternoon I saw him talking with a small group and again with a deck in his hand. Later I went into the bar to order a beverage and there's Helder at the bar by himself practicing. I spotted him about 8 or 9 times that weekend including the Saturday night show and he always had the deck in his hand......practicing.
When you see him perform live it's as if the cards are an extension of his arms. The cards move from hand to hand not as foreign objects manipulated by his fingers and hands but as a part of him. They float in his hands, held delicately but firmly, moving silently and swiftly doing just as Helder wants them to do.
At age 27 he is already reached great heights as a performer and competitor yet the feeling is the sky is the limit for Guimaraes.
Afternoon lectures started in the same hour as the close up contest so I decided to float around until Helder's lecture began. All of Saturday's lectures (Pavel, David Merry, Helder and Barry Mitchell)were held in the same room and unfortunately suffered from some disorganization and planning. First, the lecturer's merchandise table was set up to the side of the performers so after the lecture everyone
converged to the table like a politician to a kickback. As a result the next lecture couldn't start until the previous one completed their sales, answered their questions, took pictures, etc.
I didn't attend Pavel or David Merry's lecture but Merry ran about 15 - 20 minutes long. Guimaraes had to wait and didn't begin until about 4:45 or 4:50pm (original start time was 4:30pm). Barry Mitchell was to begin at 5:30pm and here's where it gets dicey.
A lecture that begins at 5:30pm will go until at least 6:30pm or longer. The evening show begins at 8pm and is at least 20 minutes away by car. That leaves everyone less than 90 minutes to eat, change and get to the show. Cutting it close to say the least.
Helder began his lecture by stating he didn't have a lot of merchandise to sell (a booklet of notes and 1 DVD) but did want to discuss his approach to magic. He used Giobbi's 'magic iceberg' as an example of his approach. Unfortunately at 5:30pm, less than an hour after he started, some convention assistants came into the room, followed by Barry Mitchell and asked Helder to wrap up his lecture. A few minutes later Harry Allen comes in and does the same thing.
Guimaraes thanks the audience and moves off to his merchandise table and while Barry Mitchell begins to set up. Then two convention workers pick up Helder's table of merchandise and walk it out the door into the lobby so Mitchell can begin his lecture.
Assuming positive intent it appears the Saturday afternoon lectures were not as well organized as they could be and bum-rushing a FISM winner off the stage was the conventions attempt at making sure attendee's could see all the lectures and have enough time to get to the show. At best it was poor event management made worse by a solution that was unfair to Helder who should have been given the same consideration as every other lecturer.
The Saturday night show seemed well received by the general public where I was sitting. Jack Cook (Irv's son) was MC and the show opened with the contest winners being announced and presented trophies by Harry Allen.
The opening act of Yo Kato from Korea who went from joining a magic club to placing third in the Asian FISM in 2008. His act consisted of manipulations with small magic wands who's tips detached and became thimbles. Fast paced to very up tempo music this 20-something year old has a bright future if he chooses to pursue a career performing. Not sure if the would be better suited to a cabaret vs full stage as the angle I was at (third row extreme stage right) revealed more than I'm sure Kato wanted. Otherwise first class and polished including how he handled a minor mistake (He handled it just fine).
Pavel was next with a rope act also done entirely to music. Classic European cabaret act something I remember seeing a lot of during the 1970's. Solid performance considering it's been 30 years or so since I last saw Pavel.
Chris Capehart was next with a mostly family oriented show with a bunch of interaction with the children in the audience. Standard off the shelf effects which are in birthday magicians repertiore throughout the world, I think Capehart stole the entire show. The audience reaction was the best overall in my opinion and it's easy to see how Chris is able to make a full-time living performing and lecturing.
The second half opened with Harry Anderson who did basically a stand up bit. Funny, a few inside jokes, one off color remark and a straight jacket escape aided by a spectator in the front row (the spectator basically was asked to unbuckle the jacket so Harry could 'escape').
To close out the show was Charlotte Pendragon who brought along two dancers, a gymnast and mentalist. Conceptually a show with illusions, dance, music, gymnastics, mentalism and audience participation may very well work out given the right venues and target audience. However Ms. Pendragon first needs to get her show up to speed.
Again I was amazed at how uncomfortable she appeared to be addressing the audience. She delivered her script haltingly and at times appeared to be ad-libbing or perhaps she just forgot her lines. The timing was off and her attempt to connect with the audience by performing the linking rings and signed card to shoe was brutal. Frankly it appeared as if she decided to add the rings at the last minute as she was clearly uncomfortable with them and the signed card to shoe had one major glitch........it was her signature on the card, not the spectators.
Harry Allen did her a favor by allowing her to lecture, close the public show and conduct a teach-in. I attended two out of three and was disappointed. I hear the teach-in had 9 people attend which was almost a sell out as there was room only for ten. Again I certainly hope Ms. Pendragon takes the weekend as a learning experience and works to realize her full potential.
The Saturday night lecture by Kostya Kimlat did not disappoint. Kimlat is very personable, professional and has a bright future ahead of him. He also had a teach in on Sunday morning and promised to stay up for the lecture as long as there was one at least one person in the room with him. It's nice to be young.
I had to return home early on Sunday so I didn't attend any of the lectures or activities. Sadly I missed meeting Magic Ian whom I've corresponded with recently and talked with several Floridians who had good things to say about his material and knowledge.
Hightlights this year was meeting a lot of magicians who I only knew from the internet or talking to on the phone. It was a pleasure to speak for a bit with Harry Anderson, Jon Racherbaumer, Kozmo, and meet guys like Bob (Largo), Josh (Orlando), Mac Stone (Miami), Maldo (Orlando). Overall it was a great weekend, a decent facility and I'll register shortly for the 2010 convention. Harry Allen has already announced Drew Thomas, Steve Dacri, Latco and Stoil as booked for next year.
Less than 12 months to go before the 2010 Daytona Festival of Magic.............
