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PART EIGHT: SWIMMING THROUGH THE MILLENNIUM
The 1997 FISM congress took place in Dresden, Germany from July 7 to 12. Herr Sommer delivered a well organized convention, with major assistance from Eberhard Riese, who directed all of the stage shows (while at the same time somehow managing to also be the chairman of the contest jury).
Most of the activities took place in the Kulturpalast, a three-story building with space for almost 100 dealers from 18 countries, halls for lectures and smaller shows, and an excellent theater that was large enough to accommodate 2,420 registrants who made this the largest FISM yet.
The schedule was packed; indeed, some complained that there were too many events, with an overlapping schedule that made it impossible for one person to attend everything. However, of course, a sparser line-up would have generated even more annoyance. One legitimate criticism had to do with language. The lectures were delivered only in German and English, neglecting the two other official FISM languages as well as many more.
Other than that, this convention was efficiently planned and executed. The opening gala featured a dozen German prizewinners from previous FISM contests, as well as a guest appearance by Siegfried (chatting, not performing). To speed the pace of such a lengthy line-up, this show was done using voice-over introductions instead of an MC. Other galas did have live presenters: Peter Pit, Ali Bongo, Juan Tamariz, Stan Allen and Richard Ross.
All of the stage contests and galas were greatly helped by the involvement of Frank Wilson of Holland, who provided orchestral transitions, generated solo via a synthesizer. His musical wit kept the audience engaged during the inevitable delays between contestants. This made a big difference.
Among the performers were returning favorites such as Tommy Wonder, Johnny Lonn, Mahka Tendo, The Morettis, Topas, and Peter Marvey, the latter with several new one-man illusions. New faces included Christopher Hart from Canada; Cellini, the near-legendary street performer (American, but based in Europe); and the American/Russian quick-change duo, David & Dania, who got an enthusiastic standing ovation.
Luis de Matos, Portugal’s best-known magician, made his FISM debut. His act included a very strong illusion in which he penetrated through a large mirror. He also attempted to present the Dancing Handkerchief in tribute to Harry Blackstone. Technical problems cut that routine short, but his graceful handling of that difficult situation was a lesson in showmanship.
To handle the large crowds, on two successive nights there was a close-up gala at the 800-seat UFA movie theater, featuring such as David Williamson, Eugene Burger and Pit “Heinz” Hartling. Simultaneously on those nights, there was a “Galaball” buffet dinner at the Hilton hotel. Dividing the audience avoided the previous problems of culinary organization, and the plentiful repast was accompanied by live music.
In addition to the normal shows, there were one-man concert performances by Max Maven and Gary Kurtz. These hour-long shows were each presented three times in one of the center’s smaller theaters.
There was a beautiful photo gallery showing antique props from the collection of Rüdiger Deutsch, and an impressive display of wands from the collection of Eberhard Bärmann. History was also acknowledged via lectures by Magic Christian, Hans Höller and Claude Klingsor. Of course, there were also trick lectures, by such as Jim Steinmeyer, Hiro Sakai, Lisa Menna, and the Fertigen Finger group.
A successful feature was the “Zauberbar,” where each night the second-floor lounge of the Hilton hotel became a lively party, with on-going performing by Juan Tamariz, and many impromptu close-up magic “sessions” that mostly took place sitting on the floor.
The number of contestants swelled to 148 acts, of mixed quality. Writing in Magic magazine, Mike Caveney calculated the total running time of the contest as 38½ hours! At the awards ceremony on Saturday afternoon, Secretary-General Maurice Pierre addressed this situation, and implored the participants—and the club presidents who sign their applications—to adhere to a higher standard before entering.
The competition results were as follows:
Grand Prix:
Manipulation:
General Magic:
Invention:
Comedy:
Grand Illusion:
Close-Up:
Cards:
Mentalism:
A popular winner was Juliana Chen, the first woman to garner first place in the Manipulation category. When her name was announced, she came on stage and promptly burst into tears of joy. Reportedly, her score was just a few points below Necheporenko’s score, and there were many who felt she should have won the Grand Prix.
Necheporenko’s act involved the repeated productions and vanishes of Russian “babushka” dolls of various sizes. This went over extremely well during the contest; he received a standing ovation. However, because much of the charm of the act depends on its novelty, it made a softer impression on the final night’s show, as so many had already seen it.
Returning to the winner’s circle was Tel Smit, who had won prizes in 1967 and 1970. No one else had ever won FISM awards so many years apart.
It was another strong year for the German entrants; the preparatory system plus their “home-court advantage” led to eight awards. Coincidentally, that was also the total number of awards won by members of the Fertigen Finger group during this and the previous congress. Manuel Muerte delighted with his quirky close-up. Particularly impressive was Jörg Alexander, who won honors in two different categories. The influence of Eberhard Riese also continued, with the success of Junge, Junge, whose “Englishman in New York” themed act was one of the audience’s favorites.
At the awards ceremony, Maurice Pierre announced that a new position had been established in the FISM organization, Assistant Secretary, to work with him to coordinate future activities. The person appointed to this post was Eric Eswin of Holland.
For some reason, the organizers decided to break the tradition that the final gala would feature the winning acts from this year’s contest. Only Necheporenko performed. The other acts on this gala were strong, as it was a line-up of past Grand Prix recipients: Pierre Brahma, Ted Winkel, Vladimir Danilin and Franklin. The MC was another past FISM champion, Richard Ross. Unfortunately, he hosted the show in a very casual, joking style that did not seem appropriate, and the audience was overt in voicing disapproval. This ended the convention on a strange note. Still, overall it had been a solid event.
In 2000, the FISM congress was held in Portugal for the first time. From July 3 to 8, over 2,100 attendees from 50 countries came to Lisbon. The President was Marques Vidal, working with Sales Manager Pedro Lacerda. The Artistic Director was Luis de Matos, who somehow managed to produce the complicated events with virtually no sleep.
Most of the activities took place at the Centro Cultural de Belém, a huge building with many function rooms, plus bars and restaurants. Much of the space was packed with 67 dealer displays. The main theater had about 1,100 seats, which meant that the gala shows were presented twice. It was a first-rate facility with good air-conditioning. The only drawback was that it was located far from most hotels, and transportation was often a problem.
The convention began with a tightly choreographed Black Art production by Ger Copper, and a delicate manipulation routine by Luis de Matos, accompanied on harp by Tina Lenert. The focus of the opening gala was a group of veteran performers. In descending order of age, they were: Pierre Edernac, Jay Marshall, Topper Martyn, Ali Bongo, John Gaughan and Richard Ross. Gaughan presented Robert-Houdin’s automaton, “Antonio Diavolo,” who at 150 years old was actually the senior member of the cast. (Billy McComb and Salvano were, deservedly, scheduled for that show; due to lost luggage, they were moved to other nights.)
This show was a redemption for Richard Ross, who delivered his classic act with dignity and grace. The audience that had disdained his cavalier work three years before now welcomed him with great appreciation.
The next four evenings featured two stage galas, each presented twice. The MCs were Mike Caveney and Max Maven, and the acts included several winners from Dresden. Among the performers who were new to FISM were Mac King, direct from his hit show in Las Vegas; the impressive juggling of Andreas Wessels & Jojo, direct from the variety theaters of Berlin; the Swiss comedy team Anam Cara (on their “non-stop world tour”); and Ge Qui Hua from China, who presented the somersaulting production of a large bowl of water that is rarely seen outside his country.
A memorable occurrence took place during the first performance of the second gala show. Late in the show, Mago Antón of Spain was set to perform a comedy routine that involved a deck of cards that had been tossed into a large Plexiglas tank filled with water. The idea was that while Max Maven stood to the side to make commentary, Antón, shackled to a cement block, would dive into the tank, free himself, and locate a previously selected card. However, when he jumped in, the front panel of the tank burst, and a torrent of water flooded the stage.
Fortunately, Antón was unharmed. (If the angle of the break had been just a bit different, he could have been decapitated.) The front row was splashed a little, but most of the water was absorbed into the stage. It was only later that Maven realized that he’d been standing ankle-deep in water while holding a hard-wired microphone…
The situation could have been a disaster, but was saved by Derek Scott, a Canadian clown who did a two-person act with the Ukrainian comic master Veronin. Maven had arranged the show so that Scott came on stage several times, as a running gag to help with the transitions in the over-booked line-up. Moreover, because it had not been possible to fully rehearse this gala, he told Derek that he was not allowed to go more than one metre away from the Stage Right wing—he was “insurance” in case anything went wrong. This turned out to be excellent planning!
When the tank exploded, the front curtain was closed. The MC talked to the audience for a few moments, then brought on Derek Scott, who did about twelve minutes of wonderful comedy using only a small kazoo and a giant personality. While this was going on, Maven was backstage, finding out if the show would be able to continue. The stage crew, who did terrific work throughout the convention, cleaned the stage in eighteen minutes. After the kazoo concert, Michael Mennes (an American juggler who had already delighted the crowd earlier in the show) did a three-minute routine—sort of a “Troublewit” using a T-shirt—and by the time he was done, everything was set for Topas to finish the show with a lovely musical segment from his full-evening show.
The Close-Up show was MCed by the clever young Englishman Guy Hollingworth, and offered several artists who had not been seen at FISM before, including two energetic comedy magicians from North America, Bill Malone of Florida, and David Acer of Montreal; also debuting were Israeli thread-worker Igal Mesika, and the innovative Tom Stone of Sweden.
The lectures covered a wide range of styles, and most were presented multiple times in different languages. The list included established names as Eugene Burger and Roberto Giobbi. British dealer Marvin Berglas, along with Michael Ammar, presented a workshop on marketing, while Don Wayne of California presented a talk on a topic not often covered in convention lectures, large-scale illusions.
Much talk was generated when Magic magazine editor Stan Allen interviewed a recent arrival to television fame, David Blaine, and his “shadow” adviser Bill Kalush. Also interviewed in afternoon on-stage events were Juan Tamariz and Paul Daniels.
The amount of contestants remained huge, with 147 competitors. Here are the results:
Grand Prix:
Manipulation:
General Magic:
Invention:
Comedy:
Grand Illusion:
Close-Up:
Cards:
Mentalism:
The Grand Prix went to a Dutch illusion team, Scott the Magician & Miss Muriel. (Scott is from the United States, but had the good sense to stick with his partner in her home country.) To some, this type of act—broad comedy, where most of the tricks go wrong—seemed an odd choice, but as had been the case three years earlier, during the contest their performance clearly received the greatest reaction.
The tradition of late-night sessions continued, with Tamariz, Lennart Green, and American bar magician Bob Sheets holding forth each night in the Altis Hotel lounge. So, most evenings ended very happily. Things were different on the final night.
The plan had seemed like a good idea. It was decided to hold the closing gala away from the Centro, at the Expo ’98 Sony Plaza, a large outdoor venue with a big stage, above which was a massive “Jumbotron” video screen. Luis de Matos had presented his own show there, with good success. But, many things went awry.
The disastrous evening was preceded by a boat cruise, which most attendees enjoyed. But, the boats deposited the passengers at the Expo site very early, which meant that people had to wait in the hot sun for almost four hours.
Not surprisingly, the next problem involved food. Preparations had been made, and there were grills and buffets to serve 2,100 people. However, many locals who were not registrants ran in through the gates, which expanded the size of the crowd, and diminished the ratio of food and mouths. The result was chaotic, leaving people in a very bad mood.
The show that followed had yet more problems. The original MC had stayed home, so a replacement was put in at the last minute. (Fortunately, by then his shoes had dried.) Several of the contest winners were unable to perform. The Grand Illusion winners had already sent their props home. The General and Manipulation winners had to cancel, because there was too much wind on the stage. The Close-Up and Card winners did perform, but the TV director chose to be “artistic,” so despite the giant screen those acts, plus guests doing smaller material such as the marvelous English comedy magician Richard McDougall, were not easy to see. The awkward stage conditions made it difficult for almost all of the acts to run properly.
Luis de Matos had arranged for special video greeting from David Copperfield. However, the tape did not play properly. After two failed attempts to show it, de Matos came on stage with a cell phone, and there was a live conversation with Copperfield. But, there were further audio problems, and what should have been a nice surprise went sour.
The closing show was not without its good aspects. During the convention, David Williamson had made several very funny videotapes, and these clips were all received with enthusiasm. To close the show, Poland’s masterful Salvano did his celebrated manipulation act, and transformed a tired, hungry and hostile crowd into an appreciative audience. He was a bright light on an otherwise dark night that most would prefer to forget.
For its first conclave of the 21st century, FISM returned to Holland. From July 21 to 26, 2003, magicians swarmed to the Nederlandse Congress Centrum in Den Haag—the same excellent site as in 1988, but refurbished in the interim. This was the largest turnout ever: The total attendance (combining full and partial registrants) reached 3,000. Two floors of the building were filled by 98 dealer displays. The main theater was large enough to hold 2,150 spectators; late registrants were able to watch the gala shows on televisions in other parts of the center.
The line-up for the opening gala was entirely Dutch, including past FISM winners Tommy Wonder, Tel Smit and Fl!p. But President Hilbert Geerling and booker John Anders made a deliberate effort to provide a varied program, both in terms of style and nationality. The ensuing stage galas featured the poised manipulative artistry of Yumi from Japan; the sharply-timed verbal comedy of England’s Wayne Dobson; the elegantly subtle humor of Raymond Crowe of Australia, and the “Polish” polish of America’s Great Tomsoni & Co. A standout performer was Topas, who MCed the Friday gala, and, with his partner Roxanne, presented several routines that were new and refreshing.
For Close-Up the viewing conditions in the 800-seat theater were less than perfect. The line-up was good, and particularly diverse: MC Alexandra Duvivier of France introduced Jean Pierre Vallarino and Carlos Vaquera (a duo representing three countries: France, Spain and Belgium); Imam (from Bangladesh, but now an American); Manuel Muerte (a German performer with a Spanish name); Dan LeFay (Dutch, but of Indonesian ancestry), and two unhyphenated Americans, Joshua Jay and David Williamson. The latter, as always, was a particular hit.
It’s worth mentioning a newcomer to FISM, Armando Lucero of California. Just a week before the convention, he was booked. As there were no slots open in the already organized shows, he performed anywhere and everywhere around the convention center, and drew big crowds who gasped at his lustrous card and coin work.
The lectures covered a wide range of ideas, with the participation of Boris Wild of France, Richard Sanders of Canada, Michel of Argentina, John Carney of the U.S., Mahka Tendo of Japan, David Berglas of England, and several more. There were also a number of workshops, particularly that of Ireland’s Quentin Reynolds, whose discussion of kid show magic garnered much praise. Also of note were an historical lecture on the life of three-time FISM champion Fred Kaps, assembled by his friend Dick Koornwinder.
There were several creative new ideas, including a “Relaxation Room” devised by George Parker, for the registrants to unwind. Australia’s Tim Ellis and Sue-Anne Webster presided over “MagicSports” events—based on improvisational theater exercises, adapted for conjuring—that took place twice a day.
On three of the nights, there was a post-gala performance by “The Nocturnal Trio” (Eugene Burger, Tina Lenert and Max Maven), a one-hour show in which, it was explained, “We are three typical Americans who have come to Den Haag to share our simple cultural institutions.” Other late-night activities included the “Last Drink” basement room, where the attendees could see bar magic by actual bar magicians performing behind bar counters. The four Americans in action kept people in good spirits, and had the background and experience to handle the noisy conditions. They were: Doc Eason, Eric Mead, Bob Sheets and John Stetson.
The contest, yet again, was overloaded with 152 entrants. Luckily, Frank Wilson returned to provide music between the acts, which helped maintain the audience’s energy.
During the three years leading up to this, in his new capacity as Secretary-General, Eric Eswin had worked with the FISM delegates to refine the contest rules. A new category was added: Parlour Magic. Another category was modified: Comedy Magic was no longer a separate category; instead, the jury had the option of awarding special prizes for Comedy for performers within any category.
The biggest change was that the Grand Prix was split into two awards, one for Stage and one for Close-Up. Also, the way in which the Grand Prix awards were determined was altered. Previously, assuming there were any acts that received enough points to be considered at Grand Prix level, the act with the highest score received the top prize. In the new system, the highest scorers did their acts again during the final gala, and the two winners were selected from that group, based on that evening’s performance. Overall, this new approach seemed to work. There will be further fine-tuning. For example, at the next FISM in Stockholm, there will be two final galas, one for Close-Up and one for Stage, which will allow for more of the high-scoring acts to vie on the last day.
The first set of awards went this way:
Manipulation:
General Magic:
Invention (not numbered):
Comedy (not numbered)
Grand Illusion:
Close-Up:
Cards:
Mentalism:
Parlour:
Most Original Act:
The Manipulation category was stronger than usual; all three winners were well liked. The top two scorers, Norbert Ferré and Eun-Gyeol Lee, both repeated their acts in the final gala, along with Pat Perry & Archibald, who did a routine with a gambling storyline, positioned horizontally so that the audience view was as if looking down from the ceiling. (Much the same gag had been done by Yukio (Bona Napoleon) of Japan in the Lisbon contest, but this was far more elaborate.
The final Close-Up contenders, who went on first, were Mago Migue and Jason Latimer. Both of them had to work under odd conditions, as they performed for the judges who were sitting on stage, while the large audience observed via video projections.
While the jury made their decisions, Dutch illusionist Hans Klok presented a 40-minute show with a large cast and an emphatically fast pace, receiving a standing ovation. After this, the results were divulged:
Grand Prix, Stage: Norbert Ferré (France)
Grand Prix, Close-Up: Jason Latimer (USA)
Latimer, a young college student, competed in three categories, and (as listed above) won prizes in two, both for his close-up act: The Cups & Balls, using transparent glass tumblers. The appearances and vanishes of the bright yellow balls, done silently with musical accompaniment, were visually startling, using newly developed methods. The routine concluded with the cups becoming solid blocks of glass.
Ferré’s act involved hardcore manipulation made to look deceptively effortless. His skill with cards and balls was impressive, but even more striking was his ability to shift instantaneously between two distinct characters (one serious, one silly). The combination of technical dexterity and theatrical ability met with the audience’s resounding approval.
And so, we end our story—for now. In less than one month, FISM will once more pull together thousands of avid magicians. For the first time, it will take place in Scandinavia; specifically, Stockholm, Sweden. Without a doubt, there will be many new tales to tell.
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