Mordecai's Journal

The Society of American Magicians
Northern Connecticut Assembly #21
Newsletter for July 2006
Mordecai

Meetings:

Second Monday of every month except December
at Angelo's on Main in West Hartford
(I-84 exit 41)

July Meeting:
Paper Magic
Vice president Angelo Chirico asks that everyone bring their favorite trick using paper (of any form, including money) to the July meeting.
Those wishing to join us for dinner are encouraged to do so, starting at 6:00 PM.  The meeting starts at 7:30 PM on July 10th.
Minutes of June Meeting

12 June 2006  7:31 PM
Sec’y’s report:  accepted as printed.
Treas’ report:  balance reported

No old or new business this month.
G & W: Dan Sclare brought in an article from the Hartford Advocate that featured an article on the Studio of Magic in Rocky Hill.
Assembly 127 has a video library.  They ask for donations (originals only).
Tom Prete has recently had surgery.  The club will send a get-well card.
George Lentros of the Magic Barn in Ashland, MA recently passed away.  The club will send a condolence card. [Both cards have been sent.]
Dana Ring shared an email from Jim Zee.

Adjourned: 7:40 PM

Aftermeeting: Video night, care of the club’s DVD player.
The selections shown tonight featured great coin routines from Dean Dill’s Extreme Dean, and an excerpt from Penn & Teller’s Magic and Mystery Tour.

Requiescat In Pace:
Tommy Wonder
Born Jacobus Maria Bemelman on November 29, 1953, Wonder performed both close-up and stage magic, in Las Vegas, Monte Carlo and on Fox television.
Wonder developed an interest in conjuring at an early age.  He studied acting, dancing and singing for three years at the Academie voor Podiumvorming (Performance Academy) in The Hague and subsequently toured for two years with De Haagsche Comedie.
He took second prize at the World Championships of Magic in 1979 and again in 1988.  In 1998 he also received the Performer Fellowship Award from the Academy of Magical Arts in Hollywood.  In 1999, he was awarded Best Sleight of Hand Performer from the World Magic Awards.
Tommy Wonder died on June 26, after a brief battle with lung cancer.
Belated Patter Lines
We all have times when we think of a line we could have used earlier, right?
Last month, I performed at a party where the kids were in one room, then joined the adults for luncheon.  I performed for the kids and later did a brief table-hopping for the adults.  Both the kids and one of the tables asked the old question, “Can you saw [him/her] in half?”  I used the old joke: “Ooh, not anymore!  Years ago, I had a beautiful assistant and tried to saw her in half.  There was an accident and she ended up in the hospital in room 210, (pause) and room 212.”  This got a good reaction.
Later that night, I thought of a follow-up: “She tried to sue me, but my lawyer said she didn’t have a leg to stand on!”
Index