Today’s Magic News – Hovering and Holding and HolleringInside MagicMagic News Updated Daily for the Professional Magician

The Vanilla One with The Number One

Paul Daniels Leaves Debbie McGee. Debbie McGee Elects to Live with Rapper Vanilla Ice. We had a bet around the cavernous Inside Magic press room last night. We knew that we had to come up with an outlandish headline to grab the attention of the new readers.

I suggested we just make up some horrible lie and recant in the next issue. I was out-voted by people who think they’re better than me just because they have integrity. Whatever.

So, at least now you know that the headline is true. Paul Daniels did leave his beautiful wife Debbie McGee (and in a ‘snit’ at that), and she allowed him to go so she could stay with Vanilla Ice (remember “Ice, Ice, Baby”?) But here’s the bird’s eye low-down.

Mr. Daniels and his incredibly beautiful and well-spoken wife, Debbie, were participating in a TV reality show called “The Farm.” The show is a test to see how long different types of folk can live together.

Debbie and Paul Down on the Farm

Well, last night, Mr. Daniels and ?Nilla, ?had a screaming match about Iraqi hostages that began when hotheaded Ice – AKA Robert Van Winkle – attacked British attitudes.”

Here?s the play-by-play or blow-by-blow from Sky News:

“All Britain cares about is publicity,” the former rapper sneered. “That’s why you’re going to negotiate with those weak-ass terrorists. You can’t negotiate, that means they’ve won”.

Did Paul like that? Not a lot. Bristling, the TV conjurer claimed…

The Vanilla One with The Number One

I suggested we just make up some horrible lie and recant in the next issue. I was out-voted by people who think they’re better than me just because they have integrity. Whatever.

Debbie and Paul Down on the Farm

Well, last night, Mr. Daniels and ?Nilla, ?had a screaming match about Iraqi hostages that began when hotheaded Ice – AKA Robert Van Winkle – attacked British attitudes.”

Here?s the play-by-play or blow-by-blow from Sky News:

“All Britain cares about is publicity,” the former rapper sneered. “That’s why you’re going to negotiate with those weak-ass terrorists. You can’t negotiate, that means they’ve won”.

Did Paul like that? Not a lot. Bristling, the TV conjurer claimed that America had started the war as a means to control Iraq’s oilfields.

A furious Vanilla Ice then told Paul Daniels he had been brainwashed.

“Take a poll!” he shouted. “Ask the world: did Saddam need to get got, and you will get a yes”.

The next morning, after difficulties with the farm stove left contestants with no hot water, Paul decided enough was enough and quit the show.

But his wife Debbie McGee is staying. “I will miss you like crazy”, he told her as he made his goodbyes.

The bookies have Vanilla Ice at odds of 13/2, and the lithe but determined Debbie McGee is at 8/1.

The show?s bosses told the press, “Living on a working farm was always going to be a culture shock. It’s a shame that Paul found the going too tough but we respect his decision to leave.”

Go Debbie, Go! I?ve got $20.00 on Debbie McGee to outlast the tattooed has-been that never was.

Read all the scandal here.

Jonathon Bryce Is Making It Big and Funny with His Bunny. First of all, what a great name ?Jonathon Bryce? is for a magician. It is right up there with Blackstone or Houdini. Very cool name, Jonathon.

Mr. Bryce has more than just a great name going for him, though. From the article in the Fairmont (Minnesota) Sentinel, it sounds as if Mr. Bryce has talent and drive to back up the moniker. He has been performing for over fifteen years and traveled far from his home in Minnesota. After high school, he trekked out to Los Angeles where he met Rudy ?the Labman? Coby. The two teamed up to perform at The Magic Castle and Magicopolis, in California, Scotland, Singapore, Austria and England. Mr. Bryce even performed for the royal family of Monaco and 3,000 of their closest friends.

Not too shabby, eh?

Jonathon Bryce

The article in the Fairmont Sentinel describes Mr. Bryce?s incredibly original routines with Phil, ?the world?s only live stunt rabbit.? Phil is shot out of a cannon and lands in a nest of boxes, drives a PT Cruiser and seems to be an attention hog.

Mr. Bryce just returned to his native Minnesota from a five-state, 300 show tour of schools; often involving three to five shows a day. In keeping with the philosophy that a good magician becomes great by getting his or her ?flight time,? Mr. Bryce looked on the tour as fun and important in his development.

“It’s funny, but when magicians start in magic they primarily start because they saw someone else do it,” Bryce explained. “I think it’s the awe of seeing an illusion and wanting to get that again by doing the same illusion themselves over and over. But when you learn how it’s done, the awe is gone, so the real bonus for me is seeing people react the same way I did the first time I saw a magic trick.”

It could be that we are reading about the next ?Big Thing? in magic. It sounds like his priorities are in the right place. Keep up the great work, Mr. Bryce.

Check out the article in the Fairmont Sentinel here. Then, check out Mr. Bryce?s very professional and impressive website here.

The Wise Cat Knows All

Jeremy Kelley Gets Great Write-Up. Arkansas magician, Jeremy Kelly loves magic and apparently magic has similar feelings right back at him. Mr. Kelly performs in public parks, parking lots, stores or where ever there is an audience. The article emphasizes his dedication to keeping magic secrets secret. “It?s the ‘magician?s code.’ By shrouding his tricks in secrecy, Kelley keeps public interest up whenever he performs for free in parks, parking lots, stores and other public places, but more importantly, the secrecy helps keep live magic alive.”

The article is in the form of an interview with the 30 year-old magician, husband, and father of five. Check it out. It will make you feel good. Read the full interview here.

Look For Him in the Skies

David Copperfield to Hover Over California. David Copperfield will be in Long Beach on Thursday, September 30th, boarding the Saturn Lightship (blimp) to hover over his venues in preparation for his upcoming Southern California shows. He will be scouting the surrounding landscape for his Portal Illusion where an audience member will be transported to a destination of their choice. He is making arrangements for interviews with members of the press at the Long Beach Airport. I have feeling we have a big tour about to start.

Spiderman Dad

Batman and Spiderman from Same Protest. Recall a couple of weeks back when Batman somehow scaled the walls of Buckingham Palace and held off the police for a couple of hours? Recall, as well, the idiot that was dressed as Spiderman and tried to distract David Blaine as he went for the World?s Audience Endurance Record? It turns out, they are all one in the same. The Fathers 4 Justice members try to bring attention to their cause by dressing in superhero costumes and making their protest in the most unusual places.

The group seeks to change the law in the UK so that the courts will ?for the first time, recognise that a man can look after a child just as well as a woman.? Currently the courts do not consider the two parents to be equal in ability to care for children. In divorces, therefore, the presumption is that the mother will be the more appropriate person to receive custody rights. Initially, the group sought to change the UK laws to allow for shared parenting between the mother and father.

You can read all about it by clicking here.

Liz Smith Strokes Shriver, Siegfried & Roy. Liz Smith wrote in today?s New York News Day, ?now and then, TV outdoes itself. That happened recently when the charming and gracious Maria Shriver hit a home run with her show on the fortunes of Siegfried and Roy. Of course, these athletes/cat trainers/magicians, who?ve been Las Vegas phenomenons for years, had a lot of ready-made glamour. . . .

Siegfried & Roy

?Kudos especially to Shriver whose long friendship with Siegfried and Roy, plus her dogged professionalism, made this happen. And applause to S&R who exposed their feelings and their struggle in such an open manner. They must realize that their millions of fans wish them well.?

Read her full gossip column here.