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News from the World of Magic>
April Fools and Pranks from Wunderground
March 30, 2010
Wunderground is 39 years old on April 1! To celebrate we added graphics to our emails. I know it's a lot to take in at once, so you may want to set this aside and lie down a bit until your eyes adjust to the fancy lights, spectacular colors, and really awful jokes. On second thought, you'll never adjust to the awful jokes, so might as well just plunge ahead.
Hi, I'm Paul from Wunderground Magic with a spectacular extravaganza of special effects just to dazzle you and bring your audience to it's feet. (Usually my audience is on it's feet shortly after I get started, in a mad rush to be the first out the door, but maybe that's just me.)
39 years ago, on April 1, 1971 (April Fool's Day) Charlie Romig founded the shop that would later become Wunderground on the second floor of a small, abandoned office building just next to Sam Raimi’s film production company (of Evil Dead and Spiderman fame) and down the street from Sams Jams in Fashionable Ferndale. Michigan. (Though why anyone would ever mistake Ferndale for fashionable is beyond me, but that’s what the article said, so I’m guessing things were just a little different back then.)
As our present to you, you'll get 25% off your purchases at Wunderground Magic for one day only, April 1, and that's no joke. That's 25% off anything in the store - magic, juggling, puzzles, pranks, costumes, even classes. All you have to do is say the magic words "Happy Birthday, Wunderground Magic." (Marie was complaining that my magic words were too hard to remember.) You've never had seen a sale like this before, and if it weren't for the fact that we need to raise money to pay for these fancy graphics, we wouldn't do it.
So come to Wunderground Magic on April 1, and see if I'll fall for your prank yet again. (Yes, the refrigerator is running.) We're open until 8, but the sale ends at 8:01PM so, don't you be late.
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Classes
Children’s Classes
Classes for children ages 7 through 13 are held every Saturday morning from 10 until 11 AM in the Wunderground Magic Academy. When you sign up you will get a wand, a performance mat, and a box to hold all the magic props we will give you as you progress through the course. Sign up today.
Adult Workshop
Our April adult workshop features close-up magic. The script includes effects with cards, napkins, sponge balls, and prosthetic appendages - but if you've ever attended a magic class before you know Dave never follows the script. Come to Wunderground, be amazed at magic that happens up close and personal, then learn how to perform it yourself..
Adult magic workshops are held the first Tuesday of each month, which this month will be April 6, at 6:30 PM.
Advanced Adult Workshop
April's Advanced Magic Workshop features the Matrix. It's one of those magic effects that's so strong it can only be use as a closer. What an effect - easy to follow, elegant, and baffling. Coins pass unseen from beneath playing cards to arrive where they couldn't possibly be.
Advanced adult magic workshops are held the third Tuesday of each month, which this month will be April 20, at 6:30 PM.
Thursday Sessions
We’re open until 8 on Thursday evenings. Come out and share, learn, watch, or just discuss magic. Bring your own props. We’ll supply common items such as cards, rope, rubber bands, mats, and a mysterious place to gather.
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Don Viano Booksigning
Don Viano will be at Wunderground Magic on Saturday, April 10 beginning at 1PM to sign his book Viva Viano! The Amazing Life and Adventures of "The Great Viano!"
Don is a treasure and a character you will remember. He's escaped from a water torture cell, had part of his head sliced off by a guillotine, ridden trick horses, and almost drown (twice) while trying to escape from a strait jacket after being thrown into a river.
Come to Wunderground Magic and relive the moments of "Cowboy Don," "The Mad Hatter and his Madcap Magic," "The White Wizard," "Pocus the Magic Pixie," and of course "The Great Viano" himself.
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Meet the Newest Member of Wunderground Magic
Stop in and say "Hello" to Poof the amazing Wunder-Bunny! Poof will be working the big top hat on weekdays during the day when the store isn't busy. She's still learning how to perform magic tricks, so don't expect a lot from her just yet. As you can see she's already mastered the rabbit in the hat trick. Next we will teach her how to throw her voice.
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Frank Jogular's Column
Now You See It
Greetings fellow magic enthusiasts!
It saddens and shocks me a bit when hanging out in the shop I hear grown man say things like “That’s nice, but I’m no sleight of hand guy” when referring to some effect that deep down they WISH they could do, but don’t. They believe they are too old, or “it isn’t necessary”.
HOGWASH!
Deep inside they know they are envious as hell of the other guys who continually fool them or get decent reactions from other guys with the chutzpah to “make a move” once in awhile. They pick up books, thumb through them and then put them down because anything more complicated than a “double lift” frightens them to no end.
The truth of the matter is we all want to be able to do some good BASIC stuff. And yup – it takes practice.
But I think a lot of people would be willing to tackle trying to learn some stuff if they had a less intimidating guide to introduce them to sleight of hand magic.
Paul at the Wunderground happens to sell one of the best (and fun to read) primers on sleight of hand magic called Now You See It – Now You Don’t by Bill Tarr.
Who is Bill Tarr you may ask?
Google him! He happens to be one of the world’s most famous large scale sculptor artists. He was the one behind the massive Martin Luther King Jr. memorial in NYC. He happens to be a sleight of hand magic enthusiast and while mingling in the art community, he had world famous sports illustrator Barry Ross create the easy to follow illustrations. Ross has an amazing gift for being able to make clear illustrations that can demonstrate MOVEMENT and how things should look unlike anyone I have ever seen.
Best of all, Now You See It – Now You Don’t will take you easily from square one – how to riffle or fan a deck, through a series of easy to comprehend lessons eventually teaching you to throw three card monte, a great and simple version of the cups and balls, to billiard balls and cigarette manipulation.
And the kicker is IT ONLY COSTS AROUND $20!!!
Even if you do some decent sleight-of-hand, this is a basic book that really should be on your shelf as a reference.
So pop on down to the Wunderground and pick up a copy!
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Events
Hypnotist Kevin Lepine
Mark Ridley's Comedy Castle
Wed. March 31 at 8PM
18 and over welcome. Tickets only $15
Reservations call 248-542-9900
Aaron Balcom : Rock & Roll Meets Grand Illusion!
Friday, April 16, 2010 from 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM (ET)
Allen Park Auditorium, 16850 Southfield Road, Allen Park 48101
The Toledo Blade says Aaron Balcom's show is "David Copperfield Meets The Backstreet Boys" and is filled with production value, including a computerized light show, special effects, dancing, digital scenery and more!
For more information click here.
Bill Blagg: A Night of Magic
Friday April 16 at 8pm
Macomb Center for the Performing Arts
586.286.2222
www.MacombCenter.com
Michigan Magic Day 2010
Saturday, May 8, Grand Rapids, sponsored by Ring 211. See www.michiganmagicday.com for more information.
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And Finally
If you missed the magic words, go back and reread the newsletter. It's worth it. (Unless it's Friday, in which case, never mind.)
Take care,
Paul
P.S. Call Wunderground Magic, Inc. to make your next event magical. Hurry, magicians are disappearing quickly!
Wunderground Magic, Inc.
Cool stuff for surface dwellers
16 S. Main St., Clawson, MI 48017
Phone: (248) 280-5925
Web: http://www.wundergroundmagicshop.com
Store hours: Mon, Tues, Wed, Fri 11-6; Thurs 11-8; Sat 11-5; Sun 12-5
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Cool stuff for surface dwellers
at Wunderground Magic, Inc.
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© Wunderground Magic, Inc. 2008-2011
16 S. Main Street
Clawson, MI 48017
(248) 280-5925
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