Ring NO. 46, OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – Seymour Davis Ring
Meets 7:00 pm, 1st Monday of the month at the New Beginning Fellowship Church, 15601 S. Pennsylvania in OKC
LEE WOODSIDE, Secretary. Email: WoodsideLee@hotmail.com.
www.okcmagic.club
Ring 46 was pleased to host a lecture by Bill Wisch in November. Bill was a student of Slydini and claimed to be the only one authorized by Slydini to teach his material. While the effects Bill covered were great, it was well worth the price of the lecture to me just to hear his stories about magic greats such as Tannen, Zarrow and, of course, Slydini.
Bill performed a wonderful version of “Any Card at Any Number.” He also performed the “Helicopter Card,” a bare-handed coin production and flurry, and “X-Box,” where a selected card ends up folded in quarters within the deck when it is replaced in the card box.
Bill invited Rick Martin to join him at his table to participate in the legendary “Slydini Silks” routine. Despite the fact that two silk scarves were securely tied together, they magically disconnected.
Bill also performed an effect where a card was selected and returned to the deck. The participant then rolled an imaginary die several times to select which of six packets of cards to use. Six cards from this packet were dealt onto the table and the participant again rolled the imaginary die to select the final card. Sure enough, it turned out to be the selection.
Following his performances, Bill explained each of the effects in detail. Bill left us with this quote, “Misdirection is true when they believe what you do and they follow you.”
Our December meeting was devoted to our annual Holiday Party and Stage/Parlor Magic Contest. Members brought along spouses, kids and friends to join in the festivities. We started with a feast of turkey, smoked ham, and numerous side dishes and desserts.
After everyone had his or her fill, it was on to the stage and parlor magic contest. President Cassidy Smith first introduced Derrick Beeson. Derrick performed a stand-up coins across routine. Derrick then brought out a deck of cards with the first name of a different celebrity written on the back of each card. A card was chosen and the name written on it was Leonardo. Derrick then took from his prediction envelope a photo of Leonardo DiCaprio . . . as a baby. After the groans died down, he turned the photo over to show a more current photo of DiCaprio.
Terry “Mr. T.Lo” LoSawyer placed a small cabinet over the head of his daughter, Rebecca. After inserting numerous swords into the cabinet, he opened it to show that Rebecca’s head had disappeared. When the swords were removed, her head was restored. T.Lo then asked Brian Tabor and his wife, Michelle to help him demonstrate how an old-fashioned water pump on the farm used to work. T.Lo used an ice pick to poke a hole in the top of Michelle’s head. He then poured water into the hole to “prime the pump.” Finally, he held a funnel under her elbow and asked Brian to work the handle (her other arm.) As Brian vigorously worked the “pump handle,” water flowed from the funnel.
New member Rick Martin used the contest as his member performance debut. He showed an old electrical board from the early 20th century that he had found at a flea market. It had four light bulbs (red, green, blue and yellow) and four switches with covers corresponding to the colors of the lights. He showed that each switch controlled the light of the corresponding color. However, when he switched light bulbs, the switches still controlled the lights matching the colors of the switches. When he switched the colored switch covers, each switch still controlled the light of the same color. When he removed a switch cover, the light of that color would no longer come on. It was baffling!
Brian Tabor and his wife, Michelle performed as a team. They started by each performing the Professor’s Nightmare, except that hers worked and his did not. Brian then invited Jay Relkin to select a card, sign it, and return it to the deck. After he had done so, Brian brought out a steel animal trap and set it. He placed the deck of cards in his mouth and slowly bent down to lower the deck onto the trap’s trigger. When the trap snapped shut onto the deck, Brian stood up straight and removed the folded card from his mouth. Jay verified his signature.
Shaun Clark performed a very artistic linking ring routine using only two rings. His choice of background music greatly enhanced the effect.
Darryl Brooks began with a knots off silk scarf routine. Next he invited Alex and Derrick to assist him. He tied two ropes onto “Houdini’s Wand” and threaded chains and handcuffs onto the ropes. As his helpers held the ends of the ropes, Darryl removed the wand and all the restraint devices fell free of the ropes, which were still being securely held by the assistants. Darryl ended his show with a 4-ring linking ring routine set to music.
Lee Woodside invited Jonathon and his son, Blain to participate in a “game show.” Lee brought out three “tree frogs” named Monte, Thelma and Louise and said that the object of the game was to keep their eyes on Monte. Jonathon’s was never able to finger the right frog and his son won all the candy bars. Jonathon did receive a consolation prize, which was a jumping frog. Lee credited the idea for his routine to the late Bob McAllister. Lee said he calls the routine “Tree Frog Monte.”
Mike Stelzer performed a comedy magic routine. He began with two linked rings, which refused all efforts to come apart. He said that he was only a bit hungry and used a chopper to cut a hot dog in half. He placed his own wrist through the hole of the same chopper, but the blade penetrated his arm without injury. He penetrated his neck with dental floss and then ate the hot dog while reading instructions on how to perform the linking rings. Alas, the rings still refused to unlink.
After a short break for the contest votes to be tabulated, Cassidy Smith held what may well have been one of the shortest business meeting in magic history. It took less than a minute for all current officers of Ring 46 to be re-elected by acclamation to serve again in 2020. Cassidy Smith is President, Justin Teeman is Vice President, Lee Woodside is Secretary, and Michael King is Treasurer.
Cassidy then announced the winners of the 2019 Stage and Parlor Magic Contest. Lee Woodside won first place, which was a $50 gift certificate for Penguin Magic (just in time for the cyber-Monday specials.) Brian and Michelle Tabor won second place and a $25 gift certificate. Rick Martin won third, which was a vintage Lance Burton T-Shirt and several magic DVDs. Each winning contestant will also receive a trophy at a later meeting.
Cassidy closed the meeting by reading a card from Dayna Davis Savage commending the officers and members of Ring 46 for keeping her daddy’s magic alive. Dayna’s father was Seymour Davis, a longtime Oklahoma City magician and the namesake of IBM Ring 46 in Oklahoma City.
Lee Woodside