Penn & Teller will be the guest narrators in the hit Broadway show "The Rocky Horror Show" this week Dec. 18-23. An already wild show, based on the movie with the huge following, Penn & Teller have been toying with some wild ideas of their own as what will happen during their partially improvised role. Rumors are abound in the press about Penn & Teller entering a cage full of live rats, starting fires, dressing like women or as an Associated Press story reported, "The magician duo of Penn & Teller even plan to add fuel to the fire - literally. Teller is learning to eat fire and Penn is trying on a pair of fishnets and high heels." The shows take place at the Circle In The Square Theatre (1633 Broadway) in New York City. Tickets are available by clicking: HERE.(12/17)

Ed Garnighian is featured in a Weehawken Reporter story, which looks at his career so far and his prospects of a future as a professional magician. He was inspired and mentored by New York magician Al Faria. He honed his skills by performing on the streets of New York City and recently in Romania. To read the Dec. 16 article by Jim Hague titled "Magic man" click: HERE.(12/17)

Harry Anderson has just sold his house in Pasadena, CA to attorney Brian Kabateck. According to a Los Angeles times article "The selling price was close to the most recent asking price of $2,995,000." To read the Dec. 16 article by Ruth Ryon titled "Hot Property" click: HERE.(12/17)

Billy McComb, Mystina, Loren C. Michaels, Alfonso, Steve Silverman, Scott Lazar, Jeff Steele, and Bob Stone appear at the Magic Castle in Los Angeles on Dec. 17-23.(12/17)

Criss Angel signing autographs after his sold-out show "Mindfreak" on Saturday December 15 where celebrities and wrestlers are seen enjoying themselves at the World Underground Theatre inside the WWF New York complex. (Photo: MagicTimes).(12/17)

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Tim Scarbrough in a News Chief article talks about always being prepared to perform magic, "I make it a point before I get dressed to have a trick ready that I can do anywhere… I always wear rubber bands under my watch. I can do six minutes worth of tricks with these things." Explaining about the appeal of magic and the Harry Potter phenomenon he said, "The appeal of magic is that something impossible is happening and there is no explanation for it… When kids see another magician perform, it empowers them to do the impossible, too. Most people who are magicians became a magician because they saw another one perform." To read the Dec.17 article by Ann-Marie Newman titled "It's a kind of magic" click: HERE.(12/18)

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Magic show shake-ups are reported in a Las Vegas Review-Journal article, which states that "Dirk Arthur is leaving Bally's "Jubilee!" to pursue an opportunity in Asia," and "The Magic of David Darkstone -- Illusions & Beyond" wrapped up on Thursday." Darkstone co-producer Will Roya pointed out, "We lasted longer than Robert Goulet or 'Beats of Passion' and made some money during the summer… What more do we have to prove?" The good news is that award-winning magician Murray "The Guy With the CDs" will be opening with his own show at the New Frontier next month. To read the Dec. 18 article by Mike Weatherford titled "Rio reaches deal with interactive 'Tony n' Tina's Wedding'" click: HERE.(12/19)

Mike Bent, popular Boston based magician/comedian, just taped a spot for the NBC "Late Friday" show which is scheduled to air in March.(12/19)

The Dec. 8 issue of Science News ran a feature about how scientists and mathematicians have been working on "Better ways to tell a tangled circle from a knotted loop." Also in the article are references to magicians and rope tricks. To read the Dec. 8 article titled "Knot possible" supplied by YellowBrix and Infoseek click: HERE.(12/19)

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The Fort Lauderdale Magic Society members are performing in seven South Florida hospitals this holiday season to cheer up children. A Florida Sun-Sentinel reported that, "The group of magicians started visiting area hospitals seven years ago when local magician Manny Riskin of Boynton Beach decided he wanted to do something for children who were stuck in hospitals during the holidays." The article also describes a performance by Roger & Linda Firestone at the Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital. To read the Dec. 19 article by Gregg Lasky titled "The magic of a smile can be healing" click: HERE.(12/20)

Penn & Teller's stint at the Rocky Horror Show on Broadway is mentioned in Playbill. To read the Dec. 18 article by Christine Ehren titled "Fridge-Free Penn and Teller Are Rocky Horror's Narrators Dec. 18-23" click: HERE.(12/20)

FLORIDA: IBM Ring #303 will present its first annual Holiday Magic Show on Saturday Dec. 23 at 7pm at the J. Howard Wood Theatre (2200 Periwinkle Way) in Sanibel Island. Featured performers include: Tommy Williams and Terry Harris. Tickets are $10-$15 and are available by phoning: 941-418-1247.(12/20)

PRESS RELEASE: WORLD'S LARGEST USED MAGIC DEALER LAUNCHES WEBSITE.

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Al Cohen and his magic shop are the subject of a Dec. 21 Morning Edition segment on National Public Radio (NPR). Coordinated with the radio spot is a story on the NPR website which quotes Max Maven, "Al could take virtually any trick and make it look good." The site also contains photos, performance clips and a short story about his upcoming retirement. The radio spot by Barry Gordemer will be available on the web after 12pm ET on the 21st. To listen to the show and read the article click: HERE.(12/21)

Melvin Burkhart is remembered in The Telegraph where they reported "He was particularly proud of bringing together William Durks, the Two-Faced Man, who suffered from a cleft mouth, split nose and third "eye", with the Alligator Girl, whose rare skin condition gave her a reptilian appearance. They were happily married for six years before Durks's death." To read the Dec. 19 obituary click: HERE.(12/21)

Uri Geller takes credit for Newcastle's (Football team) first win in 30 games. FootballBC reported him saying "When Newcastle scored the winning goal, I was running on the outside to increase the magic." To read the Dec. 21 article by Håvard Finstad titled "Magician takes credit for Newcastle's win at Highbury" click: HERE.(12/21)

PRESS RELEASE: TWO MAGIC DVDS RELEASED BEFORE THE END OF 2001.

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Criss Angel's Mindfreak is reviewed in the New York Times where they describe the show as an, "entertaining intermissionless show, which runs slightly more than an hour amid eerie rock, darkly atmospheric lighting, video projections and bursts of smoke, while creatures seemingly summoned from the realms of science fiction, comic books and cartoons crouch, caper and clomp as they aid, abet and attack the star." The magic in the show is also described, "He can make doves fly out of hands that seem to have held only flames or crumpled paper. He can hurl a deck of cards against a transparent pane, where the only one that sticks is the one previously chosen by a member of the audience. Mr. Angel can disappear and reappear and make others do the same. He can turn a dollar bill into a $10 bill, which is capitalist magic. And of course he can make people from the audience appear to levitate." The review concludes that the show, "is a skillful diversion, especially for those who like their magic, if not black, at least very dark." To read the Dec. 21 review by Lawrence Van Gelder titled "You Don't Want to Levitate? Hold On" click: HERE. (A free subscription site).(12/22)

Alaska Magic Kids' (part of the SAM's SYM) hold their annual holiday show "The Holiday Magic Extravaganza" on Dec. 26-28 and The Anchorage Daily News ran a story about the performers who will participate. To read the Dec. 21 article by Sandi Gerjevic titled "Amazing youngsters make holidays magical" click: HERE.(12/22)

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David Copperfield, who opens at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Dec. 25 with a run through Jan. 1, is featured in this week's Las Vegas Showbiz which takes a whimsical look at him and his accomplishments -- "Yes, he likes to deceive the public for the fun of it. He even brags about his conquests. 'I've vanished every big object there is to vanish; I've escaped from everything you can escape from. ... I did a lot of stuff.'" The article points out that he must be a mad man and must be stopped, "How much longer can we let it go on? He levitates across national parks, saws himself in half, walks right into giant fans. The man is a risk to himself and others. He once said: "Before there can be wonders, there must be wonder." We wonder when those FBI agents are going to catch up with him.  Then again, he'd probably just up and fly away." To read the Dec.23-29 article by Jaime Buerger titled "Magic's Mastermind" click: HERE.(12/23)

Hip-hop stars Outkast just started airing their new music video for the song "The Whole World" which features scenes of mad clowns sawing a person in half under a circus tent.(12/23)

David Darkstone's former partner Will Roya has taken over their show, revamped it called it "V -- The Ultimate Variety Show" and will be at the New Frontier in Las Vegas till the end of the year. According to a Las Vegas Sun article, replacing Darkstone is magician Raushan Hammond, and quick-change artists Nikolai and Nina with their children contortionist Maria Malachikhina and hand-balancer Vladimir. To read the Dec. 21 article by Joe Delaney titled "'Ultimate Variety' offers bit of everything" click: HERE.(12/23)

Rev. Tony Christie is profiled in The Augusta Chronicle which explained that he, "uses sleight of hand and optical illusions to teach biblical truth. "I call it magic with a message," he said. Also reported was that around a dozen of the local IBM Ring #184's members are ministers -- around a third of the members. To read the Dec. 22 article by Virginia Norton titled "A message in the magic" click: HERE.(12/23)

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