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 FLASH - 2008 OSCAR NOMINEES -
In Steve's BLOG.
(LAS VEGAS) - As I get a few emails that wonder why I hardly ever talk of magic in this column, I felt I needed to explain the goal of this column for those who might have missed it when we first rolled out onto the scene over 6 months ago.
Bill and Chelsea listen as mom Hillary sings
The title of this column - I should say "subtitle" is "The Vegas Magic Scene". I define Vegas Magic as the people, places and shows that all add up to the magic that is Vegas.
Get it?
Sure I will be covering all that is magic from the world of magicians and their tricks, (check out a few magic photos from a recent magic happening seen below) but I also might want to share some of the other "magic" of Vegas, such as the people who perform in non-magic shows, the celebrities who show up here, something "magical" that happens that I feel is of interest to you, and basically, anything "magical" that I observe or hear about or feel like commenting on.
That's why the "Vegas Magic Scene" may or may not contain stories about magic shows or magicians and their bunnies. The one thing I can promise and guarantee is that if you give me a few minutes every week, I'll give you a smile or two. And perhaps even surprise you a bit.
I'm just an entertainer, I do a few card tricks, tell some jokes, and write stuff. Hope you enjoy the show.
 THE BILL & HILLARY SHOW
Jan and I were invited to attend a cool event, a rally with the Clinton's. Hillary, Bill and Chelsea were in fine form at this event, we were among close to 5,000 people who jammed into the high school gym to cheer and scream and laugh and spend a couple of hours with this amazing family - and it was easy to imagine them back in the White House, which would certainly be a change over the current two oil men we have running things there now.
We were in the front row, so we had a great opportunity to not only watch them and observe the way they all interacted with each other, like any close-knit family would, but we got to speak with them, and most important, I now have another great playing card autograph for my collection.
I have a most unique deck of playing cards, with autographs of some notables, like Milton Berle, Mickey Mantel, Bob Hope and Jerry Lewis, among others.
 I now have one with potential historic potential, it's signed by Hillary and Bill (who I didn;t realize until I met him, is a leftie).
First I asked Hillary to sign it, which she did...
Then I asked the former president...he reached for the card...
He asked me if it would disappear...
 He smiled and signed it ABOVE Hillary.
Should Hillary win, which very well could happen, then I have a playing card that is signed by 2 US presidents.
Bill Clinton wearing his XanGo tie
 Here's the card; it's a blank faced card from a deck of Magic Castle playing cards.
When Hillary was speaking, Bill and Chelsea would often whisper something between them and watch HIllary, you could see the bond they share, it was a rare, intimate evening (with thousands watching, yes) but it gave all those present a chance to see beyond the sound bites and rhetoric and just witness a mother, her husband, and their daughter, all of whom just happen to comprise the most recognizable family in America, a former President and his wife who just might end up becoming the first woman president. Watching them interact together was the best part of the night.
Jan captured the night with some amazing photos.
You can watch them now, it takes a bit of time to download them (it took me one minute on my computer on a high speed connect). Be patent, they are really worth it. Watch the slide show now.
KRESKIN, MOVE OVER
Anyone even remember Kreskin? He was the prominent "Mentalist" entertainer (really just a guy doing magic tricks and a hypnosis act but packaged expertly as a mentalist who did mind things) back in the 60's and 70's. I worked with him once, (what a weird experience that was) on a show where we shared the bill. We were both on the Mike Douglas Show once. His big thing in his show was to have his check hidden, and if he couldn't find it, you didn't have to pay him. When we did the show together, I had a duplicate set of glasses that looked just like his, and I switched them in his dressing room before the show. We both had a good laugh over that one. I laughed a lot more than he did. He still found his check, but not before he had that moment of sheer panic while standing onstage before he spotted me standing offstage in the wings, waving his glasses in my hand. He walked to the edge of the curtain, speaking to the audience, and without missing a beat, he put his hand behind himself, and I reached over and placed the glasses into his hand. Audience never knew anything happened.
Anyway, back to my "Move Over, Kreskin" title.
Keep in mind that last week's column was written long before the Pats racked up another win and this column is being written on Saturday the day BEFORE the Patriots play host to the San Diego Chargers in Foxboro.
I wrote about the Pats winning even though the game had yet to be played.
And I am doing so again this week. Let me just go out on a limb here and say that this mismatch will be over before you know it, and the Chargers will have a long, sad flight back to San Diego as they get pounded and beaten into submission, and the Pats pull another win on their way to their goal - a trip to Arizona to play in yet another Super Bowl.
CELEBRITY CHEF CONNECTION
As I mentioned last week, I taped an appearance on Celebrity Chef Connection, a fairly new show based here in Vegas.
The show tapes in the kitchen of producer and writer Barbara Nosek, who I am happy to say, along with her co-host Debbie Hall, will be writing for us beginning next week, in our all new FOOD section.
You can visit their web site and watch (and listen) to the interviews and get the recipes that are prepared. My garlic-heavy concoction was prepared just before Barbara had to rush off to do more interviews (she is a busy and well-respected journalist, writing for several papers in Vegas and beyond) and she no doubt ate a lot of breath mints on the way.
The big feature of their web site is the interactive audio/video Internet show that features a top chef and other food/wine guests each week, and your questions are invited. Their programs also include food-loving segments spotlighting news, entertainers, events, books, contests, conventions, and reports from foodie cities everywhere. So, check out my interview and recipe for our family's "Secret Sauce" right here.
THE MYSTERY OF MAX
Long ago, around 1992, I wrote a show called "Mario & Mary's Italian Wedding" and produced the show - an interactive comedy - in Boston first, and over time, in other cities. It still plays in many places (soon to open in Sandusky, Ohio) and I am quite proud of the great reviews it has received over the years.
I remember the casting of the very first cast, the original actors who were set to appear in the show. I spent about a week interviewing and meeting various characters from the New England area who were auditioning for the show. It was a fun (and often wild) experience. We had experienced actors with lots of talent and experience and we also had some people with absolutely no experience who fit the parts and I felt could become really good. In most cases, we were correct, and many of these novices discovered a new career and remained with the show for years.
One of the parts in the show consisted of a "Godfather" character. He would arrive after the ceremony was over, while the meal was being served.
The show, maybe I should explain, consisted of a "real" wedding and reception. The audience members were the wedding "guests" and they often got the chance to interact with the actors who never break character and who treat the audience members as long lost family members who have come together for this wedding of 2 families that hate each other. Lots of stereotyped characters, funny bits and gags filled the evening. It was like attending a real live wedding and reception, with food, dancing, singing and staged arguments with the cast. A total blast.
The Godfather would arrive as the groom would suddenly grab a mike and yell, "Mary, look, it's your Godfather".
The familiar music from the movie played as 2 bodyguards, big guys with no necks, in suits and sunglasses, opened the doors for the one and only Don Vito - the Godfather himself.
I envisioned a slick, white-haired gentleman who was dressed classy and who commanded respect from the moment he walked into the room. The casting agency sent me a lot of potentials, but most of them fit the category of "gangster" or "hit man" more than that of the sophisticated mob leader I imagined.
On the day when I was set to audition these actors for the role, I scanned the room that was filled with hopeful actors, many of whom came dressed as thugs, some with guns tucked into their pants. One had a real gun, and we asked to him to leave right away.
As I walked over to my table, where I would sit while each actor was brought to me for a short interview, I caught a glimpse of one guy sitting in the corner by himself, dressed to the nines in a fine suit, with an overcoat, scarf, gloves, white hair, extremely handsome. All I saw was the Godfather that was in my mind. The exact look I I was searching for.
In my heart I remember thinking, "I hope this guy can act, because he's surely got the look." Then I made the decision that even if he COULDN'T act, he was going to be our Godfather and I would teach him everything he might need to know in order to pull off the role.
I went through the motions as each actor stepped up before me and did their best to show me why they would be right for the part. I was polite, but firm. None of them came close to being "right" for the part.
I have auditioned many, many actors over the years for TV commercials and pilots that I have directed, and this was just another one of those casting sessions. I was pleasantly surprised by several of the actors and actually ended up hiring many of them for the second and third casts of the show once we were up and running and looking to expand on the show which was rapidly becoming the talk of the town.
FInally, the man I had seen sitting by himself strode in, and he was, without question, my Godfather. His name was Max Wheeler. From Cape Cod. He smiled, he remained sort of in character, and he did what most people never do when attended an audition - he came dressed for the role.
When he sat down, we had a short chat and I immediately liked him. Not only his look, which was perfect, but his demeanor was great, and although he had very little acting experience, he had been doing a lot of modeling work, and knew how to handle himself with a crowd. I figured a few meetings and rehearsals with me and he'd be the ultimate Godfather. I was right. I hired him on the spot. He became our Godfather and nobody, in all the other casts in other cities - ever came close to his portrayal of the Godfather. He was fantastic.
I was not surprised to discover that Max was an artist, a man of many talents. His artwork - abstracts, water colors, amazing canvases, were selling for high prices and many collectors included his work in their collections. He was also a poet, I learned, and as you have seen over the past months, his poetry is exceptional, fun, thought-provoking and original.
Here's the original cast of Mario & Mary's Wedding, can you spot Max?
 We remained in touch over the years, he gave Jan and me an original painting for our wedding present, which we cherish, and we are all delighted that he has agreed to provide us with some of his poems. His latest is here.
So, my friends, that is how we met the original Don Vito, and how he came to be known as the Godfather.
MAGIC IN VEGAS
 Magician and actor (and daredevil) John Calvert, now at the ripe age of 96, still going strong, and he was honored by the magicians of Las Vegas (The Fantasma Ring 275 and Roger Dreyer sponsored it) and it was a grand old time, as magicians and celebrities came together to honor a man who has spent the better part of the last 7 DECADES entertaining on the world's stages and movie screens.
Various magicians performed and spoke about John, and then John and Tammy took to the stage and performed some of his classic original magic.
 I reported on this event before, yes, but we just found a couple of additional great photos from the night.
Peter Reveen and John Calvert discussing
facial hair
Peter and Coral Reveen with John
Have a great week.
Magically yours,
Steve
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