FISM 2009 Guest Artists

FISM have released the list of "First booked guest performers of FISM WCM2009 Beijing"

Opening ceremony: All Chinese magicians

Two banquet shows: All Chinese acrobats, artists of music, singing and dancing

Grand prix winners of the last FISM convention:

Rick Merrill - United States

(From Sue-Anne's FISM 2006 Competition report)

Rick Merrill walked out carrying a pencil and began getting laughs before he even spoke. He plays a nerdish character who was “home schooled” and as he delivers a brilliantly scripted comedy routine he performs the most visual sleight of hand you’ve ever seen. He started by producing three coins, changing them into Chinese coins, then repeating the whole thing with jumbo coins. The coins seemed to appear and vanish at his fingertips effortlessly. He then went through a series of manipulations with a coin and a Sharpie that really has to be seen to be disbelieved. Finally, Rick whipped the audience into a frenzy with his “Sharpie impressions” (Penn, Teller, Uri Geller, Jeff McBride, Doug Henning and Shimada) and received a partial standing ovation.

Pilou - France

(From Sue-Anne's FISM 2006 Competition report)

A ‘youth’ in a beret and street clothes reminiscent of Oliver Twist did what can be described as a celebratory dance of magic. Pilou was so easy, so natural, so exciting and so happy as he displayed his incredible talents in dexterity and performance. He produced card fans to an apple, which turned into a red silk that produced an apple again, which he pockets. From the silk he produced a candle, as he lit it, there was a flash and it turned into an apple again which he pockets. After producing three apples, he juggled them in character. He produced a flash that produced a newspaper and confetti. He produced another apple from his hat, produced more cards for a card manipulation routine, then single card productions. He pulled out his shoe from his beret, another apple and more and more cards, card scaling, card fan productions, card juggling, catching a card in his mouth and hands to produce a card fan that changed into a newspaper and confetti again. He took an apple from his beret, then tipped up his beret causing many apples to fall out. He sat sprawled easily over a barrel, casually producing more and more cards and an apple, a red silk revealed a large card fan that he split into two. He got up and scaled more cards, produced his two shoes from his beret, then continued into large card productions, then a newspaper and confetti again, more large cards, huge cards from his beret, a card fan that he doubled into two card fans and confetti burst everywhere. An excellent act!!!

And:

Mac King - United States

(Last FISM appearance 2000 in Portugal)

Victor Voitko - Ukraine

(Flying Rings performed at FISM 1994, Yokohama.)

(From Tim & Sue-Anne's FISM 2000 Competition report)

ELENA AKATOVA & VICTOR VOITKO

T: With an interesting opening which appeared, at first, to be "Multiplying People", this was really more a costume change act than a magic act. Victor was never seen on stage, so we can assume he was the secret helper behind the backdrop of life size Russian dolls.

S: Very clever costume changes. Not a FISM magic act.

Henry Evans - Argentina

(From Tim & Sue-Anne's FISM 2000 Competition report, where he won First Place in Card Magic)

T: Technically astounding and quite entertaining. Henry vanished the box and changed the colour of the deck, cut to the kings, dealt 10 piles, each of which contained 1, 2, 3, 4 etc cards up to 10 in the tenth pile, he rearranged all the cards into order and finished with an invisible deck routine where the card was found inside a balloon. Great standard of effects, high skill level, and good routining.

S: Top technician and entertaining, too.

Juan Tamariz - Spain

(Last FISM appearance, FISM 2006)

Topas - Germany

(Last FISM appearance, FISM 2006)

David Williamson - United States

(Last FISM appearance, FISM 2003)

Shoot Ogawa - Japan

(First time at a FISM, I believe)

Lennart Green - Sweden

(Last FISM appearance, FISM 2006)

Miguel Puga - Spain

(From Tim & Sue-Anne's FISM 2003 Competition report)

T: He spoke Spanglish and was quite similar in style to Juan Tamariz. He had a double back deck and wrote the names of selected cards on the backs, then the cards became real, and eventually the entire deck was printed correctly. Quite original, extremely clever, and a crowd pleaser.

S: VERY entertaining, clever and skillful.

Shintaro Fuijiyama - Japan

(First time at FISM, I believe)

 
I.Ma.Gi.A - Italy

(From Sue-Anne's FISM competition report 2006)

Comedy. Removal boxes were labeled in different ways ‘Light’, ‘Heavy’, ‘Do Not Touch’, ‘Keep’, ‘Together’. As the two removalists started moving the boxes various actions take place like fire in one box, the flames being doused with a production of a fish bowl full of water. The ‘Light’ box was heavy while the ‘Heavy’ box was covered with an ‘Air Mail’ cloth and ‘zombied’. They separated the ‘Keep’ and ‘Together’ boxes, one vanished and reappeared. One removalist smoked a cigarette over the ‘Danger’ and ‘Explosives’ boxes. The ‘Danger’ box rattled ominously and exploded into cubes that couldn’t have all fit in the box. The best and most deceptive part of the act was the finale when a large box over a crate sitting on brick stands was levitated. Whilst levitating, the box was opened at the top and a girl was shown inside. The box was closed and levitated upside down and hands appeared out of the box at the bottom. The box was levitated the right way up again and the girl was shown in the box again, looking as light as a feather. Then, the girl got out of the box that was still floating! The box was placed back down on the crate when a lion’s roar was heard. The young lady’s Italian mama climbed out of the box also, grabbed the girl by the arm and, waving her rolling pin in the air, chased the two removalists off stage.

Omar Pasha - France

(Last at FISM 1997, I think)

Jorgos - Germany

(Click here for his video)

(Third Place FISM Grand Illusion 1994)

Double Fantasy - Ukraine

(First FISM, I believe)

Peter Marvey - Switzerland

(Last appeared at FISM 2006 on the gala)

 

David Sousa - Portugal

(From Sue-Anne Webster's FISM 2006 Competition report where he won 2nd prize in Manipulation)

David wore a black suit, red tie and white gloves that turned into a white ball as he took them off, which in turn changed into a white scarf. He produced a cane, put a knot in his scarf that was flicked off into a ball, then attached the ball to the end of the cane as a ferrule. David’s moves are very clean and elegant. He produced a red envelope with the Ace of Hearts inside. He took out the card, vanished it and it ended up back inside the envelope. He took it out and went on to card manipulation ending as the cards turned into confetti. He produced more cards and the card ended up back inside the envelope, more card fans appeared from which he reproduced the envelope. He removed two heart cards from inside the envelope which he changed to a red scarf and back to the envelope again. David produced a large card fan that shrank and vanished to confetti. He showed his hat with nothing in it, but confetti floated out. A very clean, elegant act.

 

If you'd like to visit all of the artist's websites, CLICK HERE.

 

If you haven't booked yet, go to www.FISM2009.org and register. And drop us a line if you'd like to join Sue-Anne, myself and a few other Aussie and New Zealand magicians flying from downunder to Beijing!