VANISH MAGIC BACK ISSUES ANDREW GERARD | Page 11

will take two years. Anyone interested in donating can go to the society’s website to learn more, said Bowers of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, who will become the society’s next president in July. After the group raises funds for Houdini’s grave, it will move on to other dearly departed magicians whose eternal resting places may need some sprucing. www.houdini.org http://magicsam.com Austin James – Street Magician Promoting Autism Awareness FLORIDA : Austin James (Austin J. Cuddeback) is a 15 year old street magician who is also an autism advocate striving to promote autism awareness. Austin was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome at the age of 12. Austin has been nominated to be a member of the The National Academy of Future Scientists and Technologists, of whom the Science Director is Buzz Aldrin. He is going to get to meet Mr. Aldrin and other top minds of Science and Technology in Cambridge, MA in June 2015 at the annual Congress. More details about Austin’s Autism & Magic Science Fair Project can be found here. Source : http://www. autismdailynewscast.com/in After wowing the judges in this year’s Britain’s Got Talent – making it all the way to the final – illusionist Darcy Oake is back on screen this December with his very own one hour magic special. Darcy Oake: Edge of Reality will be hosted by Christine Bleakley at the historic Blackpool Opera House. In his new programme, Darcy will be taking to the streets of Blackpool to wow the locals with his talents, and the show’s spectacular grand finale will feature an illusion not performed in public for over 100 years. However, Soumik Sen has been granted the permission by son of Sorcar to work on biopic. Sorcar died of a heart attack at the age of 58 in Ashaikawa, Hokkaidō, Japan, on January 6, 1971. Keith Barry makes a Royal Prediction The royal household could soon be celebrating ANOTHER baby after a selfstyled ‘mentalist’ predicted Prince Harry would get a girl pregnant. INDIA : Actor Akshay Kumar will be essaying the role of a world-class renowned magician in his forthcoming biopic based on the life of late Sorcar. As one of a series of claims, Irish ‘hypnotist’ Keith Barry ‘predicts’ that the current fourth in line to the throne will create a “scandal” by getting a girl pregnant in the coming months. According to the reports, writer-director Soumik Sen had a long time desire to make biopic on the late magician. Mr Barry made the prediction on his Facebook page after saying he had been hit with “crazy new premonitions”. According to a source, “The various modalities of the project are being worked out. Soumik has already worked on the script. He was keen that an A-lister feature in the title role.” An accomplished Richmond born-and-raised magician who earned a historic award last summer is set to be honored by the City of Richmond later this month. The source adds, “When the director approached Akshay, he showed huge interest in the film which has already got the support of a production house.” On July 4, Alex Ramon, 29, was honored at a massive magician’s convention in St. Louis with the Milbourne Christopher Award recognizing his achievements as an illusionist. CANADA : Retired Fergus “magicomedian” Peter Marucci has been awarded the Howard Bamman trophy for the second time by the International Brotherhood of Magicians, in recognition of his 28year contribution to the organization’s magazine The Linking Ring. The Fergus resident is the only Canadian ever to receive the award and the only magician to receive it twice. In his Showtime column, Marucci would outline a new illusion every month and give detailed instructions on incorporating “patter” into performances – his trademark. Moving to Fergus in 1985, he was instrumental as managing editor during the start-up of the Guelph Tribune, where he began writing his syndicated humour column Around Our Place. After the Tribune launched, he moved to the Fergus-Elora News Express with Around Our Place, which ran for 24 years in that paper and various other community papers across Canada. Because of his health, Marucci retired two years ago, but his eyes still light up at any mention of magic. The award, named after a late American magician and author, has been previously earned by Siegfried and Roy, David Copperfield, Lance Burton and Harry Blackstone, Jr. Ramon is the youngest to receive it. Darcy Oake VANISH - International Magic Magazine www.VanishMagazine.com 11