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With spring making a belated appearance in New York we
are trying to find a substitute for sulphur and molasses in a
valiant effort to miss the nauseous effects of grandmother’s
favorite old remedy while warding off the sleepiness and
indolence that always comes with the thinning of our blood
after a long winter. It may be little or no excuse to the readers who live the
year around in sunny climes, but if their imagination can normally reach
the heights that it does in some of the effects we have received lately,
it shouldn’t be difficult to picture (mentally, of course) a man trying to
deftly stir a cold bowl of taffy. The man, in this case, is played by the
typewriter. The other part is played by us.
The reason we omitted the program of the Fitzkee International Magicians
show last issue after promising it in the one before was for a rather good
reason. We heard rumors of trouble just before deadline date and held
back. Since our “out on a limb” occurence with Mr. Freer and his anti-
gravitation device we have been a bit cautious, perhaps, in a case or two,
a little too much. But, in the case of the big show, and one which, since
being rebuilt and refurbished, has gotten only the best of reports, the
whisperings were well founded. Unless some new “angel” is found in
a still naive state of being after as much as 24 hours on this warlike and
somewhat ungodly sphere, the show’s treasury department will have to
“hock” even the cash box.
There’s no doubt but what the Fitzkee idea that blossomed, finally, after
the first stage of floundering, into Magic In The Air, a New Musical
Review featuring his International Magicians, is the most portentous
attempt to streamline a big magic show in this country to date. There
were eleven scenes in the first act and twelve in the second. The advance
requirements of theatres to be played called for; Stage crew, 7 men.
One front spotlight operator needed in addition. (Attraction carries crew
of three.) Need 26 sets of line, minimum. Orchestra to fit size of house.
Can work with single piano if necessary. Attraction carries own lighting
equipment and portable switchboard. Two hour music rehearsal required.
Show carries all equipment except front curtain. And from the review we
saw the show had plenty speed and production effort behind it.
The show opened on April 14 in Salt Lake City. Then it went to Laramie
and Cheyenne. Denver was next, but —– how those bills pile up. The
$13,000 reported spent on the show to get it under way in grand style
didn’t do much good after Cheyenne, and that western town of frontier
history wouldn’t let go until Denver interests settled the $400 worth of
bills so as to get the show into that fair Colorado city.
Evidently the Denver populace didn’t know much about such a show
being in their midst, we hear that the billing was inadequate, so practically
a total loss resulted. As with the old time minstrel and “Tom” shows,
closing night saw everything except the personal possessions and tricks
of each individual act attached. On the 3rd only one had gone back to the
coast. The others are looking for the rift between clouds and much of the
apparatus has been put on the block. Fitzkee is understood to be angling
for a couple of sponsored shows to carry the production into calmer
waters. At least three lawsuits are on the calendar.
All reports show that the real outstanding number on the show was Slyter.
Doing two turns, Do You Believe In Ghosts ? and A Magician’s Night Out,
he walked away with things in grand style and it is believed he may come
on east. Anyhow, that’s the story about things up to press time. We hope
things get straightened out and the show moves on eastward. Magic needs
something of that type with a modern slant. It is a shame that difficulties
have to make the sledding tough.