Ring 362 of the International Brotherhood of Magicians will hold the second annual Chung Ling Soo Stage Magic Competition at All Souls Congregational Church in Bangor on Saturday, September 6, at 7:00 P.M. A suggested donation of $5 per person will benefit the All Souls Youth Program. The contest honors the memory of Chung Ling Soo (1861-1918), one of the most influential stage magicians in history. Chung Ling Soo never spoke in performance. To honor his memory, the contestants are required to perform without the use of speech, narration, or written language.

Magicians are known for surprises, and Chung Ling Soo provided one of the greatest surprises in magic history at the time of his death: he wasn't Chinese. He was fatally shot on stage in England while performing one of his signature feats, catching a marked bullet shot from a muzzle-loading rifle. Only after his death did the general public discover that the marvelous Chinese conjurer who had thrilled the world with exotic Chinese magic was actually American-born William Robinson. Robinson had a long career as an assistant and builder for Alexander Hermann and Harry Kellar, the biggest magic shows of his time, before dropping his Western identity and becoming Chung Ling Soo. He kept up the deception offstage, appearing for interviews in makeup and costume, speaking fake Chinese through an "interpreter," who translated for the reporters.

The contestants in the Chung Ling Soo Stage Magic Competition are free to do any kind of magic that they like, as long as they don't speak. They will be judged by a panel of expert judges with backgrounds in theater and film. Bellydancers and other entertainers will complement the magic performances.

Maine State Police Detective Gerry Coleman defeated escape artist Dr. Wilson in a challenge rope escape at the Riverbend Players Vaudeville Revue at the Alamo Theatre in Bucksport on Sunday, July 27. Dr. Wilson had papered Bucksport with flyers offering $100 cash to any person who could tie him with 100 feet of rope in such a way as to prevent his escape. The challenge rope escape was a promotion for the Vaudeville Revue, which also featured magician Professor Miller, the barbershop quartet A Little Off The Top, and a host of singers and musicians.

In the first performance on Thursday, July 24, Dr. Wilson selected three men from the audience who were given a chance to state their qualifications. The audience chose a champion by applause, selecting a Merchant Marine. Dr. Wilson increased the difficulty of the challenge by having his hands tied with ten feet of cord before being secured with 100 feet of rope. He also improved the challenger's chances by offering to get out in less time than it took to tie him. The challenger took just over five minutes to secure Dr. Wilson, who escaped in under four minutes before a packed house.

Dr. Wilson's fate took another turn on Sunday, July 27, before a crowd of over 100 people. Once again, he picked three men to join him on stage, including Detective Gerry Coleman, whose wife had been gesturing enthusiastically during the selection process. When the audience heard the qualifications of the three men, they went wild for Detective Coleman, who at over six feet tall towered over the Houdini-sized (5'4") escape artist. Once the clock started, Coleman worked swiftly and efficiently, securing Dr. Wilson with professional detachment. Coleman took his seat as Dr. Wilson writhed, fell prone to the stage, kicked off his boots, and tumbled to escape the bonds. Free of most of the rope, he was still struggling to free his hands when time was called. Detective Coleman once again took the stage to receive the prize money, a crisp $100 bill. Dr. Wilson offered Coleman the bill from his own hands, still bound and discolored.

It is the first time that Dr. Wilson has been defeated in the challenge rope escape, which he has performed regularly for over three years. He congratulated Detective Coleman on a job well done after the show, and smiled as Coleman's son proudly held up the $100 bill. Dr. Wilson will perform the challenge rope escape at the Acadia Music Festival in Southwest Harbor on September 6.

Dr. Wilson and Blue Hill magician Professor Miller present Miller & Wilson's Theater of Marvels every Saturday night at 7:00 pm at Otter Creek Hall in Bar Harbor. This year, they have been joined by one of three different bellydancers for each performance. Admission is $8 for adults and $5 for persons 12 and under, and benefits the Otter Creek Aid Society, which maintains the historic hall.

Students in the magic class at Summer Festival of the Arts (SFOA) on Mount Desert Island, Maine, performed a Sword Cabinet Illusion using a simple cardboard box for the Finale Weekend on July 26, 2008. These energetic performers use their personalities and a lot of attitude to make the cheap props look good. I have seen acts using illusions costing many thousands of dollars that lacked the charm of these young performers! The torch has been passed...

Dr. Wilson was interviewed for Weekend America, a program broadcast on National Public Radio Affiliates, in connection with the Worldwide Escape Artist Relay 2007, which took place on October 27. You can hear the radio piece, and see photos here:

Weekend America, 10/27/2007

Dr. Wilson summons the former Governor of Maine in a seance, October 10. Read all about it in the Mount Desert Islander.

LOCATION: The Woodlands, 1073 Route 315, Wilkes-Barre PA
WEBSITE: www.thesideshowgathering.com

PERFORMERS AND FANS FLOCK TO WILKES-BARRE FOR FREAKY FUN AT SIDESHOW GATHERING 2007, NOVEMBER 2nd – 4th

CARNIES, FREAKS, AND TATTOO ARTISTS SHARE THEIR CRAFT

WILKES-BARRE PA – This Halloween season, this small town in northeastern Pennsylvania will once again become the world's center of weirdness when the 14th Annual Inkin' The Valley tattoo convention and Sideshow Gathering 2007 roll into town. From November 2nd through 4th, the strange, the unusual and the freakish will take center stage. Showmen from across the country will congregate to celebrate the giddy thrills and forbidden mysteries of the circus and carnival sideshow. Over the weekend, these carnies will swap lies (or "cut up jackpots", as they say), swallow swords, eat razor blades, walk on broken glass, and invite the public to watch. Past years at the Sideshow Gathering have witnessed world records broken, and even a carnie marriage ceremony on stage. This year's event promises to be just as unusual.

Attractions at Sideshow Gathering 2007 will include: New York's Bindlestiff Family Cirkus; Col. Hunsley's Freaks & Oddities; Zamora, the Torture King; Washington DC's Swami Yomahmi and The Cheeky Monkey Sideshow; Disgraceland Family Freakshow; Natasha Veruschka, Queen of Swords; the old-timey medicine show that is Dr. Wilson's Memory Elixir; Denver's Crispy Family Carnival; Bizarro; and master of ceremonies Aye Jaye. Vendors will also be on hand to display unusual items such as freakshow memorabilia and original artwork.

Concurrent with the 14th Annual Inkin' the Valley tattoo convention at Wilkes-Barre's The Woodlands Inn & Resort, Sideshow Gathering 2007 begins at 3:00 P.M. on Friday, November 2nd, with live sideshow performances starting at 5:00 P.M. and continuing until midnight. Performances will resume from 3:00 to 6:00 P.M. and 10:00 P.M. to midnight on Saturday, with a special after-hours auction of sideshow memorabilia. On Sunday, there will be an awards breakfast and encore performances from 1:00 to 4:00 P.M. Tickets for the entire weekend of events are only $13 per person and provide entry to both the Sideshow Gathering and Inkin' the Valley. For more information, please visit www.thesideshowgathering.com.

"The Side Show Gathering is a must for all aficionados of human oddities and performers of the strange and weird! Today's performers of the unusual entertain and amaze. Yesterday's 'greats' share past history and experiences with newcomers. It's a three-day adventure like no other I know." -- Walt Hudson in Circus Report

Generations of Americans once stood in line on their local fairgrounds to stare at human freaks and strange feats under a canvas tent. Every big circus had a sideshow full of odd attractions, and dime museums flourished in every city. The golden days of the sideshow are long gone, but for this dedicated group of fans and performers the tradition is still very much alive.

The Sideshow Gathering is a treat for the audience, but for performers it is also an opportunity to connect with fellow acts. "The Sideshow Gathering is the Switzerland of this illegitimate entertainment," says Keith Nelson, co-founder of the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus. "It provides a neutral ground for some of the most entertaining egos to gather. It is the only place on Earth where you will get tired of watching someone nail a spike directly into their head." Stephon Walker, whose alter-ego Swami Yomahmi will be performing at the Sideshow Gathering for the first time this year, says, "From the old pros to the new up-and-comers, the Gathering, well, gathers the most incredible group of carnies, new-vaudevillians, natural wonders, working acts, showmen, historians, artists and enthusiasts that you could ever hope to meet in one place. It's all real. It's all alive. And it's all at the Sideshow Gathering."

When asked what makes the Sideshow Gathering different from any other convention, Kathleen Kotcher (editor of the journal James Taylor's Shocked & Amazed! On and Off the Midway – which will debut its ninth volume at the Sideshow Gathering) said, "It is Christmas, your birthday and your first kiss all rolled up into one great weekend! The Sideshow Gathering is the greatest gathering of freaks (and the folks who love them) in the history of entertainment. If you're a fan of the odd, bizarre and unusual – or if you just plain love a good time – the Sideshow Gathering is the place to be!"

Franco Kossa, founder and organizer of the event, feels that the Sideshow Gathering is vital to keeping the tradition alive. "This is a tough business, and the sideshow world is a tight-knit community. The Gathering gives these folks a place to get together, cut up jackpots, show off a bit, and refresh their spirits. Not just anybody can go out there day after day pounding spikes into their face or letting people staple dollar bills to them. As they say in the business, it's a hard way to make an easy living!"

For more about Sideshow Gathering 2007, including performance schedules and ticket information, please visit the official website: www.thesideshowgathering.com.

Inkin' the Valley and Sideshow Gathering 2007 are sponsored by Marc's Tattooing and Body Piercing, Electric City Harley-Davidson, The Weekender, Holiday Inn, Joe Nardone's Gallery of Sound, and Luzerne County Convention and Visitors Bureau.