Nick will be a featured performer in our after-dinner program. He has performed at the world famous Magic Castle in Hollywood, appeared on The Late Late Show on CBS, appeared on the cover of both Genii and Vanish Magazine, has won multiple awards for both his magic and his comedy, has held multiple long-term residencies on the Las Vegas strip, headlines on Disney Cruise Line and has performed a multitude of shows at casinos, comedy clubs, and corporate events internationally.
It’s time for our September “Back to School” S.A.M. Assembly 12 meeting!
Due to some conflicts, we’re pushing the meeting back one week to Friday, September 22. We’ll meet at 7:00 at Eagle Magic and Joke Store. (Eagle Magic is in Burnsville, MN, 4 lights east of 35W on Hwy 13, southeast corner, next door to the BP gas station.) Bring potluck snacks to share.
Connection information for the virtual view of the meeting will be sent prior to the meeting.
Our theme this month, chosen due to the season, is Magic with School Supplies! Pencils, crayons, construction paper, flashcards, etc. You could even use a slate (or whiteboard for modern folk) and show us some Math magic!
As always, be prepared to demonstrate, teach, and provide guidance and suggestions for others.
See you on Friday, either in person or online!
P.S. IMPORTANT! Our 100th Anniversary Gala is next month, and we need a final count by the end of this month. If you haven’t already done so, please purchase your tickets now! Don’t forget, there will be a lecture and performance by John Sturk, the 107th National President of the S.A.M., along with performances by local magicians!
On October 15, 2023, John Sturk, the 107th National President of the S.A.M., will be in the Twin Cities for our 100th Anniversary Gala! He will open our event with his lecture and will perform in our after-dinner program.
John Sturk is an award-winning comedy magician from Chicago, IL. John is also a co-founder of the Chicago Magic Lounge, has been seen on Fox, ABC, NBC, and the Travel Channel, and is a favorite all over the Midwest.
In addition to magic, John is also a talented musician, working as an improv music director for many of the Chicago theaters, and recently joining the faculty of the famed Second City Training Center.
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Registration is now open for our 100th Anniversary Gala to be held on October 15, 2023! The last day to register is September 30th. However, don’t wait until then. Register by August 31st and receive a free drink ticket!
We just wanted to remind folks that we usually take the summer off, so there will not be an official meeting in June, July, or August. There’s been some interest in possibly having a picnic or cookout of some sort but nothing has been organized as of yet — if you’re interested please contact us.
In the meantime, if you haven’t already filled out the 100th Anniversary Gala survey, please do! There are many ways to get involved with this historic event:
Our 100th Anniversary Gala is a little over 4 months away on October 15, 2023. We have reserved a beautiful venue (see below for some photos from our site visit). We have a delicious, catered Italian dinner lined up. Now we need you to really make the magic happen.
Dan Witkowski passed away peacefully on May 20, 2023. He was 67. Dan was a respected magician and businessman. He began his career in high school as a magician on the convention and banquet circuit throughout the Midwest. From 1974 to 1976, Witkowski worked at WCCO-TV in Minneapolis as a promotional assistant. During his time at WCCO, he produced the magical special “Abracadabra!”, as well as a documentary based on the life of Houdini. In 1977, Dan founded MagicCom, Inc., a company specializing in marketing strategies, product development, and stage and screen presentations. His company worked closely with numerous Fortune 500 companies, including: Procter & Gamble, Disney, Coca-Cola, General Mills, Hormel Foods, and Target. Additionally, Dan is known for creating the long running seasonal event, The Holidazzle Parade, which was a Twin Cities tradition for 21 years. Among other accomplishments; Dan produced “BeBop Bamboozled,” the 1989 Super Bowl XXlll Halftime Show for the NFL; he was an author for Random House with the unique imprint “AbracaDazzle!”; he worked on broadcast productions for CBS, NBC, ABC, PBS and BBC TV; and he completed special assignments for multiple administrations of the White House.
We are going to cancel the May meeting because quite a few people are going to be at AbraCORNdabra on our “normal” day (the third Friday of the month). We talked about having a hybrid meeting on the 19th with the in-person location being at AbraCORNdabra. Kevin and Adam looked into it, but logistically, it’s not going to work very well.
For those going to AbraCORNdabra, we are meeting at the hotel restaurant (Bennigan’s) on Friday at 4:30pm. Please send us a message if you’re going to be there so we reserve the right size table.
In case you’re curious, we didn’t meet on the second Friday because several others were at the Magic Collector Expo and weren’t sure they’d be back in time for a meeting, and several other people were unavailable. We’re not going to meet on the fourth Friday because there wasn’t much enthusiasm for meeting on the 26th since that’s Memorial Day Weekend.
Time once again for another SAM 12 Hybrid Assembly Meeting, on Friday, April 21st at 7:00 PM
The in-person location will be at Discovery United Methodist Church in Chanhassen. Please bring drinks and/or snacks to share!
Connection information for the virtual view of the meeting will be sent later this week.
Our theme this month is Magic That Needs a Second Opinion! Bring magic you’re working on where you need help, ideas, or a second opinion! This is an opportunity to try out effects and explore ideas with the other magicians in the club.
See you on Friday, either in person or online!
Location address: Discovery Methodist Church 275 Lake Drive East Chanhassen, MN 55317
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Dan Witkowski passed away peacefully on May 20, 2023. He was 67. Dan was a respected magician and businessman. He began his career in high school as a magician on the convention and banquet circuit throughout the Midwest. From 1974 to 1976, Witkowski worked at WCCO-TV in Minneapolis as a promotional assistant. During his time at WCCO, he produced the magical special “Abracadabra!”, as well as a documentary based on the life of Houdini. In 1977, Dan founded MagicCom, Inc., a company specializing in marketing strategies, product development, and stage and screen presentations. His company worked closely with numerous Fortune 500 companies, including: Procter & Gamble, Disney, Coca-Cola, General Mills, Hormel Foods, and Target. Additionally, Dan is known for creating the long running seasonal event, The Holidazzle Parade, which was a Twin Cities tradition for 21 years. Among other accomplishments; Dan produced “
