Showing posts with label Mark Correia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mark Correia. Show all posts

10 May 2016

Diary of a Sorcerers Safari newbie - part 3

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A camper's notebook. Photo by Rosemary Reid
A camper's notebook.
Day 1: Friday August 14, 2015 (cont)*
11pm 
After dinner we went back to the cabins to get some rain gear -- the weather report said it was going to thunderstorm.  We headed off to the “Pinetages Theatre.”  The theatre is about the size of my school gym, maybe a little smaller but with a bigger stage. 

The Pinetages Theatre.  Photo by James Carey Lauder.
The Pinetages Theatre.


Each cabin did something for “cabin intros” under the guidance of the counsellors (Philip Bowser, Greydon Gilmore, Jonah Babins, Tyler Williams, Mark Correia, Nathaniel Rankin, Rosemary Reid, and Sam Segal).  Cabins did really clever things including impersonating well-known magicians (like Penn & Teller and David Blaine), miming deliberate misinterpretations of magic terms (like overhand shuffles and dribbling), a version of the TV show “Fool Us,” and magic effects performed using people instead of things (linking rings, sliding knot on rope, and cups & balls).  I was sooo nervous.  I took some deep breaths and I didn’t mess up!  It feels amazing to be on stage and hear everyone clap and cheer for you. 


Cabin intros. Photo by James Carey Lauder.
Cabin intros.


More cabin intros. Photo by James Carey Lauder.
More cabin intros.



Rosemary announced that they were going to do a lip sync competition all week.  She started it off and then Eric did “Your Name” by Taylor Swift.  Hilarious!  It rained really hard while we were in the theatre.  (Glad I brought rain boots!) 
Rosemary singing. Photo by James Carey Lauder.
Rosemary singing.

Eric channeling Taylor Swift. Photo by James Carey Lauder.
Eric channeling Taylor Swift.

Daryl did amazing rope magic. Ben Train did a wild book test.  Phil DaCosta did more fun rope magic.  Chris Westfall and Chris Mayhew made everyone laugh so hard.  They even threw some “Rock, Paper, Scissors, Llama” shirts into the audience.  I wish I got one.  At the end we all got brand new decks of really cool cards that Dave Mitchell got donated from Ellusionist.  They look so nice, I don’t want to use them!
Chris and Chris bringing the laughs. Photo by James Carey Lauder.
Chris and Chris bringing the laughs.

It is soooo dark here at night.  I can see more stars here than I knew existed!  At our cabin we had a “cabin visit” from Chris Westfall. He showed us AMAZING tricks using cards, rubber bands, and coins!

Chris Westfall being magical. Photo by James Carey Lauder.
Chris Westfall being magical.


I feel a little sad.  I miss my home and my bed and my room.  And especially my family.  Everyone here is super friendly and nice though.  And this place is so much fun!  I’m super excited about tomorrow.

We all got ready for bed.  I tried to go to sleep without writing here.  But I just couldn’t.  That’s why I’m writing here so late.  Tired now.  G’night.



To be continued ...


--
The 2016 season of Sorcerers Safari will run from Sunday August 7th through Friday August 12th, 2016. For more information, or to register, please visit SorcerersSafari.ca


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* The “Diary of a Sorcerers Safari Newbie” is primarily based on the 2015 camp season.  It is an aggregate of many perspectives, and at times includes events from previous years.

25 July 2015

The illusion of fame

Mark Correia and his production company "Noodle Boys" did an interesting stunt illustrating the illusion of fame.

Watch it on the Noodle Boys YouTube channel:


07 June 2015

Mark Correia in Alice in Wonderland

From the Sorcerers Safari Facebook page:

Check out this clip of a production of Alice in Wonderland that our camper-turned-staff Mark Correia was a part of and...
Posted by Sorcerers Safari Magic Camp on Saturday, 30 May 2015


03 March 2015

Thirty seconds with Mark Correia

This is the seventh in a series of "Thirty seconds with ..." interviews, so called because I approached the interviewees at Sorcerers Safari Magic and Performance Arts Camp last summer with the idea that I would interview them for 30 seconds. It didn't always work that way.

Professional magician Mark Correia from Toronto, Ontario is probably best known for spending two weeks inside a straitjacket last summer, to raise awareness for Parkinson's Disease.  In November 2014, Record Setter recognized Mark with a World Record for the "Longest Time Wearing a Straitjacket."  Mark raised over $15 000 through his efforts.

FUN FACT:
Mark performed for Usher at The Magic Castle.

DID YOU KNOW?
- Mark's pre-show routine involves rolling up his pant-legs an hour before show time, and then rolling them down right before the show starts?
- Mark is also working on a book and documentary about his experience with the Escaping Parkinson's straitjacket endurance stunt.  Keep an eye out for the book as early as this summer!.
Three year old Mark was bitten by the magic bug when "The Wacky Wizard" performed his (Mark's) birthday party.  Mark started performing professionally at the age of five.  He was at The Browser's Den of Magic when he first heard that Sorcerers Safari Magic and Performance Arts Camp was "the" place to be if you were a young performer interested in magic.  One of his favourite things about camp is that you get to spend time with the people that literally wrote the books he reads.  In fact, when Mark thinks about magic camp, it's the amazing special guests that come first to mind.   Mark's spent seven seasons at Sorcerers Safari, two of which have been as a counsellor in training.  Needless to say, camp feels like family to him.

When Mark's not being magical, he's probably treading the boards in the Dramatic Arts Program at The National Theatre School of Canada or acting professionally in Toronto.

From the Fireside Productions Facebook page:





Previously published "Thirty seconds with ..." interviews:



26 November 2014

Mark Correia: World record holder

From Mark Correia's Twitter feed:



From the Record Setter Twitter feed:





By my count, that puts the total of Canadian World Record holding magicians to five! 

  • Doug The Great:  Heaviest Stilts Mastered.  [Guinness World Record]
  • Scott Hammell:  Highest Suspension Straitjacket Escape. [Guinness World Record]
  • Lucas Wilson:  Fastest Suspension Straitjacket Escape. [Guinness World Record]
  • Michael Francis:  Most one-handed coin rolls in a minute. [Guinness World Record]

11 October 2014

Escaping Parkinson's grand finale

Congratulations again Mark, on a fabulous achievement!

From Mark Correia's Twitter feed:

23 July 2014

Mark Correia's great escape!

From Global News:
Tue, Jul 22: Toronto teen Mark Correia got strapped into a straitjacket two weeks ago. The 18-year-old magician and actor’s goal was to raise $25,000 for the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research by living in the straitjacket until today. He’s back in studio to tell us how far he got.

20 July 2014

Escaping Parkinson's: less than 2 days to go!

Mark Correia has just under 2 days to go in his "Escaping Parkinson's" stunt to raise money for Parkinson's research.  According to the Michael J. Fox fundraising site, Mark has already raised over $8000 in donations.  Way to go Mark!

Visit the Michael J. Fox fundraising site to help Mark reach his $25000 fundraising goal.

Look at Mark's YouTube channel to see his daily videos.

See some of the press Mark's generated below:









10 July 2014

Escaping Parkinson's now underway

Best wishes Mark!

Watch his Day One video on YouTube:




From Global News:
Toronto teen Mark Correia got strapped into a straitjacket Tuesday morning — a straitjacket in which he plans to spend the next two weeks.

The 18-year-old magician and actor hopes to raise $25,000 for the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research by living in the straitjacket until July 22.

“This is real,” he said, as Liza Fromer of Global’s The Morning Show helped buckle him in. “No breaks. No freedom. No escape until the last minute.”

Read more and watch video.



From Inside Halton:
Escaping from a straitjacket has become a mainstay trick for many magicians. Illusionist Harry Houdini made it a staple of his own act while hanging upside down from a crane.

Now, Mark Correia is putting his own twist on the age-old magic trick by spending two weeks — as of today (Tuesday) strapped into one in support of The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.                              
Read more.



22 May 2014

Mark Correia in Strait from the Heart

Here’s what I had not seen, until now: A young magician who’s willing to spend two weeks inside the (increasingly rank, we assume) confines of a straitjacket, in the middle of a hot Canadian summer.

But that’s what’s happening this July. His name is Mark Correia, and he’s doing it to raise money for Parkinson’s disease. Mark, who is also an actor, is a graduate of Etobicoke School of the Arts and currently enrolled at The National Theatre School of Canada. Mark is a longtime admirer of Michael J. Fox, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 1991 and currently supports research through his non-profit foundation.

Read more.

17 April 2014

Mark Correia: Escaping Parkinson's




From Team Fox for Parkinson's Research:
Escaping Parkinson's

Stunt:
This July, to raise money for The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, Magician Mark Correia will spend two weeks completely strapped inside a straitjacket; no tricks, no freedom, and no escape - until the very last minute. Spending the longest amount of recorded time in a straitjacket. Mark will film daily video blogs of himself attempting to go about his everyday life during the project.


Goal:
Raise as much awareness, and money, for The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research as possible, to help find a cure in this lifetime.

Read more and learn how you can be a part of this project.

13 May 2013

Toronto: Pub night at O'Grady's

From the Pub Night @ O'Grady's Facebook page:
Saturday, 8 June 2013

Come out for a night of live music, comedy magic, drinks & door prizes, and help send a kid to Sorcerers Safari Magic & Performance Camp! To learn more about camp visit: www.sorcererssafari.ca. All proceeds go towards a camp scholarship for one lucky kid!

With performances by:
and the man who started it all:
Read more.

[via: Deborah Fallick]


See a photo of Emma, scholarship winner from Chris Westfall's Slice of Magic fundraiser, from Sorcerers Safari Twitter feed:

While you're here,  have a look at the video Justin Flom made specifically for Sorcerers Safari Magic Camp:

08 April 2012

Toronto: Best magician semifinalists

From Arthur Poon:
After the discussion between A1 Chinese Radio and the judges, these are the people who will compete in the final round (no particular order):


These talented competitors are chosen from all of the wonderful competitors in Toronto. The competition will be unquestionably enjoyable, and you should come to watch the final without any regrets.

Date: April 14, 2012
Time: Saturday night at 7:30pm
Location: Market Village at 4390 Steels Ave. East (located at Steeles and Kennedy Ave.)
Entrance fee: FREE!!!!
 
Please remember that Mr. Wayne Houchin ---- world class famous magician and illusionist will be performing at the competition. Make sure you and your friends & families will be at Market Village on time!
 
SEE YOU GUYS ALL THERE AT MARKET VILLAGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!