Showing posts with label Rosemary Reid. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rosemary Reid. Show all posts

26 August 2023

The Legacy of Sorcerers Safari - part 8

Recap (click to show | hide)

From Part 1 of the series:

In lieu of a physical reunion bringing together past campers and staff, Canada’s Magic is hosting a virtual reunion of sorts.  We’ve reached out to the Sorcerers Safari community with a dozen or so questions to help bring us up to date on what everyone has been up to since our magic camp days.

If you completed our survey, keep your eyes peeled for your segment!  

If you would like to participate but haven’t filled out the survey, there’s still time.  The survey can be found here:  https://forms.gle/umg77yj9QxUzfpm76

Thank you to all that contributed!


 

Mike, Jen, Sorcerers Safari staff, and alumni, this series is for you.

 

The Legacy of Sorcerers Safari
<< part 7  |  part 9 >>

 

Part 8 features:  Jesse Arndt, Dan McLean Jr, and Rosemary Reid

 

  Jesse Arndt  
Graphics installer and Sign maker.

Attended as a camper in 2007.

Since his time at camp Jesse has:

  • Performed for events, parties and private shows.


In his own words:

  • Learning magic within the Sorcerers Safari magic camp community made me a more confident person talking to groups of people.


  • Favourite Sorcerers Safari memory?  
    • Learning card magic and different sleight of hand secret moves from some of the very best such as, Aaron Fisher, Lee Asher, Ben Train, Steven Kline, Mike D’Urzo!

  • Biggest take-away from Sorcerers Safari?
    • All of the above when it comes to making new friendships, and connections with people when it comes to magic and the playing card industry!

 

Such an amazing experience at this camp!
A once in a lifetime experience! 

 

 

  Dan McLean Jr  
Live Music Production Professional (Musician), DanMcLeanJr.com.

Attended camp from 2001-2016 as Cabin Counsellor, Bus Coordinator and occasional instructor.

 

Since his time at camp Dan has:

  • Finished recording an album of original music, and is almost finished recording and “unplugged” EP of more original music.
  • Had a couple of my patters/scripts used by professional magicians. So gratifying.


In his own words:

  • As a magic hobbyist, much of my performing experience was at Sorcerers Safari, so the pros who've used my script ideas are people I met at camp.

  • Favourite Sorcerers Safari memory?  
    • Sneaking in to join Lee Asher's card classes. Oh! And the "Camper Shows"! 
    • The “Camper Shows” were at the end of the week where campers performed on the big stage. Many of them did magic they learned that week at camp!


  • Biggest take-away from Sorcerers Safari?
    • Definitely the people. I have many good friends that I met at camp, including several who were young campers when we met.

Those years at camp are some of my best memories. I’m so proud to have been part of encouraging young people to be creative, positive, and active.

Sorcerers Safari was "my happy place" for many years. I still tell people about it all the time.

 

 

  Rosemary Reid 
Professional magician, RosemaryReid.com.

Attended camp for 17 years as Camper, Counsellor, Staff, and Instructor.


Since her time at camp Rosemary:

  • Conducted the largest survey in the magic industry on the experience of women magicians, 
  • Produced SISTERHOOD Playing Cards as a vehicle of information to communicate the results, and
  • Writes monthly articles for CARD CULTURE Magazine discussing the contributions to the industry of those who often go unnoticed or under appreciated.


In her own words:

  • Through Sorcerers Safari I met my magic community, who would turn into dear friends. My best friends are from magic camp, as well as my magic mentors. It's impossible to imagine what my life would look like if I'd never attended magic camp!  [Emphasis added.]

  • Favourite Sorcerers Safari memory?  
    • Time spent in the evenings around the campfire, hearing magic anecdotes from time's past, telling jokes and getting to know the special guests and instructors.

  • Biggest take-away from Sorcerers Safari?
    • My community <3.

 

 

Thank you Jesse, Dan, and Rosemary for sharing your memories!

Check back throughout the month to read updates from other Sorcerers Safari alumni and staff!

 

 Previously featured 

 

Learn more about Sorcerers Safari.

part 1part 2  | part 3 | part 4 | part 5 | part 6 | part 7 | part 8 | part 9 | part 10 | part 11 | part 12

<< part 7  |  part 9 >>

 

 

05 May 2023

[Guest post] ‘Magic chose me’: How one man found his calling

The following is a guest post by Sheridan Williamson Fraser.

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‘Magic chose me’: How one man found his calling
Mike Segal built a career by perfecting tricks and inspiring a new generation of magicians 

By Sheridan Williamson Fraser,
Journalism Undergraduate at Toronto Metropolitan University

It all started with a single bus ticket that in a flash became two. Day in and day out, Mike Segal, a young boy originally from Montreal, would take the bus to and from his new school in Toronto, carefully holding on to each bus ticket. One day in 1972, while playing outside at recess, another boy snatched the bus ticket from him, closing his tiny fist around the rectangular piece of paper. As Segal’s only way home was crushed between the other boy’s small fingers, concern built within him. Another second passed, then the other boy waved an erratic hand through the air before rolling back his fingers to show not one but two bus tickets lying on his palm. The boy then miraculously handed both tickets to Segal before walking away to enjoy the rest of his short break between classes. Looking down at his hand, Segal was left baffled. To him this was not some simple sleight of hand but an act of real magic.  

This one short instance, this one trick, was the start of a lifelong journey into the art of illusion and the beginning of a career which has spanned four decades. From this moment on, Segal began going to the library, constantly in search of the miraculous ticket trick. Initially he thought “If I could just learn that trick, my parents would never have to buy me another bus ticket.” 

During those days in 1972, flipping through book after book, Segal recalls learning all he could about magic, teaching himself different tricks and eventually building up a repertoire of techniques. “I never did find that trick,” he says, but now nearly 50 years later Segal can still remember that first magic moment, “I’ve seen thousands of magic shows. Can’t tell you anything about them but I remember that trick.” 

As for his own journey, Mike Segal has spent over four decades as a magician performing, teaching and inspiring the next generation of magicians. His career has impacted the trajectory of magic’s evolution in Canada by providing opportunities for young people to get involved with the craft and be supported in forming future careers. 

According to The Canadian Encyclopedia article “Magic,” the first reported magic performer in Canada was Maginnis in Halifax in 1875 but, Indigenous groups in Canada were said to have games and ritual practices prior to European arrival which are reminiscent of present-day performance magic. 

Since then, magic has evolved into a modern stage production involving close-up magic, big production acts and mental illusion among other tricks. 

Segal remembers feeling like the straight-faced and serious persona never fit his personality on stage, he was always more comfortable with presenting magic in a lighter comedic way. His signature performance style is the “magician in trouble scenario,” which appears on stage as a trick going wrong when in reality the act is another illusion in itself. 

This style of magic, which Segal performs to this day, was influenced by something that happened at the start of his career. At age 14, Segal recalls performing a comedic magic show at an elementary school. Following the performance, a young boy, approximately eight-years-old approached him. The boy asked hopefully, “You’re a magician. My brother just broke his arm. Can you make it better?” At that moment, Segal remembers thinking “Wow, okay so these kids think I could really do magic. Well, that’s wrong.” 

Segal says he believes in performing illusions not faking supernatural powers or witchcraft. “We don’t have any special powers. I have the same powers as all of you. I have just learned to create illusions, the way some learn to play tennis or how to play the piano,” Segal said. At the time, Segal felt it was unfair to misrepresent what magic was to young kids, innocent enough to believe his magic was real. 


Missing link: 

By 1982, Segal was nearing the end of high school and focusing on his career, choosing magic over his personal life. 

Jen Segal, Mike Segal’s wife, describes her relationship with Segal as an “Oprah story,” worthy of mushy daytime television. Jen and Mike met at York Mills Collegiate Institute. Shortly after starting high-school they began dating, staying together for years leading up to graduation where they amicably split.

Jen and Mike at prom in 1984

Jen and Mike at prom in 1984
photo source: Facebook


Jen remembers wanting to settle down and start a family, while Segal wanted to work and travel. “I was broken hearted,” Jen explained in an interview. 

After 10 years had gone by, both Mike and Jen had moved on with their lives until a single phone call in 1992 changed everything. “My [friend] Sherry called and she was like ‘Mike’s on BT’ [Breakfast Television] and so I turned on the TV and there he was”. 

In late 1990, Segal began making appearances on the Toronto morning show, BT. “I lived right by there [the studio], they knew me and we had a great relationship… I was part of the City TV family,” he said. 

Over two years, Segal made 100 weekly appearances on the show. Once Segal had built a relationship with the show’s network, he, in addition to his weekly appearances, became the fill-in visitor when scheduled guests were unable to arrive on time. 

“They would have you know, whoever coming into town to promote something that day, but the plane got delayed, or they're stuck in traffic or there's a snowstorm. So, these guys [Breakfast Television producers] would just call me and say ‘Mike, can you be in the studio in like half an hour and bring something?’ And so, I would do that,” said Segal. “I just loved it. The exposure was great. This was before the internet, so this was the greatest promotion I could ask for.” 

As for Jen, after seeing him on TV, she decided to take a chance, picking up the phone and calling the studio where she set up a time to meet Segal. “And that was 30 years ago,” Jen says as she sits on a white couch in the home she shares with Segal. “As soon as we saw each other it was like yeah we’re together forever.”

Creating a path: 

In the late 1980s, a few years prior to Segal’s reconciliation with Jen, he began carving out a place for himself in magic entertainment in Canada.  

After Segal had graduated from York University, he, along with a few friends and classmates freshly out of school, started Magic Unlimited Theater Productions in Toronto, a co-op theatre company that performed original shows for schools which were written based on the current school curriculum. 

John Rotstein, the owner of Rotten Pictures, a video production company, met Segal in a high-school theater class where they became close friends. Rotstein later received a performing arts bachelor’s degree with Segal from York University before joining the theatre production company. 

“Mike was very passionate about doing magic,” Rotstein explained in a phone interview. “He has a natural ability to charm people. He was very driven about his career and he knew what he wanted to do.”  

Segal says the idea for the company came about because they were “struggling artists” at a time when it was very difficult to get a grant for a magic-based performance because magic was not considered a legitimate performance art. 

“We were young and hungry. We hustled” Rotstein said. “We spent a lot of our time hustling for grant money to fund our projects.” 

Segal’s idea for the theatre production company was to bring performance magic some legitimacy and to show people why magic should get the same respect as other artforms. “Magic was such a great performance art and it bugged me so much that everywhere I went people would say ‘oh, magician? You should come and do my kid’s birthday party’. I just hated it.” 

Segal says he wanted to change the perception of magic in Canada by presenting it to young people who would not have preconceived notions surrounding what the craft could be. Connecting magic to youth was so important to Segal because when he was a young person, he had no one to mentor him or to look to for answers.

 

Mike Segal headshot

Mike Segal, circa early 1990s
photo source: Facebook

 

Fueling the future of magic: 

In 1980, Segal had his first experience receiving encouragement from a big name in magic entertainment. 

At 16 years old, Segal spent one week working as a stagehand for a CBC movie version of the Broadway hit The Magic Show, starring the famous Canadian magician, Doug Henning. The show was extremely popular, and according to the Internet Broadway Database, the magic musical earned Henning a Tony award nomination for best performance by an actor in 1975. 

A few years after the musical’s Broadway run ended, the CBC began working on a movie version of the show in Toronto, where teenage Segal gained a spot on the crew, skipping an entire week of high school to do so. 

The experience has become a blur, lost in time, except for one moment that would inspire not only Segal’s career but the decades of mentorship that would follow. 

On his last day on set, when Segal was sitting on a set of stairs helping to reset the stage lights, he looked up to see Doug Henning, the star of the show standing next to him. 

Henning walked the remaining few feet towards Segal before saying, “Hey, you’ve been here for a while. You’re a magician, right?” They both sat there on the stairs leading up to the stage talking about magic. 

“To me it seemed like we sat there for hours, we were probably there for 15 or 20 minutes,” says Segal. In that short time Segal recalls that Henning wished him luck in his future endeavors and listened intently when Segal described his future plans even dismissing another crew member who approached him with the flick of a hand. “So that stuck with me until today,” says Segal. “The way he treated me absolutely is part of why I decided to try and do that with younger magicians. If this guy is going to spend time with me now. I thought I should try and guide some people.” 

Segal, first and foremost, describes himself as a performer, though his work in mentorship for youth in magic has become a large part of his career. 

Sorcerers Safari was a Canadian performance arts camp, founded by Mike Segal, teaching youth magic, and it operated for one week every summer from 1997 to 2017. According to the Sorcerers Safari website, a typical day at camp involved various magic classes, outdoor activities and an evening show performed by professional magicians.  

After touring nationally and internationally with the Magic Mike Show for years, Segal recalls wanting to spend more time at home. Sorcerers Safari provided him with the opportunity to stay with his family and create magic education.

“He was the facilitator of mentorship,” says Keith Brown, a Canadian professional magician, who performs all around the world. Brown says he spent years of his adolescent life attending Sorcerers Safari, entering the camp grounds as a camper and exiting as an experienced counsellor. 

Brown fondly remembers his experience travelling to camp for the first time. “I remember making friends on the bus. And then literally jamming and doing card tricks the entire three hours up to the camp. And it was like, ‘Oh my god’, magic camp starts immediately on the bus ride.” 

When looking back on Segal’s creation, Brown said, “He's been around for so long, and is connected to so many different people and camp is like a by-product of that. He created this wonderful place out of love for all of these kids and his friends and his colleagues to come to”.

Brown attributes the days collaborating with peers and well-known magicians to his own success. “Magic camp was a huge influence on me and I would say that I would be a fraction of the magician I am today and I probably wouldn’t be a professional magician without it,” said Brown. 

 

It wasn't all cards and coins.  Segal (centre front) receives a haircut from Greg Frewin (left), Shawn Farquhar (centre back), and Lee Asher (right).

 "That time at Sorcerers Safari Magic Camp when some World Champion Magicians cut my hair." 
-- Mike Segal, August 2011
photo source: Facebook

Sam Pearce, another professional magician and ex-camper who attended Sorcerers Safari in 2005 and 2006, says his exposure to large illusions and comedy magic as a youth helped influence the magic he performs today. 

“I’m sure being exposed to all those different acts and seeing what was possible was certainly interesting,” Pearce explained. “That’s where I learned to juggle.”

Pearce can be seen incorporating his juggling into many of his performances. Two metal step stools are set up holding two rectangular planks, sandwiching a cylindrical piece of equipment similar to a hollowed out rolling pin, making the top plank reminiscent of a teeter totter. Pearce stands above the top blank shifting from side to side as he tries to balance. This is all made more complicated as he is simultaneously juggling three knives, the blades flying into the air and plummeting back down in quick succession.    

Rosemary Reid, a professional magician and Torontonian, spent 17 years attending Sorcerers Safari until its closure in 2017. 

When Reid first began showing an interest in magic, her father stumbled upon ‘Magic’ Mike Segal on Breakfast Television, while Segal was promoting magic camp, in 2001. 

Reid describes her first year at Sorcerers Safari as “The best experience I’ve ever had. I met some of my best friends who are still my best friends to this day that first year.” Adding, “So after that first year, I was like, I have to go back to magic camp.” 

During her 17 years attending Sorcerers Safari, Reid was a camper and instructor. Given there was only one cabin for girls at the camp, Reid worked as the social media manager and part-time videographer before becoming an instructor. “I kind of just tried to help wherever I could,” she said. 

“I remember speaking with Mike once and his advice to me one year at camp was to dream big. He told me to dream big and I’ve always remembered that and it always helps me to visualize the impossible, which is kind of like my job as a magician.” 

Since her time at camp, Reid has been an avid advocate for women in magic. Her goal is to continue the conversation and increase awareness of the effects of misogyny in the magic industry.  

“I kind of fell in love with [the camp] then watching the kids learn,” said Jen Segal, Mike Segal’s wife and manager of Sorcerers Safari, when thinking about her time walking through the camp grounds, peering into classrooms of overflowing excitement. Jen said she gets emotional thinking about the camp and the countless lives changed over those seven days every year. “Parents would write me or phone me after camp saying ‘my kid came home a different kid, they’re so much more confident’… ‘your camp totally changed them’.” 

Segal opened Sorcerers Safari to build new magic audiences and educate people on what is possible with magic. “In the beginning, we were just trying to find each other,” said Segal. “It became something so much bigger than all its parts. Sounds corny, but it really was like magic. It was the greatest magic trick I’ve ever done and I still don’t know how I did it.”

Dealers' Day' at Sorcerers Safari<br />A day when campers bought magic.

"Dealers' Day" at Sorcerers Safari
A day when campers bought magic.
photo source: Facebook


--

 

Thank you Sheridan for guest posting at Canada's Magic!

 


 

24 December 2022

Connie Boyd talks about Rosemary Reid

From the December 22nd upload "1st Female Magician EVER on Breakfast Television | Rosemary Reid" on the Magical Women with Connie Boyd YouTube channel:

1st Female Magician EVER to appear on Breakfast Television National Canadian News  - Citytv | Rosemary Reid  
 
In this clip, Toronto female magician Rosemary Reid appears on National Canadian news to promote the SISTERHOOD Deck of playing cards.  

Read more.

 

 

 

 

14 December 2022

Rosemary Reid in episode 95 of Shezam with Kayla Drescher

Listen to episode 95 of Shezam at ShezamPod.


From the December 12th Instagram post by ShezamPod:

Out Now! Rosemary Reid joins Shezam to discuss her extensive survey on women in magic, how she’s sharing that data so it’s fun and informative for all magicians, and her new deck of cards, SISTERHOOD.

 

 

 

 

 

28 November 2022

Kickstarter: Sisterhood Playing Cards

Learn more about The SISTERHOOD Deck of Playing Cards at Kickstarter.

 

From the November 3rd Instagram post by Rosemary Reid:

Sisterhood Playing Cards. Designed to Empower, Support and Educate, this deck helps you start essential conversations that can alter the course of history.

Our stunning hot-foiled and embossed tuck box draws everyone’s attention. The designer Ace and Jokers keep them looking, and once the dialogue shifts to the court cards, our opportunity for creating change becomes real.

You’ll see women of different sizes, shades, and shapes on each one. When viewed in sequence, these twelve court cards portray an archetypal journey through life. ✨

Yet, we maintain the J, Q, and K indices so this deck can be used for all card game and magic purposes. ♥️♠️♦️♣️

The SISTERHOOD Deck Launches Wednesday November 30th @ 2:00 PM EST on @Kickstarter.❣️Link in bio! (Hit ‘Notify Me’ & follow the prompts)

 

 

 

 

06 October 2022

52 Plus Joker FREE Zoom 2022 Red Carpet & Diamond Awards event [Oct 8]

From the October 4th Instagram post by 52 Plus Joker:

This Saturday, starting at 5:30 PM EST, join 52 Plus Joker FREE on Zoom as we present the 2022 Red Carpet & Diamond Awards event.
.
Spot all the #PlayingCard celebrities, hear crowd predictions, and get the inside scoop with your Red Carpet host @atouchofrosemary. Then at 7 PM, watch as club President @leeashermagic crowns the Diamond Award winners for 'Artist of The Year' and 'Deck of the Year.' You won't want to miss any of it.
.
Mark your calendar and join us for an evening of #playingcard bliss.
.
ZOOM LINK IN BIO.

 

 

 

 

 

 

06 May 2022

ICYMI: 52 Plus Joker Virtual Weekend replay

If you weren't able to attend the 52 Plus Joker Virtual Weekend last month, not to worry! 52 Plus Joker have kindly put the video event on a YouTube playlist "April 2022 Virtual Playing Card Weekend" for everyone to enjoy!

  • Intro - April 2022 Virtual Playing Card Weekend
  • Stacey Jay Kelly - Designer Talk [Churchill cards, Dr. Lister cards, Jon Pertwee cards, coronavirus cards!]
  • Stacey Jay Kelly - Live Q&A
  • Steve Bowling - 71 Lot
  • Show & Tell: Desert Island Edition
  • How the Yakuza helped sell Nintendo's first game - Here's A Thing
  • Eurogamer
  • Rosemary Reid - The Real Deal
  • Playing Card Game Show
  • Greg Loschen - Card Art
  • 2021 Diamond Awards Pre-Show Dinner
  • 2021 Diamond Awards


Watch the April 2022 Virtual Playing Card Weekend playlist below:

 

 





01 March 2019

Aaron Matthews and Rosemary Reid: She Gets Me

Watch the music video for The Washboard Union's "She Gets Me" featuring Aaron Matthews and Rosemary Reid!

(How many Canadian magicians have been in professional music videos?  James Alan was in Summerworks Song, Ray Chance had a cameo in Shawn Desman's video for Stuck and JRDN's video for Like Magic.  And for honourable mention, from The Music Show.  I'm sure there are more though.  Send the deets my way!)



From The Washboard Union's YouTube channel:



13 January 2019

Random thoughts from the Kayla Drescher lecture

I should start with congratulations to Kayla for keeping her energy up through the evening after having just completed a grueling 41 show run with the recent Champions of Magic tour!
  • Hurray for Loblaws, Roots, and Canada Canadian Tire!
  • And beer, ginger beer, and Brio!
  • Colour changing bottle caps are very cool.
  • How do you define magic, art, and craft?  (Definitely not the same way I used the term "arts and crafts" in my earlier report of the show!)
  • Because ... science!
  • And bar towels!
  • Kayla gave Rosemary Reid a shout out for her video:
    (You may remember that Rosemary delighted us all with the first iteration of this speech which she shared at the 2017 Browser's Bash.)

  • Chris Westfall made a memorable entrance.  (How many elastic bands do you wear on your wrists?)
  • There was a mini Sorcerers Safari reunion with Rosemary Reid, Lee Asher, Chris Mayhew, Chris Westfall, and Jonah Babins!  (Which made Kidlet doubly regret the decision to not attend.)
  • Staff appreciation and lessons from street performers.
  • Described a fabulous pseudo-controlled study on colours that increase tips! (Also pseudo-controlled for gender with surprising results.)
  • Demonstrated a fabulous tip for bar magicians to increase probability of receiving a big tip.  (I wonder how one could design a study to see if that methodology gives the same % tip increase for a man using the technique as for a woman using the technique?)
  • Something spontaneously happened at the 1 hour 15 minute mark that Kayla was totally expecting.  (I'm not entirely convinced that it wasn't just a case of a poorly worded question.)
  • If you aren't already, subscribe to Shezam, the feminist podcast that hopes to make itself obsolete.  The podcast has great tips and strategies for young women starting out in magic (No pockets? No problems!)  Carisa Hendrix and Kayla also share entertaining anecdotes about performing and lots of pro-tips too!
  • After the break, Kayla gave a fabulous hands-on lesson for colour changing bottle caps using a technique even I can master!
  • Good times, good fun, good magic.
  • Thank you Kayla!







23 June 2018

Rosemary Reid: Magic Isn't Real (and other lies we tell ourselves)

Watch the TEDx Talk Rosemary Reid presented on April 25th for TEDx St. Mary CS School in Oshawa.
A note to subscribers: the content of this post is embedded from another website and is not available to preview. To view the content of the post, please visit http://CanadasMagic.blogspot.com. Some of the embedded code may be visible in this notification.


From the TEDx Talks YouTube channel:

01 April 2017

So many people to thank!

Thank you very much to the MonteCassino staff!

Thank you also to: Annie Pinsky, Dick Joiner, Mike & Jen Segal, Michael Gillis, Eric Hansen, Jon Sy, John Morgan, Luiz Castro, Chris Mayhew, Lidden Li, Stephanie Kline, Jeff Hinchliffe, Andres Gil, Shawna York, Nicole Lee, John Michalson, Roxanne Talbot, and Christina Asher.

Thanks again to Bash Ambassadors:  Arthur Poon, Al Grose, Derick Finn, Rosemary Reid, Morgan Pierce & Alex Boyer!
 
The musical interludes today were custom-made songs sung by the multitalented Dan McLean Jr.!

Last, but definitely not least, a big thank you to John Talbot and Lee Asher!
Thank you to Greg Frewin for your help with setup.
  
Thank you also to Jeff Hinchliffe, Jonathan Sy, & Luiz Castro.

First mini-talk of the day by professional director, writer, and magician, Rosemary Reid!

Next mini-talk about his personal story of near-death, by Keith Brown.

04 January 2017

More names announced for the 2017 Browser's Magic Bash

Browser's Bash logo  
From the Facebook group for the Browser's Den of Magic:

You're not alone! These artists will be with you at the 2017 Bash!
Announcing More Artists For the 2017 Browser's Magic Bash.
http://www.browsersden.com/bash

It's time to share even more artists with you that will spend the day with us at the 2017 Browser's Magic Bash.

WITHOUT FURTHER ADO - MORE BASH ARTISTS:

Atsushi Ono
- Kyoto Konjurer -
Atsushi Ono-san's relaxed charm, sense of humor and creative approach to performing magic have made him a popular magician and entertainer in
Japan as well as Western Canada.

Aaron Fisher
- Card Conductor -
Specializing in card magic, Aaron Fisher travels the world sharing his original thoughts and energetic performances with other fellow magicians.

Rosemary Reid
- Ms. Magic -
From her humble beginnings at Sorcerers Safari Magic Camp to becoming one of Canada's leading female magicians, Rosemary is going to answer the
one question she's been asked most often throughout her career. Can you guess what it is?

Adam Grace
- Renaissance Man -
Adam Grace, a profesional magician, musician, actor, speaker, writer and producer, tours the world sharing his love for all performing arts. He plans to
spend the entire day with us.

Also including:
- Michael Ammar
- Silly Billy
- Chris Mysterion & Steffi Kay
- Dick Joiner
- Buck Macleod
- Luiz Castro
- Keith Brown
- Scott Hammell

REGISTER NOW - Be A Part Of The 2017 Bash Experience
http://www.browsersden.com/bash

We hope you'll join us. It's unlike any other magic event around. You're going to love it! Book your ticket today by clicking the button above.

See you at the Bash on Saturday, April 1st, 2017!

Magical Hugs,
Jeff Pinsky, John Talbot, & Lee Asher
(Your faithful Browser's Magic Bash team)

07 June 2016

20 amazing alumni from Sorcerers Safari


No matter how you slice it, camp just wouldn’t be camp without campers!  It shouldn’t surprise you that Neil Croswell (gold medal ‘Magic of China, International Magic Championships” 2015), Bill Cook (three-time award winner at the World Magic Seminar in Las Vegas), and Kelvin Kwong (first place Magi-Fest junior close-up, second place IBM junior close-up) have all attended.  Without a doubt, Sorcerers Safari attracts multi-talented and amazing youth.  To mark their upcoming 20th anniversary, flip to page 108 of the 26th edition of VANISH magazine and have a look at "20 amazing alumni from Sorcerers Safari Magic Camp."




--
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 Sorcerers Safari

Diary of a Sorcerers Safari newbie - part 7

|< page 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 -78 - 9 - 10 - 11 - next >

A camper's notebook. Photo by Rosemary Reid
A camper's notebook.

Day 3: Sunday August 16th (cont)*
9pm
Dinner was good but the ice cream pie was AMAZING!

At the theatre they said Chris Mayhew is making a video of camp.  I can’t wait to see that!  Rosemary said she runs the Sorcerers Safari social media accounts and will help promote events that campers are involved with.  Impressive.  I don’t get the sense that people here think they’re better than anyone else -- they all just want to see everyone succeed.  Just like our moms and dads.  But WAY cooler. 

Mike Close played some beautiful piano before the show.  (Is everyone here crazy talented?)  The lip syncs were extra funny tonight. Rosemary (singer) and Chris Westfall (background cheerleader) did “Cheerleader" by Omi, and Jonah (with Jonah supporting) did a duet -- "Love Is An Open Door" from Frozen.  HYSTERICAL!!!!

Found myself a cheerleader!  Still from video by Chris Mayhew.
Found myself a cheerleader!



Jonah backing up Jonah.  Still from video by Chris Mayhew.
Jonah backing up Jonah.




Tonight’s show was called the “World Champion Show” and featured three award winning magicians!  I got to see Greg Frewin, Shawn Farquhar, and Daryl all on the same stage.  I bet that the evening shows alone are worth the price of camp.
Greg Frewin. Photo by James Carey Lauder.
Greg Frewin.


Shawn Farquhar. Photo by James Carey Lauder.
Shawn Farquhar.


Daryl. Photo by James Carey Lauder.
Daryl.



Rocket popsicles for bedtime snack!  (The sugar will help keep me awake for cabin visits!)  Eric came and gave us all mouth coils to try.  (I thought they would never end!!  We’re going to decorate the bunks with them tomorrow.)  Lee Asher showed us some super cool tricks with cards and then he showed us specialty decks we’d never heard of.  They looked really fancy.
Eric sharing secrets. Photo by James Carey Lauder.
Eric sharing secrets.
Goodnight.



To be continued ...


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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.

24 May 2016

Diary of a Sorcerers Safari newbie - part 5

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A camper's notebook. Photo by Rosemary Reid
A camper's notebook.

Day 2: Saturday August 15th (cont)*
5pm
Camp swim is so much fun!  We get to use huge inner tubes to float in the docks at the lake.  Eric Leclerc went out of the designated area in an inner tube, to get a ball that floated away.  It was funny to watch him try and paddle with his hands!  There’s a slide that goes into the lake and a super high platform that you can jump off of too.
Inner tubes are fun! Photo by James Carey Lauder.
Inner tubes are fun!

Squeezing more magic in before the swim. Photo by James Carey Lauder.
Squeezing more magic in before the swim.

We had “performance workshop” where some campers performed something and everyone got to tell them what they liked about it and what they thought could be improved.  Some kids got up and did things that we just learned at electives today!  Everyone seems really supportive and encouraging here.  No one was mean about it.  
Then we played the “Umm” game.  It’s where you have to talk as long as you can about an assigned topic (think unicorns, chocolate, soccer, etc) without saying things like “umm” or “ahh.”  It’s hard!  (And fun to watch!)  Now I know that I need to script my performances because I’m not so good at improvising!

Performance workshop. Photo by James Carey Lauder.
Performance workshop.



10pm
What a night!  We ate chicken burgers and chocolate mousse!  At the theatre we watched video messages for us from magicians from Las Vegas and other places in the US.  Apparently there’s a camper show later in the week.  I wonder if I have anything good enough to do for the show...

The evening performance was mind blowing.  Mike Close, Eric, Sheldon Casavant, Scott Hammell, Neil Croswell and Ashley Da Silva are all fabulous.  I got to see dove magic live for the first time.  Neil made birds appear out of NOWHERE. 

Mike Close. Photo by James Carey Lauder.
Mike Close.


Eric Leclerc.  Photo by James Carey Lauder.
Eric Leclerc.



Neil Croswell and Ashley Da Silva. Photo by James Carey Lauder.
Neil Croswell and Ashley Da Silva.

Rosemary Reid, Mark Correia, and Chris Mayhew did lip syncs tonight.  I laughed so hard when Chris “blah, blah, blahed” his way through "Single Ladies" by Beyoncé.
Chris Mayhew channeling Beyoncé. Photo by James Carey Lauder.
Chris Mayhew channeling Beyoncé.


After that we had a beach party -- wait for it -- on the beach!  There was fire floating in the lake (I’d never seen that before).  We had fries and chicken nuggets and fried zucchini for snack.  Phil DaCosta, the DJ, had everyone moving and doing the limbo and forming conga lines.  I liked it when he played the “Cha Cha Slide” and “Uptown Funk.”  I complained when my counsellor said I had to leave early ‘cause I’m so little.  Secretly I’m glad I’m back at the cabin.  I’m pooped.
How low can you go? Photo by James Carey Lauder.
How low can you go?



Beach party! Photo by James Carey Lauder.
Beach party!


More beach party! Photo by James Carey Lauder.
More beach party!

 
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



|< page 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 -5- 6 - 78 - 9 - 10 - 11 - next >

* 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.