30 March 2011

Toronto: Ben Train is special guest at Browser's Den magic club

From The Browser's Den:
This Saturday, April 2 at 'Browser's Den' we have our monthly Magic Club Meeting. The club meets at 2:00pm until about 4:00pm.  
We are very plesed that our SPECIAL GUEST at the club will be BEN TRAIN. All who are interested in improving their magic may attend for FREE.
If this interests you, please confirm details directly with the Browser's Den of Magic.

Rounding the Western rings in April

Confirm details about dates and locations by visiting each club's website.

CityClubEvent(s)
Calgary, ABRing 66 (Calgary Magic Circle, Les Brocklesby Ring)- Works In Progress
- mini-workshop on balloon twisting
- Jr. Magic Club
- Garden Variety Show 
Edmonton, ABEdmonton Magic Club- Abra-kid-abra
Winnipeg, MBThe Magic Club of Winnipeg- Family Day of Magic
Vancouver, BCRing 92 (Vancouver Magic Circle)- Chad Long lecture
- Executive Meeting
- Gimmicked Card Night
- Charles Howard Trophy competition
Victoria, BCRing 183 (Victoria Magic Circle) - Annual General Meeting


Please leave a comment or e-mail me about corrections or omissions.

Rounding the Ontario rings in April

Confirm details about dates and locations by visiting each club's website.

Hamilton, ONRing 49 (The Doug Henning Magic Wand Club) - Competition Night 
London, ONLondon Magician's Guild- TBD
Kitchener, ONRing 235 (The Caesar Hat & Wand Magic Circle)- Annual 4F lecturer, TBD
Ottawa, ONRing 151 (Ottawa Society of Magicians) - Pot-luck Banquet Party
- Executive Nominations
Toronto, ONRing 17 (Sid Lorraine Hat and Rabbit Club) - shop visit: The Browser's Den
Woodstock, ONCAM 1 (Friendly City Mystics) - 4F lecturer, TBD


Please leave a comment or e-mail me about corrections or omissions.

29 March 2011

Toronto: Luminato Announces 2011 Magic Programs

From the Luminato website:
Luminato, Toronto Festival of Arts and Creativity, today announced the Festival’s 2011 Magic programs. The fifth anniversary edition of Luminato introduces two original magic shows and features world premieres, vaudeville nostalgia, and the interactive, improvisational style of modern magic.
 
About the shows:
Natural Magick: A 90-minute show written by David Ben and Patrick Watson, with music by John Lang.  Ben recreates magic from the repertoire of the world’s master magicians, revisiting feats of wonder in the context of “scenes” realized through the prism of projected imagery and John Lang’s playful score.

Vodavil:  Featuring some of the world’s most gifted variety artists, including comedian-magician Mike Caveney, mime and magician Tina Lenert, physical illusionist Ardan James, magicians and parodists The Great Tomsoni and Company, and Gaetan Bloom, a master of the absurd.

Eric Mead - Toast of the Town: Showcasing Eric and the art of improv 'bar magic.'

From the Sharing Wonder website:
Tickets will go on sale in mid-April. We will be giving an advance purchase option to subscribers, so make sure that you join the Magicana eList to receive word.

Visit the Magicana website for more information.

28 March 2011

Jay Sankey: Interviewed by Dodd Vickers

Dodd Vickers' interview with Jay Sankey was posted on The Magic Newswire today.  From MNW #311:
Among many other topics, we discuss the impending release of his latest project Bending the Real. [snip]
Jay describes 'Bending the Real' as an inspired collection of low sleight deceptions, each designed to mess with human minds from a different sensory or rational angle. Stay tuned to the very end of the broadcast to find out how you can get a FREE copy of Bending the Real!
Click on over to The Magic Newswire and listen to the podcast!

You can also follow @jay_sankey on Twitter as he launches 'Bending the Real' April 1st.

Edmonton: Jeff McBride Super Session SOLD OUT

[Edited May 17th to add: More tickets available, visit the Facebook page: Jeff McBride Super Session for more information.]

Jeff McBride is coming to Edmonton and will be offering his new-format workshop: "The Jeff McBride Super Session".

WHEN: Wednesday, June 1, 2011
WHERE: Kent Wong's Studio of Magic

4 HOURS OF HANDS ON MAGICAL TRAINING! The Jeff McBride Super Session is a unique teaching format that allows all students of magic, regardless of age or skill level, to improve their abilities, develop their character, and learn the inside secrets of the business of magic.
According to the Facebook page, the event sold out fast! 

[h/t: Sheldon Casavant]

26 March 2011

Aaron Jones: Pray For Japan

Canadian Aaron Jones (currently living in Japan) has posted photos and video from the Shikoku Magic Friends Club's annual show, which was also a fundraiser for the victims of the quake and tsunami that hit Japan earlier this month.



It looked like an entertaining evening! Thank you Aaron for sharing this with us.

Ways in which Canadians can help the relief efforts overseas can be found in this Toronto Star article.

24 March 2011

Ontario: Ryan Joyce

I first had the pleasure of seeing Ryan perform in 2001 at the CAM Stage Competition where he earned himself a silver medal. Ryan's shows have raised over 2 million dollars for various charities nationwide.  Have a peek at his promo reel below, to see him in action.




Ryan's currently touring Ontario.  You can catch him TONIGHT (March 24) in Kitchener and TOMORROW night (March 25) in Niagara Falls / Welland. Both shows will be presented in support of The Children’s Wish Foundation of Canada. He also has dates in Oshawa, Georgetown, Owen Sound and Sutton.

Visit his website to purchase tickets or for more details about show times and locations.

21 March 2011

Review: The Shadow Cutter

From the Ottawa Citizen:
We see Vernon hungering to learn an elusive sleight of hand known as the centre deal. And we watch as, uninterested in earning money by performing his tricks publicly, he pieces together a living as a shadow cutter, someone paid to cut silhouettes of people from black paper, once a popular art form.
Vernon's life, in other words, was consumed by a deck of cards, something so small you can put it in your pocket but with a reach so vast it can devour those who fall in love with it.

Read more...
Visit Ottawa's Great Canadian Theatre Company website to purchase tickets or for more information.

Greg Frewin's take on a Charlie Sheen Tiger Blood transfusion

A GregFrewinTheatre.com production.
 


[h/t: Owen Anderson]

18 March 2011

Japan

Canadian Aaron Jones (currently living in Japan) is featured on a Magic Newswire podcast discussing this week's tragic events.  Aaron has also been blogging about events in Japan as they transpire.  Additionally, within the Japanese magic community there are fundraisers being announced such as the Shikoku Public Magic show and lecture note sales.  I'm sure there will be many more to follow.

Locally, Shawn Farquhar mentioned on Facebook that a fundraiser for Japan Relief (Red Cross) in BC is still looking for acts. 

Other ways in which Canadians can help the relief efforts overseas can be found in this Toronto Star article.

Links for 2011-Mar-18

15 March 2011

Happy 14th birthday CAM!

The Canadian Association of Magicians (CAM) was founded on March 15, 1997 by Joan Caesar.  The creation of CAM as our national magic representative allowed us to apply for membership to FISM.  In the year 2000, CAM was accepted as a FISM member and Canadian magicians could, for the first time compete under the Canadian banner at FISM's World Championship of Magic.

CAM also hosts CAMaraderie, a now yearly national magic convention.  This year's CAMaraderie will run from July 28th to 31st in Vancouver, BC and will be held in conjuntion with the annual convention of the Pacific Coast Association of Magicians (PCAM) under the guidance of the Vancouver Magic Circle (Ring 92).

Thank you Joan, for creating this wonderful national association 14 years ago!

For more information about the organization please visit the CAM website or the CAM Wikipedia entry.  Please visit magicianconvention.com for details about the joint CAM/P-CAM convention.

07 March 2011

Book launch: "The Lives of a Showman"

Last Friday I had the pleasure of attending a book launch party for “The Lives of a Showman” by Mark Lewis. (I live tweeted the event with the tag #TLOAS though I missed tagging a few tweets here and there.)

Upon entering Browser’s Den of Magic, I was instructed to direct my attention upward. Hanging from the ceiling were more than a dozen cheerful Lee Asher sign creations containing “Markisms” such as “If they were all the nine of hearts it would look like this” and “You're quite slow, do you work for the post office?” The mood was set!

It was clear that Mark has a tremendous amount of support in the local magic community! I found myself shoulder-to-shoulder with Jeff Pinsky, Jeff Hinchliffe, Ariel Fralich, Mia Ngueyn and Adam Harmes who had all made contributions to, or were mentioned in, the book. Other notables present include*: Gordon Precious, Owen Anderson, Paul Pacific, Chris Westfall, John Pellatt, Richard Lyn, John Michalson, Shawna Ross-York, Dan McLean, Steve Shrott, Joe Schwarcz and young Daniel (one of Mark’s students).

While reading from his book, we were regaled with stories of Mark’s experiences with The Worst Audience Ever at The Blue Angel and his early days of (not so) psychic readings in Ireland with Adam Harmes. Mark also read a piece written about him by Mai Nguyen, winner of the Jerry Gladman Memorial Scholarship in Journalism.

To round out the evening we were treated to James Alan’s rendition of Mark’s “Pig Trick” and then we all laughed ourselves silly through Jeff Hinchliffe’s impersonation of Mark doing his Svengali deck hustle.

It is always a delightful experience to hear an author read his own words. If the rest of the book is even half as entertaining as the launch party, it should be a good read indeed!

To purchase “The Lives of a Showman” visit Mark's website, Browser’s Den of Magic or contact your local magic dealer.


--
* If I’ve missed listing anyone who was there please send me an e-mail or leave a comment below! Thank you to John Pellatt, Ariel Fralich and James Alan for providing attendee intel on the parts of the room I didn’t make it to.

06 March 2011

Edmonton: Abra-Kid-Abra

From Sahida [pdf]:
Family Magic Show: ABRA-KID-ABRA -- DO YOU BELIEVE IN MAGIC?
Then don’t miss Abra-Kid-Abra on Saturday, April 2nd 2011. The  Edmonton Magic Club and Al Shamal Shrine Clowns are proud to present a magic extravaganza for the senses. Two hours of incredible magic! From close up magicians to strolling performers and balloon twisters, the magic will overwhelm you from the moment you walk in the door. Then the curtains open with a full stage show featuring some of the best magicians Edmonton has to offer. We’re even going to take a boy or girl from the audience ... and make him or her float in the air. That’s right, FLOAT!

If you enjoy magic – if you enjoy being amazed – if you enjoy laughing and having fun, you need to be at Abra-Kid-Abra! This is a show for all age groups, grand parents to grand children. Tickets are limited, so get yours today! Tickets will be available shortly through unit heads and the Shrine Office.

[h/t: Gwyn Auger]

04 March 2011

Ottawa: The Shadow Cutter

"The Shadow Cutter"  is a play about Dai Vernon staged in his city of birth, by Ottawa's Great Canadian Theatre Company.
From their website:
Step into the seductive world of magic, where secrets are currency and illusion rules supreme. In The Shadow Cutter, two actors take us on a dramatic journey through the remarkable life of Dai Vernon, the Ottawa-born magician who earned his international reputation as the only man ever to fool Houdini. Pierre Brault’s newest play conjures up Dai’s lifelong, obsessive quest for the ultimate card trick, and the unexpected cost of mastering it.
Visit their website to purchase tickets or for more information.


[h/t: The Magic Newswire]