Magic for healing

From Sharing Wonder:

We currently have two specially focused sessions with Holland Bloorview called, Helping Hands and Hand 2 Hand.

These summer programs focus on strengthening the client’s less dominant hand by restraining the dominant hand, on and off throughout the camp. Naturally in this conditions, magic becomes increasingly difficult to perform – especially when clients naturally want to use their dominant hand for fine motor tasks, such as shuffling a deck of cards.

Read more.

Teller to debut "Play Dead" in Montréal

From Fear Net:

That funny silent magic man Teller (of Penn & Teller) has just announced he'll debuts his horror Film Play Dead, based on the hit stage play, at this year's Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal. Check out the press release below.

Teller, the smaller, quieter half of Penn & Teller, will have the world premiere of his performance film of PLAY DEAD, the Off-Broadway horror hit starring Todd Robbins, on Friday, July 27th at Montreal’s 2012 Fantasia International Festival. Teller and Robbins will both attend.

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[h/t: iTricks]

Winners and awards of FISM 2012

The results of the FISM 2012 competitions are posted at the Magic Convention Guide.  Please note the following addendum by Shawn Farquhar:

Canada's entrant at FISM is awarded third in manipulation but announced as Korea ... 3rd place – Manipulation – Kim hyun joon
— Shawn Farquhar (@magiChampion) July 15, 2012

Children's show at the Naval Medical Center Portsmouth's Pediatrics Ward

From America's Navy:

"Every year, we try to go to a children's hospital or a hospital with a children's ward and do a quick show for the kids, to take away some of the normal hospital routine," said Scott Hood, one of the Canadian magicians and the I.B.M. director of hospital shows.

"It takes their mind off what they're going through. It's something different; they get a bit of a laugh, a bit of a giggle. They get to see something they may have not seen before or may have only seen on television. And we have fun doing it."

"I love doing magic," said Joan Caesar, the other magician from Canada. "I especially love doing magic for children, and this was perfect - to perform for kids who are in the hospital and maybe need a little smile on their face."

Read more.

Amber Waves interviews James Alan

From Open 'Til Midnight's post The Truth Behind The (Damn) Lies And Magic Of James Alan:

It is upon this foundation that James Alan has constructed his new one-man show, Lies, Damn Lies & Magic Tricks.  As Alan explains, “There’s something very satisfying about knowing you’re being deceived and believing it anyway.  Over and over again, the audience gets to feel these astonishing moments as they realize what’s really going on is completely different from what they thought. And that’s really what magic is about; realizing that the world around us is more than what it seems.”

Read more.

Jay Sankey: Penguin Magic lecture

Did you miss Jay Sankey's live online lecture at Penguin Magic last Saturday? Have no fear, you can download it (for a fee) from Penguin Magic.

Shin Lim reviewed in FISM day three report

Shin Lim's performance is reviewed in  mentioned in Craig Mitchell's day three report on Blackpool FISM 2012, posted at The Magic Newswire.

An interview with Mike D'Urzo

From Corriere Tandem:

For the past three years, he has been in the running to become Entertainer of the Year at the Canadian Event Industry Awards. Mike D’Urzo, the founder and creative director of Mega Magic (www.megamagic.ca), is a successful magician. The 28-year-old Italian-Canadian performs hundreds of shows each year across Canada and abroad. His tour in China was memorable, where he performed to an audience of half a million. Recently he did a show at Isabel Bader Theatre, with Z103.5 FM. His father Dominic hails from Sant’Onofrio in Vibo Valentia province, while his mother Millie is Canadian. He has one brother, Jerry.

Read more.

Joan and Obie at FISM day two

Joan Caesar and Obie O’Brien are mentioned in Craig Mitchell's report on Blackpool FISM 2012, posted at The Magic Newswire.

Durgy Spade: Standing tall for Canada

From page 16 of the e-DESI News:

He made a woman's engagement ring disappear.  And then said the party was over, that he'd be leaving.

"That drew some gasps, I can tell you!" says the man who goes by the professional name of Durgy Spade.  A professional magicican, that is.  Possibly the only professional desi magician in the GTA.

Read more.

Halifax: Joshua Jay lecture

A teaser from the Conjurers Court website:

And now … the surprise: Well, to be honest, just a teaser for the surprise. I’ve been “in talks”, as they say, to bring another lecturer to the club in either August or September. I won’t let you in on his name until I can get a definite OK from him, but I absolutely, positively, guarantee you that it will be a fantastic lecture.

I’m going to try to get him on a weekend so that out-of-town magicians and our friends in the New Brunswick club would have an opportunity to attend.

Then this Tweet came through ....

Added Joshua Jay lecture coming to Halifax in August to magicinfo.ca/events.php
— Doug C. (@magicinfo_ca) July 5, 2012

Magic Information Canada has the date set for August 11.  Contact Rod Doiron for details.

Are magicians trustworthy?

From Twitter:

Someone came to Browser's Den & stole a card signed by Dai Vernon! The worst part is that they damaged it in the theft. Unbelievable!
— Mahdi Gilbert (@mahdigilbert) July 8, 2012

This is right on the heals of this announcement from the MCA blog:

We regret to report that Mario Carrandi, one of the most respected dealers of rare and antiquarian magic, reports the loss of his collection of The Great Raymond lapel stick pins, last seen on display at his dealer booth last week at our 43rd Magic Collectors Weekend in Chicago.  

What makes this particularly upsetting is not only that it took place at a conference of peers and in a room in where the security and access were controlled, but also that these objects were of great sentimental value to Mr. Carrandi.

Read more.

If anyone has any information with respect to these missing items, please contact the appropriate organization as soon as possible.

An interview with Ben Train

From The Daily Deception a Q and Eh with Ben Train:

Chris Williams - Scotland, UK asks our first question for Q and Eh with Ben Train: What makes magic special to you?

Ben Train:When I was much younger I really struggled just trying to get through life. I had serious trouble making friends, was doing terribly in school, and since I didn’t have an outlet to deal with the frustration I was feeling, I acted out. It was a pretty crappy time for me.Then I found magic.  

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Review: Banachek’s The Alpha Project

From The Toronto Review of Books:

Do certain individuals have the ability to see the future, to read the thoughts of others, or to communicate with the spirit world? Whatever your answers to these questions might be, in his show The Alpha Project an extraordinary performer named Banachek invites spectators into a universe where such superhuman feats are possible. At least, this is true for the first half of his one-man performance, which recently finished its world premiere.

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A question of insurance

James Jordan is looking for an insurance carrier that covers magicians. 

WTF pal insurance exclusively forbids insuring magicians! Perhaps because of our Arcane nature? Any suggestions? @canadasmagic
— James Jordan (@GVS_varietyshow) July 5, 2012

Does anyone out there have some advice for James?

Halifax: End-of-year show

From the Conjurers Court:

The End-of-Year Show will be on Sunday, July 8 at the Company House on Gottingen Street. Time to be announced.

The inimitable Bill Wood hosts a comedy/variety act there on Sundays, and he’s been kind enough to offer us the venue for that night. An extra benefit for us is that there will be “strangers” in the audience coming to see Bill and getting us as well.

So club performers will have the opportunity to perform in front of friends and enemies … I mean, friends we haven’t met yet. Such glee.

If you’d like to perform (And why wouldn’t you?) put together a routine or act running up to 12 to 15 minutes. You can, of course, do less if you’d like.

I would need to know in advance what effect(s) you want to perform so that we don’t have duplicate effects. One Professor’s Nightmare is enough....

Read more

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Meta: What brought you here?

Some of the search terms, for people passing through here:

• "morrissey magic vs browserden" - I didn't realise they were getting divorced.
• "st.catharines chinese one night stand" - How do Chinese one night stands differ from non-Chinese ones?
   
• "images of ariel frailich" - Why would they land on this site for that?
   
• "RING MAGIC TORONTO CHAPTER" - Add ASSEMBLY to that query and we'd have the trifecta.
   
• "canadian woman magician" - There can be only one!
• "magic show toronto 2011" - There was only one!
 
• ""mark lewis" magician legend" - Nothing I can add to that.

• "volodymyr martyniuk" - I have no current information on how Volodymyr Martyniuk (aka Vladimir the Great) is recovering following treatment for a brain aneurysm.  The most recent post on the CGT website suggested that 42 days ago, he was doing well and in rehab.  Does anyone have an update on how he's doing?

Toronto: Summer Soirée

From SummerWorks eventbrite listing:

The meal will be served with wine, music, and an assortment of short performances and happenings from SummerWorks artists including Bob Wiseman, the Brick Lane Advice Booth and magic from James Alan, whose new one man show, Lies Damn Lies & Magic Tricks, will be featured in the Festival this year.

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London: AbraKIDabra

From Peter Mennie's Facebook event:

Tuesday, 24 July 2012

Come and be in the audience of AbraKIDabra! and be part of a LIVE taping of a new fall series on RogersTV.

Tickets $5 at the Palace Theatre Box Office www.palacetheatre.ca or 519-432-1029

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Toronto: Magicana casting call

From Sharing Wonder:

Magicana is looking for experienced entertainers, specializing in magic, dance and music for a variety of community programs to be conducted in the Greater Toronto Area. If interested, please contact us along with your theatre and entertainment experience.

Read more.

They are looking for instructors and instructor assistants for children's programming as well as entertainers for senior's programming.

I have had the privilege of participating with children in Magicana's My Magic Hands program.  They do great work!