Mississauga: Mike D'Urzo at the Meadowvale Theatre

From Mike D'Urzo's Twitter feed:

Looking forward to performing at the #MeadowvaleTheatre in Mississauga on Jan. 16 with a special post show workshop! https://t.co/h41m48oDWS

— Mike D'Urzo (@MikeDurzo) January 4, 2016

Broken wand: Paul Bradshaw

From the Windsor Star:

BRADSHAW, Paul Tannahill

71 years. It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Paul on April 26, 2015 with his family by his side. Beloved husband of Peggy Ann (nee MacInnes) for 45 years. Loving father to Lindsay Bradshaw and finace David Marchand, Kristin Bradshaw and Bob Hodge. Grampy to Thurston, Lauren and Scarlett. Dear brother to Blair and Gail Bradshaw and Peter and Linda Bradshaw. Also survived by several nieces and nephews. Paul was fortunate to be a recipient of a Lung transplant and was an advocate for organ donation. He was a member of the Windsor Magic Circle and was known to many as Mr. Magic.

Read more.

With thanks to Dennis Schick from the IBM for sending this information along.

Quebec City Magic Festival ad "The Magician"

One of my favourite things about the Festival de magie de Québec is their creative, dynamic, and often interactive advertising campaigns.  In 2011 it was this magical billboard. In 2012, it was "la disparition."  In 2013, "pouvoirs magiques."   For 2014, "le balai magique."  This one, "le magicien" was released in August of 2015.  So much fun!

Have a look at "Quebec City Magic Festival - The Magician" on LG2's YouTube channel (with English subtitles):

Shawn Farquhar at the Magic Castle

From Shawn Farquhar's Facebook page:

For more than nearly thirty years I have quite regularly been invited to perform at the Magic Castle in Hollywood, California. At one time my manager was even the booking agent and I kept saying no thank you. It's not that I didn't dream of performing in this amazing venue, I just had this dream that was a little more. My dream was to perform in all three major showrooms in a single week. That's more than 63 shows in seven days in all disciplines of the art of magic. Not many would be able to do this with any level of success. I've always believed I was up to the challenge. I've resigned myself to the fact it's a dream and will not become a reality. So, I finally said yes. That's right, I've never performed at the Magic Castle... ever. If you have ever wanted to go to the Magic Castle and needed an excuse or guest pass, or you go often and want to join in the fun, it's time to make your reservations. I'll be coming to play March 14th to the 20th. I'll also have a special lecture on Saturday, March 19th in the Palace of Mystery. 

Read more.

Watch on YouTube, the Vanishing Bottle video Shawn recorded this past New Year's Eve:

Ottawa: David Acer recording "The Debaters"

From The Comedy Nest's Twitter feed:

Catch all these #Montreal pats & ex-pats recording @cbcdebaters in #Ottawa Feb. 9 & 10. Tix: https://t.co/ppOi14ECP9 pic.twitter.com/vpvZxmaB5H

— Comedy Nest Montreal (@comedynest) December 15, 2015

Toronto: The Sentimentalists at "Magic Tonight"

Confirm details by visiting Abracadabaret.com

Toronto (Sun):  The Sentimentalists








James Alan, over at Abracadaberet, has kindly offered the readers of Canada's Magic a coupon code for 50% off tickets to "Magic Tonight!"  Use the coupon code cmagic when you buy your tickets for Magic Tonight to receive your discount*.



--
* Offer is subject to change without notice.  Canada's Magic earns a commission when you use the coupon code cmagic.

Murray Hatfield: Southern Lecture Tour

Updated January 7th to add:

• Regrettably, this tour has been cancelled.

Thanks for the update Julie!

From the Murray Hatfield - S. Carolina and Florida Lecture Tour Facebook event:

Coming all the way from Canada, one of the top touring stage performers, Murray Hatfield, comes south to present his lecture for a select group and only available for a limited time. In 2013 Murray Hatfield lectured across the U.S. for over 20 cities, all of whom proclaimed him one of their favorite lecturers. I am still using one of his marketed products in my regular show for corporate audiences.

Although Murray is best known throughout Canada as trouping with his illusion show, he was also the proprietor of a brick and mortar magic shop for many years. Not just a skilled professional stage magician, Murray also has the “chops” to perform close-up as he demonstrated to the registrants of the prestigious Fechter’s Finger Flicking Frolic (F.F.F.F.), invitation only close-up convention.

Thursday, February 11, 2016 Greenville, SC - CONFIRMED
Friday, February 12, 2016 Columbia, SC
Saturday, February 13, 2016 Myrtle Beach, SC
Sunday, February 14, 2016 Charleston or Summerville, SC
Monday, February 15, 2016 Hilton Head, SC
Tuesday, February 16, 2016 Pensacola, FL
Wednesday, February 17, 2016 Jacksonville, FL
Thursday, February 18, 2016 Daytona Beach, FL
Friday, February 19, 2016 open, no lecture
Saturday, February 20, 2016 Tampa, FL
Sunday, February 21, 2016 Sarasota, FL
Monday, February 22, 2016 Fort Meyers, FL
Tuesday, February 23, 2016 Miami, FL
Wednesday, February 24, 2016 North Miami, FL
Thursday, February 25, 2016 Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Friday, February 26, 2016 Boca Raton, FL
Saturday, February 27, 2016 West Palm Beach, FL
Sunday, February 28, 2016 Melbourne, FL
Monday, February 29, 2016 Cocoa Beach, FL
Tuesday, March 1, 2016 Kissimmee, FL
Wednesday, March 2, 2016 Orlando, FL

Read more to see an updated list of confirmed events.

Thank you to our January 2016 Friends!

Thank you to John Smithman, John Harrison, Richard Lyn and Joan Caesar for being Friends of Canada's Magic!

It's good to have friends like you.

You too can Be Our Friend for only $20 per year! 

Donations of any size are always welcome.

Thank you to our January 2016 sponsors!

Thank you to our sponsors for their generous support.

This site would not be possible without their backing.

We're grateful to have the support of:

• Clive Court - The Fun-da-Mentalist,
• Evelyn & Phil Matlin, owners of Perfect Magic and
• Jeff Pinsky, owner of The Browser's Den of Magic

The next time you see them, let them know you saw their sponsorship here!

For more information about purchasing Sponsored Posts or about our Platinum, Gold, or Silver level sponsorships, please visit our Sponsorship page.

Or you can Be Our Friend for only $20 per year! 

Donations of any size are always welcome.

David Ben's ‪#‎NoHairSelfie‬

World Cancer Day is February 4, 2016.

From James Alan's Facebook page:
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.

My friend David Ben is raising money for cancer research, and he's willing to shave off his glorious mop for the cause. Check out his campaign, the #NoHairSelfiehttp://www.nohairselfie.com/davidben
Posted by James Alan on Monday, 16 November 2015

More performers announced for Browser's Bash 2016

You already heard that Tom Mullica and Daniel Garcia are performing at the 2016 Browser's Bash.  And we know that Dan Morrissey will be there too.  Check out the other amazing talent recently added to the lineup:

In no particular order:

JAMES HARRISON
As Canada's pickpocket magician, James borrows pens, watches, wallets, and even belts from spectators watching. Before you can yell thief, James has returned the valuables to their rightful owners by making them reappear in unexpected places!

BEN TRAIN
Combining humor, psychology, and a little old-fashioned chutzpah, Ben Train creates an experience that will have you laughing out loud while your mind is being blown. Mystery and non-stop laughs follow where ever he goes. Luckily, he's at the Bash all day long!

LOUIE LEBETJIS
For those who love card table artifice, secret sleights, & serious advantage play - seek out Big Lou during this Bash. His chops are top-notch, plus he will astound you. Move over Charming Cheat, there's a new kid in town.

CHRIS MAYHEW
Some say Chris Mayhew is disarming, charming, and will make you laugh out loud with his uniquely entertaining brand of magic. Others say he's just plain crazy! We will let you be the judge.

JOE DENG
All the way from Changsha, China by way of Beijing, Joe Deng is a master of close-up magic. He's revered by every single magician in his homeland, and now it's time that you meet and spend time with him.

MICHAEL LAM
Multitalented and multilingual, the Hong Kong magician brings his specially honed sleight of hand across the pond specifically for our day of fun. Known for creating the illusion of impossible, be mesmerized by the artistic magic of Michael Lam.

The magic inside Canadian plastic bills

From BuzzFeed:

Apparently, built into the transparent maple leaf design on our Canadian bills is a diffraction grating technology…

That when you shine a laser light through the maple leaf…

An encoded value of the bank note can be seen projected onto a blank surface.

Read more.

Watch Steve Mould explain it on YouTube:

Rounding the Western rings in January 2016

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

City	Club	Event(s)
Calgary, AB	Ring 66 (Calgary Magic Circle, Les Brocklesby Ring)	- Junior club meeting
Edmonton, AB	Edmonton Magic Club	- TBA
Winnipeg, MB	The Magic Club of Winnipeg	- TBA
Fraser Valley, BC	IBM Ring 387 (Fraser Valley Magic Circle, Celeste Evans Ring)	-Third Monday Magic
Vancouver, BC	Ring 92 (Vancouver Magic Circle)	- TBA
Vancouver, BC	SAM 95  (Carl Hemeon Assembly)	- N/A
Victoria, BC	Ring 183 (Victoria Magic Circle)	- Annual dinner featuring Trevor and Lorena Watters

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

Rounding the Central rings in January 2016

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

Montreal, QC	Ring 62 (20th Century Ring)	- Rocco lecture. - Eric Jones lecture. - Monthly meetup.
Hamilton, ON	Ring 49 (The Doug Henning Magic Wand Club)	-TBA
London, ON	Ring 265 (London Magician's Guild)	- TBA
Kitchener, ON	Ring 235 (The Caesar Hat & Wand Magic Circle)	- TBA
Ottawa, ON	Ring 151 (Ottawa Society of Magicians)	- TBA
Ottawa, ON	Ottawa / Gatineau magicians	- TBA
Toronto, ON	Ring 17 (Sid Lorraine Hat and Rabbit Club)	- Auction.

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

Rounding the Eastern rings in January 2016

Does anybody have current information to share about the Magic Circle of St. John?


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

Halifax, NS	Ring 316 (Conjourer's Court)	- Party! - Visit their Facebook page.
St. John, NB	Magic Circle of St. John	- TBA

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

Who was the most watched illusionist of 2015?

The folks over at iTricks have been looking at back at the 2015 magic video stats.  They searched "for the most viewed YouTube video on 2015 featuring the keyword ILLUSIONIST."

The results?  A "video of Darcy Oake on the BBC that gathered about a million and a half views."  (Unfortunately, I could not find a link to the video to which they are referring.)

Way to go Darcy!

Speaking of Darcy, the CBC has video footage of his "'most death-defying' act to date at London's New Year's Day parade."

From the CBC:

Oake, who was born and raised in Winnipeg, pulled off what he calls "literally the most death-defying escape that I've ever done or ever attempted" at the end of the 30th annual parade, performing for hundreds of thousands of spectators in the U.K.

Before bringing to life the parade's theme — 30 years of magic — Oake explained how he would escape and avoid drowning.

Read more and watch video.

[via Clive Court]

 CNN has video of Darcy talking about the stunt.

And here's a great photo taken by Carey Lauder of Darcy doing the same stunt in Winnipeg!

From Carey's Facebook page:

Fiona Gourlay has added me to the landscape and nature challenge, I will work on that right away. But for now here is a shot from Darcy Oake's Edge of Reality tour that finished in Winnipeg this last Friday.
Posted by James Carey Lauder on Sunday, 6 December 2015

Toronto: David Merry at "Magic Tonight"

Confirm details by visiting Abracadabaret.com

Toronto (Sun):  David Merry








James Alan, over at Abracadaberet, has kindly offered the readers of Canada's Magic a coupon code for 50% off tickets to "Magic Tonight!"  Use the coupon code cmagic when you buy your tickets for Magic Tonight to receive your discount*.



--
* Offer is subject to change without notice.  Canada's Magic earns a commission when you use the coupon code cmagic.

Toronto: Free magic club

From the Browser's Den of Magic Facebook page:

This Saturday, January 2nd at Browsers' Den is our next Free Magic Club meeting from 2:30pm to 5:00pm. All interested in talking magic are welcome.

Chris Westfall's "15 second miracles"

Join Chris Westfall as he begins his Project 365 (+1) on Instagram!

From the Chris Westfall Magic Facebook page:

On January 1st I will begin a 365 day + 1 leap year day project of 15 second Instagram videos of Magic Tricks, Sketches, flourishes & skits. The project is called #15secondmiracles and you can follow this adventure on Instagram @ChrisWestfallMagic

Happy 2016!

Wishing you and yours a year filled with awe and wonder!

To start things off, here's a video from Murray Sawchuck's YouTube channel:

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.


[via iTricks]