Who's where on Canada Day

Leave a comment on this post to let us know where you're going to be on Canada Day!

• Scott Hammell at University of Waterloo

Canada Day magic shows #canadadayyyc #calgary http://t.co/bOZTC0rfip pic.twitter.com/q1mIr0WCCZ

— James Jordan (@GVS_varietyshow) July 1, 2014

Me and my duck #torontoribfest pic.twitter.com/yhQfzmtfRN

— Phil, The Magic Guy (@MagicInToronto) July 1, 2014

Albion Hills tomorrow! Best Canada celebrations! 2 wonderful magic shows. See you there!! http://t.co/yDZ9923rJh
— Presswood (@robertpresswood) July 1, 2014

C me @ Niagarafalls Canada Day festi @ 1pm and 3pm~ July 2 @ Niagara-on-the-lake library at 10am~ July 4 @ Storybook gardens 1&2pm shows
— Captain Corbin (@Captain_Corbin) June 27, 2014

Come celebrate Canada day with some Magic! The show is at 2:00 in Whitby.... http://t.co/EsvoUAye1w
— IncrediBrent (@IncrediBrent) June 27, 2014

One week from now I have some minor plans. pic.twitter.com/VmtKAiZoxo
— Peter Mennie (@petermennie) June 23, 2014

Top 5 posts in June 2014

It's been a busy month at Canada's Magic, with 40 posts and over page loads so far!  The most popular were:

5. Classifieds: Sale on Magic Props and Clown Supplies - I hope you sold most of your stuff Chris! 

4. Niagara Falls: Mindtrix the Show - Reviews anyone? 

3. Toronto: The Ghost Experience with Jamie Stam - Reviews anyone? 

2. James Alan on Beyond the Mundane 

and the most viewed post this month is a topic that's near and dear to my heart  ...

1. Grateful for our June sponsors! - Please let them know you saw their sponsorship here!

A timely reminder from Perfect Magic

Post by Perfect Magic.

Random thoughts about 90th birthday parties

Earlier this month, I had the pleasure of attending two 90th birthday celebrations, both for Toronto's very own Gordon Precious.  Gordon is an absolute gentleman in every sense of the word.  I've known Gordon for close to 20 years and in that time he's been consistently positive, welcoming and encouraging.  He's younger at heart than many people of my generation.  Simply having Gordon in your life, makes you a better person.

First up was the Browser's event:

• The event was extremely well attended.  There were people in attendance that I didn't see that day -- it was that packed.
• It was fabulous showing of friendship from the magic community.  (Folks drove in from Kitchener, Hamilton and Ottawa!)
• No one does the the Vanishing Birdcage like Gordon.
• David Merry did a set that kept everyone in stitches.
• Jeff always throws wonderful celebration parties!
• I am incapable of entering a magic shop without leaving with a purchase.
• Read more about it (and see pictures) at the Browser's Den blog.

And later in the week, a celebration by Ring 17 at their year end banquet:

• The banquet was also very well attended.  (Folks also drove in from Kitchener, Hamilton and Ottawa!)
• Gordon did a wonderful set, entertaining young and old alike!
• There was a Zig-Zag illusion that went off without a hitch.
• I had no idea Gordon could breathe fire.
• Paul Wildbaum and Bill Abbott were entertaining, as always. 
• See photos at the Ring 17 Facebook group.

Wonderful celebrations for a wonderful person!  Happy birthday Gordon!

Asi Wind Special Guest at Sorcerers Safari Magic Camp

From Sorcerers Safari Facebook Group:

Toronto, Ontario. - June 27th, 2014 EST - Amidst rampant magic forum speculation, Sorcerers Safari Summer Magic Camp announced it is bringing in a world renowned mentalist as the special guest at Magic Camp this summer.

With several best selling DVDs & downloads, a one-man show 'Concert of the Mind' under his belt, and a ton of great unpublished ideas – Asi Wind has lots to offer the campers. Asi Wind is famous for his exceptional performances, he's also known for consulting on David Blaine's latest special, which has received international acclaim. Now imagine what it would be like to spend a camp session with him?!

Read more.

This year Sorcerers Safari Magic Camp runs from Friday August 15^th through to Wednesday August 20^th.  They are currently taking registrations at http://www.sorcererssafari.ca

Toronto: Big Sale at Browser's Den!

From Browser's Den of Magic:

SATURDAY JULY 19th BIG SALE OF MAGIC TRICKS/PROPS & BOOKS!AT: Browser's Den of Magic!
(Admission-Free)

Dear Magic Friends,

Over the past couple of weeks we have acquired some collections of used magic in very good condition. 

On the date above the collection of books, tricks, props will be available for sale as soon as our doors open.

Read more.

Halifax: Francis Menotti lecture

From Magic Information Canada's Twitter stream :

Added @FrancisJMenotti lecture in Halifax TONIGHT (Thursday Jun 26) to http://t.co/Q7MlBSEtGj @roddoiron
— Doug C. (@magicinfo_ca) June 26, 2014

Review: The Uncertainty Project

From Mooney on Theatre:

James Alan’s stage magic leaves Toronto audiences stunned, at the Wychwood Theatre 

“How did he do that?” I asked myself this countless times during James Alan: The Uncertainty Project which is currently playing at the Wychwood Theatre. The show, written by Alan and directed by James Biss, is one full of magic and illusion that is both impressive and entertaining.

Read more.

Quebec: Luc Langevin

From Perfect Magic's Facebook page:

Post by Perfect Magic.

David Merry, Bob Cates nominated for Best Variety Act

Voting opens today.  Best of luck Dave and Bob!

From Canadian Comedy:

NOMINEES IN THE 2014 CANADIAN COMEDY AWARDS

Live / Best Variety Act

• Bob Cates

• David Merry [warning: sound]

• Morro and Jasp

• Shirley Gnome

• Wes Borg

Read more.

Toronto: Return of The Conjuror

From Soul Pepper Theatre:

December 30 

Embark on a voyage of imagination and wonder as David Ben brings his critically acclaimed The Conjuror to Soulpepper. Be transported back to the year 1909 and the legendary St. George's Hall in London where audiences came to be enchanted by paradox - the Golden Age of Magic!

Read more and buy tickets.

Greg Frewin on Breakfast Television

From the Greg Frewin Theatre Facebook page:

Post by Greg Frewin Theatre.

Review: Card Table Artifice

From The Star:

Ever wanted to be a card sharp or a Mississippi riverboat gambler? Then S.W. Erdnase’s The Expert at the Card Table is essential reading.

Known in magical circles simply as Erdnase, this much admired Bible of card manipulation was published in 1902 and, in detailed, polished and unemotional prose, exposes many tricks of the trade, including blind shuffles, bottom dealing, stocking and locating specific cards, palming and legerdemain.

The work inspired a string quartet with narration, written by composer Gavin Bryars and Spanish poet Juan, which premiered in 1997. And now Toronto magician David Ben has added yet another layer for the 2014 Luminato Festival.

Read more.

Random thoughts on The Uncertainty Project

Last night I had the pleasure of attending The Uncertainty Project by James Alan.  I had spent the day volunteering my time for the benefit of school age children and had already experienced more than my share of excitement and uncertainty.  (All's well that ends well, thankfully.)  I was a little apprehensive about filling my evening with more uncertainty.  I'm glad I did.

• There will never, ever be a show exactly like the show I saw.  (At least, it's highly improbable.)
• The audience is a wild card for which it is nearly impossible to be completely prepared.
• I find it hard to live tweet and watch a show at the same time.  (I really do know how to spell your name Mahdi.)
• As near as I can tell, no rabbits were harmed in the creation of the show.
• Any show with links to Heisenberg, Einstein, Fermat, Schrödinger, and Douglas Adams, is cool in my books.
• I'm not ashamed to admit that I was "one of the two people" who was bothered by claims made on the third piece of glass. I checked.  I'm not going to tell you what I discovered.
• Sometimes it's a good thing that magicians are tall.
• Arithmetic is important.
• Crowdsourcing seems to be a surprisingly effective way to get out of a jam.
• There were some very powerful moments.
• I was absolutely entertained.

The Uncertainty Project continues for two more nights.

Captain Corbin on Rogers TV

From Captain Corbin's Twitter feed:

More with Captain Corbin The Magical Pirate - London - Rogers TV http://t.co/rXrsdjCx5E
— Captain Corbin (@Captain_Corbin) June 3, 2014

Classifieds: Sale on Magic Props and Clown Supplies

The following is a classified ad from Chris Van Krieken:

--

ONE-DAY SALE OF MAGIC PROPS & CLOWN SUPPLIES

I have been a clown and children's entertainer in Toronto for about 18 years. I need to clean my closets!!

I am selling tons of magic props, clown supplies, costumes, and books. I will also be selling one of my bunnies to a good owner.

Here are the details:

THURSDAY, JUNE 26, 2014

12 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Chris Van Krieken

Suite 807, 80 Inverlochy Blvd

Thornhill, ON

L3T 4P3

DOOR CODE: Please call ahead or e-mail for door code.

PHONE: (416) 702-2106

E-MAIL: chrisvk@sympatico.ca

Sheldon Casavant on Global News

Watch Sheldon Casavant on Global News:

James Alan on Beyond the Mundane

The Uncertainty Project by James Alan opens tonight.

From  Reality Based Magic:

On Friday, May 31, I was on Beyond the Mundane hosted by Elsie Lynn Leyland and Randi St.Claire. It’s a very long interview and we cover a wide range of topics from magic, belief and disbelief. But mostly we’re talking about The Uncertainty Project. You can “watch” the interview here, even though this is supposed to be radio.

Hamilton-Brantford Exchange: Change of Location!

From Ring 49:

Good Evening Members & Friends of Hamilton IBM Ring #49:

Sorry for the short notice, but I have just been advised that the original location for Tuesday night’s exchange meeting place in Brantford has been changed due to a double booking of the facility.

Read more.

Montreal: Steve Valentine lecture

From Montreal Magic Jam:

Steve Valentine
When:Saturday June 21
Where: Espace La Risée
1258 Bélanger Est, Montréal

In 2013, actor and two-time Magic Castle Close-up Magician of the Year, Steve Valentine presented his first ever-lecture at the Magic Castle, and he tipped EVERYTHING. Not just his original effects, but also real-world handlings and classic tricks almost lost in oblivion. Now a year later, Steve has won The Magic Castle’s 2013 Lecturer of the Year award, and has even more to share.

Read more.

[via Magic Information Canada]

Keith Brown wins London Fringe Impresario

Congratulations on winning the Impresario Keith!

From Theatre London:

The 2014 Fringe Awards were announced at tonight’s Fringe Fried awards ceremony. The “TiLees” baseball caps, featuring a new logo designed by Walter Sayers, were presented in eight categories; the first five, selected by Theatre in London.ca’s team of volunteer reviewers, went to:

Read more.

And from Keith Brown's Twitter feed:

can’t believe I won the Impresario! Thank you @LondonFringe @theatreinlondon & supporting patrons!! http://t.co/JSEZHfwX2h #LdnFringe
— Keith Brown (@KeithHBrown) June 15, 2014

Toronto: Luiz Castro coin class

From the Browser's Den of Magic:

LUIZ CASTRO FREE MAGIC COIN CLASS AT 'BROWSER'S DEN' ON: Saturday, June 28th. 

Luiz recently won the A1 Radio Toronto Magic Competition coming in first place amongst the other worthy competitors. Luiz's act consisted of excellent stage manipulation.

Read more.

[via Magic Information Canada]

Luminato round-up

From The Star:

At a magic show, audiences wonder if they can trust their eyes. But are the conjurers themselves believable? As part of the Luminato Festival, we ask some magicians if they can be trusted.

Read more.

From The Globe and Mail:

Sitting at a table covered with a red felt cloth in his Toronto studio, magic producer David Ben demonstrates how a magician shuffles cards.

To the spectator sitting across from him, it looks innocuous enough, but lean up beside him and he’ll show you that he can see the face of every card as he fans through the pack with his fingers. Oh, there’s a queen. He stops and cuts the deck, placing the queen on the bottom.

Read more.

David Ben on CP 24.


Magicana blog posts in reverse chronological order:

• CTA -Now or Never
• CTA – On Stage
• CTA – Sense and Sensibility
• CTA – Connect the Dots
• CTA – Going Global
• CTA – A Subtle Shift
• CTA – A Lousy Magician
• CTA – An Erdnasian Allusion

Sawchuck's 2nd anniversary

Happy anniversary Murray!

From Strip LV:

Congrats go out to Murray “Celebrity Magician” Sawchuck, in celebration of his 2nd Anniversary of his show at The Laugh Factory inside Tropicana Las Vegas. Also there to celebrate with Murray were his parents John and Arlene Sawchuk, as well as tons of Vegas celebrities to show their admiration and support

Read more.

Last month, iTricks posted a podcast with Murray.  Listen here.

The EH-Team lectures: now with more dates!

From Chris Mayhew's Twitter feed:

VancouverJune19 VictoriaJune20 SeattleJune21 EugeneJune22 PortlandJune23 SanJoseJune27 RenoJuly1 L.A.July10 pic.twitter.com/HJv8UPu7nj
— chris mayhew (@chrismayhew1) June 10, 2014

Bill Abbott on the cover of Vanish

You're planning on moving, Bill?  Say it ain't so!


From Bill Abbott's Twitter feed:

Excited to be on the cover of VANISH magazine! Written by @nicklewin1 thx editor @paulromhany photos @petermckinnon pic.twitter.com/m8NM8uveir
— Bill Abbott (@billabbottmagic) June 6, 2014

Read the wonderful article at Vanish.

David Ben on CP24

From David Ben's Twitter feed:

Up yet? Join me for a visit on @CP24Breakfast this morning - around 7:35 am & I'll tell you more about #TransgressiveMagic for #Luminato
— David Ben (@theconjuror) June 10, 2014

David Ben on Bill King Show

From Magicana's Twitter feed:

Check out Bill King Show CIUT 89.5 with guests producer Chris Birkett and magician David Ben on http://t.co/ZB620PRHWl
— Magicana (@sharingwonder) June 5, 2014

The Magic Festival 2014

Who answered the call for performers for this year's Magic Festival in Vancouver?

From The Magic Festival:

2nd Annual MAGIC Festival June 21 – 27, 2014

• June 21:  Purple Pirate magic show

• June 22:  Sleightly Stupid

• June 22:  Chris Yuill - Comedy Magic

• June 23:  Fraser Valley Magic Circle

• June 24:  Tony Chris

• June 24:  Bryn Williams - Close Up Cards and Cons 

• June 24:  Close Up Matt's - Evening of Mystery           

• June 25:  Magic's Best Kept Secrets

Read more.

And posters of the events from Facebook:

Post by Trevor & Lorena - Comedy Magic Show.

Post by The MAGIC Festival.

Post by The MAGIC Festival.

Post by The MAGIC Festival.

Post by The MAGIC Festival.

Post by The MAGIC Festival.

Post by The MAGIC Festival.

Post by The MAGIC Festival.

Post by The MAGIC Festival.

Post by The MAGIC Festival.

Darcy Oake shocks audience!

From Metro: 

Magician Darcy Oake certainly doesn’t do things by halves. The daredevil Canadian is so determined to win Britain’s Got Talent that he put his own life at risk during the live show.

After being securely strapped in to a straight jacket, he was then suspended upside down above the stage in an open bear trap with just 53 seconds in which to escape. Oh, did we mention that rope holding the bear trap was on fire? 

Read more and watch video.

From CTV News:

WINNIPEG -- As Winnipeg magician Darcy Oake dangled upside-down and wriggled to escape a hinged trap with spikes that threatened to impale him, the audience members and judges of Saturday's finale of "Britain's Got Talent" were on the edge of their seats.

Oake, 26, debuted on the variety show contest with a dazzling display of slight-of-hand [sic] tricks with doves, which wowed even notoriously blunt judge Simon Cowell.

Read more. 

The EH-Team lectures: Tyler Wilson & Chris Mayhew Double Header!

Updated June 11 to add this from Chris Mayhew's Twitter feed:

VancouverJune19 VictoriaJune20 SeattleJune21 EugeneJune22 PortlandJune23 SanJoseJune27 RenoJuly1 L.A.July10 pic.twitter.com/HJv8UPu7nj
— chris mayhew (@chrismayhew1) June 10, 2014

From the Fraser Valley Magic Circle:

Thursday June 19th - Tyler Wilson & Chris Mayhew Double Header! 

Lectures aren't dealer demos. Lectures are a place to get passionate about magic - teaching, sharing, exploring and pushing our craft forward. On Thursday, June 19th, welcome two of Canada's most creative magicians for a special double lecture to do just that. Tyler Wilson and Chris Mayhew are on the forefront of today's thinking. They hit hard, have fun, and most importantly, they care. This is why some of the most respected names in magic have publicly given praise, such as Stephen Minch, Max Maven, Eric Mead, and Jason England, just to name a few.

Read more and buy tickets.

From the Northwest Ring of Fire:

June 21st, 2014
Tyler Wilson Lecture with special guest Chris Mayhew  

Read more. 

Review: Magic at the Comedy Nest

From Perfect Magic:

Magicians had a real treat last Sunday evening, if they managed to get into the Comedy Nest. Although there were magicians who came to see the show, most of the audience was comprised of lay people. 

David Acer was the M.C. and was his usual funny self.

Loran, from Quebec City, had a beautiful act, serious, artistic and a pleasure to watch.

Vincent Pimpare did a comedy hynotism act. It was an unexpected break from the usual hypno act and had the audience laughing, so it fit right into the Comedy club setting.

Richard Sanders did a great bill to lime with a lot of hilarious detours along the way. He has a way of making the audience feel as if he is really one of us. He connects well.

Romaine. What can I say about Romaine.  Dressed in tails and a top hat, and slightly tipsy, (part of the routine, of course) he wowed the audience with his continuous production of cards, multiplying billiard balls, and the real magic of Vaudeville days, which mosts of the audience had never seen and they showed their appreciation.

Jonathan Burns did some very funny stuff. My favorite was Cards Across with cheese slices (you know the ones, wrapped in cellophane) instead of cards. Funny stuff. 

And then there was the audience.

Read more.

Review: Keith Brown's The Deception Hour

From Theatre in London:

You can tell from the first moment that Keith loves his work and loves magic. In a typical review I would talk about the plot, the actors, the structure of the play, but I don’t want to do that here. Friends, magic is about mystery, and I don’t want to ruin the mystery. Suffice it to say that Keith Brown is charming, the magic is gob-smackingly clever, and the performance is filled with moments where you cringe in horror at what he’s doing and moments that make you say “Wow!”

Read more.

Victoria Ahearn on Darcy Oake

Victoria Ahearn of The Canadian Press has a piece run in The Toronto Star, the National Post and on CTV News.

From The Toronto Star:

Winnipeg magician Darcy Oake says he’s planning “a very dangerous piece” for Saturday’s finale of Britain’s Got Talent as he competes for the top prize.

“The way we’re doing it, it’s risky — big time,” the 26-year-old said this week in a telephone interview from London. “But I feel like each piece needs to be bigger than the last one, and this is kind of the only way to close out the show for me.”

Read more.

Toronto: Browser's magic club special guest

From the Browser's Den Facebook page:

This Saturday June 7, 2014 at Browser's Den is our next FREE MAGIC CLUB MEETING.The club meets at the shop from 2:30pm until about 5:00pm. All welcome!!! 

And please set aside the date Saturday, June 28 as we have a special Free Magic Class that will be taking place at the shop by the 2014 A1 Radio Toronto Magic Champion LUIZ CASTRO!!! More details to follow about this free magic class to follow over the next several days.

David Peck interviews Anthony Lindan

Listen to David Peck's Face 2 Face interview with Anthony Lindan over at David Peck Live. 

From David Peck Live:

Listen in on Anthony as he talks about how he has remade himself over and over again. He’ll provide some insight on busyness versus getting things done, entrepreneurship, lateral career moves, metaphors and communication tools, and why if you’re going to dive into a task you better be willing to “live and breathe it” for awhile. 

Read more and listen to the podcast.

Full Circle Magic interview with Ben Train

From Ben Train's Twitter feed:

4pm, ET, I will be doing a LIVE Q&A with @LauraJEisele and Full Circle Magic! https://t.co/FTWgsEbG7O
— Ben Train (@ErdnaseinTO) June 3, 2014

Grateful for our June sponsors!

Thank you to our sponsors for their generous support.  This site would not be possible without their backing.

We're pleased 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.

Take On Me with Rob Zabrecky

From Magicana:

Magicana is pleased to announce that one of our guest artists, Rob Zabrecky – the opening act for Card Table Artifice – will be a participant in Luminato’s Take On Me visual arts programme.

Take on Me is a partnership between the Luminato Festival and PATTISON Onestop as part of their ongoing Art in Transit program. Artists from outside Toronto (such as Rob Zabrecky from Los Angeles) are asked to create short videos that represent their work. In turn, artists from Toronto are asked to create a “response”. The video dialogues will be presented on platform screen across the TTC subway station platform screens before and during the Luminato Festival.

And when Rob Zabrecky is involved, you can be sure it will  be something worth watching!

Read more.

Rounding the Western rings in June

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)	- n/a
Edmonton, AB	Edmonton Magic Club	- n/a
Winnipeg, MB	The Magic Club of Winnipeg	- Tyler Wilson lecture
Fraser Valley, BC	IBM Ring 387 (Fraser Valley Magic Circle)	- Third Monday Magic - Tyler Wilson and Chris Mayhew lecture
Vancouver, BC	Ring 92 (Vancouver Magic Circle)	-  Impromptu Magic Competition and open house - The Children's Magician of The Year competition - The Magic Festival
Vancouver, BC	SAM 95  (Carl Hemeon Assembly)	- n/a
Victoria, BC	Ring 183 (Victoria Magic Circle)	- Donald Dunphy on kids' magic

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

Rounding the Ontario rings in June

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

Hamilton, ON	Ring 49 (The Doug Henning Magic Wand Club)	- n/a
London, ON	Ring 265 (London Magician's Guild)	- Dinner and close-up show.
Kitchener, ON	Ring 235 (The Caesar Hat & Wand Magic Circle)	- tbd
Ottawa, ON	Ring 151 (Ottawa Society of Magicians)	- Year End Party Pot-luck / Banquet
Ottawa, ON	Ottawa / Gatineau magicians	- n/a
Toronto, ON	Ring 17 (Sid Lorraine Hat and Rabbit Club)	- Year end banquet and Gordon Precious' 90th birthday bash!  Happy birthday Gordon!

 

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

Rounding the Eastern rings in June

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

Halifax, NS	Ring 316 (Conjourer's Court)	- n/a
St. John, NB	Magic Circle of St. John	- n/a

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