31 August 2015

Top 5 posts in August 2015

Here are the most viewed posts at Canada's Magic this month:
5. Darcy Oake on BBC's "The One" -- Catch him in Canada soon!
4. Download your free copy of "Card Culture" -- A wonderful treat!
3.  Video: Shawn Farquhar Fool Us REVEALED -- Popular as ever!
2. Greg Frewin on the Aug 10 Today Show  -- Well done Greg!


and the most viewed post this month  ...





1. Random thoughts from Sorcerers Safari 2015 -- It is a privilege to be associated with this organization.

30 August 2015

Darcy Oake on BBC's "The One"

A reminder that Darcy's Canadian tour kicks off October 31st in Halifax and that there's a coupon code available for his Toronto performance.

From ET Canada:
It's not often London is brought to a standstill, but that's exactly what happened when Canadian Illusionist Darcy Oake performed a death-defying stunt at the BBC.

Oake managed to escape from a box in less than a minute before it dropped 30-feet to the ground, a stunt that's being called "the largest illusion ever performed on the BBC Broadcast House." 
Read more.

Watch the stunt on YouTube:





[via iTricks

28 August 2015

The Outerbridges in the Linking Ring and Vanish

Linking Ring mention from Outerbridge Magic's Facebook page (How exciting to learn of their standing ovation!):
We enjoyed reading this review in the Linking Ring Magazine about our performance at The International Brotherhood of Magicians (I.B.M.) Convention in Jacksonville, Florida! (http://www.magician.org/)
Posted by Outerbridge Magic on Monday, 24 August 2015


"Zelda the Psychic Chicken" article in Vanish from Outerbridge Magic's Facebook page:

Check out the latest OUTERBRIDGE - Zelda the Psychic Chicken article in the August/September issue of VANISH – International Magic Magazine. It is a free download from www.vanishmagazine.com.
Posted by Outerbridge Magic on Tuesday, 11 August 2015

27 August 2015

Vancouver: David Acer at PNE Playland

From David Acer's Twitter feed:

26 August 2015

Toronto: Mysterion at "Magic Tonight"

Confirm details by visiting Abracadabaret.com

Click for details.
Toronto (Sun):  Mysterion








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*.



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* Offer is subject to change without notice.  Canada's Magic earns a commission when you use the coupon code 
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24 August 2015

Toronto: Agri-magic at the CNE

From Daniel Steep's Twitter feed:

Toronto: "Trick of the Eye and Sleight of Hand"

From David Ben's Twitter feed:

22 August 2015

The Browser's Bash 2015 in Vanish Magazine

Updated August 23rd to add:

  • With thanks to Lee Asher for his collaboration and editing.
  • And also thanks to Paul Romhany for publishing!



The August/September 2015 edition of  Vanish Magazine has a write-up, by yours truly, about this year's Browser's Bash.

From page 74 of Vanish Magizine's August/September 2015 edition:
“I’ve never attempted to do anything like this before! Save this date – April 12, 2015.”

That’s the message that Jeff Pinsky, owner of The Browser’s Den of Magic in Toronto, sent out last December. Whatever could it be, I wondered? I read and reread the small amount of text, searching for clues or hidden meanings. Would it be preparation for a Flash Mob? A marriage proposal? The filming of a movie or television show?

Read more.

21 August 2015

Random thoughts from Sorcerers Safari 2015

  • Mike and Jen Segal are totally awesome and inspiring people!
  • It is tremendous that organizations such as Ellusionist support Sorcerers Safari(Kids, did you remember to send a quick "thank you" e-mail to them for the generous gift you received?  Do it now!  -- Mom)
  • The safety and welfare of the children is an absolute priority.
  • Spotted: Mike and Jen SegalDan WiebeEric LeclercAaron FisherDave MitchellCarey LauderLee AsherDick JoinerSteven Kline, Lisa & Michael Close, Shawn FarquharBen TrainChris MayhewRosemary Reid, Marc Chalmers, Jonah BabinsJoan Caesar, Philip DaCostaMark CorreiaChris Westfall, Sheldon CasavantScott Hammell, Greg Frewin, Neil Croswell & Ashley Da SilvaLoran, Marion & Ted Outerbridge and special guest Daryl ... I'm sure there were more and I'm sorry if I missed you!
  • If you haven't met Daryl yet, get thee to the Browser's Den for the Daryl Workshop or get to the Daryl Lecture.  He is fabulous.  You're welcome.
  • Epic staff lip sync battle: Eric's "Blank Space" (Taylor Swift), Mark's "Independent Women" (Destiny's Child), Chris Mayhew's "Single Ladies" (Beyoncé), Rosemary & Chris Westfall's "Cheerleader" (Omi), Jonah & Jonah's "Love Is An Open Door" (Frozen), Michael's "Whip My Hair" (Willow Smith), Scott's "Ice Ice Baby" (Vanilla Ice), The Farquhar's "You're The One That I Want" (Greece), and Mike, Chris G, Steph, Jen & Lisa's "Mahna Mahnam" (Muppet Show).  Need I say more?
  • Grand stage shows nightly including doves, big box illusions and multiple champions of magic!
  • Beach party, cook outs, relay races, Food Chain, Capture The Flag, Dealer's Day, wrap party  fireworks, and swimming, swimming, swimming!  (Jumping in the lake is an experience like no other.)
  • Carey Lauder is an incredible photographer. 
  • Chris Mayhew shot some fabulous footage – I can't wait to see this year's camp video!
  • Sorcerers Safari Magic Camp really does get better every year!
  • Jen, Christina, Stephanie, Lori, and Lisa work super hard behind the scenes making sure that everything runs smoothly.
  • Mike Segal and Mike Toal should be very proud of what they started together over 19 years ago.
  • Sorcerers Safari is full of super nice, caring, talented individuals!

Don't just take my word for it, here's what other people had to say about this summer's magic camp experience:






Show ended a bit early tonight so managed to get my first real sunset of Sorcerers Safari 2015 Day 3 #bestyearever
Posted by James Carey Lauder on Sunday, 16 August 2015

Yesterday was Dealer Day at Sorcerers Safari Magic Camp. A great way to see a lot of magic and we had so much fun to...
Posted by Marion Outerbridge on Tuesday, 18 August 2015


We are officially over 1000 likes on this page! We had a $10 000 prize for our thousandth liker but unfortunately you're...
Posted by Sorcerers Safari Magic Camp on Monday, 17 August 2015




20 August 2015

Toronto: Ron Guttman at "Magic Tonight"

Confirm details by visiting Abracadabaret.com



Click for details.
Toronto (Sun):  Ron Guttman









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.

19 August 2015

Review: Why Card Tricks are Important

I went to go see magician Chris Bruce at the Hamilton Fringe Festival last night. His show, Why Card Tricks Are Important, is part of the Fringe’s “Gallery Series”. It’s an unusual collection of short shows — this one runs about twenty minutes — performed for much smaller audiences.

The show contains — spoiler alert — card tricks. In fact it contains nothing which could not be called a card trick. They are spiffy and well-executed card tricks and fiercely interactive.

The burning question is whether or not the show could succeed in convincing someone that card tricks are, in fact, important. A more interesting question might be could anything convince you that card tricks were important. The answer is, unless you are slightly deranged, no… Unless you accept a perverse artistic meta-definition of important which allows that frivolous pursuits are important as a celebration of their own right to exist. After all, if we have a species have evolved to the point where we have so thoroughly beaten back the threats of disease, malnutrition, predators and war that we have the free time to wonder what exactly Justin Bieber is up to, isn’t that a triumph worth celebrating?

Read more.

18 August 2015

Summer magic

Julie Eng does tremendous things with Magicana's My Magic Hands programme.

From Sharing Wonder:
Today's Big Show at Holland Bloorview wraps up the last of three simultaneous sessions we had been running at the hospital. We worked in partnership with Hands2Hands and Helping Hands; and hosted a full session of My Magic Hands. We had 27 clients participate with nearly 1:1 magic coach support! Needless to say these kids blossomed beautifully with such encouragement. We are so fortunate to work with such dedicated staff and volunteers at Holland Bloorview.

Even though each program and client had a wide range of goals, we were pleased to see so many kids not only achieve their goals but to also discover new skills they didn’t realize they even possessed! There is power inside that kind of self-confidence and self-esteem - and we find it simply inspiring.

Read more.

17 August 2015

Calgary Magic Circle’s 2015 – 2016 Executive

At the Calgary Magic Circle’s 2015 Annual General Meeting on June 18, 2015, the Calgary Magic Circle nominated the Executive team for the coming year.
  • President: Dan Stephenson (re-elected)
  • Vice President: Ryan Pilling
  • Treasurer: Yeats Wong (re-elected)
  • Secretary: Rob Vanden Heuvel
  • Sargent at Arms: Chris Hogan
  • Member at Large: Malcolm Russell
We welcome Chris Hogan, who is on Executive for the first time.  All other members have held Executive positions in the past.

As well as the elected positions, Rob Vanden Heuvel has also volunteered to be our Lecture Coordinator again, and help us make our professional lecture series run, and Charles Silbernagel and Ryan Pilling are volunteering their time to run the Junior Magic Club for the coming year.
Read more.

16 August 2015

Have you ever seen a pirate rappel?

Well done Captain.  You're a braver soul than I!

Watch Captain Corbin rappel London City Centre in support of the Make a Wish foundation:

15 August 2015

Relaunching "Everything Erndase"

From Julie Eng's Facebook page:

Super excited to announce the relaunch of "Everything Erndase" www.everythingerdnase.com Had a lot of fun revisiting...
Posted by Julie Eng on Monday, 3 August 2015


14 August 2015

A list of great magic books

These aren't books teaching magic, but rather books with magic as part of the story.  What would you add?

From Greg Frewin Theatre's Facebook page:

Do you love books that centre around magic? Here are some you MUST add to your reading list! http://hubs.ly/y0WMM50
Posted by Greg Frewin Theatre on Friday, 26 June 2015


13 August 2015

Toronto: Daryl workshop

I previously posted about the Daryl lecture happening at the Browser's Den of Magic later this month.  I didn't know about the Daryl workshop!

From the Browser's Den of Magic Facebook group:
DARYL BONUS WORKSHOP:
When: Friday, August 21
Where: Browser's Den of Magic
Cost : $50.00 
Daryl's lecture is great...and his workshop is even better! This will be a hands on evening with the master at Browser's Den. 
Limited seating is available so that all will be up close to Daryl. 
The workshop contains COMPLETELY different material than the lecture. 
The workshop will include some of Daryl's pet coin and card magic routines. This is the material that Daryl saves for private lessons only. 
At the end of the workshop Daryl will be open to answering any of your questions on cards, coins, ropes, sponges.  
He is a master and can handle any all questions you may have.
FOR TICKETS TO THE WORKSHOP PLEASE CALL BROWSER'S DEN, Tel 416-783-7022. 
Read more and buy tickets.

12 August 2015

Greg Frewin's Today show appearance

It is with great pride that we get to share with you Greg Frewin's appearance on the Today Show. As a member of the Masters of Illusion cast, Greg was chosen to promote the show on America's favourite morning talk show, TODAY. The Today Show anchors including, Willie Geist, Tamron Hall, Ellie Kemper and Natalie Morales challenged Greg to amaze them and AMAZE them he did. 

Read more.

Watch the segment on the Today show website:


11 August 2015

Download your free copy of "Card Culture"

Did you know that Canadian resident Lee Asher is the Vice President/Director of Publicity and Membership; Associate Editor for "Card Culture," the 52 Plus Joker's monthly digital playing card magazine?

This publication is a treasure trove of information for playing card aficionados from all over the world. It is published each month and available to members of 52 Plus Joker's, the American Playing Card Collector's Club.

For a free sneak peak visit the PlayingCardForum.com to see a special edition of "Card Culture."

You can also find Lee at Sorcerers Safari Magic and Performance Camp, and ask him more about 52 Plus Joker's and "Card Culture" there!


From a press release:
In order to further promote the hobby of collecting modern, antique and vintage playing cards, 52 Plus Joker, the largest playing card collectors' society in North America, is releasing a special complimentary issue of CARD CULTURE Magazine. This issue is a compilation of popular articles from previous issues and is meant to be representative of the type of content the magazine carries on a regular basis. 
52 Plus Joker President Tom Dawson says, "In my many years of experience, I can't recall any monthly magazine that has covered card collecting with this level of professionalism and enthusiasm. It's become the industry standard, a valuable resource to the society, and to 'card culture' as a whole. Along with our long-standing quarterly publication, Clear the Decks, it makes the low cost of membership in the club an exceptional bargain for the price."

This special issue is twenty pages long and contains six articles in total - a typical reader can finish it in under ten minutes.

If the history, origins, manufacturing and collecting of playing cards interests you, then you're going to love CARD CULTURE and all the other amenities offered to members of 52 Plus Joker. For only $25 per year ($35 outside North America), the privileges of membership to this unique club include:

-CARD CULTURE: monthly digital magazine including all current and past issues
-CLEAR THE DECKS: all new issues of our printed quarterly
-Access to the Ask Alexander database of all our magazine archives
-Personal account on PlayingCardForum.com
-Free expert appraisals of selected decks from your collection
-Inclusion within the 52 Plus Joker club roster
-Invitation to the Annual 52 Plus Joker Convention
-Access to advice and information on all things playing cards 

The 52 Plus Joker club is always eager to welcome new members, including collectors, artists/designers, Kickstarter project backers, magicians, cardists and anyone else with an interest in the world of playing cards, regardless of their level of experience! Read your complimentary copy of CARD CULTURE now, then join today. We invite you to forward this special issue to anyone you think would be interested in its content or the 52 Plus Joker club.

If you guys have any questions, comments, thoughts, etc. about the club or CARD CULTURE, just email the Director of Publicity Lee Asher at Lee [at] LeeAsher [dot] com.

10 August 2015

SparkGig's Top 15 Magicians in Toronto

SparkGig recently posted their list of the Top 15 Magicians in Toronto.  There's some overlap with the previously published Top Five Magicians in Toronto from blogTO.

Do you agree?  Or is this just another group of magicians under a lamppost?


09 August 2015

Greg Frewin on the Aug 10 Today Show

From the Greg Frewin Theatre Facebook page:

Greg is spreading the #MastersofIlusion magic Monday on the Today Show don't miss it! Stay tuned to follow Greg on his New York adventure.http://hubs.ly/H012MN80
Posted by Greg Frewin Theatre on Thursday, 6 August 2015


08 August 2015

Jay Sankey on Penn and Teller's "Fool Us"

Updated at 6:45pm to add:

According to Jay, he'll be on the August 10th episode of Penn and Teller's "Fool Us."

A little bird told me that we can get CW in Canada with Rogers 570 (PIX-TV) or with Bell (WPIX).  Thanks for the tip Peter!


From Jay Sankey's Twitter feed:

Chris Funk on Penn and Teller's "Fool Us"

From Chris Funk's Twitter feed:

From a press release:
Winnipeg, Manitoba, August 4, 2015- Winnipeg-based magician Chris Funk The Wonderist, will be appearing in the CW network’s upcoming series “Penn & Teller’s Fool Us” season 2. Chris, will perform his signature routine involving his violin playing skills, with the hopes to fool Penn & Teller for the chance to open for one of their shows in Las Vegas.

“When the associate producer e-mailed me, I had to have my wife read it to me to make sure I fully understood. It seemed like a dream! I couldn’t believe I had a personal invitation to perform on that show! ...It was the hardest thing I’ve had to do, and the best thing I’ve ever had the chance to do.” “This is a huge deal to me, as I just spent the last several months recovering from an Achilles Rupture… which happened in a live show!”

Season 2 of “Fool Us,” which will air July 6,2015, will showcase the best and the brightest that the World magic scene has to offer. Chris's episode is set to air August 17th.

Chris, who’s style has been described as “a combination of Sherlock Holmes and Conan O’Brien with a dash of James Bond”, was hand-picked to showcase on the show by the Executive Producers. He's had the privilege of performing for Penn & Teller in the past on the television show Wizard Wars. Both Penn & Teller described his performance as, "Irresistible!"

07 August 2015

Canada's best illusionists

Greg Frewin Theatre recently posted a selection of Canada's Best Illusionists.  Do you agree with this list?  Are there more celebrity magicians that you would add?  Or would you add what Larry Hass refers to as  "unsung heros" in magic?

Who would you add to the list?


From the Greg Frewin Theatre Facebook page:

Get to know Canada's best illusionists! Did you know Canada is the birthplace to some of the world's most regarded magical innovators? http://hubs.ly/y0WcZQ0
Posted by Greg Frewin Theatre on Saturday, 20 June 2015

06 August 2015

Toronto: Matt DiSero and David Peck at "Magic Tonight"

Confirm details by visiting Abracadabaret.com


Click for details.
Toronto (Sun):  Matt DiSero and David Peck









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.

05 August 2015

Jay Sankey at the 2015 Midwest Magic Jubilee

From the 2015 Midwest Magic Jubilee website:
The 2015 Midwest Magic Jubilee
Aug 13 -15, 2015
New Reduced Price for 2015!!! 
Jay Sankey is a true magician’s magician and is widely considered to be one of the most original thinkers and finest magic teachers alive today. He is also one of the most prolific magic creators on the planet.
Read more and register.

04 August 2015

Shawn Farquhar in "Superstars of Magic Malaysia 4"

From Shawn Farquhar's Facebook page:

Many of you have been asking where Shawn Farquhar is . =) Due to Shawn's crazy schedule , Shawn will only be joining...
Posted by David Lai on Monday, 3 August 2015

03 August 2015

Review: Michael Close reviews "The Experts"

Read Michael Close's thoughts on "The Experts" from the July issue of MUM Magazine.


From Sharing Wonder:
Mark Twain said a classic is a book that people praise and don’t read, a definition that certainly applies to The Expert at the Card Table by S.W. Erdnase. Dai Vernon was the primary champion of the book; his approach to card handling, shaped by Erdnase’s philosophy and techniques, astonished everyone. Vernon shared his insights to the members of the New York inner circle, and years later even offered personal lessons on the techniques (a project abandoned because of too few interested parties). Charlie Miller and Ross Bertram (in Canada) were also exponents of Erdnase.

Read more.

02 August 2015

More magic tips for beginners

I recently posted  a link to Evelyn Matlin's post "A Few Tips For New Magicians."  Greg Frewin Theatre also has a similar post up "The Greg Frewin Theatre's magic hints and tips for your children."


From the Greg Frewin Theatre blog:
Magic is fascinating and can captivate audiences of all ages. We've discussed some of the most popular types of magic before, but where do you start when your child has started showing an interest in magic? Whether your child will be performing in front of you or just a few stuffed animals, they’ll need to know a few tips to help them get started.  

Read more.

01 August 2015

Thank you to our August 2015 friends!

Thank you to John Smithman and John Harrison for being Friends of Canada's Magic!

It's good to have friends like you.


Thank you to our August 2015 sponsors!

Thank you to our sponsors for their generous support.

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