31 March 2018

Top 5 posts of March 2018

Out of the 30+ posts at Canada's Magic this month, here are the 5 most viewed posts in the past 30 days:

5. Go-Fund Me campaign in support of Dan Goldberg - It's nice to see so many people helping those in need!
4. Random thoughts about "The Science of Magic" on CBC's "The Nature of Things" - I hope you enjoyed the show as much as I did.
3.  Winnipeg: "Magic & Skepticism" with Matt Dillahunty - Don't forget he's touring Canada this year.
2. Who are the top 10 Canadian magicians of all time? - Fabulous to see over 40 deserving magicians nominated so far!

and the most viewed post this month  ...





1. Watch "The Science of Magic" on CBC’s "The Nature of Things" Sunday, March 18 - Did you?  Congratulations to Julie, the Zuckerbrots, and everyone else involved in the show!

30 March 2018

Pauline Kong in the Peace Arch News

Also on the bill for the April 8 show in Richmond, are Oslen Chang, and Will Tsai.


From the March 26th article "Moonlighting as magician, Surrey nurse raises funds for hospital ICU" by Tom Zillich in the Peace Arch News:
On April 8, Kong is producing a Vegas-style event called “FATE 2: The Dance and Illusions of Oslen,” a benefit for the ICU department at the hospital where she works.

The goal is to raise $10,000 for the cause, and Kong said Monday that the show, which is set to play the 1,000-seat theatre at River Rock Casino Resort, is nearly sold-out. For event details, visit riverrock.com/event/fate-2-dance-illusions-oslen.

In a related effort, she launched a GoFundMe campaign, called “Magic Show for Surrey Hospital ICU,” with a goal of generating an additional $30,000. A video posted on the fundraising website dramatizes the time Kong landed in hospital as a six-year-old, and her memories of a nurse’s soothing, reassuring voice.

Read more.

29 March 2018

Windsor: Piff the Magic Dragon

From the March 25th article "Q and A: Piff the Magic Dragon" by Dalson Chen in the Windsor Star:
Piff the Magic Dragon likes to point out that he’s not as famous as his older brother — Steve.

But the English-born magician with a spiky tail (John van der Put) isn’t hurting for work these days, having been featured to great response on Penn & Teller: Fool Us and America’s Got Talent.

Witness Piff’s deadpan humour and ironic illusions in person when he performs at Caesars Windsor on Friday, March 30.

Q. Dragons seem to be very popular now, what with Game of Thrones, Imagine Dragons, Dragons’ Den — have you noticed people giving you more respect?

A. Yeah, finally. It’s a good time to be a dragon. Before that, it was just about being shot in the face by a dwarf or a hobbit. But times have changed.

Read more.

28 March 2018

Spidey to perform on “Showtime at the Apollo”

Tune in tomorrow to watch Spidey on “Showtime at the Apollo”!

From the “Showtime at the Apollo” press release:
Toronto, ON (March 27, 2018) - World-renowned Canadian Mentalist and Hypnotist sensation, Spidey will be performing on the American FOX primetime TV Series, “Showtime at the Apollo”, a one-hour talent competition hosted by Steve Harvey and Adrienne Houghton. Showcasing some of the most unforgettable talent on the legendary stage, Spidey will appear on the March 29 episode where he lands himself as a finalist in the competition. Recently named USA Mentalist of the Year 2017 by APCA, with a career spanning over a decade, Spidey has been able to captivate audiences with shows and tours across the globe, including performances on NETFLIX, NBC, Discovery, CW, Entertainment Tonight, SyFy, TruTV and many more.


27 March 2018

Review of Michael Close's "The Paradigm Shift" Volumes One and Two


From the March 15th post "The Paradigm Shift Volumes One and Two" by Jamy Ian Swiss at Magicana:

Michael Close has in his lifetime in show business, worked extensively as both a professional magician and a professional musician (he plays piano). At one time a professional restaurant worker in his native Indiana, Michael was mentored by legendary sleight-of-hand maestro (and jazz radio program host) Harry Riser, whose own two closest mentors were no less than Charlie Miller and Dai Vernon. The late Mr. Riser has also long been named as mentor to Johnny Thompson; despite their closeness in age, it was Riser who helped guide Thompson toward the kind of magic that would eventually lead to his becoming the legendary master he is considered today.  In other words, Mr. Close is part of a lengthy and honored continuum of great magicians, a line he has done great justice to by continuing to contribute in creative and generous manner for future generations. He has not missed the true lessons of his mentors.

Read more.


From Michael Close's Facebook page:

26 March 2018

Go-Fund Me campaign in support of Dan Goldberg

Steve Valentine has set up a Go-Fund Me campaign in support of 30 year old Dan Goldberg.  Dan is a former member of Ring 17, and is currently going through treatment for Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma.

Read more about the situation at Go-Fund Me.

From Facebook:

25 March 2018

Broken wand: Assistant Betty Lou Ikenberry

From the obituary posted March 20th, at the Pawhuska Journal-Capital:
Born March 11, 1935, in Niagara Falls, NY, she was the daughter of the late Kathleen Mason and John Richardson.

Betty grew up in St. Catherine’s, ON, Canada. At 16, she ventured out on her own and joined the Royal American Show. The show traveled across the US, performing at state fairs and carnivals. As a Magician’s Assistant, her role was to entertain the audience with the art of illusion. She also had other responsibilities such as selling tickets, collecting money, etc. She spent four years traveling with the show and each year they wintered in San Antonio, Texas. During the off-season, she obtained her GED and later her Certified Nurse’s Training Certificate. She also took classes such as tap and ballet to enhance her performances.

Read more.

24 March 2018

Ottawa: Chris Westfall at Magic Monday

From the Magic Monday Facebook page:

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23 March 2018

Program highlighting Luc Langevin's 10-year career

From the March 9th article "Luc Langevin célèbre ses 10 ans de carrière" on Lien Multimedia as translated by Google:
A special show on Ici Radio-Canada Télé

Luc Langevin's journey in 10 years is phenomenal. Thanks to his hard work, his innovative vision, his charisma, his simplicity and his personal signature, he has become THE reference in magic in Quebec. Luke has set new standards in magic in the dusty and making it more accessible. This new special issue, which chronicles the milestones of the last ten years of Luc Langevin's career, is a magic fire that once again fascinates and entertains. The public will see in particular Luke in rehearsal behind the scenes of his new show as well as unpublished images of his performances on French television.

A special show will be presented on Ici Radio-Canada Télé, Thursday, May 3 at 20h, Sunday, March 25 22h50 and on ICI ARTV Monday, April 16 9pm.

Read more. En français.

22 March 2018

Who are the top 10 Canadian magicians of all time?

Updated April 3rd at 6pm to add the following nominations:
  • Celeste Evans and Reveen The Impossiblist (Reveen Sr.)
Updated March 31st at 9pm to add the following nominations:
  • Greg Frewin and Mahdi Gilbert
Updated March 29 at 7am to add the following nominations:
  • Billy Kidd, Carisa Hendrix, Joan Caesar, and Julie Eng
Updated March 24 at 10am to add the following nominations:
  • Alain Choquette, David Drake, Mickey Hades, and Shin Lim
Updated March 23 at 9am add the following nominations:
  • Bob Farmer, Carl Coultier, Francis Martineau, Gary Ouelette, Howard P. Lions, Mel Stover, Romaine, Roy Cotte, Tom Ransom, Tony Eng, Willis Kinney
Updated March 23 at 7am add the following overnight nominations:
  • Additional submissions:  Bedros "Spidey" Akkelian, Bill Abbott, Bobby Motta, Dale Harney, Eric Leclerc, Johnny  Giordmaine, Juliana Chen, Leon Mandrake, Sid Lorraine, Stewart James, Ron Leonard, and Vincent C
Updated at 12:15pm to add:
  • Additional submissions: Darcy Oake, Luc Langevin, Murray Hatfield, Ross Bertram, Tom Auburn
Updated at 10:15am to add:
  • The following names have been submitted for consideration:  Chris Ramsay, Dai Vernon, David Acer, David Ben, Doug Henning, Gary Kurtz, James Randi, Jay Sankey, Martin Nash, Richard Sanders, Shawn Farquhar

Complete list of nominations received (alphabetical by first name):

  1. Alain Choquette
  2. Bedros "Spidey" Akkelian
  3. Bill Abbott
  4. Billy Kidd
  5. Bob Farmer
  6. Bobby Motta
  7. Carisa Hendrix
  8. Carl Coultier
  9. Celeste Evans
  10. Chris Ramsay
  11. Dai Vernon
  12. Dale Harney
  13. Darcy Oake
  14. David Acer 
  15. David Ben
  16. David Drake
  17. Doug Henning
  18. Francis Martineau
  19. Eric Leclerc
  20. Gary Kurtz
  21. Gary Ouelette
  22. Greg Frewin
  23. Howard P. Lions
  24. James Randi
  25. Jay Sankey
  26. Joan Caesar
  27. Joel Machtinger
  28. Johnny Giordmaine
  29. Juliana Chen
  30. Julie Eng
  31. Leon Mandrake
  32. Luc Langevin
  33. Mahdi Gilbert
  34. Martin Nash
  35. Mel Stover
  36. Mickey Hades
  37. Murray Hatfield
  38. Reveen The Impossiblist (Reveen Sr.)
  39. Richard Sanders
  40. Romaine
  41. Ron Leonard
  42. Ross Bertram
  43. Roy Cotte
  44. Shawn Farquhar 
  45. Shin Lim
  46. Sid Lorraine
  47. Stewart James
  48. Tom Auburn
  49. Tom Ransom
  50. Tony Eng
  51. Vincent C
  52. Willis Kinney


Devon Murphy recently posted the article, "Top Canadian Magicians and the Tricks That Made Them Famous," at the CBC website.  Devon lists seven outstanding magicians (Julie Eng, Dai Vernon,  Doug Henning, Billy Kidd, Mahdi Gilbert, Greg Frewin, and David Ben).  (Of note, two of the seven on that list are recipients of the "Editor's Choice Award" in the Canada's Magic "Readers' Choice Award" festivities.)

Devon's list got me wondering.

Who do you, dear readers, consider to be the top 10 Canadian magicians of all time?

For those of you who don't like to be influenced by the decisions of others, we're going to start with a clean slate and let you choose all ten!

Submit your nominations in the comment form below,* by 11:59PM EDT on Friday April 6th.  You may nominate as many Canadian magicians as you like.  (Number of nominations don't influence the vote.  If you see your choice(s) listed, please refrain from submitting duplicates.)  Voting will open shortly thereafter.  

What say you?  Who are your top (living or dead) Canadian magicians of all time?


--
* or email me.  I'll send a confirmation back to let you know I received your email.




21 March 2018

Matt Dillahunty "Magic & Skepticism" tour 2018

From Pangburn Philosophy:

VICTORIA, BC - Sunday April 1st 2018
McPherson Playhouse

VANCOUVER, BC - Tuesday April 3rd 2018
The Rio Theatre

CALGARY, AB - Friday April 6th 2018
Bella Concert Hall @ Mt. Royal University

WINNIPEG, MB - Sunday April 8th 2018
Burton Cummings Theatre

OTTAWA, ON - Tuesday April 10th 2018
Harold Shenkman Hall @ The Centre des Arts

TORONTO, ON - Friday, April 13th 2018
Jane Mallett Theatre @ St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts
with special guest Dr. Jordan Peterson

MONTREAL, PQ - Sunday, April 15th 2018
Oscar Peterson Concert Hall @ Concordia University

HALIFAX, NS - Monday, April 16th 2018
Bella Rose Arts Centre

Read more and buy tickets.



From the Pangburn Philosophy Facebook page:

20 March 2018

Toronto: A super secret special guest at the Newest Trick in the Book

From The Toronto Magic Company's Facebook page:
Come see the Newest Trick in the Book on Tuesday March 20th!

The show is FREE, and we have an AMAZING lineup, of world class performers.

Get tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/the-newest-trick-in-the-book-to…)

Graemazing Reed A Newest Trick in the Book newcomer, but an expert magician is here to show off some brand new magic! He has a Tedx talk, countless TV appearances, and AMAZING magic to boot! Come see his BRAND NEW material on Tuesday!

Bella M. Eurta - A wildly talented variety performer, a Newest Trick in the Book newcomer, and all around expert on stage. She's going to be performing something that I PROMISE you have never seen before

Benzi Train - A TMC founder, Newest Trick expert, and a ridiculously talented performer, is bringing something amazing and a little bit frighting to the stage

and your host

Jonah Babins - A TMC founder, and frequent time traveller, potion drinker, and holder of magic secrets. Come see the some magic that might just make you believe!

PLUS

A SUPER SECRET SPECIAL GUEST!



19 March 2018

Toronto: Potted Potter returns

In what was I think their first visit to Toronto, Ben Kaplan of the National Post had a nice write up "On the Town: Hogwarts in Hogtown with the Potted Potter crew" of the Potted Potter's cast visit to The Browser's Den of Magic, which was published on March 3rd, 2012.


From Mirvish.com:
June 13 to July 8, 2018

Returning to Toronto for the fourth time, Potted Potter: The Unauthorized Harry Experience – A Parody by Dan and Jeff takes on the ultimate challenge of condensing all seven Harry Potter books (and a real life game of Quidditch) into seventy hilarious minutes.

A Critics’ Pick by the DA Critics’ Pick by the Daily Herald, New York Times, New York Magazine, Time Out London, Washington Post, and Boston Globe, the show won the prestigious 2012 Olivier Award nomination for Best Entertainment & Family Show, playing to sold-out houses worldwide.

This fantastically funny show features all your favourite characters, a special appearance from a fire-breathing dragon, endless costumes, brilliant songs, ridiculous props, and a generous helping of Hogwarts magic!

Read more and buy tickets.

18 March 2018

Society of Canadian Magicians “Levitator” from May/June 1974

If you aren't following Neil McNally's blog, The Doug Henning Project, I encourage you to do so.  He regularly updates on fascinating nuggets from Doug's life.

On March 8th, he published some images from Richard Sherry from the Society of Canadian Magicians publication “Levitator” May/June 1974 “Magic Show” Article.

A nice trip down memory lane!

17 March 2018

Win tickets to see The Sentimentalists LIVE in Toronto

From The Sentimentalists Facebook page:

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16 March 2018

Congratulations to Daniel Sugar, author of "Salem Burning"

Congratulations to Daniel Sugar, author of "Salem Burning*" our newest sponsor. 


Early Thursday morning, "Salem Burning" hit #1, (in its category), in the Kindle store in Canada.

Thank you, dear readers, for your support of our sponsors!



--
* This book is intended for mature audiences.







15 March 2018

Random thoughts about "The Science of Magic" on CBC's "The Nature of Things"

Updated at 9:30am to add links to: 

"The Science of Magic" boasts an extraordinary list of participants, which include: Julie Eng, Ronald Rensink, Jay Olson, Gustav Kuhn, Anthony Barnhart, Amory Danek, Matthew Tompkins, Thomas Strandberg, Billy Kidd, Tom Stone, Thomas Fraps, Pit Hartling, and Juan Tamariz.
Had I known it was possible to do university level research involving the magician's force, mind-reading MRIs, or magic beans*, I may have reconsidered the focus of my post-secondary education.

I am, however, on the ball enough to jump at a chance to take an advance peek at (and ask questions about) "The Science of Magic," a documentary that examines these subjects and more!

Tune in to "The Science of Magic" on CBC’s "The Nature of Things" on Sunday, March 18, 2018 at 8PM (8:30 NT). The documentary will also be available to watch online at cbc.ca/natureofthings on Friday, March 16 from 5:00 pm EST.
When Donna and Daniel Zuckerbrot from Reel Time Images (who brought us  "Dai Vernon – The Spirit of Magic," "Max Maven: a fabulous monster," "The Houdini Code,"' and "Jeff McBride: a magickal life" among other titles) realized how much research was going on in the field of science and magic, they knew they had to investigate it further.
 
"You can see that the real question about our film 'The Science of Magic' isn’t why we wanted to make it, but rather, how could we not have?"
-- Donna Zuckerbrot

Julie Eng's reaction to being brought on board the project?
"I was thrilled. I have known the Zuckerbrots for many years and I am a big fan of their work."

  "The idea of using magic as a mechanism for study into how we think, and how we perceive the world is fascinating for me.  It was a huge honour to be asked to be the 'magical guide' for this film."

"Magicians don't have supernatural powers. Instead what they do is exploit very powerful and often very surprising limitations in human cognition."
In "The Science of Magic," the Zuckerbrots along with magical host Julie Eng, take us across Canada, the US, and Europe to visit with scientists using magic as an investigative tool in their exploration of cognition and behaviour.  (Pay close attention to catch cameos by Daniel Zuckerbrot, David Ben, and magic enthusiast Ari.)

The show is full of fascinating insights sure to capture the attention of those who like to be entertained by magic, those who perform magic, as well as those who are interested in psychology and behaviour.  There are even opportunities to participate in on air magic tricks!  From the press release:
"... viewers are able to feel the power of magic from the comfort of their homes and experience some of the psychological principles these tricks reveal (including ‘magicians choice,’ and choice blindness,' ‘failure to see,’ ‘change blindness,’ inattentional blindness, as well as the ‘aha’ moment)."

I'm not too proud to admit that on more than one occasion Julie had me right where she wanted.  I was also properly schooled by Anthony Barnhart.



On the other hand, I did well with Ronald Rensink's challenge and some of the other ones too!

Julie also teaches a coin trick that even I could master, with a little practice.




"We take these principles that magicians know, we bring them into the lab and we try and figure out how they work."
It is humbling (and a bit disconcerting) to discover, as the press release describes, that "we sometimes don't see what's right under our noses," "we see tricks that fool us despite nothing actually happening," and that "we can be blind even to our own choices."

"We were all surprised at how magical the science was. It was astonishing to realize that we don’t see what we think we are seeing, that our memories are as slippery as our perceptions, that who we are — even our deeply held beliefs can change without us knowing. Like good magic the science left us with a feeling of wonder."  
-- the Zuckerbrots


For some behind the scenes photos have a look at the Reel Time Images Facebook page, Instagram account, or Twitter feed.  I look forward to hearing Daniel's thoughts at his Browser's Bash mini-talk.
During the making of the documentary, Julie said she was pleased to learn that "old magic tricks that I have known and have performed since I was a child can still have a deep and profound affect on people, particularly with the right presentation."


There are a variety of real world applications to the knowledge gained:
  • Work on "how small distractions can blind drivers" can help improve driver safety.  ("Driver looked but failed to see" is an actual category of accident!)
Anthony Barnhart's studies showing how "off beats" work across sensory systems, help me better understand my habit of turning off my radio when I'm in a situation that requires my full attention.
  • Suggestion-based treatments have promising uses in the medical field.
  • The Zuckerbrots noted that Rensink's findings with respect to 'change blindness' "seems to underlie film editing.  It is apparently the reason why you don’t notice the change of pictures, from wide shot to close up for example, while you are watching a film."  
  • In addition to psychology benefiting from the insights discovered using magic as an investigative tool, the Zuckerbrots observed that "some magicians believe they have already gained from what they’ve learned from psychologists.  Tom Stone is a great example, he certainly credits work he did with experimental psychologists as having changed his own performance in fundamental ways."
  • Julie posits that "... from learning how intention and actions (movement) can help create smoother technical manipulation, to how it can mask the most technical sleight… is useful."  After all, she continues,
"If we can use science and technology to work out the perfect angle for speed skaters to maximize physics to their advantage, why can we not benefit from learning more about human behaviour and cognition to advance our field?"

"Each of these areas can bring a lot of insights to magicians to heighten the “magic" experience for audiences."


Is there anything else you'd like our readers to know about the show? 

"We hope they find watching it as interesting and as much fun as we did making it." 
-- the Zuckerbrots

"Bring their eyes and ears (and to be prepared to have fun!)"    -- Julie Eng
I certainly had fun learning and I'm sure you will too!  (As the scientific field evolves, I hope they'll film a second part.)

Tune in to "The Science of Magic" on CBC’s "The Nature of Things" on Sunday, March 18, 2018 at 8PM (8:30 NT). The documentary will also be available to watch online at cbc.ca/natureofthings on Friday, March 16 from 5:00 pm EST.



--
* Maybe they're really magic. Who knows? **
** With apologies to Stephen Sondheim.







14 March 2018

Luc Langevin in le Journal de Montréal

From the March 10th article "La magie m’a apporté tout ce qu’il y a de bon dans ma vie" by Bruno Lapointe in le Journal de Montréal, as translated by Google:

"It's very long to create illusions, test them, tweak them ... I put two years, one full-time. And all this time, I told myself that I must absolutely deliver the material. I do not have a choice, "he reveals.

To achieve this, the illusionist has sought the help of director René Richard Cyr, to enhance the visual coating of the tour. His first and only choice for this role. But he had to work hard to convince the man of theater to join this project, something that was far from being won in advance.

Read moreEn français.


We've previously published dates for Luc's "Now tomorrow" tour.  Here are some additional dates from Lien Mulitmedia:
  • Quebec City: Salle Albert-Rousseau in  on April 12, 13 and 14
  • Montreal: Théâtre Maisonneuve on April 18 and 19 
  • Laval: André Mathieu Hall - July 19-20-21, 2018
  • Montreal: Salle Maisonneuve, Place des Arts - November 30 and December 1, 2018
  • Quebec: Albert-Rousseau Room - December 9 and 10, 2018
  • All the details of the tour on evenko.ca

13 March 2018

Cornwall: David Acer at the Cornwall Comedy Festival

From the Cornwall Comedy Festival:
We are proud to announce our 2018 Cornwall Comedy Festival line up! Joining us for our 5th anniversary spring weekend, is our host with the most, Derek Seguin, Kate Davis, Ben Miner, David Acer, Rob Ross and David Pryde. Venues and ticket info will be made available soon. Thank you so much for your continued support!

Read more.


From David Acer's Twitter feed:



12 March 2018

Alex Kazam's AGT journey

When last we left Alex, he was telling us about his decision to audition for AGT.

Alex gives us an insider's perspective into the thought and effort involved in getting a shot at a chance to become "an overnight success."

Catch up on his journey thus far at his blog at The Alex Kazam.


From his December 20th post "America’s Got Talent – Part One: Getting Told “GO”":
In due time, for now, let me begin at the beginning. It was December 7th, 2017. I was performing at my usual Thursday night spot, St.Louis Bar and Grill in St. Catharines, Ontario. It was one of the first really cold nights, the evening was just starting up. The restaurant was still fairly quiet, and slowly starting to fill with patrons anticipating dinner service. I moved to my usual spot in the back corner of the space, hung up my coat, and prepared what I needed to perform. I noticed my client Jim Reaman (the owner) standing near the bar chatting with some staff.

Since I had a few minutes to spare, and genuinely enjoy catching up with Jim, checking-in and so forth, I headed towards him. We quickly moved from talking about personal affairs, to talking about what I’d been working on, my aspirations, and so on. I mentioned an idea that had been floating around my head, like an annoying little balloon. Sometimes it was filled with helium, sometimes with Sulfur Hexaflouride. The idea was light, in that it was clever, fun, inspiring, educational and full of potential for awesome. It was heavy in that it was terrifying, risky, draining, and full of potential for embarrassment, failure and rejection.

Read more.


From his January 16th post "America’s Got Talent – Part Two: All Out of Ideas":
So December 11th, we began the video with my getting out of the trunk of my car, shoving balls of dough in my eyes, and putting coins over top of the dough. Duct tape fastened the lot to my face, and then I covered the lot with a sleep mask, just in case someone thought I could see through dough, coins and duct tape. Off we went. The entire journey took less than 10 minutes. Remember, the final clip was supposed to be no longer than 3.  Thus, on December 12th 2018, I trimmed it down to size, added a quick opening clip of me breathing fire, and a title screen with my contact information at the end of it.

Read more.
 

From his January 24th post "America’s Got Talent – Part Three: Effects That Affect":
How was I making a living at this whole performing arts thing, when I couldn’t find any effects within my repertoire that was good enough to get the attention of someone representing a television network?

Read more.



 From his March 1st post "America’s Got Talent – Part Four: The Sort of Conclusion":
 I’m hoping, through the volume of these posts, specifically through some of these rather wordy digressions, to shine a light on the secret and dirty side of the show business world. So that should you one day be in the position of meeting a celebrity, on the set of a movie, walking by a creative project of some kind, or even just running into your friendly neighborhood mystery entertainer: you will have the experience now to engage respectfully, and with the appropriate etiquette.

Read more.







11 March 2018

Congratulations Bob Cates

Congratulations Bob and good luck!

From Bob Cates Twitter feed:
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10 March 2018

Deception: Series Premiere on March 11

From the CTV website:
When his career is ruined by scandal, superstar magician Cameron Black has only one place to turn to practice his art of deception, influence and illusion – the FBI. Using every trick in the book and inventing new ones, he will help the government catch the world’s most elusive criminals while staging the biggest illusions of his career. The series is from writer/executive producer Chris Fedak (“Chuck”) and executive producers Greg Berlanti, Martin Gero and Sarah Schechter. Illusionist David Kwong (“Now You See Me”) will co-produce.

“Deception” stars Jack Cutmore-Scott as Cameron Black, Ilfenesh Hadera as Kay Daniels, Lenora Crichlow as Dina Clark, Amaury Nolasco as Mike Alvarez, Justin Chon as Jordan Kwon, Laila Robins as FBI Agent Deakins and Vinnie Jones as Gunter Gustafsen.

Read more.






09 March 2018

FISM - Québec 2021 February 24, 2018 Newsletter #6

Visit the CAM website to read "FISM - Québec 2021 February 24, 2018  Newsletter #6."  In it, is a reminder that registration is open for the 6th Edition of the Concours international de magie "Michel Cailloux" which will take place in Québec City on May 4, 2018. Four thousand dollars in prizes will be awarded to the winners.

CAMaraderie will take place from May 3 to 6, 2018 at the same time as the Festival de magie de Québec.

08 March 2018

Welcoming a new patron: "Salem Burning!"

Welcome to our newest sponsor, "Salem Burning!"



A Magical New Novel By Daniel Sugar
Available Exclusively On Amazon





About the author:
Daniel Sugar has written for a number of celebrities and for several TV shows, including “The Tonight Show, With Jay Leno.” He has always been fascinated by witches, witchcraft, the Salem witch trials, and the French Revolution. “Salem Burning” is his first novel. He is currently working on the sequel, “The Witch And The Guillotine.”



--
* This book is intended for mature audiences.


Thank you Daniel, for your sponsorship of this website!






07 March 2018

Winnipeg: "Magic & Skepticism" with Matt Dillahunty

From Ticketmaster:
Sun, Apr 08

The Warrior For Reason - Matt Dillahunty embarks on his first world tour! Magic & Skepticism will be the key focus of his lectures, which will include a lengthy Q&A and lobby hangout after each event. Matt has recently shared the stage with world renown authors Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris and Lawrence Krauss. He is currently finishing his first book, which is highly anticipated from the religious & non-religious community. Don't miss this tour, as the events will not be filmed and released!

Read more and buy tickets.

06 March 2018

Mike D'Urzo: Winner of the 2018 Performer of the Year Award

Congratulations Mike!

From Mike D'Urzo's Twitter feed:
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05 March 2018

Can you spot the Canadian magician?

Watch a one take video featuring Sound Collage and 11 different magic acts!

From The Music Show Facebook post:

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 GeniiOnline]

04 March 2018

David Blaine tour 2018

From Live Nation:
MAY 18, 2018
FRIDAY @ 8PM
Queen Elizabeth Theatre
Vancouver, British Columbia

JUL 4, 2018
WEDNESDAY @ 8PM
Sony Centre for the Performing Arts
Toronto, Ontario

JUL 5, 2018
THURSDAY @ 8PM
Sony Centre for the Performing Arts
Toronto, Ontario

Read more and buy tickets.




[via GeniiOnline]

03 March 2018

Interested in a pre-FISM tour of South Korea?

From Joan Caesar:
Pre-FISM tour of South Korea.
Cost each with 8 people is $1375.00 USD for 7 days.
If interested please contact Joan Caesar
jcaesar [at] sentex [dot] ca   by March 31st.


Day 1: Visit of Haeinsa temple
Saturday, 30 June 2018
Haeinsa
  • The Gayasan park is well-known for its historical sites and landscapes, and especially for the Haiensa temple.
  • Visit the temple. After the visit, spend the night in the temple.



Day 2: End of the temple stay and road to Andong
Sunday, 1 July 2018
Andong
  • The temple stay experience ends around 12 noon
  • Then you will take the road to Andong and rest in the afternoon. 



Day 3: Visit of Andong
Monday, 2 July 2018
Andong
  • Andong is the ancestralspiritual and traditional capital of South Korea because of its Confucian traditions during the Joseon era. There, you will find many relics dating back to the Joseon dynasty, such as the magnificent Confucian school and a typical village of that time.
  • You will visit the Byeongsanseowon Confucian School
  • You will visit the Hahoe village, the Hahoedong Mask Museum and the Byeongsanseowon Confucian school.  



Day 4: Road to Gyeongju
Tuesday, 3 July 2018
Gyeongju
  • Located in the Gyeongsangbuk Do region, Gyeongju was the capital city of the Silla Kingdom and one of the oldest historical cities in the world. It is a major spot for Korea’s culture and heritage today, as well as a UNESCO listed site.   
  • You will take the road in the morning to Gyeongju. 
  • Visit Tumuli Park which houses numerous royal tombs, visit the Cheonmachong tomb (the flying horse tomb), Cheongseongdae Observatory and the Anapji pond. 
  • Night in a hanok. (a traditional Korean house)



Day 5: Visit of cultural sites (UNESCO) in Gyeongju
Wednesday, 4 July 2018
Gyeongju
  • Take a trip to some of Gyeongju's historical sites: the National Museum, Tumulus Park, and the Royal Tombs of Daereungwon. 
  • Enjoy a visit of the Bulguksa palace (built in 528) and the Buddhist cave in Seokguram, national treasures registered on the UNESCO world heritage. You can go there on foot or with bicycles. 
  • Night in a Hanok.   



Day 6: Day at the Namsan Mount and Gogulsa temple
Thursday, 5 July 2018
Gyeongju
  • Considered as a Sacred site during the Silla Dynasty, the Namsan Mount is full of mysteries, temples and sanctuaries. It is a real open-air museum with 100 temples, 80 Buddha stoned-statues and 60 pagodas. You will enjoy quaint landscapes.
  • In the afternoon, visit of Gogulksa temple and a stop to the Yangdong village. 



Day 7: Busan
Friday, 6 July 2018
Busan
  • The second Korean city and the first harbour of the country. Busan is considered a dynamic city with big shops, luxurious restaurants, parks and beautiful beaches.
Highlights: 
• Visit its beaches: Haeundae beach and Gwangalli beach.
• The city centre, the Yongdusan park and the Busan tower will give you a panoramic view of Busan. 
• The Yonggungsa temple (built on the side of a cliff: unique) 
• Busan and its impressive Jagalchi fish market which show the riches of its sea and harbour.  


02 March 2018

Watch "The Science of Magic" on CBC’s "The Nature of Things" Sunday, March 18

Edited March 15th to add links to: 


Edited on March 7th to add:

Edited on March 6th to add:
  • Welcome GeniiOnline readers! Watch this space for updates about the show, including any announcements about international viewing opportunities.


Ever since it was first announced, we've been eagerly awaiting the air date of the Reel Time Images' CBC documentary on magic and science, featuring Julie Eng.

I'm delighted to announce that the show is scheduled to air on the CBC’s "The Nature of Things" on Sunday, March 18!

The show boasts an extraordinary list of participants, which include:  Julie Eng, Ronald Rensink, Jay Olson, Gustav Kuhn, Anthony Barnhart, Amory Danek, Matthew Tompkins, Thomas Strandberg, Billy Kidd, Tom Stone, Thomas Fraps, Pit Hartling, and Juan Tamariz.

I can hardly wait!


From “The Science of Magic” press release:
THE SCIENCE OF MAGIC
produced, directed and written by
Donna Zuckerbrot and Daniel Zuckerbrot

With magical guide Julie Eng
Toronto-based magicienne and executive director of Canada’s magical arts organization Magicana

World Broadcast Premiere on CBC’s The Nature of Things
Sunday, March 18, 2018 – 8PM (8:30 NT)


“The scientific community, I believe, can learn a lot about both the principles that magicians use as well the unique experience that magic elicits. By using new tools and scientific theory to understand why these principles work, scientists can really learn about the limits of human cognition.”

•             Gustav Kuhn, Cognitive Psychologist, Goldsmiths University of London



“Magicians and scientists both have learnt that it's our own mysterious consciousness that casts the spell, weaving reality from fleeting impressions. So, even when you don't know it, you are the magician.”

•             Julie Eng, Magicienne, Executive Director Magicana



Reel Time Images is pleased to announce the world broadcast premiere of their new documentary, The Science of Magic. Directed by Donna and Daniel Zuckerbrot, and with magical guide Julie Eng, Toronto-based magicienne and executive director of Canada’s magical arts organization Magicana, The Science of Magic can be seen on CBC’s The Nature of Things on Sunday, March 18, 2018 at 8PM (8:30 NT). The documentary will also be available to watch online at cbc.ca/natureofthings on Friday, March 16 from 5:00 pm EST.


Magic has become the latest investigative tool for scientists exploring human cognition, neurobiology, and behaviour.  Across Canada, the US and Europe, The Science of Magic follows researchers and scientists who are bringing magicians’ tricks into the laboratory.   This extraordinary exploration peeks behind the curtain into a fascinating world where ancient magic meets modern science.

Colourful, compelling and interactive, this film takes a critical and engaging look at the fascinating facts revealed when you see the human mind through the eyes of a magician.  With opportunities to participate in on-air magic tricks, viewers are able to feel the power of magic from the comfort of their homes and experience some of the psychological principles these tricks reveal (including ‘magicians choice’, and choice blindness”, 'failure to see’, ‘change blindness’, inattentional blindness, as well as the ‘aha’ moment).

Acting as guide for much of the evening, Julie Eng mystifies with her magical talents, using card tricks to show how magic can be used to explore human consciousness. Alongside these simple tricks are more elaborate scientific experiments.  Jay Olson, a performer of magic since his youth, is completing his PhD in psychiatry at McGill University in Montreal. There, Olson is one of the scientists spearheading a novel and powerful approach to experimental psychology.  At the Montreal Neurological Institute, we join him for an extraordinary demonstration involving an MRI machine that seems not only to read minds, but to also use its electro-magnetic fields to manipulate your most private thoughts.

Professor Ronald Rensink at the University of British Columbia discovered how small distractions can blind drivers to obvious dangers. He believes that magicians’ practical knowledge about how to fool the eye and the mind can fuel important new research in vision science and psychology in general.

In the US professor Anthony Barnhart, a magician turned scientist is using magic principles to investigate why we sometimes don’t see what’s right under our noses. We also meet Professor Amory Danek who is using the conjuror’s craft to study creativity and problem solving. 

In London England Gustav Kuhn conducts a study along with Canadian magician Billy Kidd, that tracks the eye movements of the magician’s audience. We see tricks that fool us despite nothing actually happening, as well as demonstrations that reveal we can be blind even to our own choices.

As surprising as many of these magic tricks are, the ultimate reveal, as Julie tells us just before she vanishes in front of our eyes, is that the true magician is our own brain — weaving reality out of fleeting impressions.



--
THE SCIENCE OF MAGIC - PARTICIPANTS

Julie Eng
http://www.magicienne.com
Born in Victoria BC into a family of magicians, Julie Eng has been appearing on stage from an early age.  Julie has developed a refreshing and distinctive style which combines a mix of elegance, surprise and humour. Besides performing, she is currently the executive director of Canada’ magical arts organization, Magicana which is dedicated to the study, exploration and advancement of magic as a performing art.


Ronald Rensink
https://psych.ubc.ca/persons/ronald-rensink/
Professor Rensink grew up in Whitby, Ontario and has taught at the University of British Columbia (UBC) since 2000. An authority on vision in humans and machines, his seminal paper on “change blindness” has become one of the most cited papers in the field of cognitive psychology. His studies of perception and consciousness have led him to work with magicians. He believes that magicians’ practical knowledge about how to fool the eye and the mind, can fuel important new research in vision science and psychology in general.


Jay Olson
https://www.jayolson.org
A performer of magic since his youth, Jay is currently completing his PhD in psychiatry at McGill University. Jay Olsen is looking at how magic, deception and suggestion can be used to create new methods in psychology. His studies show how magicians influence their audience and how people can be deceived into believing a machine is controlling their mind. His current work is on the potential use of machines as placebos.


Gustav Kuhn
https://www.gold.ac.uk/psychology/staff/kuhn/
Dr. Kuhn is a cognitive psychologist at Goldsmiths University of London. He went to England originally to perform magic and ended up staying and studying psychology. He is one of the founders of The Society of Magic Association (SOMA), and uses the methods of magic to study a range of questions about how we perceive and think about the world. His research focuses on magic, and explores how magicians allow people to experience the impossible.


Anthony Barnhart
https://www.carthage.edu/live/profiles/1492-anthony-barnhart
Dr. Barnhart is a professor of psychology at Carthage College in Kenosha. Wisconsin. His many years as a magician inform his studies of how our attention is misled in daily life. His research explores the wealth of principles used by magicians, but still unknown to psychology.


Amory Danek
http://www.amorydanek.de
Dr. Danek is associated with the psychology department at the University of Heidelberg. Her research using magic (with the cooperation of magician Thomas Fraps) is focused on insight. Her current research is aimed at disentangling the various ways of thinking and feeling that together make up the “aha experience”. Another aspect of her research involving magic uses behavioural and neuroimaging experiments. This work is centred on identify brain regions that come into play when our expectations are violated (e.g. something mysteriously appears, disappears, or acts contrary to what normally happens).


Matthew Tompkins
https://www.psy.ox.ac.uk/team/matthew-tompkins
Matt Tompkins a part-time professional magician since he was 14 is currently the Jr. Dean at the Queen’s College Oxford University where he is a doctoral student in the department of Experimental Psychology. He uses his knowledge of magical techniques to investigate the interplay between attention, illusions and beliefs.


Thomas Strandberg
http://www.lucs.lu.se/choice-blindness-group/
Thomas Strandberg currently does research in the cognitive sciences at Sweden’s Lund University.He is affiliated with the Choice Blindness Laboratory. They use a variety of methods, including magicians’ tricks to study how our preferences, attitudes and choices change with the feedback we receive about them.


Billy Kidd
http://www.billykiddshow.com
Billy Kidd has been an actor in theatre, film, and television since she was 11. Her career as a magician began when, after graduating from the University of Alberta’s theatre program, she happened to see a magician busking on the streets in Edmonton. Here fascination with magic and especially street magic eventually led to international TV appearances and performances all over the world.


Tom Stone
Tom Stone is the stage name of Swedish magician, editor and author Thomas Bengtsson. One of Scandinavia’s foremost magicians, he is rarely to be found at home in Stockholm, Sweden. He spends a great deal of time traveling the world performing and lecturing. His books on magic, and creativity are considered modern classics by many of his fellow magicians.


Thomas Fraps
http://www.thomasfraps.com/english/index_e.html
A former student of physics, Thomas Fraps is an award-winning professional magician whose performances combine illusion, comedy and science. He has worked with a number of scientists including with Professor Amory Danek for whose experiments in problem solving he designed and performed a wide variety of magic tricks.


Pit Hartling
http://pithartling.de/en/
An extremely popular performer not only in his home of Germany but throughout the world. The author of two acclaimed books for magicians Hartling is as much in demand as a lecturer and teacher of magic as he is as an entertainer.


Juan Tamariz
Born in 1942 Juan Tamariz-Martel Negrón in  Madrid, Spain he is known professionally as Juan Tamariz or simply as Tamariz. He is regarded as a national treasure in Spain, and an international treasure by his fans around the world. Based on his encyclopediac knowledge, his skill and creativity Tamariz is recognized by most of the world’s magical greats as the greatest magician alive.

--
The Science of Magic is produced, directed and written by Donna Zuckerbrot and Daniel Zuckerbrot.  It is produced by Reel Time Images in association with CBC, with the Participation of the Canada Media Fund, the Canadian Film or Video Tax Credit, and the Ontario Tax Credit.









01 March 2018

Toronto: Free magic club meeting

And while you're there, be sure to register for Browser's Bash 2018!


From the Browser's Den of Magic Facebook group:
Hi There,

Friendly reminder that our next free magic club meeting at Browser's Den is this Saturday, March 3 from 2:30pm to 5:30pm.

All are welcome!

Jeff Pinsky, Jeff Hinchliffe, John Cardella, Luiz Castro.




Thank you to our March 2018 friends!

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

It's good to have friends like you.


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