30 November 2020

Top 5 posts in November 2020

A quick shout out to Michael Close, The Browser's Den of Magic, and the Eldritch Theatre for offering up goodies to share with you to help celebrate 10 years of this blog dedicated to Canada's Magic!

 

There were 35+ posts at Canada's Magic this month.  Here are the 5 most viewed posts in the past 30 days:

5. Survive the Great Regurgitation with 10% off your Adventurer ticket - Want to know more about the show?  Here are some random thoughts.
4. Celebrating 10 years of Canada's Magic with a 10% discount from Michael Close - Ends today!
3. Win a 10% discount from The Browser's Den of Magic - The contest is closed.  Thank you to Jeff for offering up the prizes!  (You still have a day or so to take advantage of The Browser's Den anniversary specials.)
2. Who are the top 10 Canadian magicians of all time? - Good question!

and the most viewed post this month  ...



1.  The 2020 "Readers' Choice Inspirational Canadian Magician of the Year" award - Thank you everyone for your generous submissions.  We have a country full of tremendously inspirational people!

Save the date: CAM JAM Dec 16

From the November 27th Tweet by the Canadian Association of Magicians:

Join us on December 16th for CAM JAM! Hosted by Greg Frewin.




Congratulations on the first virtual PCAM!

Congratulations to Shawn Farquhar, Alex Zander, Billy Hsueh, and Kevin Cardona on what has been reported by others as a fabulous and memorable PCAM!

Congratulations also to the contest winners:

  • Gold Medal for Close-Up:  Jay Chun The Juggling Magician
  • Gold Medal for Stage Magic:  Ryan Wonder Brown
  • Children's Entertainer of the Year: Katrina Kroetch
  • One hand cut-a-thon:  Topher Gowen

















29 November 2020

Random thoughts about "The Deadly Doom of the Dungeons of Duodenum"

My family and I were invited to spectate "The Deadly Doom of the Dungeons of Duodenum" last night.  Quite frankly, we had no idea what to expect.


It's been a long time since my D&D days so we attended as spectators.


Here are some random thoughts that came to mind while watching "The Deadly Doom of the Dungeons of Duodenum":

  • No experience playing D&D?  No need to worry!  The talented Michael Ripley guided (DM'd) the adventure giving generous guidance to the novice adventurers who rose beautifully to the occasion! 
  • Have D&D experience?  Help lead your adventurer party and be suitably challenged by the DM.
  • It is exactly as advertised by Eric Woolfe:
    • It is a live play with puppets.  
    • The adventurers choose the direction of the adventure.
    • Many of the outcomes are driven by the randomness of the roll of the dice.
  • There are prerecorded video vignettes by such notables as Doctor Pretorious Wuthergloom and Kenneth Welsh!

  • Every show is different.  (Even with the same adventurers, making the same choices, the randomness of the dice will lead to different outcomes.)
  • For long time fans of Eric Woolfe and Eldritch Theatre, there are some well placed Easter eggs.   We caught throwbacks to "The Harrowing of Brimstone McReedy," "Buster Canfield and his Amazing Fleas!" and of course "Doc Wuthergloom's Haunted Medicine Show."  There were likely many, many more.)
  • We witnessed a show with brave and entertaining adventurers!  (You don't need to be an actor to play.)
    Thank you Perdon, Scritch-Scratch, Al, Gormunga, and Sparkletastic!  (You want Sparkletastic on your campaigns.  The dice-gods were clearly in their favour!)
  • Thank you talented DM Michael Ripley, puppeteers Kimwun Perehinec and Eric Woolfe, and the staff of the Eldritch Theatre (Melanie McNeil, Sandi Becker, Adrianna Prosser et al) for hosting an captivating evening's escape from reality.

 

Don't just take our word for it, here's what TV writer Mike McPhaden has to say:





The "The Deadly Doom of the Dungeons of Duodenum" runs until December 5th.  

Details at EldritchTheatre.ca/dungeons



Disclosure:  My family and I were guests at this show. The opinions expressed above are entirely my own. I did not receive compensation for the writing or the publishing of this article.

 

 

28 November 2020

Ryan Pilling with Alan Fisher on "Inside the Ring"

From the November 19th Facebook post by Alan Fisher:

Many thanks to my good buddy Ryan Pilling - Magician for having me as a guest on the 2nd episode of his new talk show "Inside The Ring", a look inside the pages of "The Linking Ring" (the monthly magazine of the IBM - International Brotherhood of Magicians). The replay can be found on the show's website - http://insidethering.show/episode2/. My segment starts at 59:20. But please, don't fast forward to that or you'll miss the best parts of the show.


 

 

 

27 November 2020

Browser's Den 45th anniversary celebrations!

If you haven't seen it already, check out the Tuesday November 24th post Jeff P made at the Browser's Den of Magic Facebook page:

This is a long note...but a FUN note!

Part of the tradition at our annual shop anniversary party is a store wide discount. Well we would still like to offer you a discount for your overly kind support. Many of you have been part of the Browser's Den magic family for more than forty years!

From today until December 2, 2020 any orders (Curb Side, Phone, Online) will receive 10% off their purchase.

And for the first forty five purchases a special 45th Anniversary Gift will be included with your purchase. 

The gift was specially made with love by Artemus Syman and his new 'The Magic Coffee Co.'

Plus for those first forty five purchases a draw will be held for one lucky winner of a special gift from The Magic Coffee Company and a Special Gift from Browser's Den of Magic.

Read more for details.







26 November 2020

Wes Barker on Steve Spade's podcast, Deceive Reality

Listen to episode 16 of Deceive Reality at Google Podcasts

 

From Steve Spade's November 21st Facebook post:

Strong Magic, Strong Whiskey and also contains Strong Language.. ๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿฅƒ (You have been warned) , we had such fun chatting with Wes Barker Tonight on the Deceive Reality podcast, so good to hear the real story about fooling Penn & Teller on fool us, his new magic TV show that he is filming with three of his magic friends in 2021, and his Good the bad and the ugly story about even a guy with an oxygen tank isn't going to help you on a sinking ship... ๐Ÿ˜ It's all in here plus big ANNOUNCEMENT.
Deceive Reality is now Ireland's only professional online Magic shop..
"Childhood dream coming true..." 

 




25 November 2020

It's the 10th blogiversary of Canada's Magic!

Ten years ago today this blog was born!

Wand and Ring 10  


Thanks to you wonderful people who have supported this project!

For free, we've published over 4,420 posts, and served well over 980,000 page loads.  Four hundred and sixty of you follow us on Facebook, 1451 of you follow us on Twitter, 175 of you have found us on Instagram, and a bunch of you have subscribed to this site's RSS feed.  The bulk of you are Canadian, and we're delighted to see visitors from United States, the United Kingdom, India, France, and the list goes on.

There are so many of you doing such a fabulous job of making magic a priority in this great country!

 

A special thanks to:


My continued thanks to all of you! 

 

 

 

 

 

Hatch marks 10  




24 November 2020

Anna DeGuzman virtual lecture

I saw the excellent Morgan and West lecture Gary invited us to attend!  I encourage you to take advantage of this fabulous free opportunity. 
  

Gary, thank you for the invitation!

 

From Gary Meyer's Facebook post:

The Oakland Magic Circle and IBM Ring 216 proudly present:
Anna DeGuzman lecturing and teaching ​on​ Tuesday, December 1 at 7pm PST. This is another night you do not want to miss. There is no cost.

What Anna DeGuzman can do with a deck of 52 cards will make your head spin! Manipulating cards into impossible 3-D configurations, she cuts, flings, flips, rotates, juggles and shuffles playing cards in the middle of the street, along train tracks, and in close-up shows at the most prestigious magic venues in the world including for The Magic Castle, Liberty Magic and the Chicago Magic Lounge.

Anna will discuss Cardistry and incorporating it into your magic. Anna uses money, rings, Rubik's Cubes and more in addition to cards. She will teach us some basic moves and signature effects, talk about her success using social media, tell behind-the-scenes stories of being on ”Fool Us,” and being a regular on “Masters of Illusion” this season. She will also discuss the challenges of being a woman in magic.

She learned her first trick at 11 and now this 22-year-old has gone from street magic to her recently created stage act. She has also appeared on MTV's “Amazingness”and even has a part in a recent Windows Surface commercial showcasing her talent! She has over 150,000 followers on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube.

Anna will also answer your questions.

Watch her appearance on ​“Fool Us”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ORmNspxN48

To see more video and To obtain the Zoom link go to https://oaklandmagiccircle.com/





23 November 2020

Loran interviewed on C'est รงa la vie

From the November 8th Facebook post by Loran Magie (translated by Facebook):

If you want to know me better, here's a recorded interview for the program ′′ C ' est est la vie ′′ broadcast on the channel TELUS. But here you will discover not the magician, but rather the ′′ person ′′ behind the character. I tell my personal life journey. It's not always easy to be an artist in your soul, but it's my life and I wouldn't change it.




22 November 2020

Jason Verners: Magic consultant for The Christmas House

The Christmas House airs tonight on The Hallmark Channel.


From the November 21st Instagram post by Jason Verners:

Yo! I am super excited to announce that I am the Magic Consultant for the @hallmarkchannel original movie: The Christmas House! This film has a ton of Christmas magic in it, and I am sure it will put you right into the holiday spirit, I know it did for me while working on set! It premieres tomorrow night on The Hallmark Channel, thanks again for all the love and support xo






20 November 2020

Survive the Great Regurgitation with 10% off your Adventurer ticket

Roman numeral 10

Continuing with our 10th anniversary celebrations ...

Lift the curse of Doc Pretorious Wuthergloom and use the spell "CanadasMagic" for 10% off an Adventurer ticket for the upcoming online interactive theatrical fantastical "The Deadly Doom of the Dungeons of Duodenum" happening November 25 to December 5th: eldritchtheatre.ca/dungeons

 

 

 

Thank you Eric Woolfe and Eldritch Theatre for the anniversary wishes and for extending this wonderful offer to our readers!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

19 November 2020

Win a 10% discount from The Browser's Den of Magic

Hatch mark 10


Updated November 27th to add:
- The contest is now closed and the winners have been notified.

Continuing with our 10th anniversary celebrations, The Browser's Den of Magic is offering TEN (10) of our readers coupons for 10% (ten percent) off a single purchase (up to a maximum of $200 per coupon) at The Browser's Den of Magic.  

The coupon is valid for a single use per winner.  It cannot be used for gift certificates.  It cannot be combined with any other promotions at the The Browser's Den of Magic.  The coupon will expire on December 31, 2020.



To enter:
  1. Log into the RaffleCopter widget below, using Facebook or a valid email address.
     
  2. Mandatory: Leave a comment in the widget, telling me what you think is the most significant thing to happen in the Canadian magic scene in the past 10 years (name the "thing" and the magician).
     
  3. If you win, you must be willing to provide your full name and email address so that we can coordinate your prize with Jeff Pinsky at The Browser's Den of Magic.



The fine print:
  • To participate in the contest, you must be 18 years of age or older.
     
  • One entry per person.
     
  • This giveaway is open to Canadian residents, excluding residents of Quebec. (The sweepstakes laws are complicated. Je m'excuse!)
     
  • This giveaway is void where prohibited by law.
     
  • If you experience difficulties leaving a comment, you may email it to me for posting.  (I am not responsible if your email is misdirected or gets stuck in my Spam folder.)
     
  • This giveaway may be terminated or withdrawn at any time.
     
  • Entries may be disqualified at any time (reasons for disqualification include but are not limited to the provision of information that is untruthful, inaccurate, incomplete, or suspected fraudulent behaviour).
     
  • You must be able to use the discount as offered.  (No cash value will be offered if you cannot use the discount.)
     
  • Transportation to/from Toronto and accommodations will not be provided.
     
  • The odds of winning depend on how many people enter the contest.
     
  • Contest closes on Thursday November the 26th at 11:59pm ET.

With thanks to Jeff Pinsky at The Browser's Den of Magic for generously making these prizes available to you!

 

Enter via the Win a 10% discount from The Browser's Den of Magic entry form or use the widget below: 

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

 

18 November 2020

David Merry's "Switched at Death" at the 2020 Atlanta Comedy Film Festival

Congratulations David!

 

From David Merry's Instagram post:

 

Was just notified that our screenplay Switched at Death is now an Official Selection in the 2020 Atlanta Comedy Film Festival 

 

 

 

 

17 November 2020

Patrick Nemeth: recipient of the 2020 Len Cooper Memorial Award

Congratulations to Patrick Nemeth, this year's recipient of the Len Cooper Memorial Award!

Watch Patrick receive the award at the Browser's Den of Magic on YouTube:

 

Visit the Browser's Den of Magic's website for the complete list of winners.

 

 

16 November 2020

The 2020 "Readers' Choice Inspirational Canadian Magician of the Year" award

Reader's Choice logo 

Updated December 4th to add:
- Romaine was nominated by Luiz C. on November 25th.  Luiz wrote:
I nominate Romaine (Roman Szydlowski).  He has been one of Canada's hidden talent for too long.  He shared stage with the best magicians, has been a mentor to many famous magicians and inspiration to thousands.  If you ever had a chance to sit down with him you know that you always learned something new from him.
One of the best Manipulators from Canada.


Updated November 25th to add:
- Alex Zander has accepted his nomination by Shawn F. who wrote:
"I would like to nominate Alex Zander, who during this year has united magicians, not only in Canada but around the world by using the IBM JAM online to bring magic into the homes of all of us at no cost. For the first thirty days of the lock down we had a lecture every single day and now, eight months later the IBM JAM continues on a weekly basis to offer all magicians a way to connect. He gained nothing personally from doing this task and it taxed his free time greatly. It's inspiring to see the selfless acts of another in support of the greater good."



Updated November 24th to add:
- Carisa Hendrix, Miranda Allen, and Richard Lee have accepted their nomination by a reader who wishes to be anonymous, who wrote:

"They took the lockdown by storm. In their isolation they created a unique virtual performance that was simultaneously witty, creative and magical with a wicked blend of technology and Lucy Darling sass. Surely that counts as inspiration."

- Phil Pivnick has accepted his nomination by Ian C. who wrote:
"
Phil is already Toronto’s best family and children’s entertainer (A1 media) and has a 5 star rating on Google and YELP.  But apart from that he is truly a really nice guy. He’s recently started creating magic for sale to the magic community demonstrating his creativity.  He’s really helpful to anyone who asks.  Sitting down for a session with Phil is a roller coaster of ideas.  What if we do this, how about this or that move.  I’ve always been impressed with his business sense and it shows in his marketing and shows."

- Julie Eng has accepted the nomination for Magicana by Ben T. who wrote:
"My nomination this year is Magicana. Not only did they start the year off by helping curate the Art of Illusion exhibit at the AGO - which created all sorts of new magic fans - but they also mobilized quickly to set up the "Allan Slaight Magicians Relief Fund" to help magicians across Canada deal with the pandemic."
"Because of all that they've done for the community this year, I nominate Magicana!"

Updated November 23rd to add:
- Graeme Reed has accepted his nomination by Doug H. who wrote:
"
He has not let Covid 19 interfere with his ability to present his magic. He has and continues to perform his excellent Magic in awesome creative ways - online. He is not only the most entertaining guy I know, he's Graemazing!"

- Graeme Reed and Ryan Joyce have accepted their nomination by Ryan P. who wrote:
"They have been producing a ton of stuff, podcasts, tv shows, pizza parties and more all giving an opportunity for other Canadian magicians to perform and connect. The high quality standards of their production are certainly inspiring to me!"

- Brooklyn Westfall's dad has accepted her nomination from Gwyn A. who wrote:
"I would like to nominate Brooklyn Westfall - she's bringing a fresh young perspective to magic, and showing magicians and people everywhere that magic has no limits. She's inspiring, and breaking down barriers of age, gender and language. She's been an absolute delight to watch which is such a fun treat during these crazy times. Way to go Brooklyn."
We've opened up a "preschool category."  No voting. Details here:
https://www.facebook.com/CanadasMagic/posts/3724071030947179


Updated November 19th to add:
- Gwyn Auger has accepted her nomination from Jonathan I. who wrote:
"The bigger the magic, the more important all of the team players are, and when it comes to a magic community, the same definitely applies. For me, personally, when I returned to magic about 10 years ago, Gwyn kindly befriended me (not knowing who I was) and it’s been an important part of my ongoing journey through the art of magic. She’s been quite an ambassador for the art and is one of those glues that holds a community together—which is especially important during a time like this. So, I humbly nominate Gwyn for this recognition."


The fifth annual Canada's Magic "Readers' Choice Inspirational Canadian Magician of the Year" award nominations are now open.

You may nominate living Canadian Magician(s) of your choosing by leaving their name along with a short note about how they inspired you in 2020, in the comments below.  (Or you may email your nomination.)

Nominations will be accepted up until 11:59PM EST on Friday November the 27th.  We will contact the nominees via email and give them one week to accept or decline their nomination.  The full list of nominations will be published and voting will commence in December.  (Canada's Magic is not eligible for the award, nor will it be participating in the nomination or voting process.) 

This is a "bragging rights" only contest.  There is no cash value for this award.

Individuals and groups can be nominated.

There is no shortage of Canadian magical inspiration in 2020. 

Some ideas to get you started:
  • Magicana (David Ben and Julie Eng) for organizing the "Illusions: The Art of Magic" exhibit at the Art Gallery of Ontario AND for administrating the "Allan Slaight Relief Fund."
  • Greg Frewin for pivoting on a dime and producing his many excellent virtual "International Stars of Magic" fundraising shows for the Niagara SPCA.
  • Shawn Farquhar for conceiving and mounting his magical speakeasy "Hidden Wonders." 
  • Carisa Hendrix, Miranda Allen, and Richard Lee for raising the bar in virtual entertainment.
  • The current board of the Canadian Association of Magicians (Renรฉe-Claude Auclair, Greg Frewin, Ryan Joyce, Luc Langevin, Mark Pallin, Paul Romhany, Mike Segal, Jason Verners, and Kent Wong) for their efforts in CAM's recent relaunch.
  • Team Big Trick Energy (Chris Ramsay, Eric Leclerc, Alex Boyer, and Wes Barker) for parlaying their tremendous YouTube engagement skills into a television series.
  • The list goes on ...

(these are not official nominations,
but they can be if you submit their name(s) for nomination!)


We look forward to seeing your nominations!

In the spirit of celebrating all Canadian magicians, last year's winners of the Readers' Choice award (Mike Norden) or the Editor's Choice award (The Outerbridges) are not eligible for nomination in 2020.  The list of previous winners can be found here.



15 November 2020

Broken wand: Isreal Manchild

Our sincere condolences to Isreal's family and friends.

 

From the November 13th Facebook post by John Kaplan:

It is with deep shock and sadness that I report the sudden, unexpected passing of one of my dearest friends.  A week ago, on Friday Nov 6th, Isreal Manchild slipped on his basement steps. The resulting fall caused a severe head injury, bleeding of the brain, and he spent much of the past week in hospital in a coma.  A four-hour operation to reduce the swelling yesterday was, unfortunately, not enough for him to survive and he passed away at around 3:00 this morning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

14 November 2020

Jason Palter interviewed on Wes Iseli’s Magiclife Podcast

From the November 4th Facebook post by Wes Iseli’s Magiclife:

Check out this week’s episode of Wes Iseli’s Magiclife Podcast #16 with Jason Palter 




13 November 2020

Eldritch Theatre presents The Deadly Doom of the Dungeons of Duodenum

Premiering ONLINE November 25th to December 5th, 2020 at 7:30 PM (EST) 

Tickets $50 for Adventurers
Tickets $10 for Spectators

 

From the Eldritch Theatre:

The Deadly Doom of the Dungeons of Duodenum is the newest ghoulish creation by Eric Woolfe (Space Opera Zero, The Harrowing of Brimstone McReedy) in which ticket buyers can choose to take part in the story using Dungeons and Dragons based role-playing, or merely witness the horrific adventure that will change each night! Adventurers will be given keys to The Forbidden Library, the entire Eldritch Theatre repertoire, as the online experience will take players on a quest through twenty years of Eldritch Theatre creations, meeting sword and sorcery versions of characters from past productions. The monsters and minions they meet will be performed by live actors, puppets, pre-recorded video segments and interactive maps.

Read more and buy tickets.





Winner of a Skype session with Michael Close

Roman numeral 10

 
 

The contest to win a 1 hour Skype session with Michael Close closed last night at midnight.  


 

 

There were some terrific answers to the request to:

Tell us your favourite move, effect, technique, or magic product attributed to a Canadian magician.  
 
  • Bammo Monte Monster (by Bob Farmer) 
  • Fiber Optics (by Richard Sanders)
  • Farquhar's deck switch 
  • Miraskill (by Stewart James)
  • Juggling to doves (by Greg Frewin)
  • Flushtration Count (by Norm Houghton)
  • Chico the Mind Reader (Bill Abbott)

 

And to the person who entered the contest and willfully ignored the intent of the qualifying question, while at the same time answering it with 100% accuracy, I applaud you.   Their answer:

  • The move of the Browser's Den from the previous location to the current location, a move attributed to Jeff Pinsky.

Wand and Ring 10

Be sure to take advantage of 10% (ten percent) off any Michael Close downloadable ebook products (up to a maximum of $200 per person).  Use "CANADASMAGIC" (without the quotes) at checkout over at MichaelClose.com

 

Random draw results from Rafflecopter:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Congratulations Doug H.! We'll be in touch to let you know how to claim your prize.



Thanks to everyone for playing and a special thanks to Michael Close for making the prize available to you! 

12 November 2020

Eric Leclerc with custom soundtracks

A terrific idea, beautifully executed!

 

From Eric Leclerc's October 21st upload to his YouTube channel:

SO FUNNY! I hired a professional musician to write a soundtrack about my daily activities. HUGE thanks so TrumanSound Studios for pulling through and creating this gem! 

 


Here's the sequel which includes footage with David Copperfield!

 

From Eric Leclerc's November 3rd upload to his YouTube channel:

A professional musician wrote a HILARIOUSLY brilliant song about the old clips in my iPhone. Eric Vanier from Trumansound studios really hit it out of the park with this one! Let me know in the comments what we should get him to sing about next! 

 

 

 

 

11 November 2020

Danys Hamel to present a virtual Christmas show

From the November 4th Facebook post by the Festival de magie de Quรฉbec:

We are very excited to announce that FMQ and Caisse Desjardins de Quรฉbec are partnering with magician Danys Hamel to present a virtual Christmas show for the family, including some interactive numbers. Very affordable cost of $ 15 all inclusive: www.festivaldemagie.ca

 

 



10 November 2020

Browser's Den turns 45!

From the November 3rd post in the Browser's Den of Magic Facebook group:

Dear Denizens,
This November is the 45th anniversary of 'Browser's Den of Magic'.
It is also the 25th year that Old Jeff took over the shop from Len and Bernice Cooper. Back then Old Jeff was Young Jeff and Young Jeff was Really Young Jeff.

Joking aside, for the past 45 years each November we have held a shop anniversary party. For obvious reasons this year we have to celebrate differently.

Over the next couple of weeks we will be making several eflyer announcements related to our 45th anniversary.

To start the celebration....

Read more. 

 

 

 



09 November 2020

Julie Eng on Who Books That? with Harrison Greenbaum

From the November 4 YouTube Livestream by Harrison Greenbaum:

Tune in TONIGHT at 7 PM ET / 4 PM PT as comedian and magician Harrison Greenbaum interviews the multitalented JULIE ENG!  Watch LIVE to participate and be a part of the show!

With surprise guests John Carney, Sandra Eng, David Ben, Jason England, & Bill Abbott.

Presented by the International Brotherhood of Magicians.



08 November 2020

The Canadian Association of Magicians 2020 launch

On October 22nd, the new CAM President, Renรฉe-Claude Auclair, and the new board of the Canadian Association of Magicians had their first official public meeting!

 

 

The board members were energetic and passionate about their goal to make "CAM 2.0" an engaging organization for magicians nationally and internationally.  The board consists of:

  • Renรฉe-Claude Auclair (President)
  • Greg Frewin
  • Ryan Joyce
  • Luc Langevin
  • Mark Pallin (Treasurer)
  • Paul Romhany (Editor of Northern Peeks)
  • Mike Segal
  • Jason Verners
  • Kent Wong (Secretary)

 




They've completely redone their website (and created a spiffy new logo) over at CAMmagic.org

 

Also announced is a contest where CAM members as of November 30th, will be entered in a draw for a chance to win a registration for Quebec FISM 2022, spending money, and tickets to the Greg Frewin Theatre!


 

Register at CAMmagic.org today!  

(Existing members start the process here:  https://www.cammagic.org/welcome-back)





07 November 2020

New England Magic Collectors Association virtual gathering

From the November 2nd post at Magicana:

For the first time in its thirty-four year history, the Gathering is going virtual.

Maintaining its legendary anchors of being an informative and social event, NEMCA has planned an incredibly wonderful and jam-packed weekend on November 14 and 15, including special tributes for guests of honour, Peter Lane and Byron Walker.

The best part? You can enjoy this entire conference from the comfort, and safety, of your own home.

Lectures, discussion panels, social breaks and even an auction are all planned for this online extravaganza. For only $25 you can be part of two full days of wide-ranging topics exploring the likes of, collecting Houdini, seldom-seen gambling books, women in magic’s history, and—wow—collections, collections, collections.

Read more and register.

 

 

 

 

 

06 November 2020

Hidden Wonders live and virtual

From the Hidden Wonders Live and Virtual Eventbrite page:

Hidden Wonders the Speakeasy Magic Experience is presenting a unique presentation of their hit sold-out show allowing a virtual opportunity while still hosting a small live audience.

Members of both audiences will have an opportunity to perhaps guide this choose your own adventure experience.

Using the technology of the ZOOM Platform the audience at home will experience an evening of wonder and be secure in knowing what they are seeing on their screen is exactly what the in person audience will be viewing.

Read more and buy tickets.







05 November 2020

Win a 1 hour Skype session with Michael Close

Roman numeral 10


The contest is now closed. The winner was announced at "Winner of a Skype session with Michael Close."
 
Continuing with our 10th anniversary celebrations, here's your chance to win a 1 (one) hour private Skype session with Michael Close (approximate retail value of $100).  I think it would be fabulous to win this prize; you’ll have the opportunity to get feedback on a routine you’re working on, get technical advice on sleights, or ask questions about any subject that’s on your mind. Michael is the magic consultant on Penn & Teller: Fool Us, and in that capacity he has provided valuable help to hundreds of magicians.

To enter:

  1. Log into the RaffleCopter widget below, using Facebook or a valid email address.
     
  2. Mandatory: Leave a comment in the widget, telling us your favourite move, effect, technique, or magic product attributed to a Canadian magician.   (And also the name of the magician.)
     
  3. If you win, you must be willing to provide your full name and email address so that we can coordinate your prize with Michael Close Magic.


The fine print:
  • To participate in the contest, you must be 18 years of age or older.
     
  • One entry per person.
     
  • This giveaway is open to Canadian residents, excluding residents of Quebec. (Sweepstakes laws are complicated. Je m'excuse!)
     
  • This giveaway is void where prohibited by law.
     
  • If you experience difficulties submitting a Rafflecopter entry, you may email it to me for posting.  (I am not responsible if your email is misdirected or gets stuck in my Spam folder.)
     
  • This giveaway may be terminated or withdrawn at any time.
     
  • Entries may be disqualified at any time (reasons for disqualification include but are not limited to the provision of information that is untruthful, inaccurate, incomplete, or suspected fraudulent behaviour).
     
  • You must be able to use the prize as offered.  (No cash value will be offered if you cannot use the prize.)
     
  • Transportation to/from Toronto and accommodations will not be provided.
     
  • The odds of winning depend on how many people enter the contest.
     
  • Contest closes on Thursday November 12th at 11:59pm ET.


 

With thanks to Michael Close for generously making this prizes available to you! 

 

 

Enter via the Skype session with Michael Close Rafflecopter entry form or use the widget below:

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Photos from Dean Gunnarson's Halloween Houdini escape

Facebook posts with photos from Dean Gunnarson's Halloween Houdini escape last Saturday. 

Photos by James Carey Lauder.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Morgan and West lecture

From the Oakland Magic Circle:

The Oakland Magic Circle invites you to virtually meet Morgan & West, live from London on Saturday, November 7 at 1 pm PST.

Magicians, Time-travellers & all around spiffing chaps, Morgan & West will have you amazed and filled with laughter as they perform and teach.

Read more.






04 November 2020

Celebrating 10 years of Canada's Magic with a 10% discount from Michael Close

Wand and Ring 10


This month Canada's Magic celebrates its 10th blogiversary! 

Throwing an anniversary party is challenging at the best of times.  Given the current situation, it's almost impossible.

So we're bringing the celebrations to you!  Throughout the month we'll have special offers and giveaways from our sponsors to thank you for your readership and support!

Kicking off our 10th anniversary celebrations, Michael Close Magic is offering our readers 10% (ten percent) off any Michael Close downloadable ebook products (up to a maximum of $200 per person) at MichaelClose.com

  • The coupon code is valid for a single use per person and cannot be combined with any other promotions at Michael Close Magic.
  • The coupon code will expire on November 30, 2020.

 

Use "CANADASMAGIC" (without the quotes) at checkout over at Michael Close Magic to redeem this offer!

 

Thank you Michael for making this available to the readers of Canada's Magic!



Magician Ryan Brown's Reality Magic Halloween Hearse illusion

From the November 2nd article "Internationally Celebrated Magician made a Hearse appear on Halloween at Ontario Haunted Hollows Scream Park" at WFMJ:

For those who didn’t find 2020 scary enough, York Region’s “most intense, scariest haunted attraction” had a few extra tricks up their sleeve this year. Well - it was actually renowned magician Ryan Brown, a Canadian native taking a break from performances in Vegas and waiting out CoVID-19 back home in Canada, who brought the magic to Haunted Hollows Scream Park on Halloween Morning.

Internationally renowned magician, Ryan Brown, isn’t telling how he did it, but you can see what happened on his Youtube series, Reality Magic. It’s an incredible illusion - or is it ?

How DID that hearse appear out of nowhere in the abandoned parking lot?

Check it out for yourself at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7HNc02AIRY&feature=youtu.be

Read more.

Shawn Farquhar (and a host of other magicians) featured in New York Times

This article includes quotes from magicians such as Shawn Farquhar, Ken Scott, Stephen Bargatze, Alexander Boyce, Jason Michaels, Kayla Drescher, and John Wolfson!

 

From the October 31st article "What if They Could Make the Pandemic Go Poof?" by Kenneth Sturtz in the New York Times:

Mr. Farquhar turned to virtual magic out of boredom. Homebound and desperate to perform for an audience, he arranged a free Facebook Live show. He committed to an hour, thinking he could adapt existing material. He was struggling after 15 minutes.

“I realized I was talking to a green light on a camera and there was no interaction,” he said. “It wasn’t Zoom, it was just me talking and trying to keep an energy up.”

He found not being able to interact with an audience in real time to be “soul-sucking.” He tried Instagram Live, but he soured on that too. It wasn’t until a friend recruited enough paying customers for a Zoom show that Mr. Farquhar changed his mind. There were stumbling blocks, like keeping people engaged and dealing with dozens of audio and video feeds. But when he learned he could interact with the audience, he developed a dedicated virtual show.

...

“Magic thrives when people are at their worst because people at their worst need hope,” Mr. Farquhar said. “And that’s what magic is.”

Read more.