Showing posts with label # guest. Show all posts
Showing posts with label # guest. Show all posts

19 February 2024

[Guest post] February 2024 Genii Issue Features Canadians

The following is a guest post from an author who wishes to be known as The Magic Demon.

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February 2024 Genii Issue Features Canadians


The current issue of Genii opens with a heart-felt tribute filling an entire page in their "In Memorium" section to the late Micky Hades written by Stephen Forrester.

"The Eye" section (featuring stories from around the world of magic) curated by Vanessa Armstrong has two Canadian references:

  • A photo of Gabriella Lester illustrates a short piece linking to a longer New York Times article on diversity in magic, highlighting three women performing today including Lester. Armstrong refutes some of its broader generalizations.
    Link - https://myqrcode.mobi/70e1232e

  • A second longer piece about the Magic of Tony Eng Exhibition opening in the Victoria BC Chinatown Museum includes several quotes from Tony's daughter (the Executive Director of Magicana Julie Eng) as well as a link to the CBC television report on the Exhibition's openinglast December.
    Link - cbc.ca/player/play/2290720323810


Finally, in Shawn McMaster's column "Knights at the Magic Castle" Murray Sawchuck is prominently reviewed for his December holidays appearance at The Magic Castle along with Lefty (Doug Leferovich.)

 

- The Magic Demon

 

 

Thank you The Magic Demon for guest posting at Canada's Magic!

 

 

 

 

 

07 December 2023

[Guest post] Walking Tall for Brantford

The following is a guest post from Graeme Reed.  This article first appeared in the December 2023 issue of VANISH Magic Magazine issue #113, pages 40-43.  Reprinted with permission.

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Doug Hunt

Doug Hunt, October 21, 2023
Photo credit:  Donna Thompson

 
 

 

Walking Tall for Brantford

On October 21, 2023, Doug Hunt aka “Doug the Great”, made history when he broke the Guinness World Record (GWR) for Mastering the Tallest Stilts, walking 14 steps at 55 feet above the ground. In front of fellow entertainers from around the world and his community of Brantford, Ontario, Canada, Doug successfully reclaimed the record that he first earned over 20 years ago. 


2002-09-14
Doug Hunt set a new Guinness World Record for the tallest and heaviest stilts mastered in Brantford, Ontario, by taking 29 independent steps on stilts measuring 50’ 9” at a combined weight of 137 pounds.

The most recent record was set by Jordan Wolf (USA), who walked on 54’ 1” stilts in 2022.


"This wasn't just about breaking a Guinness World Record, it was a challenge for people who live a challenge every day."
 - Doug Hunt



In the city of Brantford, “The Centre of the Universe,” as Walter Gretzky would say, besides walking on stilts and entertaining the masses, Doug is best known for his love and support of the community. Working as head of fundraising at Participation Support Services Brantford for over 40 years, Doug has always found creative ways to build awareness and raise money while empowering everyone around him.



"Some people think what we do is crazy, but when you look at the end result and what we're doing helping other people, it should be inspirational for other people to go and reach those goals and do those truly amazing things."
- Doug Hunt

 

The attempt occurred at the Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre’s (WGSC) 10th anniversary celebrations. Inside the sports complex is a museum dedicated to Brantford’s greatest athletes. To see Walter and Wayne Gretzky's historical hockey memorabilia, you first walk under The World's Tallest Stilts. Walter Gretzky was famous in Brantford for signing autographs with his branded blue Sharpie – blue never fades. To pay homage, Doug, with the help of local sponsors, made up custom blue markers for sponsors and anyone who donated to sign his record-breaking stilts.

Among those in attendance was Nicole Lee; this is how she experienced the truly amazing day:

The Stilts
The stilts were on display when we arrived at the WGSC anniversary festivities.  These were the same stilts Doug used to achieve his 2002 record.  Except each one now had an aluminum extension approximately 5 feet in length and 15 pounds in weight.

Going Up
Two cranes, roughly 50 feet away from each other, were extended about 60 feet in the air. Attached between them in parallel, were two taut safety cables.  A third crane, an aerial lift, sat in the middle with its platform lowered.


Three cranes.

The three cranes
 
 

A team of approximately half a dozen people moved the stilts from their resting place. Someone attached the “boot ends” of the stilts to the aerial lift.  Slowly, the crane gained height and the boot ends rose towards the sky, while the opposite ends remained on the ground.  The stilts shifted suddenly on the way up and I felt my heart in my throat.  Their unexpected movement provided a visceral understanding of the stunt's inherent danger.  Eventually, Doug’s “ballet slippers” (as he sometimes calls them) were vertical and secured to a safety cable.  

It was overcast and a cool 12℃.  An organizer notified the crowd that the wind was strong 60 feet up. There were concerns for Doug’s safety.

We waited.

Shortly after 11:30 am, we were told that the wind was expected to pick-up throughout the day.  

It was now or never.

Putting on the Stilts
The platform descended to collect Doug, who was now outfitted in his Brantford Bulldogs jersey, safety harness, gloves, and ball cap.  The crane extended, and Doug carefully went over the safety rail of the platform, grabbed his stilts and slid his feet into his boots.  The two man crew on the platform laced him up.  It was time.

The Walking
Doug made several attempts to balance. Holding the cables for support between attempts, he had to be mindful of the harness and safety equipment to which he was fastened.  He worked hard against the ~20 km/h winds.

He started walking.  A few steps at first.  Each stilt was scrutinized at ground level and their movements evaluated by official “step counters.”  Then a rest.  Repeat.  It must have been exhausting fighting the wind at such a height, with an additional 80+ pounds of weight on each foot!

Try, try again.  

The sun peeked through the clouds and we saw a bit of blue in the sky.  More movement from Doug.  At 12:45pm, Doug stood tall and pumped his arm into the air in victory.  Cheers erupted from the crowd!

The 2022 record lay shattered at his tall, metal feet!



 

Doug Hunt

A victorious Doug Hunt!
Photo credit: Gary Foster
 

 

"This record today is a testament to him and all that he has given back to the community; it's fantastic to see the community giving back to him."
- Scott Wilkins, Rumple & Friends. 
 
 
Family and friends.

Daughter Megan, grandson Seth, Doug Hunt, and David McKee (Brantford Town Crier)
 
 



A large-scale stunt like this is only possible with community support. There is a list longer than 55 feet of people who donated their time, money, and passion to the project, not just to break a record but to raise awareness and donations for Participation Support Services Brantford whose mandate it is to “support adults with physical disabilities and complex needs to live as independently as possible.” Everything from the one-of-a-kind stilts, aerial lift, two cranes, and so much more was all donated to spotlight a truly amazing cause.  



"This guy is passionate about everything he does. He thinks (about) everything in a positive way… this guy is kind of like a magnet; everyone wants to work and be with Doug."
- Dave Levac, Team Manager


While Doug reclaimed the record at 14 steps on October 21 at the WGSC, the official submission is 16 steps at 55 feet high, achieved on October 17th, 2023, at Brantwood Farms in front of a small public audience. Congratulations to Doug Hunt of Brantford, Ontario for reclaiming his Guinness World Record of Mastering the Tallest Stilts and being truly amazing.


Silo height.

The silo.
 
 


Training with Coach Tom.

Training with Coach Tom
 
 


Group outside silo.

A winning team!
 
 




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Congratulations Doug, on this amazing accomplishment! 

To learn more about Doug Hunt, visit his website at DougTheGreat.com and follow him on Facebook, and Instagram.    


Thank you Graeme for sharing this wonderful article!

To learn more about Graeme Reed visit his website at GraemeReedMagic.com and follow him on Facebook, and Instagram.

 

 

 

 

 

26 November 2023

[Guest post] A tribute to Micky Hades

The following is a guest post from Brent Smith.

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A tribute to Micky Hades

I'm sad these days as my friend and teacher in magic Micky Hades has passed away at the age of 97. I call him a teacher because he never mentored me but his door was always open for me and I could ask any question. They say to be successful in something you keep you mouth closed and your ears open and I did just that with Micky but I also asked a lot of questions. I enjoyed our time together especially because Micky would always ask me questions about magic, history and all about magic posters, not because he didn’t know, but to test me and see if I knew what I was talking about and I do :)

Micky Hades was a man who embraced all aspects of magic: Performer, publisher, collector, manufacturer, inventor, author, editor and a pioneer of the art of magic. He was born of Ukrainian parentage on a farm in Alberta. He got started in magic when he saw the magician John C. Green. Micky had mundane jobs but realised magic is what he wanted to do so he studied and learned all he could on magic. He then joined a travelling sideshow which featured not only magic but also fire eating. He then joined larger carnivals like Conklin Brothers Circus and then Clifford Entertainers Vaudeville circuit. Micky then quit show business for a while and went into Silk Screening and then went onto being a fire prevention Officer in the Army. Then for 13 months he worked in the Gold Mines in Yellowknife in the NWT. There in the Arctic climate he invented the Micky Hades finger chopper 2000 feet below the surface of the ground. Imagine just how many of those he sold. Micky Hades Enterprises became Micky Hades International and became a name recognized throughout the world of magic. 

Micky was behind the TV Show, Dale Harney's Magic Palace and Micky brought in all the top guys in magic at that time. Blackstone, Al Goshman, Paul Harris, Martin Nash, Slydini... the list goes on and on and on. I would get my dad to drive me down to Channel 2 and 7 TV Studios just to see Dale Harney with the worlds Top Magicians perform.

I miss that time in magic with no internet, without exposure on YouTube, magicians being babies online. Magic was real and everyone sacrificed and treated magic with great importance and value. When people don’t sacrifice much for what they have they do not treat it with great importance or value hence what some people are doing on the internet with exposure. Anyone who suffered for anything knows the value of what they suffered for.

Micky said to me once that you cannot make someone into a magician but they are born and that being a magician is a state of mind and a way of life. Micky never taught anyone magic, he never taught sleight of hand but he taught them the state of mind to make a living at magic. The only one I know of who Micky taught this to is John Kaplan.

Micky had many stories. How he told Martin Nash that he should call himself  "The Charming Cheat" and that he should wear big gold rings and fancy suits. He had a great ZIG ZAG lady Illusion story, How he gave Doug Henning a job and he accepted the position of editor of the Young Magicians section of the Hade-E-Gram MagiZette and performed his first professional appearance at the Jubilee Auditorium in Calgary in 1965.

Micky had three Magic Shops, Vancouver, Seattle, and Calgary. They were eventually closed or sold off.

In 2015 Micky sold me his 500 piece magic Poster collection which some I will treasure forever. They are framed in my house and I still enjoy everyday.

I will miss Micky and the coffee time we had together, I will miss going to visit him and seeing what magic he still had for sale all of which the props I grew up with, I will miss the jewels and treasures I would find when Micky let me look through boxes. I will miss talking to him about illusions and I will miss talking to him about Magic Posters.

Micky once said to me that if you really want to make a living at something have NOTHING to fall back on that way the fire under your butt stays lit. We both laughed at that for a long time.

The Micky Hades story is too incredible for this short newsletter so look for this book coming out of the Magical Life of Micky Hades in the New Year by his daughter Brenda.

Rest well Micky you are the reason I am what I am today and I have cherished every last second I had with you.

Thank you!!

Brent

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Thank you Brent for sharing this heartfelt tribute to Micky Hades.

 

 

09 September 2023

[Guest post] Attention Wallet Addicts: The Chamber of Wallets has opened!

The following is a guest post from an author who wishes to be known as The Magic Demon.

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ATTENTION: WALLET ADDICTS!
THE CHAMBER OF WALLETS HAS OPENED


Exclusive to Canada's Magic
by The Magic Demon


Magicians and mentalists love their wallets.

Well, some of us do.

(An aside to any non-magicians/non-mentalists: And why shouldn't we love them? Nothing unusual about that or special about them. Some of us just love 'em, that's all.)

Depending upon who you talk to, they are a positive boon or an unnecessary crutch. Whatever your point of view, it is simply a fact that more and more are produced each year. It's hard to keep track of them all and decide how best to spend our hard earned dollars.

UK magician/mentalist Neil Turton has solved the dilemma by creating his new website, "The Chamber of Wallets." Containing reviews and descriptions of every known wallet - including 'The Informant' by Canada's own Bobby Motta - this impressive labor of love continues to grow and include more entries each month.

So if you are thinking of buying a new wallet or simply wonder which one might suit your purposes, why not visit The Chamber of Wallets?

http://www.chamberofwallets.com



DISCLAIMER: The author has received no remuneration or compensation in any way for reviewing this site. He does admit, however, to already owning four of the wallets reviewed on the site.

- The Magic Demon

 

 

Thank you The Magic Demon for guest posting at Canada's Magic!

 

 

 

 

 

05 May 2023

[Guest post] ‘Magic chose me’: How one man found his calling

The following is a guest post by Sheridan Williamson Fraser.

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‘Magic chose me’: How one man found his calling
Mike Segal built a career by perfecting tricks and inspiring a new generation of magicians 

By Sheridan Williamson Fraser,
Journalism Undergraduate at Toronto Metropolitan University

It all started with a single bus ticket that in a flash became two. Day in and day out, Mike Segal, a young boy originally from Montreal, would take the bus to and from his new school in Toronto, carefully holding on to each bus ticket. One day in 1972, while playing outside at recess, another boy snatched the bus ticket from him, closing his tiny fist around the rectangular piece of paper. As Segal’s only way home was crushed between the other boy’s small fingers, concern built within him. Another second passed, then the other boy waved an erratic hand through the air before rolling back his fingers to show not one but two bus tickets lying on his palm. The boy then miraculously handed both tickets to Segal before walking away to enjoy the rest of his short break between classes. Looking down at his hand, Segal was left baffled. To him this was not some simple sleight of hand but an act of real magic.  

This one short instance, this one trick, was the start of a lifelong journey into the art of illusion and the beginning of a career which has spanned four decades. From this moment on, Segal began going to the library, constantly in search of the miraculous ticket trick. Initially he thought “If I could just learn that trick, my parents would never have to buy me another bus ticket.” 

During those days in 1972, flipping through book after book, Segal recalls learning all he could about magic, teaching himself different tricks and eventually building up a repertoire of techniques. “I never did find that trick,” he says, but now nearly 50 years later Segal can still remember that first magic moment, “I’ve seen thousands of magic shows. Can’t tell you anything about them but I remember that trick.” 

As for his own journey, Mike Segal has spent over four decades as a magician performing, teaching and inspiring the next generation of magicians. His career has impacted the trajectory of magic’s evolution in Canada by providing opportunities for young people to get involved with the craft and be supported in forming future careers. 

According to The Canadian Encyclopedia article “Magic,” the first reported magic performer in Canada was Maginnis in Halifax in 1875 but, Indigenous groups in Canada were said to have games and ritual practices prior to European arrival which are reminiscent of present-day performance magic. 

Since then, magic has evolved into a modern stage production involving close-up magic, big production acts and mental illusion among other tricks. 

Segal remembers feeling like the straight-faced and serious persona never fit his personality on stage, he was always more comfortable with presenting magic in a lighter comedic way. His signature performance style is the “magician in trouble scenario,” which appears on stage as a trick going wrong when in reality the act is another illusion in itself. 

This style of magic, which Segal performs to this day, was influenced by something that happened at the start of his career. At age 14, Segal recalls performing a comedic magic show at an elementary school. Following the performance, a young boy, approximately eight-years-old approached him. The boy asked hopefully, “You’re a magician. My brother just broke his arm. Can you make it better?” At that moment, Segal remembers thinking “Wow, okay so these kids think I could really do magic. Well, that’s wrong.” 

Segal says he believes in performing illusions not faking supernatural powers or witchcraft. “We don’t have any special powers. I have the same powers as all of you. I have just learned to create illusions, the way some learn to play tennis or how to play the piano,” Segal said. At the time, Segal felt it was unfair to misrepresent what magic was to young kids, innocent enough to believe his magic was real. 


Missing link: 

By 1982, Segal was nearing the end of high school and focusing on his career, choosing magic over his personal life. 

Jen Segal, Mike Segal’s wife, describes her relationship with Segal as an “Oprah story,” worthy of mushy daytime television. Jen and Mike met at York Mills Collegiate Institute. Shortly after starting high-school they began dating, staying together for years leading up to graduation where they amicably split.

Jen and Mike at prom in 1984

Jen and Mike at prom in 1984
photo source: Facebook


Jen remembers wanting to settle down and start a family, while Segal wanted to work and travel. “I was broken hearted,” Jen explained in an interview. 

After 10 years had gone by, both Mike and Jen had moved on with their lives until a single phone call in 1992 changed everything. “My [friend] Sherry called and she was like ‘Mike’s on BT’ [Breakfast Television] and so I turned on the TV and there he was”. 

In late 1990, Segal began making appearances on the Toronto morning show, BT. “I lived right by there [the studio], they knew me and we had a great relationship… I was part of the City TV family,” he said. 

Over two years, Segal made 100 weekly appearances on the show. Once Segal had built a relationship with the show’s network, he, in addition to his weekly appearances, became the fill-in visitor when scheduled guests were unable to arrive on time. 

“They would have you know, whoever coming into town to promote something that day, but the plane got delayed, or they're stuck in traffic or there's a snowstorm. So, these guys [Breakfast Television producers] would just call me and say ‘Mike, can you be in the studio in like half an hour and bring something?’ And so, I would do that,” said Segal. “I just loved it. The exposure was great. This was before the internet, so this was the greatest promotion I could ask for.” 

As for Jen, after seeing him on TV, she decided to take a chance, picking up the phone and calling the studio where she set up a time to meet Segal. “And that was 30 years ago,” Jen says as she sits on a white couch in the home she shares with Segal. “As soon as we saw each other it was like yeah we’re together forever.”

Creating a path: 

In the late 1980s, a few years prior to Segal’s reconciliation with Jen, he began carving out a place for himself in magic entertainment in Canada.  

After Segal had graduated from York University, he, along with a few friends and classmates freshly out of school, started Magic Unlimited Theater Productions in Toronto, a co-op theatre company that performed original shows for schools which were written based on the current school curriculum. 

John Rotstein, the owner of Rotten Pictures, a video production company, met Segal in a high-school theater class where they became close friends. Rotstein later received a performing arts bachelor’s degree with Segal from York University before joining the theatre production company. 

“Mike was very passionate about doing magic,” Rotstein explained in a phone interview. “He has a natural ability to charm people. He was very driven about his career and he knew what he wanted to do.”  

Segal says the idea for the company came about because they were “struggling artists” at a time when it was very difficult to get a grant for a magic-based performance because magic was not considered a legitimate performance art. 

“We were young and hungry. We hustled” Rotstein said. “We spent a lot of our time hustling for grant money to fund our projects.” 

Segal’s idea for the theatre production company was to bring performance magic some legitimacy and to show people why magic should get the same respect as other artforms. “Magic was such a great performance art and it bugged me so much that everywhere I went people would say ‘oh, magician? You should come and do my kid’s birthday party’. I just hated it.” 

Segal says he wanted to change the perception of magic in Canada by presenting it to young people who would not have preconceived notions surrounding what the craft could be. Connecting magic to youth was so important to Segal because when he was a young person, he had no one to mentor him or to look to for answers.

 

Mike Segal headshot

Mike Segal, circa early 1990s
photo source: Facebook

 

Fueling the future of magic: 

In 1980, Segal had his first experience receiving encouragement from a big name in magic entertainment. 

At 16 years old, Segal spent one week working as a stagehand for a CBC movie version of the Broadway hit The Magic Show, starring the famous Canadian magician, Doug Henning. The show was extremely popular, and according to the Internet Broadway Database, the magic musical earned Henning a Tony award nomination for best performance by an actor in 1975. 

A few years after the musical’s Broadway run ended, the CBC began working on a movie version of the show in Toronto, where teenage Segal gained a spot on the crew, skipping an entire week of high school to do so. 

The experience has become a blur, lost in time, except for one moment that would inspire not only Segal’s career but the decades of mentorship that would follow. 

On his last day on set, when Segal was sitting on a set of stairs helping to reset the stage lights, he looked up to see Doug Henning, the star of the show standing next to him. 

Henning walked the remaining few feet towards Segal before saying, “Hey, you’ve been here for a while. You’re a magician, right?” They both sat there on the stairs leading up to the stage talking about magic. 

“To me it seemed like we sat there for hours, we were probably there for 15 or 20 minutes,” says Segal. In that short time Segal recalls that Henning wished him luck in his future endeavors and listened intently when Segal described his future plans even dismissing another crew member who approached him with the flick of a hand. “So that stuck with me until today,” says Segal. “The way he treated me absolutely is part of why I decided to try and do that with younger magicians. If this guy is going to spend time with me now. I thought I should try and guide some people.” 

Segal, first and foremost, describes himself as a performer, though his work in mentorship for youth in magic has become a large part of his career. 

Sorcerers Safari was a Canadian performance arts camp, founded by Mike Segal, teaching youth magic, and it operated for one week every summer from 1997 to 2017. According to the Sorcerers Safari website, a typical day at camp involved various magic classes, outdoor activities and an evening show performed by professional magicians.  

After touring nationally and internationally with the Magic Mike Show for years, Segal recalls wanting to spend more time at home. Sorcerers Safari provided him with the opportunity to stay with his family and create magic education.

“He was the facilitator of mentorship,” says Keith Brown, a Canadian professional magician, who performs all around the world. Brown says he spent years of his adolescent life attending Sorcerers Safari, entering the camp grounds as a camper and exiting as an experienced counsellor. 

Brown fondly remembers his experience travelling to camp for the first time. “I remember making friends on the bus. And then literally jamming and doing card tricks the entire three hours up to the camp. And it was like, ‘Oh my god’, magic camp starts immediately on the bus ride.” 

When looking back on Segal’s creation, Brown said, “He's been around for so long, and is connected to so many different people and camp is like a by-product of that. He created this wonderful place out of love for all of these kids and his friends and his colleagues to come to”.

Brown attributes the days collaborating with peers and well-known magicians to his own success. “Magic camp was a huge influence on me and I would say that I would be a fraction of the magician I am today and I probably wouldn’t be a professional magician without it,” said Brown. 

 

It wasn't all cards and coins.  Segal (centre front) receives a haircut from Greg Frewin (left), Shawn Farquhar (centre back), and Lee Asher (right).

 "That time at Sorcerers Safari Magic Camp when some World Champion Magicians cut my hair." 
-- Mike Segal, August 2011
photo source: Facebook

Sam Pearce, another professional magician and ex-camper who attended Sorcerers Safari in 2005 and 2006, says his exposure to large illusions and comedy magic as a youth helped influence the magic he performs today. 

“I’m sure being exposed to all those different acts and seeing what was possible was certainly interesting,” Pearce explained. “That’s where I learned to juggle.”

Pearce can be seen incorporating his juggling into many of his performances. Two metal step stools are set up holding two rectangular planks, sandwiching a cylindrical piece of equipment similar to a hollowed out rolling pin, making the top plank reminiscent of a teeter totter. Pearce stands above the top blank shifting from side to side as he tries to balance. This is all made more complicated as he is simultaneously juggling three knives, the blades flying into the air and plummeting back down in quick succession.    

Rosemary Reid, a professional magician and Torontonian, spent 17 years attending Sorcerers Safari until its closure in 2017. 

When Reid first began showing an interest in magic, her father stumbled upon ‘Magic’ Mike Segal on Breakfast Television, while Segal was promoting magic camp, in 2001. 

Reid describes her first year at Sorcerers Safari as “The best experience I’ve ever had. I met some of my best friends who are still my best friends to this day that first year.” Adding, “So after that first year, I was like, I have to go back to magic camp.” 

During her 17 years attending Sorcerers Safari, Reid was a camper and instructor. Given there was only one cabin for girls at the camp, Reid worked as the social media manager and part-time videographer before becoming an instructor. “I kind of just tried to help wherever I could,” she said. 

“I remember speaking with Mike once and his advice to me one year at camp was to dream big. He told me to dream big and I’ve always remembered that and it always helps me to visualize the impossible, which is kind of like my job as a magician.” 

Since her time at camp, Reid has been an avid advocate for women in magic. Her goal is to continue the conversation and increase awareness of the effects of misogyny in the magic industry.  

“I kind of fell in love with [the camp] then watching the kids learn,” said Jen Segal, Mike Segal’s wife and manager of Sorcerers Safari, when thinking about her time walking through the camp grounds, peering into classrooms of overflowing excitement. Jen said she gets emotional thinking about the camp and the countless lives changed over those seven days every year. “Parents would write me or phone me after camp saying ‘my kid came home a different kid, they’re so much more confident’… ‘your camp totally changed them’.” 

Segal opened Sorcerers Safari to build new magic audiences and educate people on what is possible with magic. “In the beginning, we were just trying to find each other,” said Segal. “It became something so much bigger than all its parts. Sounds corny, but it really was like magic. It was the greatest magic trick I’ve ever done and I still don’t know how I did it.”

Dealers' Day' at Sorcerers Safari<br />A day when campers bought magic.

"Dealers' Day" at Sorcerers Safari
A day when campers bought magic.
photo source: Facebook


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Thank you Sheridan for guest posting at Canada's Magic!

 


 

28 February 2023

[Guest post] 100th anniversary of Houdini appearing in Vancouver, BC

Edited at 8:30am to add the link to the article "Houdini's daring Vancouver escape was 100 years ago this week" by Michelle Gomez and Andrew Kurjata, published today on the CBC website.

 

The following is a guest post from an author who wishes to be known as The Magic Demon.

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100th ANNIVERSARY OF HOUDINI APPEARING IN VANCOUVER BC

It was one hundred years ago today (Feb 28th, 1923) that the legendary Harry Houdini made his one and only stop over in Vancouver BC for three days and four nights of thrilling vaudeville shows which were prefaced by his awesome upside down straight-jacket release while hanging high above an outdoor street crowd estimated in the thousands.

Canada's Magic provided reconstituted coverage of the auspicious event on its 94th anniversary, which you can find here: [Guest post] Houdini in Vancouver: part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6, and part 7.

CBC Radio One Vancouver (on line and locally at 88.1 FM and 690 AM) plans to mark the memorable occasion with a brief interview about Houdini in Vancouver with our very own Magic Demon, author of our reconstituted coverage. It's scheduled for today, Tuesday Feb. 28th at 5:20 pm PT (8:20 pm ET) although it is subject to last minute changes as the CBC Radio One afternoon program, On The Coast, provides updated breaking news which may even pre-empt the irrepressible Houdini!

There has also been an accompanying on-line print interview by CBC Vancouver reporter Michelle Gomez about Houdini in Vancouver which will also appear on the CBC News site. You can also find it by googling the reporter's name and adding Houdini in Vancouver.
[Edited to add:  Here's the link to the CBC article "Houdini's daring Vancouver escape was 100 years ago this week"]

So happy 100th anniversary Harry! We trust you enjoyed your time visiting Vancouver as much as Vancouver enjoyed hosting you. I'm sure you'd be beyond pleased to know we remember you and we're still talking about you.

- The Magic Demon

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Thank you The Magic Demon for guest posting at Canada's Magic!

 

 

 

 

28 January 2023

[Guest post] Johnny Giordmaine in the "Scattering of Seeds" documentary

The following is a guest post from an author who wishes to be known as The Magic Demon.

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Johnny Ould kindly reminds us of this link to the episode of the "Scattering of Seeds" documentary series on the life of the late, greatly beloved Canadian children's magician Johnny Giordmaine:

Watch the August 11, 2021 upload at Alfred French's YouTube channel:




Of course, should you wish to know even more about this wonderful magician, you can always check out the John Giordmaine tribute site at JohnGiordmaine.com
 

- The Magic Demon

 

Thank you The Magic Demon for guest posting at Canada's Magic!

 

 

 

 

 

25 October 2022

[Guest post] Cabaretbijou Comes To Vancouver October 2022 to March 2023

The following is a guest post from an author who wishes to be known as The Magic Demon.

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Cabaretbijou Comes To Vancouver October 2022 to March 2023

Their poster says it all.

"Immerse yourself in the wildly extravagant world of Cabaret Bijou.

"An intoxicating fusion of cabaret, comedy, and cuisine with world class Aerial Artists, Contortionists, Jugglers, Musicians, etc etc.

"It's Canada's only Gourmet Cabaret Sensation."

Vancouver Oct 28th 2022 to March 5th 2023.

Under the big (heated) tent in Vanier Park.

Magic too is promised so what's not to like? Food and cabaret in a high class circus-like environment sounds pretty much like ideal entertainment to me.

Details at www.cabaretbijou.com

- The Magic Demon

 

 

Thank you The Magic Demon for guest posting at Canada's Magic!

 

 

 

28 November 2021

[Guest post] BLAH! BLAH! BLAH!

The following is a guest post from an author who wishes to be known as The Magic Demon.

 

----

Random rants and/or raves by readers

Today's Guest Fulminator: The Magic Demon
Exclusive to Canada's Magic


Whatever happened to printed instructions when you bought your magic? I miss them!

With printed instructions on paper you always had something tangible to immediately refer to. You could read them, put them down, practice some, reread the instructions, put them down, practice some more and so on. You could add notes, add reminders to yourself, and even get them personally autographed at conventions by the inventors.  

Printed instructions - some with illustrations, some without -  would always be there to read today, tomorrow and into the foreseeable future. You didn't need any extra devices, technology or encumbrances to access them - just reading glasses, occasionally.

Then, along came video-instructions on a DVD. These often accompanied printed instructions and sometimes didn't. These were fine too if you had a suitable player and if it was convenient to use it. Some instructions on video were rudimentary and amateurish; eventually they got more sophisticated and professional.  

But the point is, both forms of instruction were in tangible physical forms that you could access at any time on your own and wouldn't accidently or deliberately disappear on you.

More recently, many tricks no longer seem to come with any form of physical instruction at all. I mean the more expensive ones too.

All you get are some props, frequently requiring further extensive DIY,  and a link to an on-line video.

What a rip-off!

A lot of the time, in my experience, the links seem to be expired or faulty or the website is down, or else my connectivity to the internet is down, or else my digital device is acting wonky or else there are technical issues at their end resulting in various 404-y error codes. Or else I'm not able to access my laptop or tablet or smartphone - or - just simply prefer not to spend even more time on them than I have already for work. Whatever.

But even when the links work I still feel the instructions at the other end could evaporate in a flash. And sometimes they do. Especially instructions for older effects no longer being aggressively marketed by their manufacturers.

How often, by contrast, did printed instructions work? Gosh - 100% of the time!

And DVDs? OK, so not everybody owns a player anymore. But guess what? Plenty of us still do. Well-treated DVDs should last a hundred years.

So how much are manufacturers saving? (1) Not providing printed basic instructions? Maybe a few cents per unit. (2) Not supplying a physical DVD? More but not much more, assuming they'd already shot something for on-line. Are they now so desperate that saving even a few cents per unit is necessary for them to survive? I honestly don't know.

If the absence of physical instructions is to somehow appeal to the digital generation, connected 24/7 to the internet continuously from first yawn until final slumber, this I most reluctantly at least can understand.

DVDs and printed instructions seem so 20th century.  

But then so are most of the good things we enjoy! Why not continue to always provide at least basic printed instructions for those of us who choose not to be always on-line? (And yes, I am aware of the intrinsic irony making this request via email on an on-line blog.) Is it too much to ask magic manufacturers not to turn their backs on the rest of us while continuing to appeal to the cool kids?

I don't really blame the manufacturers. They just figured they were doing what we, the magic consumers, wanted.

And I certainly don't blame the dealers, they just sell what they are given to sell, as best they can.

I blame all of us, the magic buying community. We've quietly allowed this infuriating degradation of our purchases to occur.

It's not long ago one of the regular reviewers in Genii bemoaned the fact that physical instructions no longer accompanied the items being reviewed. I've not seen that enlightened attitude in print since. I guess even the reviewers have accepted the absence of physical instructions as the way it is.

Well, I'm here to say I'm fed up with constantly being presented with no choice when buying an expensive effect! I'm fed up always having to spend extra time and excess energy trying to find the streaming instructions on-line each and every time I want to look at instructions. (Downloadable instructions are perhaps less problematic but can be equally frustrating for the reasons I have outlined.)

Please understand: I'm not advocating for the abolition of such links. They're great for more advanced stuff and they have their advantages. Of course DVDs do too. I just always want the option of having the basic, essential instructions in print again at the time of purchase.

I'm actually at the point I think twice about making purchases that don't include printed instructions. Do I really want it? Give me a book any day.

To recap, for those of you surfing and watching five screens at once: I miss printed instructions accompanying my magic purchases. Even occasional actual DVDs. But mostly printed instructions.

What say you? Am I the only one left in the reading room or are there any others out there who feel the same way?

If we all make enough noise perhaps some manufacturers might notice.

Who knows? Getting printed instructions again one day might even become retro-cool.

Retro-cool? Woo hoo!

I should only live so long.

 

----

We are also big fans of printed instructions.  Lovely to know we're not the only ones!

Thank you The Magic Demon for guest posting at Canada's Magic!

 

29 October 2021

[Guest post] A review of "David Copperfield’s History of Magic"

The following is a guest post by James Alan

--


Review: David Copperfield’s History of Magic

David Copperfield needs no introduction. He’s absolutely in the running for greatest living magician and still top of the list for greatest magician of all time. He was undeniably the most famous magician in the world in the 80s and 90s when he was regularly producing major network tv specials. He doesn’t really appear on tv anymore but is still performing constantly in his own theatre at the MGM Grand. But unbeknownst to most people, he is also the owner of a giant secret museum of magic hidden away at an undisclosed location somewhere near Las Vegas.

In 1991, David acquired a massive collection of magic literature known as the Mulholland Library. Since then he has developed a bit of an obsession with acquiring and preserving important artifacts from magic’s history.  It far from being a hoarder, or a government agency with an Indiana Jones-like warehouse of crates, these rarities are curated and displayed in a private invitation-only museum. Being allowed to visit the museum, which usually comes in the form of a guided tour from Copperfield himself, is a magician’s dream come true. Kid in a candy store doesn’t even come close.

Of course over the last two years, visiting the museum in person hasn’t been an option, even if you knew who to be extra-nice to in order to wrangle an invitation. So with this book, Copperfield (and his expert co-authors David Britland and Richard Wiseman) has offered all of us a peek inside.
Actually, the book isn’t about things, it’s about people. It’s a collection of twenty-eight miniature biographies of prominent magicians. Magicians we’ve heard of like Max Malini and Harry Kellar, lesser known ones like Wyman the Wizard and Dell O’Dell, and who could forget our beloved Canadian magicians Dai Vernon and Doug Henning. It shows that magicians come in all shapes and sizes. Our history is more than just the legendary escape artist Harry Houdini and a bunch of tuxedo-clad dove wranglers. Perhaps even more important, it shows these magicians as profoundly human. A woman who loses her husband and has to take over and start touring his show. There are great role models overcoming adversity, but also cultural appropriators and criminals. Even in the introduction, Copperfield talks about his initial challenges getting started as a performing professionally. It gives you a taste of what you could be in store for if you want to make it in this eccentric branch of show business. This human side of magic is one of the so-called “real secrets” of the art.
The entire thing is wonderfully written; grown-up but accessible to a middle school student. The photos, taken primarily by Homer Liwag are gorgeous. The physical book itself takes full advantage of modern advances in printing. Ten to fifteen years ago, a book like this with large high quality full colour photos everywhere would have easily been an overpriced inaccessible art book. Here it’s an affordable $45 (Canadian) hardcover with a dust jacket. The design is minimal with the text spaced out and easy to read and plenty of space to appreciate the pictures. Because each mini-biography is only a few pages, you can start and stop easily and take your time to enjoy it.

And since the holidays are coming up…

Magicians in your life can be really difficult to shop for. We’re a secretive bunch and you’re never sure if they own this trick or that gimmick. And downloads sit invisibly on a computer or in the cloud. And most everything can’t be exchanged. So if you’re looking for a gift for a magician in your life or magical-curious person, David Copperfield’s History of Magic would be a perfect bet.


David Copperfield’s History of Magic
, by David Copperfield, Richard Wiseman, David Britland. Photos by Homer Liwag. Simon & Schuster, 2021. 257 pages, full colour, hardbound with dust jacket. $45 Canadian, available from major booksellers.

Reserve your copy at the Browser’s Den of Magic.


All photos provided by James Alan. 

Disclosure: James received a review copy the book and has received no compensation for writing this review.

--

Thank you James for guest posting at Canada's Magic!



 

07 May 2021

Broken wand: Henri Abdulovski

It is with a heavy heart that we share the news of the passing of Henri Abdulovski.  We will miss Henri's kindness, friendship, and his ever-present smile.

Our sincere condolences to Henri's family and friends.

--

From Gordon Precious:

Our gentle, kind confrere, Henri Abdulovski, died in Etobicoke General Hospital on May 4, 2021. Henri suffered a serious stroke at home just over one week ago, from which he never recovered full consciousness.

Henri was born in Macedonia on April 10, 1942.

In his teens and early twenties, Henri became an outstanding guitarist and member of a band that toured Europe.

Henri moved to Paris, France in his 20s, where he learned his trade as a top coiffeur of women and men – and he also learned the French language.

In 1968 Henri moved to Quebec City, where he was “bitten by the Magic Bug”. In a short time, he was engaged by a Quebec TV station to perform a weekly magic show. His best friend in Quebec was Gary Ouellet, the prominent Canadian lawyer who was world-renowned for his contribution to magic and TV magic shows by great magicians.

Henry met and married his wife in Quebec and they moved to Toronto in 1978. Henri opened a fine women’s and men’s hair salon which became very successful. He had a lovely home built and he and his wife raised two lovely children.

Henri was a long-term member of the International Brotherhood of Magicians, and was proud to be a member of the Order of Merlin.

Henri loved attending magic conventions all over North America - but his favourite of all was the annual MAWNY at Batavia, N.Y.

Henri was also a good friend of Ken Klosterman, and was more than once a guest of Klosterman at his estates and famous magic collection (Klosterman bought several of Henri’s own magic collection).

Henri was a regular attendee of Toronto’s IBM Ring 17, the Sid Lorraine Hat & Rabbit Club and for years sold the lottery tickets for the club during intermission.

Henri’s wife died several years ago but he is survived by his daughter, son and grandson.

Henri had made arrangements for his body to be given to the Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Toronto, for medical research.

Henri loved magic to the very end – he practiced old and new effects every day and loved to show them to customers and staff of his local coffee shop, and to his clique of local magician friends.

Henri will be sorrowfully missed by his many friends in magic.

--
 

Thank you Gordon, for sharing this beautiful write-up about Henri's magical life.

 


Gordon Precious, Henri Abdulovski, and Joan Caesar
Photo courtesy of IBM Ring 17



 

28 April 2021

[Guest post] Thirteen tips for supporting your closest brick and mortar magic shop

Support your brick and mortar magic shops! 

 

The following is a guest post from an author who wishes to be known as The Magic Demon.

 

 --

  

THE MAGIC DEMON'S TOP THIRTEEN TIPS FOR SUPPORTING YOUR CLOSEST BRICK & MORTAR MAGIC SHOP

Whether in person, by curbside pick up or via Canada Post, you can...

  1. Buy something for yourself. Do so as often as you can.

  2. Buy something for a friend.

  3. Buy something for someone you know who is struggling.

  4. Buy something for your favourite nephew, niece or cousin.
    Or somebody else's favourite nephew, niece or cousin.

  5. Get together with magic friends and make a group purchase which you can buy or pick up in one lot and then safely distribute yourself.

  6. Tell your family and friends to give you their gift certificate for your birthday.

  7. Buy gift certificates for yourself, and for friends and family on their birthdays.

  8. Go to their website every week or so and check on their latest stock to see what is new and you might like to buy.

  9. Go to their website often and check on all their stock to see what you've missed and might like to buy.

  10. Check out Murphy's Magic site and special order something from your local brick & mortar.

  11. If in doubt what to buy, buy a book! If buying a book, buy another one.

  12. Check out and buy any special downloads or lessons available on their website.

  13. When you buy something let them know how much you appreciate them.

Don't wait.

Start today!

Use them or lose them.
 
Canada would be a whole lot less magical without our remaining brick & mortar shops!

 ~~~~


Thank you The Magic Demon for guest posting at Canada's Magic!



21 March 2021

[Guest post] A preview of Calculated Thoughts

The following is a guest post from an author who wishes to be known as The Magic Demon. 

--

HEADS UP - CANADIAN MENTALISTS!
(And magicians seriously interested in mentalism)

An exclusive preview for Canada's Magic

by The Magic Demon


Doug Dyment, longtime resident of Gibsons on the "Sunshine Coast" in beautiful British Columbia, has penned a magnificent new 398 page hardcover book containing 40 awesome routines that (in the words of Richard Webster) "will become a classic and will be read and studied by future generations of magicians and mentalists".

Entitled "Calculated Thoughts" and published by Vanishing Inc. (and retailing for $60 US) this is an impressive publication consisting of original material and material reworked from his legendary self-published manuscripts (some of which have had their original editions go out of print). Mr. Dyment has long been considered one of the foremost highly-regarded "underground" thinkers in the world of mentalism, and is a past president and lifetime member of the Psychic Entertainers Association (PEA).

Written in an erudite, precise, and clear prose style I don't believe this is a book for the casual beginner. Motivated beginners and more experienced performers will gain much, however, from its original effects and (in the words of Ken Weber) "Doug's dazzling insight[s] into some of mentalism's classic plots".

I won't waste any more space on its unanimously glowing reviews but by all means check them out for yourself on-line at (for example) The Magic Cafe or Genii forum as well as on Doug's own unique and informative website, www.deceptionary.com. (It's well worth a visit even if you aren't yet planning to buy the book.) Doug's site also has a password protected section of corrections and supplements for "Calculated Thoughts".

I'm calling this a "preview" because I don't feel I can properly review "Calculated Thoughts" yet. It offers too much to contemplate too quickly and I've only just very recently bought it - but I can tell you how happy I am that I did and why.

Not so very long ago I was more than willing to pay $50 CDN for one of Doug's acclaimed "underground" booklets, the one dealing with his ingenious solution to one of the "core tools of mentalism", the billet tear (which he called R2D2). I was disappointed to discover the original edition had gone out of print. How pleased and excited I was to discover that for only about 50% more (Browser's Den of Magic is currently selling "Calculated Thoughts" at a very reasonable $74 CDN) I would not only get a thorough and detailed chapter full of Doug's updated and revised best billet tear explanation - but also nine other thoughtful, innovative and powerful chapters with enough new ideas, musings and variations on numerous effects to keep me reading and busy for months and months... and months. Such a deal! Was I happy? Very.

Very very, in fact.

So if you're "into" mentalism, may I humbly suggest this could be your best purchase of 2021. I already have a good feeling that it is going to be mine.

Thank you Mr. Dyment for presenting us with such an inspiring collection of your finest work. It is very much appreciated.

-----

Alternatively to obtaining your copy from the Browser's Den of Magic (where it is currently in stock and listed on their website), this site's other sponsors might also be able to special order it for you. They may even already have it in stock since I last looked.

Full Disclosure: The Magic Demon paid retail for their copy from Clownin' Around (Canada's only brick and mortar magic shop west of the Great Lakes) on Granville Island in Vancouver, BC and has received no compensation for writing these words.


 ~~~~


Thank you The Magic Demon for guest posting at Canada's Magic!

 

14 June 2020

[Guest post] Vancouver BC and Lower Mainland Magic Enthusiasts Rejoice!

The following is a guest post from an author who wishes to be known as The Magic Demon. 

--
Vancouver BC and Lower Mainland Magic Enthusiasts Rejoice!

Canada's only remaining brick and mortar dedicated magic shop west of the Great Lakes has reopened.

Let Quincy and Iris warmly welcome you back to their compact but well stocked outlet for all things magical, as well as a range of professional juggling equipment, a vast array of practical jokes, and a small but impressive book selection.

The "Clownin' Around" magic shop in the Kids' Market on Granville Island in the heart of Vancouver is now open seven days a week at the reduced and revised times of 11 am to 4 pm. (This is accurate and supersedes any other opening times for the Kids' Market mentioned on the Granville Island website.)

Mask wearing and social distancing practiced.

We aren't being encouraged to travel far this summer. So if you're already anywhere near Vancouver, consider unique Granville Island as a must-visit-stop and play tourist in your own backyard. You won't regret it.

 ~~~~


Thank you The Magic Demon for guest posting at Canada's Magic!






12 April 2020

[Guest post] "What can I do?"

The following is a guest post from an author who wishes to be known as The Magic Demon. 

Some great ideas if you're motivated to do something but stuck on what to do to pass the time!

--


WHAT CAN I DO?
Random suggestions for magic aficionados during current circumstances

by The Magic Demon for Canada's Magic

I can...
  • Dig out all my old magic magazines and reread every single one until I find a trick I love and want to learn;
     
  • Dig out all my old magic books and find a sleight or routine I always meant to learn but "never had the time to" until now;
     
  • Ditto with my old DVDs;
     
  • Dig out all my old magic tricks that I never looked at twice and try to figure out what made me buy them in the first place. (This may take some time!);
     
  • Sort out and clean up (and repair if necessary) my magic collection and reacquaint myself with all my old favourites;
     
  • Go online and study every magician I can remember to name and find on You-Tube;
     
  • Try restringing my broken "Electric Deck". (This will ultimately prove futile but can easily take up a few "stay at home" days before I give up in frustration);
     
  • Go online and look for websites devoted to history of magic and magicians and learn about them. First stop: Magicana;
     
  • At long last carefully press or iron flat all my crumpled up (and frequently vanished) silks;
     
  • Go online and hit the "random" button on Genii's Magicpedia page and keep reading until my eyes cross;
     
  • Support my favourite brick & mortar magic store by ordering something from them online (and if I don't have one support one of the sponsors of this site);
     
  • Take an online magic course or lesson;
     
  • Watch every movie and TV series online I can find about magic or magicians;
     
  • Participate in a magic forum;
     
  • Go through all my old beginner tricks, clean them up and snail mail them to my favourite youngster-at-a-distance (niece, nephew, grandchild, etc.) with the explanation that I'll teach them how they work by phone, internet or semaphore. I could also video myself performing them and send that along too (or a link to where I uploaded them);
     
  • Go through my old pile of business cards and reach out to fellow magic enthusiasts I've met or been in touch with in the past just to see how they are doing;
     
  • Buy two magic books online I have always wanted but "would never have the time to read" until now. One about tricks, the other a biography or about magic history;
     
  • Gently wash all my old sponge balls and bunnies. Permanently retire those with an unidentifiable shape or less than one ear;
     
  • Consider donating to a magic-related charity (such as CauseToWonder.org profiled in the March 2020 issue of Genii) [editor's note: consider donating to the Allan Slaight Relief Fund];
     
  • Expand this list of suggestions by using the comments feature (below);

    and finally
  • Proceed backwards and read every post on Canada's Magic since it started and enjoy its unique service to our community throughout the years!

 ~~~~


Thank you The Magic Demon for guest posting at Canada's Magic!

04 September 2017

[Guest post] The "Magicians Support Fund" by IBM

The following is from Dennis Schick, the editor of the Broken Wand in the International Brotherhood of Magician's magazine, The Linking Ring:
 Hello fellow magicians:

    There likely will be magicians in the very-active world of magic in Houston, Texas and throughout the Gulf Coast, who will need all the help they can get in coming weeks and months. Since the devastation of Hurricane Harvey and the resulting floods was still taking place as the September issue of The Linking Ring was going to press, I had the idea of asking I.B.M. members — and other magicians — to give to the Magicians Support Fund, anticipating those needs. I was able to get a request for funds in that issue.

    The Magicians Support Fund was started almost exactly twelve years ago, in response to another natural disaster — Hurricane Katrina, in 2005. The late Phil Wilmarth, then editor of The Linking Ring; Past I.B.M. International President Michael Stratman (2002-03); and then-IBM President Roger Miller, got the idea of an independent fund to help fellow magicians in need.

    Indeed, the fund did help a number of magicians who suffered in various ways from Katrina, and has continued to help other magicians since then. The fund is not an official activity of the I.B.M., and magicians do not need to be an I.B.M. member to benefit from it. “This is a magicians-helping-magicians fund,” said Stratman, who continues as chairman of the committee.

    At this time the Fund is not tax-deductible (although it may become so if someone volunteers to take it over and do the paperwork). Requests for help can come directly from a magician, or can come from someone who knows of a need. The committee will consider every request.

    “Right now we need donations to build up the fund,” says Stratman. “We can’t give it away if we don’t have it. Magicians are a generous lot, and now is the time to show it.” Please send check donations — and requests for help — to:

Mike Stratman
Magicians Support Fund
126 Coyatee Circle, Louden, TN 37774.

    Contact Stratman at mikestrat4 @ aol . com for more information.




25 August 2017

[Guest post] Random thoughts about "UNBELIEVABLE! A Magical Experience"

The following is a guest post from an author who wishes to be known as The Magic Demon. 

--
"UNBELIEVABLE! A Magical Experience"

Running nightly at 7:30 pm in the Pacific Coliseum at the PNE in Vancouver, BC until September 4th. Free with admission.  [The PNE is closed on Monday, Aug. 28th.]

Random Thoughts For Canada's Magic
by The Magic Demon



It's UNBELIEVABLE... that a whole year has gone by since the first edition of Unbelievable! debuted in 2016.

It's UNBELIEVABLE... how fast the 90 minute coliseum-size magical extravaganza whizzed by.

It's UNBELIEVABLE... again how good it was.

Performance viewed on Wednesday, August 23rd, 2017.

Murray Hatfield and Teresa have returned to the annual summer PNE (Pacific National Exhibition) with their second incarnation of Unbelievable! - a  magical phantasmagoria of illusion, pyrotechnics, music and sheer wonder.

Joining them on stage are American magicians Chipper Lowell and Danny Cole and Canada's own Shawn Farquhar - all performing at the top of their games, combining unique energies to synthesize an evening's worth of spectacular visual entertainment.

I don't propose to review the show element by element  but I would like to refer to a few hastily scribbled notes and mention a few memorable highlights.

Murray and Teresa  - first and foremost and as always, magnificent performers, classy and compelling to watch. I love all their often fire-enhanced big box illusions. At one point they featured three big box illusions at once on stage (which must be some kind of world record!) Later they also did a show-stopping, breathtaking up to date version of "Metamorphosis." I've not seen it done in person since Doug Henning and his version for me was the one to beat. I think I can honestly say that they have finally done so. I was also truly impressed by Murray's innovative and suspense-filled variation of an effect familiar to some of us. I won't give away which one -- but when I saw it I marveled at his sheer brilliant audacity for turning such a classic close up effect into a coliseum-sized miracle. Murray, I salute you!



Chipper Lowell. What does one say about such a comedic phenomenon? He quickly won the audience over with his outrageous antics. We were soon laughing at all his seemingly spontaneous frenetic presentations. His very verbal style is ideally suited to such a massive forum (seating 10,000 at full capacity). It is hard to describe -- it's very "over the top" and somewhat "camp" but extremely focused even when it looks like he's made a mistake. (Hint: He doesn't.) It's hard to combine magic and outright comedy. To make it also look so easy and effortless as Lowell does is the mark of a real pro.

Another impressive talent is American Danny Cole. His silent act (done to the pounding beat of contemporary Latin dance music) assisted by his graceful wife, borders on the poetic. His suits change colour, his ties take on a life of their own, coat hangers behave most mysteriously, chairs defy gravity, CDs multiply, appear and disappear. Throughout these visual impossibilities appearing right before our eyes (and magnified by the two huge screens to each side of the stage) Cole remains the epitome of stylish, sophisticated elegance. This is a magician's magician.

For me, perhaps the most enjoyable moments of the evening were courtesy Canada's own Shawn Farquhar. His opening effects performed from the audience directly to the cameras were stunning card manipulations done to cleverly mirror the lyrics of an accompanying song. The audience loved it. But where he really excelled were his interactions with audience members. His version of "Topsy Turvy" bottles was a genuine delight because of his interaction with his audience volunteer. And it was his "Dancing Hankerchief" routine with a cute little five year old girl picked from the audience to assist him that so won everyone's hearts and unconditional appreciation. You could tell his volunteers really liked him and trusted him and the audience picked up on that. It was an invaluable lesson for all performers.

TIP: Bring earplugs unless you want to go partially deaf early in life. The music is loud.

I said it last year and I see no reason not to repeat myself again this year. Good advice is good advice!  If you are in or near Vancouver run (do not walk) to the PNE and see "Unbelievable! A Magical Experience." You will not regret it.

Congratulations to Murray and Teresa for masterminding another outstanding success.
 

 ~~~~


Thank you The Magic Demon for guest posting at Canada's Magic!

03 March 2017

[Guest post] Houdini in Vancouver: part 7

The following is a guest post from an author who wishes to be known as The Magic Demon.

--


March 3rd, 1923 (Saturday)

Houdini's Final Day in Vancouver
Researched by The Magic Demon exclusively for Canada's Magic.


Houdini has his final two vaudeville appearances today (a matinee and an evening show) of his seven in total this week at the Orpheum Theatre, Vancouver, British Columbia.

Reviews have been superb.

His outdoor publicity stunt of hanging upside down and escaping a straitjacket in full view has been major front page news (actually getting more column inches than reviews of his vaudeville show).

What more could one ask?

Well, I had hoped today for an editorial summing up of his impact or at least some kind of "goodbye and thanks Harry" - but neither The Sun nor The Province refer to him at all. (They do, however, both run a final Orpheum Theatre advertisement for his shows).

It's as if they have nothing more to say. (I guess they didn't).

And as if Houdini has no further need for continuing coverage. No doubt he was busy this weekend accepting via telegram another "unique challenge" from the chosen newspaper ally in the next city of his vaudeville tour.

But what I did find, Houdini-related, in The Province on its front page was this curious story:
"Doyle Sure of Ectoplasm"

Subtitled:
"Twenty Three Austrian Professors Said to Have Been Convinced"

and
"Famous Writer Thinks Controversy Should Now Be At End."

What better timing could this have had than the end of Harry's Vancouver visit? I wonder what thoughts raced through his mind as he read this (as I'm sure he must have done).

The story recounts a letter published recently in The New York Times, in which the famous author of the Sherlock Holmes mysteries and an ardent spiritualist, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, tells of a "demonstration of ectoplasm" (which he himself apparently had not actually witnessed) by mediums in front of multiple distinguished Austrian scientists which, in his mind, "puts an end to the whole debate so that anyone who reopens it is inexcusably ignorant or willfully perverse."

Gee. I wonder to whom he might he be referring?

The next paragraph is headed,
"Houdini Is Wrong."

Doyle is quoted as writing:
"We are publicly assured. . . I am sorry to say, by my friend Houdini, that this was all what they called 'bunk' and that [the ectoplasm] was really regurgitated food. . ." [but according to Doyle it could not be as it was often the wrong colour.] "Criticism is most welcome and helpful, but I would beg our opponents to exercise some restraint in it, or they will make the subject and themselves rather ridiculous."

And of course, as we know, Houdini would show no restraint in exposing fraudulent mediums to the end of his days and this public campaign (as well as comments like those expressed above by Doyle) would put an effective end to their trans-Atlantic friendship.

----

This was to be Houdini's first and only professional visit to Vancouver. Just over three and a half years later he would once more be front page news but for quite a different, unexpected reason. (His death.)

It's been fun reliving day by day Houdini's triumphant appearances in Vancouver during this week in 1923. I wish I could have been there but I guess this was the next best thing.

I hope you enjoyed reading about it as much as I enjoyed researching it for you.


-
Researched by The Magic Demon exclusively for Canada's Magic. With thanks to the Vancouver Public Library and The Vancouver Sun. The VPL and its staff are awesome!
--

Thank you to
The Magic Demon for guest posting this fabulous Houdini series at Canada's Magic!