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

24 April 2020

New project by David Merry on CBS Sports

From David Merry:
Really happy to announce that our TV Show Off The Hozzle starring comedian Dave Hemstad and golf broadcaster Mark Zecchino will start airing May 4th. It will be shown in primetime on CBS Sports Network at 8:30pm ET.

Take a look below for more information!

From Yahoo News:
"It's a golf show, but more importantly a buddy show. As you watch each episode you start to feel like you're hanging out with friends, and that you're in on the jokes. It's inclusive, and makes you want to root for them." (Ali Greene, Director of Photography and Executive Producer)

"Knowing these guys for over twenty years, and being one of their regular golfing pals, it was really fun stepping in as the director and watching their natural abilities fill the screen." (Dave Merry, Director and Executive Producer)

Read more.









21 April 2020

Carisa Hendrix on the cover of Genii

Congratulations to Carisa Hendrix, who is on the cover of the May 2020 edition of Genii magazine!

Read "Uncovering Carisa Hendrix and Lucy Darling" by Dustin Stinett.





17 April 2020

Julie Eng interviewed by Richard Crouse

Richard Crouse has started a new web series from Isolation Studios.  His first guest?  Julie Eng!


From Julie's Facebook page:
My pal Richard Crouse invited me to "Isolation Studios" for a socially-distanced conversation about what it's like to be a magician stuck at home trying to make the minutes disappear. We talked about some magic projects I am involved in, including the Art Gallery of Ontario's poster exhibition, Illusions: The Art of Magic, and another program that is extremely near and dear to me, the Allan Slaight Relief Fund for magicians. Richard is reaching out and finding creative ways to brings us together in these challenging times when we are told to say apart. I am so honoured to be a guest on this wonderful series—where I get my own magical surprise at the end of our conversation! Thank you, Richard






16 April 2020

Murray SawChuck returns to Pawn Stars

This Friday, Murray SawChuck is back on an all new Pawn Stars.


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15 April 2020

Greg Frewin in the St. Catherines Standard

A reminder that Greg's hosting his second International Stars of Magic show livestream April 15 @7PM EST to benefit the Niagara SPCA Humane Society on his YouTube channel at:

https://youtu.be/6moYdHS8TYc 


From the April 13th article "Magician Greg Frewin on his anger over ‘Tiger King’" by John Law in The Standard:
Instead of shock and outrage over Joe Exotic's behaviour or whether Baskins killed her husband (and fed him to tigers), Frewin wishes viewers keyed in on a statistic the show shared in its final episode: There are 8,000 tigers in captivity in the United States, and only 4,000 left in the wild.
 
"Why is there only 4,000 tigers left in the wild, and we're worried about 'Did Carole Baskins kill her husband?'" he says. "Why aren't people talking about that? That's the part I'm interested in.

"Those characters are so extreme that the facts that are important got completely brushed over. All we talk about are how crazy they are, how abusive this and that. There's a whole bunch of stuff in this show that's been completely missed."

Read more.

11 April 2020

Scott Dietrich in Bradford Today

From the April 7th article "Local magician using the magic of the internet to bring magic to kids" by Miriam King in Bradford Today:
The Birthday Party show, designed for kids ages five to 12, uses the power of ZOOM and the internet to create an interactive experience for the children and their families.

One of the shows last weekend celebrated the sixth birthday of a child whose family is trapped in New York City, under quarantine.

Twenty families in all ended up watching the show together and participating through ZOOM, at their own homes.

“They hadn’t seen each other since school,” said Dietrich, a fact that gave the party even more importance, and turned it into a truly memorable event. “They’re trying to do their best to keep their children’s lives fun.”


Read more.

26 March 2020

Women seen as worse magicians

From the March 7th article "Women seen as worse magicians despite identical skills" from Neuroscience News:

Study participants were shown close-up videos of 14 magic tricks. Only the hands and arms of the magician presenting the tricks were visible. The figure wore white gloves and long sleeves which prevented participants identifying cues about whether they were male or female.

The performer was introduced to half the participants as ‘Nathalie’ and to half the participants as a ‘Nicolas’. Those who believed they were seeing tricks performed by ‘Nathalie’ rated them more negatively, and less impressive, than those who believed they were watching tricks performed by ‘Nicolas’.

Read more.

16 March 2020

Perfect Magic in the Montreal Gazette

A wonderful piece by Julie Matlin about her parents!



From the March 13th article "The magic of pursuing your dreams: father's bravery had a ripple effect" by Julie Matlin in the Montreal Gazette:
Phil and Evelyn Matlin, my parents, own a beloved Montreal institution called Perfect Magic. It is, fittingly, a magic shop that’s been serving the community for more than 43 years. Walk in and you’re likely to find amateur hobbyists alongside pros chatting about technique. Or a seasoned performer giving some tips to a kid just starting out. It’s a unique experience.

My dad is 83 now, and my mom is 79 and undergoing treatment for ovarian cancer, yet they still go to work every day. Whenever I ask them about retiring, my dad shakes his head. “What would I do?” he asks. They’re happy. And I’m happy for them. My dad followed a dream and it led them to not only run a business that supported a family with four children, but also left a lasting mark on the magic community at large.

It’s funny how we got here.

Read more.

15 March 2020

Magicians talking magic podcast livestream

Magician's Masterclass:
Livestream Monday 730pm EST with SPECIAL GUESTS talking about impacts of coronavirus.

Stay tuned for more information and sign up for live stream notification here: https://magicianmasterclass.com/live

MORE DETAILS COMING SOON


14 March 2020

Darcy Oake in The Sunday Post

From the March 8th article "VIDEO: Illusionist Darcy Oake on how Britain’s Got Talent changed his life and his upcoming Edinburgh and Glasgow shows" by Ross Crae in The Sunday Post:
I started performing magic when I was really young, probably about seven or eight years old. It was actually completely by accident, I was at home and my dad was playing with a deck of cards. He knows zero magic, no tricks or anything. He told me to pick a card, so I picked one, looked at it, put it back in the pack and he was playing it off like he was a pro magician and said he was going to find my card. He did it and I was absolutely blown away, I had no idea how to explain how he did it.

He tortured me, wouldn’t tell me the secret for months and then finally I learned it was a complete accident! That month where I didn’t know how it worked played with my head and I was just so fascinated and adamant on learning how to do it. It’s crazy to look back on, if that trick hadn’t turned out like that…

Read more.

13 March 2020

Shawn Farquhar in the Vancouver Sun

From the March 4th article "No saws, but lots of sleight-of-hand in 'hidden' speakeasy magic show" by Shawn Conner in the Vancouver Sun:
There’s magic happening in Vancouver’s Chinatown, but you wouldn’t know it from a cursory stroll. Shawn Farquhar’s Hidden Wonders is a speakeasy-style performance located behind a fake business facade.

A two-time world champion of magic, Farquhar in this show focuses less on grand-scale illusions and more on intimate experiences. The 75-minute magic experience features effects that the homegrown talent has exclusively designed for the venue as well as effects he created to impress talk-show host Ellen DeGeneres and to fool Penn & Teller twice on their hit TV show Fool Us.

We talked to the Maple Ridge-based Farquhar about Hidden Wonders:

Q: What’s the strangest place you’ve performed?

Read more.

12 March 2020

On the cover

Congratulations to Gerry Frenette who is featured on the cover of the most recent edition of Northern Peeks, Murray Sawchuck who is featured on the cover of the February edition of Genii, and Sawyer Bullock who is featured on the cover of the March edition of Faith and Friends!

[With thanks to The Magic Demon and Ryan Pilling for letting me know!]


















08 March 2020

David Ben, Julie Eng, and James Alan promoting #IllusionsAGO

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01 March 2020

Julie Eng in the Toronto Star


From the February 24th article "More than 120 years after the ‘Queen of Magic’ was catching bullets, women magicians are still scarce" by Sue Carter in the Toronto Star:
“Adelaide had a career as a woman, which was a rare thing to see,” says Eng. “She was smart and obviously talented. She competed and she was respected because she could do it.”

Herrmann is one of several women performers on display at the Art Gallery of Ontario’s new exhibition “Illusions: The Art of Magic.” Co-curated by Toronto magician and historian David Ben, the show features more than 55 promotional posters from the Allan Slaight Collection from the McCord Museum in Montreal, alongside other late 19th- and early 20th-century props and materials, including one of Harry Houdini’s famous straitjackets.



David Ben and Jonah Babins are also mentioned in the article.


Additional media coverage for “Illusions: The Art of Magic:”


















29 February 2020

Elliott Smith in the Comedy Hall of Fame Museum

From the February 25th press release "Ottawa Comedy Magician, Elliott Smith, makes history at National Comedy Hall of Fame Museum in Holiday, Florida" in the Digital Journal:
Comedy Magician Elliott Smith made history once again. On February 23, 2020, he made his hometown of Ottawa and all of Canada proud by being the first and only Comedy Magician to appear on the Wall of The Great Touring Comedians at the National Comedy Hall of Fame Museum located in Holiday, Florida.

Read more.




25 February 2020

Kent Wong on Global News Edmonton

From the February 18th post "Edmonton parents turn to local magician to help raise money for their school" on Global News:

Some Edmonton parents have found a creative way to raise money for their school amid tough economic times. As Sarah Komadina explains, they’ve turned to a local magician.
Read more and watch video.

23 February 2020

David Ben in the Globe and Mail

A reminder that David will be speaking about The Golden Age of Magic at the AGO later this week.



From the February 22nd opinion piece "Magicians are the original purveyors of ‘fake news.’ They can’t help it" by David Ben in the Globe and Mail:
Magicians were masters of cultural appropriation. There are many examples in the exhibition, particularly of Western magicians portraying themselves as Asian – both onstage and off – capitalizing on the then-burgeoning interest in all things exotic. My favourite: Fu Manchu, the onstage persona of David Bamberg, an eighth-generation Dutch-Jewish magician who was raised in the United States and educated in England and found fame in South America performing as a Chinese magician who spoke Spanish. (Not to be confused with the villainous Dr. Fu Manchu of Sax Rohmer’s novels and the films starring Christopher Lee.)
Read more.

21 February 2020

Ty Reveen in "Trailer Park Boys: Greasy Money!"

What happens when you mix Bubbles having a traumatic experience, a deranged puppet, and The Man They Call Reveen?

Yesterday, Ty Reveen made his mobile video game debut in "Trailer Park Boys: Greasy Money!"














20 February 2020

Random thoughts about "Illusions: The Art of Magic"

Visit "Illusions: The Art of Magic" February 22nd to May 18, in the AGO’s Sam & Ayala Zacks Pavillion.

The exhibition is free for AGO Members, AGO Annual Pass holders and visitors 25 years and under.
I participated in the recent media preview of the upcoming AGO exhibition, "Illusions: The Art of Magic," which features more than 55 colourful vintage posters from the Allan Slaight Collection.*  The collection is guest curated by Magicana’s artistic director and historian David Ben.



Adolph Friedländer, Comedians de Mephisto Co.
Adolph Friedländer, Comedians de Mephisto Co. Allied with Le Roy-Talma-Bosco, 1905. 186.5 × 266.5 cm. M2014.128.318. ©McCord Museum



The exhibition is a journey back to the Golden Age of Magic.  During this time magicians of the late 19th and early 20th centuries were among the first artists to embark on international tours.  Promotional posters portrayed magician's magical powers through illustrated advertisements ranging in size from postcards to wall-sized posters.

“These posters tell us so much about that time – the public’s fascination with Asia, with spiritualism, the occult and the changing role of women in society,” says Julian Cox, the AGO’s Deputy Director and Chief Curator. “Toronto was a popular stop on the international touring circuit for magicians, and Houdini performed here numerous times over his career. These works and the stories behind them remain as captivating today as they were one hundred years ago.”

The Metropolitan Printing Company, Adelaide Herrmann and Company, About 1905, 20th century, 76.7 x 50.2 cm. Purchase, funds graciously donated by La Fondation Emmanuelle Gattuso. M2014.128.207. © McCord Museum



Listen to the February 18th interview with Julie Eng in the CBC q studio where she talks about the exhibit, cultural appropriation, the role of women in magic, and how many of their stories have been overshadowed and forgotten.
There are many focal points within the exhibition, such as: women in magic, spiritualism, cultural appropriation, and the symbolism of devils, skulls, & demons.



More than posters.

In addition to the beautiful posters, there are wonderful video clips too.  For example:

A still shot from video of Harry Blackstone and his dancing handkerchief

A still shot from an interview with Julie Eng talking about her life in magic.

A still shot from video of Houdini's variation of a forearm riffle.




Keep an eye open for these "hole in the wall" viewing portals to catch a peek of more video!



Make your own magic poster
There's a station where you can digitally create your own magic poster!  (Complete with a legend that explains what all the animals and other objects on the posters represent.)



The exhibition also features other magcially historical items such as:
  • wonderful selections from David Ben's collection, including Hofzinser cards and items particular to magic in Toronto (including a vistors' book from Arcade Magic!)
  • handcuffs used by Houdini, and
  • Houdini's straitjacket

Hofzinser cards from David Ben's collection

Visitor book from Arcade Magic.  From David Ben's collection.

Houdini's straitjacket.


Av Yaga, Alexander, the Man Who Knows, 1915, 20th century
207.9 x 107.7 cm. Purchase, funds graciously donated by La Fondation Emmanuelle Gattuso. M2014.128.3. © McCord Museum

But wait!  There's more!

There will be daily live performances at the exhibition provided by the Toronto Magic Company.  Confirmed performers include:

- James Alan (Classics of Magic)
- Jonah  Babins (Interactive Impossibilities)
- Harry Zimmerman and Chris Mayhew (Close-Up Magic)
- Toronto Magic Showcase
- Toronto Magic Company (Making Magic)
- Ben Train (Mental Mysteries)

Check the Toronto Magic Company website for the performance schedule.






Visit "Illusions: The Art of Magic" February 22nd to May 18, in the AGO’s Sam & Ayala Zacks Pavillion.   The exhibition is free for AGO Members, AGO Annual Pass holders and visitors 25 years and under.


--
* ABOUT THE ALLAN SLAIGHT COLLECTION
Acquired by the McCord Museum thanks to La Fondation Emmanuelle Gattuso, the Allan Slaight Collection is one of the world’s largest collections of rare magic posters comprising more than 600 posters and more 1,000 documents and rare books. The collection was named in honour of the Canadian businessman and magic enthusiast Allan Slaight.

18 February 2020

Chris Ramsay in Bloomberg Businessweek

From the February 13th article "For Customers Addicted to Stave Puzzles, the Torture Is the Point" in Bloomberg Business:
“There’s just something cool about unraveling a puzzle’s secrets,” says YouTube puzzle expert Chris Ramsay, who has 3.6 million subscribers to his channel, where he broadcasts videos grappling with $3,000 locks and rare Enigma boxes. “The rush of figuring it out yourself only comes with a level of mind-numbing patience, where you start thinking abstractly a little, and it leads you in the right direction. If you’re running or owning a business,” he continues, “this deconstructing mindset is huge. It’s problem solving.”

Read more.