Ryan Joyce in Guelph Today

From the June 3rd article "Elora and Fergus residents the focus of a new podcast" by Keegan Kozolanka in Guelph Today:

CENTRE WELLINGTON – Elora and Fergus are being highlighted in a new podcast series by local professional magician Ryan Joyce.

The Elora Fergus Podcast puts a spotlight on what Joyce calls a bustling and beautiful area that tends to draw in interesting characters.

“These people that come here tend not to leave and these people are usually really interesting, fascinating people,” Joyce said. “It’s just a really vibrant community that’s always outgoing.”

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Murray SawChuck in the Las Vegas Review-Journal

From the May 21st article "Las Vegas magician Sawchuck developing ‘Tiger King’ doc" by in the Las Vegas Review-Journal:

It’s all, still, fertile material for follow-up coverage.

“We went there to do a YouTube clip, and we came away with enough for a three-part episode,” says Sawchuck, who adds that he was stunned at some of Lowe’s on-camera claims that dead bodies — no joke — remain buried on the property. “Seth was watching this stuff and saying, ‘You know this is all going to go viral, right?’ And Jeff was just fine to talk to us about everything. I was shocked, actually.”

The first mini-doc in the series is set to post June 3 on Sawchuck’s YouTube page.

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Mark Clearview and Mysterion in Toronto.com

From the May 26th article "What happens to Toronto magicians when COVID-19 takes the magic away?" by David Nickle in Toronto.com:

Clearview’s act is one that comes alive in person — a combination of standup comedy and sleight-of-hand work. He’s dipping his toe into YouTube with two channels — one called Noodle Boys, where he performs with his roommate, and another eponymous channel for his magic: Mark Clearview.

So, too, is Mysterion, in spite of his trepidation, moving to online video to showcase his talents and keep his creative juices flowing. He has been drawing on his network, including his wrestling contacts, fellow magicians and other celebrities, to take part remotely in a series of videos he and his girlfriend have put up on Facebook: Dr. M’s Mad Mausoleum.

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Penn & Teller: Fool Us, winter edition

From Michael Close:

Here's some fun news from Fool Us executive producers Andrew Golder and Lincoln Hiatt:

Penn & Teller: Fool Us has been rewarded with a pickup for a winter edition on the CW Network.

We encourage you to spread the good word. We are beginning to look at submissions for another taping this year as soon as conditions allow. Shoot dates are uncertain, of course, but think September/October-ish. We will do this, however we do it, in a safe and prudent way.

Remember, originality is important, being entertaining is everything, and fooling Penn & Teller is icing on the magic cake. Fool Us alumni are welcome to submit tricks, too.

Submissions/magicians should use our casting email address:
fooluscasting at gmail dot com

Thanks again and warm regards! Send us your friends! Send us your tricks!

Chris Ramsay in The New Yorker

From the May 15th article "Quarantine Is Making Puzzle Enthusiasts of Us All" by Crispin Long in The New Yorker:

The professional puzzler Chris Ramsay, whose YouTube channel has millions of subscribers, is sensitive to the power of playful concentration. In the video above, he talks about why people are enjoying puzzles so much during isolation and how he arrived at his unusual career. A magician, he found his current calling when he recorded a video of himself using the tricks he’d picked up through magic to unlock a three-dimensional puzzle that resembled a padlock.

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David Acer in the Montreal Gazette

From the May 7th article "Brownstein: Is it too soon to laugh?" by Bill Bronstein in the Montreal Gazette:

While the Comedy Nest is dark these days, Acer has created another outlet for fans. Performance videos from the club are available on YouTube.com/comedynestmontreal and feature more than 30 of the city’s leading anglo comics, including Abdul Butt, Joey Elias, Heidi Foss, Derek Seguin and Harrison Weinreb. And Acer.

Weinreb, incidentally, has come up with this fascinating epidemiological theory: “This pandemic can only mean one thing … the five-second rule has failed us.”


Read more.

Penn & Teller: Try This at Home - May 18

A little bird has suggested that perhaps there will be Canadian content on the show in addition to Shin Lim!


From the Futon Critic:

Premiering Monday, May 18 (8:00-9:00pm ET/PT), PENN & TELLER: TRY THIS AT HOME is a special for these unique times. Filmed entirely at the homes of Penn & Teller and their friends around the world, PENN & TELLER: TRY THIS AT HOME showcases new magic Penn & Teller and their magician friends have developed at home and teaches viewers how to do an array of tricks themselves while being joined by celebrity guests including Elle and Dakota Fanning, Michael Carbonaro and Shin Lim.

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So excited to be a small part of this :)

A post shared by Carisa Hendrix & Lucy Darling (@carisahendrix) on May 12, 2020 at 8:33pm PDT

Lucy Darling Live Stream Friday May 15th

From Carisa Hendrix:

Lucy Darling is everyone's favorite socialite. Join her and a host of special guests for an evening of magic, music and laughs.

Special Guests Include:

• Bizzaro
• Rudy Coby
• Richard Lee
• Miranda Allen
• Hello Moth
• Max Maven
• Moon Zappa

Technical support from, Jim Millan, Ryan Pilling, Chris Comb, and John Lovick.

With support from the National Arts Centre of Canada as part of the #CanadaPerforms project. Huge thank you to Facebook, Slaight Music, the RBC Foundation, SiriusXM Canada and the National Arts Centre.

https://nac-cna.ca/en/event/26506
https://facebook.com/CanadasNAC.CNAduCanada/

Canadians on Masters of Illusion 2020

Updated at 8pm to add:

• Spidey

I've seen mentions from Chris Funk and Murray SawChuck that they're back on Masters of Illusion this year.  Who am I missing?

Masters of Illusions premiers on Friday, May 15th on The CW.

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Annnnnd it’s back! Starts May 15th! #mastersofillusion #tvmagic I filmed 4 new bits for this season. Excited to seem them all! I’ll post more as my episodes air.

A post shared by Chris Funk The Wonderist (@chrisfunkmagic) on May 5, 2020 at 3:03pm PDT

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Excited to be on my 7th season of @cw_mastersofillusion premiering May 15th for 18 weeks Friday Nights!!! @danishowgirl

A post shared by Murray SawChuck (@murraysawchuck) on May 2, 2020 at 1:36pm PDT

Lee Asher on episode 12 of Deckin' Around

Thursday May 7, 2020 at 8PM EST, catch Lee Asher in episode 12 of Deckin' Around, where he'll talk magic, sleight of hand, and playing cards!


Here are the links to watch Lee Asher this week on Deckin' Around:

YouTube Live: https://youtu.be/gPt1euLw4Nw
Twitch: https://twitch.tv/DeckinAround

Here are the links to watch Lee Asher this week on Deckin' Around!

YouTube Live: https://t.co/GYMxHCYrLq
Twitch: https://t.co/CsiVKkyaEb https://t.co/ho8eZazuzk

— Deckin' Around (@deckinaround) May 5, 2020

Hidden Wonders in The Linking Ring

Congratulations to Shawn Farquhar who's show Hidden Wonders is featured in the May 2020 edition of The Linking Ring!

You can read Simone Marron's article "The Wonder of Hidden Wonders" starting on page 24.  

Matt DiSero on the cover of The Linking Ring

Congratulations to Matt DiSero who is featured on the cover of the May 2020 edition of The Linking Ring!

You can read David Peck's article "Matthew DiSero: Celebrating Thirty Years in Showbiz" starting on page 16.  

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.

Great team here and excited to be on CBS Sports Network starting May 4th! @OffTheHozzle pic.twitter.com/iaq1OMMkWo

— David Merry (@davidmerry) April 22, 2020

Our official trailer!https://t.co/4i7wt58eVg

— David Merry (@davidmerry) April 22, 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.

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Thank you so much to the team at Genii, this turned out great and it’s just a huge honour.

A post shared by Carisa Hendrix & Lucy Darling (@carisahendrix) on Apr 20, 2020 at 9:08am PDT

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

Hey Everybody! Check out episode one of my new web series, broadcast directly from Isolation Studios (a.k.a. my home office)! Today we meet magicienne Julie Eng who has been performing magic on stage since she was just three years old. https://t.co/J3H4wsX6KC

— Richard Crouse (@RichardCrouse) April 11, 2020

Murray SawChuck returns to Pawn Stars

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


A note to subscribers: the content of this post is embedded from another website and is not available to preview. To view the content of the post, please visit http://CanadasMagic.blogspot.com. Some of the embedded code may be visible in this notification.

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This Friday I am back on an all new @pawnstars Don't miss it!

A post shared by Murray SawChuck (@murraysawchuck) on Apr 13, 2020 at 12:09pm PDT

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.

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.”


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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’.

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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.

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