Magically benevolent Canadians

In this month's issue of the Linking Ring (Vol 94, #2, February 2014, pages 30-34), five Canadians were featured in the article "Still Giving:  The Benevolence of Magic Continues, part 3."  They are:

• Marien Hopman and "Busking for Hunger"
• Mike D'Urzo fundraising for "Dental Volunteers for Israel" and volunteering at functions for children with developmental challenges
• Magic Mike Segal for benevolence born out of Sorcerers Safari Magic and Performance Camp

and last but not least

• Matt DiSero and David Peck in their effort to reduce the incidence of malaria via "Mosquitos Suck"

If you recall, Canada also had an entry in the article that started it all in The Linking Ring (v92, #12), Dennis Schick wrote "The Benevolence of Magic" (page 56) which had a lovely mention of Magicana for it's My Magic Hands, Senior Sorcery and Tony Eng Youth Fund initiatives.

Brampton: Matt DiSero

I'm performing in #brampton So come out Feb 15 myself and @incredibleboris on the bill #comedy #magic pic.twitter.com/XxCYVBIuz3
— Matthew DiSero (@MattDisero) January 7, 2014

Guelph: Laughing Matters

From River Run:

As Canada’s Premiere Comedian, Derek Edwards creates enchanting tales based on everyday subjects and delivers them with polished style and impeccable timing. With Jim McNally and Matt Disero warming up the crowd you are guaranteed to be left doubled over with laughter wanting more!

Laughing Matters is an event to raise awareness about poverty and support local at-risk communities. Proceeds from this event are going directly back into the community through Speroway’s work procuring and distributing food in Guelph.      

Read more and buy tickets.

Matt DiSero interviewed by David Peck on Face to Face

From David Peck Live:

Living in Toronto, Canada, Comedy Magician Matthew DiSero has opened shows for greats such as Drew Carey and Jerry Seinfeld and performs everywhere from Trump’s Marina Casino in Atlantic City to corporate events in Tokyo.

Read more and listen to the podcast.

David Peck and Matt DiSero in M-U-M

There's a nice write up by James Alan, of David Peck and Matt DiSero's show, "Mosquitoes Suck," in the December issue of M-U-M.

From Scribd:

Two Canadian magicians deliver a magic show that sucks...on purpose.

Three-hundred-fifty high school students from tendifferent schools filed into the auditorium at David SuzukiSecondary School for a new show that blends magic, comedy, and social justice:  Mosquitoes Suck . It was designed as a way to createawareness among youth about international and social justice andto offer them a call to action. The goal is to raise money for Spread the Net, which provides insecticide-treated bed nets that provide nighttime protection from mosquito bites. The show was written and created by David Peck and Matt DiSero.

Read more.

Mosquitoes Suck: David Peck and Matt DiSero

From the Brampton Guardian:

SoChange, in partnership with the Peel board and with funding for the Trillium Foundation, is organizing this Mosquitoes Suck Tour at Ontario high schools.

The event is organized to give students information about the effects of malaria and ways they can help stem the spread of the disease. Students were introduced to the Spread the Net Student Challenge, a global campaign raising funds to buy $10 insecticide-treated bed nets that could help reduce the transmission of Malaria in Africa by up to 50 per cent.

Read more.
 

David Peck and Matt DiSero created and perform in the MST touring show.  Visit DontBiteMe.ca for more information.

Buffalo: Matt DiSero

Matt Deserio DiSero will be at Rob's Comedy Playhouse in Buffalo Williamsville, New York on June 23rd.  Here's your chance to see him peform on dry land!

Mosquitoes Suck with Matt DiSero and David Peck

From Babble On Communications:

Malaria is no laughing matter but comedian Matt Disero (who opens for Drew Carey and Jerry Seinfeld) and David Peck, the founder of So Change, a social justice organization, know that if you don’t engage your audience, you might as well be laughing alone.
 
So they created Mosquitoes Suck, a fast-paced, laugh-packed, high-energy school show about Malaria coming to Ontario schools in the coming months and later across Canada. The show is funded by the Ontario Trillium Foundation and is produced in partnership with Spread the Net founders Belinda Stronach of the Belinda Stronach Foundation and comedian Rick Mercer.

Read more.

Watch a promo video:


MST intro part 2 from MosquitoesSuckTour on Vimeo.

More from Matt about Ron Leonard

Another comment from Matt DiSero, on the post Remembering Ron Leonard:

I just found a old VHS tape of a hat and rabbit club show I was on with Ron from 1996... he was the emcee. Black Tux, Red cummerbund. White Hair. It was later in his life...but he was still great. He did the production of the oranges and lots of great emcee bits. Man he's fun to watch. I miss him. Jeff Pinsky is right...he was an amazing business man... I STILL to this day, every day, use bits of professional advice he gave me.

He had an older style of performing, but people loved him. 

What stuck me most after watching this video was, that most of the acts on the show were younger " up and coming" acts... the new guys... all slick with their tricks and style of performing....but when you really watch the tape, you could see the audience still liked Ron best. Man he was funny. A zillion one liners... Just goes to show ya... no substitute for a solid, worked in act.

For me, Ron embodied something you don't see much of anymore. A guy who liked to PERFORM. Not just come up with tricks and moves to sell...but he liked his act. He impressed upon me the importance of always working on it, and always loving to perform. Its good advice. You don't hear it much anymore.... I wonder what Ron, or Herb Morrisey, or Len Cooper would think of the state of acts of late?

Buffalo: Matt DiSero at Rob's Comedy Playhouse

From Rob's Comedy Playhouse:

Special Events:  Magician Matt DiSero
Straight from the Trump Plaza Casino
February 25th

Read more.

Jeff Pinsky and Matt DiSero remember Ron Leonard

In response to the earlier post Remembering Ron Leonard, the following comments from Matt DiSero and Jeff Pinsky have been added to the original post.

From Matt DiSero:

Ron was so nice to me as a kid at the magic club...when I got to be on a show with him for the first time it was one of the biggest thrills of my career at that time. He was so nice, and generous.... I miss him.

[Copied with permission from Facebook.]

From Jeff Pinsky:

I have fond memories of Ron Leonard. I was born in 1966. Thus I really only have my childhood memories during the decade of the 1970s.
 
Of course for those of us who were bitten by the wonderful magic 'bug' in Ontario Ron Leonard was an important figure.
 
How exciting it was to learn at the beginning of the Uncle Bobby Show that magic guest Ron Leonard was on. If memory serves me right he was not on all of the shows. That I learned many years later was due to his strong business acumen; busy with many professional performances and a gifted commercial painter.
 
In an era when there were about 12 television stations - one being in French - anything to do with magic appearing on television was exciting. Can you imagine the first Henning special? Or seeing for the first time Slydini on the Dick Cavett Show?
 
What was for me particularly wonderful about seeing Mr. Leonard perform on the Uncle Bobby Show was that he was using at times props which I might be able to afford if I saved my money. I could not dream of buying something I saw Doug Henning perform. And of course until I studied 'Magic of Slydini' I had no idea how Slydini's effects were done.
 
It was sort of a video catalogue for a magic shop well before there was any video! Watch Ron Leonard... then decide if I like the trick... then look it up in the (printed) magic catalogue and find out the price.
  
Years later after I took over Browser's Den of Magic I would have the pleasure of meeting Mr. Leonard. He was quite different than his TV personality. And why wouldn't he? On the show he was performing for little children at home.
 
But he was always pleasant when he would visit even with his poor hearing and health beginning to fail. One could tell it was affecting his enjoyment of life but at least he still had some 'magic' in him.
 
Jeff Pinsky
Browser's Den of Magic
Toronto, Canada
February 16, 2012


[With thanks to The Magic Demon for passing this along.]

Rounding the Ontario rings in February

Confirm details about dates and locations by visiting each club's website.
  

Hamilton, ON	Ring 49 (The Doug Henning Magic Wand Club)	- Got Talent night
London, ON	Ring 265 (London Magician's Guild)	- Magic Olympics
Kitchener, ON	Ring 235 (The Caesar Hat & Wand Magic Circle)	- annual DVD night
Ottawa, ON	Ring 151 (Ottawa Society of Magicians)	- Memorial Night / Classic Magic
Toronto, ON	Ring 17 (Sid Lorraine Hat and Rabbit Club)	- comedy workshop (panelists: Matt DiSero, David Merry, Glenn Ottaway and Paul Wildbaum)
Woodstock, ON	CAM 1 (Friendly City Mystics)	- N/A

 
Please leave a comment or e-mail me about corrections or omissions.

Toronto: Abracadabaret at Chalkers in August

The next Abracadabaret (formerly Friday Night Magic) will be on Friday, August 19th at Chalkers (247 Marlee Ave, Toronto).

From the Abracadabaret website:

We’re interrupting our summer hiatus to bring you another fantastic show. Why… ’cause we feel like it. Take a break from the beautiful (and boiling) summer weather and join us back at Chalker’s for an evening of magic and mystery featuring:

James Alan – Sleight of Hand Magician
Mysterion the Mindreader
Jason Palter – Comedy Magician

Hosted by Matthew DiSero

Read more.

To purchase tickets or learn more about this event, visit the Abracadabaret website.