Wendy's makes magic

Last summer, a number of Canadian magicians were involved in an ad campaign for Wendy's.

From Strategy Online:

Working with agency MacLaren McCann, Wendy’s auditioned 10 different magicians and asked them to incorporate the burger into their routines. The stunt was filmed, with each of the 22 magic tricks shot in one take, and uploaded to Facebook and YouTube over several weeks as part of the “Wendy’s Pretzel Bacon Cheeseburger Magic Show.”

Read more.

[via Reality Based Magic]


Those of you who were paying close attention, remember the following acts:

• Act 1 - James Alan
• Act 2 - Baldini
• Act 3 - Magic Mike Segal
• Act 4 - James Alan
• Act 5 - Mike D'Urzo
• Act 6 - Ken Margoe
• Act 7 - Baldini
• Act 8 - Rob Testa
• Act 9 - Mike D'Urzo
• Act 10 - Rob Testa
• Act 11, Mike D'Urzo
• Act 12, Baldini
• Extra Trick 1, Rob Testa
• Extra Trick 2, Phil Pivnick
• Extra Trick 3, James Alan

Which means we're 7 tricks short of the 22 shot.  According to the post at Reality Based Magic, at least one of those involves Mark Lewis.

Off to search the internet we go!

Congratulations to Mike D'Urzo

Congratulations Mike D'Urzo on being named 2014 "Performer of the Year" by Events Ontario!

Winner of the 2014 "Performer of the Year" award by Festivals & Events Ontario! pic.twitter.com/RAqMw6anUQ
— Mike D'Urzo (@MikeDurzo) March 3, 2014

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.

Toronto: There's magic at the Ex!

There's magic at the CNE again this year!

At The Farm, Daniel Steep is back with Agri-Magic, an interactive magic show that educates audiences about Canadian Farming.

Only a few days until #CNE2013 ! Catch the #agrimagic show 4 times daily in the #cnefarm ! @LetsGoToTheEX
— Daniel Steep (@danielsteep) August 13, 2013

Majinx is back at Kids' World with Professor Wick's School of Magic and Illusion.

And Mike D'Urzo is at the Variety Stage, located on Princes' Boulevard at Ontario Drive, south of BMO Field.

Excited to announce I will be performing at the EX from Aug.16- Sept.2 daily at 12:30 & 3:00 pm on the Variety Stage! http://t.co/VnsjxVCEKI
— Mike D'Urzo (@MikeDurzo) August 14, 2013

This year the Ex runs from August 16th to September 2nd, 2013.  Please check the CNE's website for dates and showtimes.

Wendy's: Acts 11 and 12 plus 3 bonus tricks!

Five more acts in Wendy's advertising campaign featuring nine Canadian magicians performing real magic!

You can read about the promotion over at Reality Based Magic.


Watch Act 11, Mike D'Urzo, on YouTube:





Watch Act 12, Baldini, on YouTube:




Watch Extra Trick 1, Rob Testa, on YouTube:




Watch Extra Trick 2, Phil Pivnick, on YouTube:




Watch Extra Trick 3, James Alan, on YouTube:





Previous acts:

• Act 1 - James Alan
• Act 2 - Baldini
• Act 3 - Magic Mike Segal
• Act 4 - James Alan
• Act 5 - Mike D'Urzo
• Act 6 - Ken Margoe
• Act 7 - Baldini
• Act 8 - Rob Testa
• Act 9 - Mike D'Urzo
• Act 10 - Rob Testa

Wendy's: Act 9 - Mike D'Urzo (again)

The ninth act in Wendy's advertising campaign featuring nine Canadian magicians performing real magic!

You can read about the promotion over at Reality Based Magic.

Watch Act 9, Mike D'Urzo, on YouTube:




Previous acts:

• Act 1 - James Alan
• Act 2 - Baldini
• Act 3 - Magic Mike Segal
• Act 4 - James Alan
• Act 5 - Mike D'Urzo
• Act 6 - Ken Margoe
• Act 7 - Baldini
• Act 8 - Rob Testa

Wendy's: Act 5 - Mike D'Urzo

The fifth act in Wendy's advertising campaign featuring nine Canadian magicians performing real magic!

Watch Act 5, Mike D'Urzo, on YouTube:



Previous acts:

• Act 1 - James Alan
• Act 2 - Baldini
• Act 3 - Magic Mike Segal
• Act 4 - James Alan

Mike D'Urzo on Breakfast Television

Watch Mike D'Urzo on Breakfast Television:

Thornhill: Magic and Mentalism with Mike D'Urzo

From the Facebook Page - A Magical Evening with Mike D'Urzo:

10 February 2013
Enjoy an evening of Magic and Mentalism with Mike D'Urzo.  

In support of the Canadian Friends of Dental Volunteers for Israel.
Read more:

Mike D'Urzo in The Aurora

From The Aurora:

The main event of the evening was some amazing magical entertainment by the very talented Mike D'urzo. He wowed the crowd with some incredible tricks on stage, making tables float and turning fruit into money. He continued the show all night, long moving through the crowd with some great tricks up his sleeve.

Read more.

Mike D'Urzo on OMNI TV

Magician Mike D'Urzo on OMNI TV from earlier this year.  Bits of it are in English, but you'll get the most out of the clip if you understand Italian.

Mega Magic Beyond the Show

Watch Mike D'Urzo talk about Mega Magic Beyond the Show:

An interview with Mike D'Urzo

From Corriere Tandem:

For the past three years, he has been in the running to become Entertainer of the Year at the Canadian Event Industry Awards. Mike D’Urzo, the founder and creative director of Mega Magic (www.megamagic.ca), is a successful magician. The 28-year-old Italian-Canadian performs hundreds of shows each year across Canada and abroad. His tour in China was memorable, where he performed to an audience of half a million. Recently he did a show at Isabel Bader Theatre, with Z103.5 FM. His father Dominic hails from Sant’Onofrio in Vibo Valentia province, while his mother Millie is Canadian. He has one brother, Jerry.

Read more.

Mike D’Urzo: Turning teen obsession into magical career

From York Region:

Sometimes, Mike D’Urzo wonders where he’d be if he hadn’t gone to Canada’s Wonderland that day back in 1998 as a 15-year-old kid looking for fun on a summer afternoon.

What if he hadn’t happened upon that booth where they sold magic kits?

Read more.

Toronto: Mega Magic with Mike D'Urzo

From YouTube:

Z103.5 presents Mega Magic live at the Isabel Bader Theatre on May 12, 2012! Featuring International Award Winning Magician & Mentalist Mike D'Urzo. 1 NIGHT ONLY!

Watch the trailer:

Got Talent: Montréal and semifinalists

The Montréal Canada's Got Talent auditions featured a fun act by Benoit Fournier and David Gaudet.

The second episode of the night had the judges reviewing the 244 promoted acts and attempting to select only 36 acts go to the semifinals. 

Here's a big shout out to all of the magicians featured on the show: Vladimir the Great, Neil Croswell, Ryan Joyce, Mike D'Urzo, Warren Toaze, Jordan Murciano, Edward Stone, Lucas Wilson, Oslen and Benoit Fournier.  You all did a fabulous job of representing the magic community and raising the profile of magic in the mainstream media with your appearances on CGT!

Unfortunately, of the 36 acts, there was a glimpse of only one magician.  It went by fast and looked like it could have been Oslen from the Vancouver auditions.

Congratulations Oslen!  We're rooting for you!



Edited at 7:00am to add:

• From Canada Newswire:
  
  With Canada's overwhelming number of talented performers to choose from, the judges could not contain the number of semifinalists to just 37. Subsequently, two additional acts from the You Tube 'Last Chance Auditions,' sponsored by Nissan, will also be included, bringing the total number of semifinalists to 39. These two acts - the highest vote-getter and one selected by the judges - will be revealed during the first live results show on April 3. 
  Read more.

Got Talent: Toronto and Vancouver do!

Updated July 2017.  Audition video and other video links have been removed as they are no longer available to view.

Welcome iTricks readers. We hope you enjoy your stay! (And thanks iTricks, for the nice shout out!)

[Edited:

• Mar 22 to add link of Lucas being interviewed on CGT Backstage.
• Mar 21 to identify Jordan Murciano and to include links for Edward Stone's and Jordan's Toronto auditions and to embed video of Oslen's Vancouver audition.
• Mar 19 at 7:40pm to identify Warren Toaze, embed YouTube clips and add CGT Backstage link.]

On Canada's Got Talent last night we saw a number of talented magicians!
 
From Toronto Auditions Part 2 (at about the 14 minute mark) we saw clips from, the Neil Croswell segment posted last week, Ryan Joyce, Mike D'Urzo, a gentleman with a cigarette in his ear Warren Toaze and Jordan Murciano a young man with fire in his hand.  It's too bad that they were all spliced together in what felt like under 30 seconds.  Somewhere in there there was also a glimpse of Edward Stone.  They were followed by Lucas Wilson doing a timed, suspended, world record breaking straitjacket escape!  Watch the video of Graeme O'Neil interviewing Lucas on CGT Backstage.

[Thanks to Ian Crawford and Graeme O'Neil for providing Warren Toaze's name!  Thanks also to Edward Stone for pointing me to the Roger's Video Anytime clips!]

Roger's Anyplace TV streamed video of auditions for Edward and Jordan. (These videos are no longer availabe.)

The following YouTube videos are no longer available:

Neil Croswell's audition:


Clips from Ryan Joyce's audition:

Lucas Wilson's audition:

From the Halifax and Vancouver Part 2 show (at about the 35 minute mark) we were treated to The Dance and Illusions of Oslen. From CGT Backstage, watch as Oslen celebrates his standing ovation backstage! 



They showed Neil, Ryan, Mike, Warren, Lucas, Edward and Oslen progressing to the next round!  Congratulations gentleman!  And thank you for doing such a wonderful job of representing magic!


Trivia:  Neil, Mike and Ryan are all Sorcerers Safari Alumni either as campers or counsellors!

Got Talent: Toronto part 2

At the tail end of Canada's Got Talent (Episode 4, Winnipeg) at about the 44 minute mark they show a trailer for episode 5, Toronto Part 2.  It goes by super fast, but to these eyes it looks like this is a magic heavy episode!  I caught a glimpse of a shock of (Sorcerers Safari alumni?) hair doing a suspended straitjacket escape in addition to acts that looked very much like Ryan Joyce, Mike D'Urzo and Neil Croswell.

Can't wait to see how they represent!

Mike D'Urzo in Tandem

From Tandem:

When you think about the different career paths to choose from, being a magician is probably not on most people’s list. Enter Mike D’Urzo, Member of the Canadian Association of Magicians and International Brotherhood of Magicians. Mike’s passion for magic started at a young age. Like many other kids growing up, he had a magic kit. While most would toss it aside once bored, for Mike it sparked his initial interest.

Read more.

Mike D'Urzo: Notable Young Professional

Toronto's  Mike D'Urzo has been nominated for a Notable.ca Young Professional award.  To vote for Mike, or to find out more about this award, visit Notable.ca.