I am happy and honored to announce I am the new RVP for the SAM for Canada. As the founder of SAM #95, a thirty year member, Dean of my Assembly and life time member #363 I look forward to working to make the SAM's presence in Canada bigger and better.
Read more and have your say.
Updated November 2017 to add:
Monday - July 18, 2016
- Rick Thomas
- Brad Ross
- Dan Sperry
- Bill Gladwell
- JC Sum
Tuesday - July 19, 2016
- Shawn Farquhar
- Dr. Joe Vitale
- Kristoffer Olson
- Justino Zoppe
- Chris and Neal
- Chris Randall
- Jim Gravina
Wednesday - July 20, 2016
- Greg Frewin
- Murray SawChuck
- David DaVinci
- Steven Yerardi
- JC Sum
- Glen Foster
Thursday - July 21, 2016
- Reza
- Josh Knotts
- Brad Ross
- David Farr
- Stacey Smithson
Friday - July 22, 2016
- Josh Knotts
- Wacky Chad
- Ken Weber
- Kyle Knight and Mistie
- Justino Zoppe
Cheesy omelette breakfast. I saw the rabbits again! And I saw a bright green frog too. Still no sign of the deer.
At card class Shawn Farquhar talked to us about stuff I’d never considered. He said, “give people a sense of wonder. Don’t make them feel stupid or small.” And then he said this quote from American poet Maya Angelou:
“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
We played “Capture the Flag” which was so. much. FUN!
6pm
The camper show was fantastic. Before the show, Lee Asher made his group perform walk around for the audience. They did really well.
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| Pre-show walk around. |
Then the show started. Some of the kids performed things they just learned (or even made!) this week! Others made stuff up and some came prepared with things they’d been working on the whole year. Shout out to them all!
Emcees: Chaz and RJ.
Performers: Cathy, James, Brad, Matt, Tariq, Jordan, Ava, Vincent, Landon, Matthew, Nathan, Will, Ben, Jack, Nick, and Jeff.
Backstage: Simon, Holden, Serena, and Jarrett.
Sound and tech: Steve Kline (for this and all the other shows!).
Production assistants: Mike and Lisa Close, Dan Wiebe, and Mike Toal.
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| Owning the stage. |
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| Sponge balls. |
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| Something big is about to happen! |
The coolest thing about the show was that everyone’s performance looked good. Beginner kids went first so they didn’t have to go after someone who had more experience. I don’t see any competition between the kids. The adults want us all to shine.
Today’s electives were Pulp Friction (with Lee himself!), linking rings, Gravity Half Pass (with Aaron Fisher!), Assistant’s Revenge stage illusion, Miser’s Dream, any card at any number, and Patriotic Ropes.
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| Bill Wells and Sheldon Casavant talking coins. |
I did the linking rings and was kinda surprised (and disappointed) to learn how they work. It seems that some of the most wonderful effects are based on simple ideas. Loran was a great teacher, but I’m going to have to practise a lot more until I feel comfortable doing it in front of anyone!
Rats. Camp swim got rained out. (I wish I tried the high jump yesterday). Silver lining: we all piled into the Staff Lounge and had a big impromptu panel with Shawn, Eric, Phil, and Mark. They do things off the top of their head better than I can do anything I’ve rehearsed a million times. I wonder how much of it is pure talent and how much of it is hours and hours of practise.
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| Shawn speaking at the panel. |
To be continued ...
5pm
After lunch (burgers and lemonade and ice cream!) everyone gathered around a bunch of the adults on benches.
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| Cook out for lunch! |
There was excitement in the air and I could barely see what was going on. It turns out that Daryl eats his pie in a really unexpected way. Who knew?
Great elective choices today: cups and balls, memorized deck, mentalism, rope magic, spoon bending, and dancing canes. I picked the dancing cane and it was so much fun! I can actually make it look like I’m levitating it and making it move. (And it’s so much easier than juggling.) I need to own one.
Dance cane, dance!
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| Cups and balls. |
At performance workshop we played the “questions only” game. You can only reply to someone by asking another question. Much harder than it sounds! It’s supposed to help us to listen and to think on our feet. It’s hilarious. I laughed so much I cried!
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| Questions only! |
9pm
All I remember about dinner was ice cream with chocolate sauce!
The lip syncs rocked. I especially liked Shawn and Lori Farquhar doing "You're The One That I Want" from Greece, and Magic Mike Segal (and Stephanie Kline, Chris Galonska, Jen Segal, and Lisa Close) doing "Mahna Mahnam" from the Muppet Show.
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| Mahna Mahnam. |
It was a super talented show again tonight. Loran did an elegant time themed piece, Mark did some stage stunts, Philip and Jonah and Chris Mayhew were fantastic. The show ended with the Marion and Ted Outerbridge doing a fabulous stage show with big props, fancy costumes and great illusions. Ted has the best disco ball jacket ever!
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| Loran. |
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| Ted and Marion Outerbridge. |
Marion stopped by our cabin to visit. She had amazing stories of touring and performance. She MADE Ted’s sparkling jacket. So. much. WORK!
The Dave Attwood Show
A glimpse into Dave's mind and his slant on current events, celebrity news, relationships and the ever changing roller coaster ride of fatherhood.
Episode 130, 2016-06-04 (Mike Norden and Gordon Boyes)
Episode 129, 2016-05-28 (Raul Fernandez and Frank Padilla Jr.)
Episode 128, 2016-05-22 (Anastasia Synn)
Episode 127, 2016-05-14 (Greg Dow AKA The Shocker, Bizzaro, Krystal Lawrence)
Episode 126, 2016-05-07 (David Regal)
Episode 125, 2016-04-30 (Murray Sawchuck)
Episode 124, 2016-04-09 (Kenrick ICE McDonald)
Episode 123, 2016-04-02 (Trevor And Lorena Watters)
Episode 122, 2016-03-26 (Bill Abbott And Jamie D Grant)
Episode 121, 2016-03-19 (Eric Knaus aka The Great Zucchini)
Episode 120, 2016-03-12 (Kainoa Harbottle)
Episode 119, 2016-03-06 (Max Maven)
Episode 118, 2016-02-27 (Lee Asher)
Episode 117, 2016-02-14 (Karl Hein)
Episode 116, 2016-02-13 (Shawn Farquhar)
Episode 115, 2016-02-06 (Jeff McBride)
Episode 114, 2016-01-30 (Dan Harlan)
Episode 113, 2016-01-23 (Oscar Munoz)
Episode 112, 2016-01-17 (Joe M. Turner)
Episode 111, 2016-01-09 (Jason England)
Read more and listen to podcasts.
I would have to say that my favourite memory at camp would have to be after Brett C. and I performed the “cube in cube out” stage illusion. It was a huge relief that the whole thing went successfully and it was also the first routine that Brett and I created together.
a) I remember one night at the nightly stage shows in the Pinetages theatre: the air was hot and thick… the performers were breaking a sweat after literally 30 seconds on stage. And out of the blue we see Lee Asher come out and perform a trick (and a dance!) in a massive eggplant costume! It was epic.
My favorite memory is when Magic Mike told us that the visiting volleyball camp found an (invisible) deck, and not knowing what it was straightened all of the cards for us. I retell that story to magicians all the time.9pm
Dinner was good but the ice cream pie was AMAZING!
At the theatre they said Chris Mayhew is making a video of camp. I can’t wait to see that! Rosemary said she runs the Sorcerers Safari social media accounts and will help promote events that campers are involved with. Impressive. I don’t get the sense that people here think they’re better than anyone else -- they all just want to see everyone succeed. Just like our moms and dads. But WAY cooler.
Mike Close played some beautiful piano before the show. (Is everyone here crazy talented?) The lip syncs were extra funny tonight. Rosemary (singer) and Chris Westfall (background cheerleader) did “Cheerleader" by Omi, and Jonah (with Jonah supporting) did a duet -- "Love Is An Open Door" from Frozen. HYSTERICAL!!!!
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| Found myself a cheerleader! |
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| Jonah backing up Jonah. |
Tonight’s show was called the “World Champion Show” and featured three award winning magicians! I got to see Greg Frewin, Shawn Farquhar, and Daryl all on the same stage. I bet that the evening shows alone are worth the price of camp.
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| Greg Frewin. |
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| Shawn Farquhar. |
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| Daryl. |
Rocket popsicles for bedtime snack! (The sugar will help keep me awake for cabin visits!) Eric came and gave us all mouth coils to try. (I thought they would never end!! We’re going to decorate the bunks with them tomorrow.) Lee Asher showed us some super cool tricks with cards and then he showed us specialty decks we’d never heard of. They looked really fancy.
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| Eric sharing secrets. |
Goodnight.
August 4 – 7, 2016
Welcome to Pacific Coast Association of Magicians (PCAM) 2016! PCAM is truly a “magical family reunion” where everyone knows your name. The uniqueness of the PCAM convention is that it is the longest running magic convention in the world that is not associated with a central governing board, but rather with a group of dedicated individuals that keep the spirit of PCAM alive each year.
Read more and register.
WHO: BC's top magicians and variety artists.
WHAT: One-time only family-friendly benefit show on behalf of those families in Fort McMurray that have lost their homes in this devastating tragedy.
WHEN: Monday, May 16th 2016
WHERE:
Massey Theatre
735 8th Ave, New Westminster 604-521-5050
www.ticketsnw.ca
WHY: So many young families have been affected by this disaster. As family entertainers, many of us have performed multiple times in Fort McMurray, and have a longstanding and deep connection to this community. Pooling oiur talents to show our support and raise much needed funds is something we're all greatly motivated to do. Besides, helping our neighbours and fellow citizens during their time of need is the Canadian way.
Read more and buy tickets.
Magic Master Summit 2016Top Secrets from working pros to get more shows, enhance your performance, grow your audience, and cash in!
Featuring more than 30 presentations, from more than 24 experts, totaling more than 50 hours of incredible secrets!
And the great news is, it's completely FREE, July 18-22, 2016.The good news is that this coming July 18-22, 2016, we've assembled a some of the greatest minds in entertainment in one location; giving you more than 50 hours of free presentations to help you fix what's currently broken in your performance business! They'll give you the tools and the knowledge to help you go make six or seven figures a year in entertainment! Think it's impossible? Think again! We've included several millionaires in these presentations just to prove our point!Register Now!To ensure your future success, go now to MagicMasterSummit now and enter your name and email address, to register for this limited-time, free event!BONUS!We're so committed to your success, that just for signing up we'll give you 7 Free Documents delivered to your email instantly!• Booking Form (Used for your records for all types of events)• Client Invoice (To instantly make you look more professional)• Confidentiality Agreement (Basic version for your casual performance settings)• Confidentiality Agreement (Expert version for those really important contracts and secrets)• Cover Letter (To get you started in the right direction)• Letter of Agreement (Simple contract for most shows)• Model Release Form (Giving you the unlimited permission to use someone’s image for your promotional or business purposes)Don't wait, register now!Read more and register.
The Victoria Magic Circle
50th Anniversary Magic Spectacular!
What do you get when you take some of BC’s finest practitioners of magic and mystery and put them all together into one incredible show? You get an unbelievable evening of family fun that will have you laughing, cheering and shaking your head in disbelief.
Celebrating their 50th Anniversary in the city, the Victoria Magic Circle invited 8 of the top magicians and magical entertainers in BC to be a part of this very special Magic Spectacular. Many different styles of magic and illusion will be on display from intimate sleight of hand to hilarious comedy magic to stunning large scale .
Read more and buy tickets.
People often ask if I am performing locally, and this time I can say yes! It's a one time only performance at Telus...
Posted by Shawn Farquhar on Wednesday, 23 March 2016
Shawn Farquhar has been entertaining audiences around the globe for over two decades. His magic has been seen on Television shows like the X-Files and Highlander, in motion pictures like Spooky House and the Fly II, for corporate clients like IBM and Konica, and on the most luxurious cruise vessels such as Norwegian Star and Radiance of the Seas. Recently Shawn has been a key note speaker/lecturer for the world’s best magic events including London’s famed Magic Circle, Siegfried and Roy’s World Magic Seminar and the world’s largest magic convention in Blackpool, England. Shawn’s unique look, flashy suits and infectious smile are all signs that you booked a professional. Shawn’s show is filled with incredible magic, gut busting humor and his dynamic personality which has earned him over 500 standing ovations over the course of the last five years. The Canadian Association of Magicians awarded Shawn the Magician of the Year Award in 2003 and 2010, the Pacific Coast Association of Magicians awarded him the Grand Prix D’Honneur, the International Brotherhood of Magicians awarded him both Stage Magician and Sleight of Hand Magician of the Year, making him the only magician in history to win both world championships and the Olympics of Magic in Beijing, China awarded him the highest award in magic, the Grand Prix World Championship of Magic in 2009! We are honored to have Shawn Farquhar as our guest today in 10 questions.
RM: How would you best describe growing up in a family comprised of entertainers? Did you feel a lot of pressure to constantly be a showman in front of your immediate relatives, or were your parents satisfied with you exploring all of your options before deciding on a career in their preferred industry?
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For more than nearly thirty years I have quite regularly been invited to perform at the Magic Castle in Hollywood, California. At one time my manager was even the booking agent and I kept saying no thank you. It's not that I didn't dream of performing in this amazing venue, I just had this dream that was a little more. My dream was to perform in all three major showrooms in a single week. That's more than 63 shows in seven days in all disciplines of the art of magic. Not many would be able to do this with any level of success. I've always believed I was up to the challenge. I've resigned myself to the fact it's a dream and will not become a reality. So, I finally said yes. That's right, I've never performed at the Magic Castle... ever. If you have ever wanted to go to the Magic Castle and needed an excuse or guest pass, or you go often and want to join in the fun, it's time to make your reservations. I'll be coming to play March 14th to the 20th. I'll also have a special lecture on Saturday, March 19th in the Palace of Mystery.
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