- Evans, Celeste (1931 - 2017)
- Fattah, Suley ( - 2017)
- Foy, Vincent ( - 2017)
- Fricker, Bruce ( - 2017)
- Khan, Arshan ( - 2017)
- Sacco, Nick (1947 - 2017)
Please e-mail additions or corrections to "canadasmagic at gmail dot com"
5. London: Michael Close at The Session 2018 - Sounds like a great way to start the new year!
4. Outerbridge Clockwork Mysteries in The Medicine Hat News - Ted and Marion put on a fabulous show!
3. A very Canadian optical illusion - Owen Anderson illustrates an effect I first saw David Acer demonstrate.
2. Phil Matlin's 2017 Ragtime Tour - Magicians, they are a multi-talented bunch!
1. Vote now for the 2017 Readers' Choice award - 107 votes were cast. I hope to get the results posted soon!
The Session & The Event – January 12th – 14th 2018
Now based just two minutes from Heathrow airport (making it very easy to get to!), you’ll learn the true secrets of performing amazing close-up magic and mentalism from some of the best in the industry.
With a variety of workshops, lectures, parties and plenty of time to session (of course), it’s no wonder that The Session has sold out every single year. With one-off events and lectures designed specifically for this event, The Session is not just a conference; it is a learning experience like no other in magic.
The Session 2018 promises to be the best yet! In previous years our guests were sharing magic with the likes of Derren Brown, David Blaine, Dynamo, Rune Klan, Troy, Ben Hanlin, Guy Hollingworth, Pit Hartling, Denis Behr, Daniel Madison, Roberto Giobbi, Juan Tamariz, and more. You would be CRAZY to skip The Session 2017. We’ll be announcing more info soon!
Read more and register.
Also, my new play The Year and Two of Us Back Here is officially premiering at the @HamOntFringe in 2018 at @TheStaircase. It's really personal and also has the longest title at the Fringe this year probably. I can't wait to share it with you. pic.twitter.com/srieQJfaSu— Michael Kras (@KrasMagic) December 12, 2017
Carleton University is pleased to announce the creation of the Allan Slaight Chair for the Study of the Conjuring Arts, thanks to a $2-million leadership gift from The Slaight Family Foundation that has been matched by the university. The Chair will work with students on various topics in many disciplines and will join the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.
“We are honoured to be the recipient of The Slaight Family Foundation’s generosity and excited for the learning opportunities this Chair will create,” says Carleton’s Interim President Alastair Summerlee. “As a society, it’s imperative that we understand when we are being deceived. It’s also important to remember that magicians are among some of history’s greatest performers and influencers.”
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So here’s the story. Before Christmas Stephane came to our shop for supplies. He was talking to Phil at this point, as I was with another customer so I don’t know how the topic came up, but I caught a bit of the conversation and later got the whole story. Stephane told us when he graduated from CEGEP, he was accepted by four Universities. He told his father he wanted to go to the Polytechnique Montréal. His father said, “Why do you want to go there? You can go to any University, you can go to McGill!” and Stephane said he made up some excuse that he told his father and that’s where he went.
He said “Very few people know this but I chose it because ...
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A program presented by Arthur and proposed by Satisfaction, The Television Agency, broadcast Friday, January 5 at 21 hours on TF1.
For one evening, forget everything you think you know about magic and let yourself be immersed in the incredible universe of "DIVERSION"!
" For this second issue, six magicians specializing in illusion or mentalism will take control of your TV!" Caroline Marx "The Sorcerer", Enzo Wayne "The Elusive", Luc Langevin "The Scientist", Gus " The manipulator ", Antonio" the expert "and Viktor Vincent" The mentalist "have given themselves the mission to make you spend an amazing evening that mixes magic and humor On the set, they will surprise anonymous and celebrities with blows many more bluffing turns than the others! "
Read more.
@Diversion revient sur @TF1 vendredi 5 janvier 2018 à 21:00 présenté par @Arthur_Officiel accompagné de @LucLangevin, #ViktorVincent, @GusIllusionnist, @Caroline_Marx_, @EnzoIllusion, & #Antonio ! #Diversion pic.twitter.com/Ho51X6s8wb— MT1 🎄 (@MT1_Off) December 12, 2017
Saunders, who was in the audience with his wife and son, was picked as Hobson’s “first victim” for a trick that involved a set of cards and ended with him removing a chewed card from Hobson’s mouth.
At the same time, Hobson skilfully removed the chief’s Apple watch from his wrist without him noticing.
“Of course, not being from Toronto, Jeff had no idea who this gentleman in a suit was — and the chief never revealed his identity,” wrote John Karastamatis of Mirvish Entertainment in an email to the Star.
Saunders said he was shocked and amused by the trick.
“What happened is I got duped; buddy removed my watch, but he was kind enough to return it,” Saunders said in a phone interview. “It’s shocking how good he is, he did it without anyone knowing. It was very funny.”
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Motivational Magic helps children understand abstract concepts through a magical performance. It offers 10 different shows, which teach subjects ranging from leadership to bully prevention.
"Kids love magic. It captures their imagination," Harmer said. "The message enters in the backdoor."
For Elmer Elson, Harmer did his "Brilliant and Resilient" show that teaches children how to bounce back after difficulties and problems. Some concepts he taught include the importance of interpersonal connections and believing in one's own abilities.
"I love capturing the children's attention," Harmer said. "It's just a fun way to teach. I have more fun than the kids."
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To Kidd, the question of women in magic is a source of frustration. She’s not convinced that the lay audience is even aware that there are fewer female magicians out there, and she’s not sure she cares. “It’s never affected my career, it’s never affected me getting gigs, it’s never affected my audience,” Kidd said. Meanwhile, she does take issue with the push to turn non-magical pretty women into magicians for nothing more than the money-making novelty of putting a female on the bill. “I sometimes think I’m sexist against my own sex,” she admits.
Kidd doesn’t promote herself as a female magician—she is a magician, what else is there to talk about? “Take anyone who’s not a performer and make them famous because of that one little gimmick, their ego will completely explode. And it hurts the people who do put all that time and effort in, because they deserve it. They deserve the spotlight more in that regard,” Kidd says. She believes that sexism is more a fabric of our society today than it is specific affliction in the magic community, and she’d rather not draw so much attention to the topic. “The whole topic just segregates us even more. If your magic is strong enough, your magic should speak for itself.”
Read more.
Dear Magic Friend,
We are so pleased to announce that Jay Sankey will be joining us for the 2018 Browser's Magic Bash!
Now might be the perfect time to request a Bash ticket for Christmas...or maybe to get a gift for yourself!
Jay Sankey is widely considered to be one of the most original thinkers and finest magic teachers alive today. He is also one of the most prolific magic creators on the planet.
Jay has created over 700 original magic effects; many of which have been performed by some of the most famous magicians alive including David Copperfield, David Blaine and Criss Angel.
A bit of Browser's Den history....Some of you may not know that Jay Sankey used to hang out at the Browser's Den shop table in the 1970's. Founder of Browser's Den, Len Cooper was the very first person to show Jay a magic trick.
We are very proud of all the young magicians who have started their career at Browser's Den. But truth be told no magician who started his journey at Browser's has had a bigger impact on the world of magic than Jay Sankey.
The list of tricks and instructional videos that Jay has released is truly stunning. But just to jog our dusty magic memories here are a few of the titles of Jay's creations: Paperclipped, Revolutionary Card Magic, Revolutionary Coin Magic, Anytime Anywhere, Holy Moly, In a Flash, Wrap it Up, Airtight, etc. etc. and etc.
Let's face it... Jay has put a lot of smiles on our faces and brought astonishment into our lives. And no doubt his performance and lecture at the Bash 2018 will do likewise.
Jay Sankey will join Dick Joiner, Pop Haydn, Michael Close, Chris Pilsworth, James Alan, Nicholas Wallace and many others to help make Browser’s Magic Bash 4 the best Bash yet!
If you have not yet purchased a ticket please take a moment to click on the link for full details:
http://www.browsersden.com/bash
Thank you for your kind support
Old Jeff, Young Jeff, John Talbot & The Browser's Den Team
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.
Shawn is a Life Member of The Society of American Magicians and the Dean of the largest Assembly in Canada and is the 2014-2015 International President of the International Brotherhood of Magicians and immediate Past President of the Canadian Association of Magicians.
Everyone knows Shawn Farquhar is a master magician. One of the absolute best. He's fooled Penn & Teller twice. He's a 2-time world champion of magic. He's the former president of IBM! No, not that IBM; the International Brotherhood of Magicians. He travels the globe most of the year but he dreams of one day being able to open up a little magic theatre here in his home province. Hey, but did you know this: Shawn started out performing comedy magic with comedians like Brent Butt and Ian Boothby and Ian Bagg in comedy rooms around BC. He tells us about the time he tried his act without the magic part. And he's got tons of other great stories, too. Plus we play a round of Talk About, a game show he and his wife were contestants on way back when. We could have gone on for another hour easily.
Read more and listen to podcast.
Coffee sleeve #opticalillusion! Can you guess which @TimHortons sleeve is bigger? #timmies #WarmWishes #HamOnt— Owen Anderson (@OwenTAnderson) November 29, 2017
(Actually they're all the same size -- Google 'Jastrow Illusion' for info) pic.twitter.com/IYm9oP0uX1
He [Ted Outerbridge] and his partner on and off stage, Marion, will perform Clockwork Mysteries show at the Esplanade on Friday at 8 p.m. The performance will take place in 2017 but will harken back through the years — a lot of years.
“The time machine is about everyone’s desire to travel back in time and change to past. Mariondoesn’t just get into a box and vanish, she’s travelling back in time,” Outerbridge said. “I wish I could travel back and change my hairstyle from high school. We all have that desire so we recognize that and celebrate it.”
Among the time periods visited in Clockwork Mysteries are the 1960s, the 1600s and 1918 to celebrate one of the most famous illusions of all time — sawing a woman in half.
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