Victoria: Mirth and Magic

From Murray Hatfield's Facebook page:

Come on out May 27/12 for some family fun entertainment. Special acts, as well as the first half of the show is a competition for the best “Comedy Magician” which is voted on by the audience. Following intermission the audience will be treated to some of Victoria's finest entertainers.


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When Magic Tom was king of English TV...

From The Suburban:

For kids my age (six in 1969) and for Montrealers in general, one of the kings - if not the king- of Montreal English TV was “Magic Tom” Auburn. Not only was he a skilled magician, but he had an appealing, gentle manner which put children and their parents at ease. Numerous local children appeared on his broadcast, performing a song or skit, and helping with his tricks.

(I have a vague memory of being on the show myself, but I seem to have blacked it out - apparently, I was a little clumsy.)

And Auburn was not only a TV institution (in French, as well, by the way). He made numerous live appearances throughout the community. I myself saw him in the late 1970s at the YM-YWHA in Chomedey, where he put on a wonderful show. And an issue of The Suburban on June 18, 1969 carried a Van Horne Shopping Centre ad promoting an appearance by him there “for the kiddies,” followed by a Hawaiian trio.

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2012 FISM contestant update

From Shawn Farquhar's comment on the post Shin Lim: FISM contestant:

A note of correction. Canada has both Shin Lim and Hyun Joon Kim as representatives for the FISM championship in Blackpool, UK. Under the current regulations for FISM, the representatives had to be selected from the finalist of the NACM that was held in 2011. Shin Lim and Richard Forget were the only two magicians with Canadian citizenship to be finalists. Richard chose not to compete and the CAM selected an alternate to allow another deserving magician the opportunity to champion for Canada.

Thank you very much Shawn for making the time to share this information with us!

Best of luck to Shin Lim and Hyun Joon Kim!

Christian Cagigal in Montreal

From The Charlebois Post:

Some shows, like Christian Cagigal’s Now and at the Hour, presented by Beyond the Mountain Productions and the Rialto Theatre in benefit of the Montreal Children’s Hospital Foundation, are best understood in terms of the magical, inimitable ambiance they create. In the spirit of that magic, forget that this is a review for a few lines, and do as Cagigal asks his audience: “Humour me.”

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Toronto: Haim Goldenberg

From Facebook:

Sunday, 10 June 2012

Ready to play mind-games? 

Then you should see Haim Goldenberg’s show!
With his captivating personality, and sense of humor to boot, celebrity mentalist Haim Goldenberg transforms the predictability of everyday life into an enchanting fantasy which grips and entangles.

Let the star of GoldMind take you to a Voyage to your Mind and uncover phenomena like mind reading, suggestions, telekinesis and much more…
It is a high energy, interactive, utterly funny, inspiring and mind-blowing show you don’t want to miss - it is an experience that will leave you breathless


Read more.

[h/t: Deborah Fallick]

Shin Lim: FISM contestant

Shin Lim will be Canada's only entry at the FISM World Championships of Magic 2012 in Blackpool, UK.  He will be competing this July in the category of close-up card magic.

Good luck Shin!


[h/t: Magic Convention Guide]

Women in magic week: wrapping up

In keeping with the schedule at The Magic Castle, this will be the last post this year on the topic of influential Canadian women in magic.  Unfortunately, I don't have time to write detailed posts for the rest of the notable women.  Here they are, in no particular order:

The "ands":

• Murray Hatfield and Teresa
• Trevor and Lorena Watters  
• Gerry and Leonora Frenette
• Magic Mike and Jen Segal
• Dan Morrissey and Phoebe Hancock
• Phil and Evelyn Matlin

Each of the "ands" is a big part of the success of the team as a whole.  These are fabulous women, all of them!

The many, many, magic assistants, like Gwyn Auger, who make the magicians look like miracle workers!  (Let me tell you, box jumping is no easy task.)

The rising stars:

• Rosemary Reid
• Niki Runnalls
• Janna S.
• Hannah Farquhar
• Katie D
• Gabbie D
• Brianna Carlson

Keep an eye out for these talented young ladies! 

Who have I forgotten?