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.

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Joan and Obie at FISM day two

Joan Caesar and Obie O’Brien are mentioned in Craig Mitchell's report on Blackpool FISM 2012, posted at The Magic Newswire.

Durgy Spade: Standing tall for Canada

From page 16 of the e-DESI News:

He made a woman's engagement ring disappear.  And then said the party was over, that he'd be leaving.

"That drew some gasps, I can tell you!" says the man who goes by the professional name of Durgy Spade.  A professional magicican, that is.  Possibly the only professional desi magician in the GTA.

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Halifax: Joshua Jay lecture

A teaser from the Conjurers Court website:

And now … the surprise: Well, to be honest, just a teaser for the surprise. I’ve been “in talks”, as they say, to bring another lecturer to the club in either August or September. I won’t let you in on his name until I can get a definite OK from him, but I absolutely, positively, guarantee you that it will be a fantastic lecture.

I’m going to try to get him on a weekend so that out-of-town magicians and our friends in the New Brunswick club would have an opportunity to attend.

Then this Tweet came through ....

Added Joshua Jay lecture coming to Halifax in August to magicinfo.ca/events.php
— Doug C. (@magicinfo_ca) July 5, 2012

Magic Information Canada has the date set for August 11.  Contact Rod Doiron for details.

Are magicians trustworthy?

From Twitter:

Someone came to Browser's Den & stole a card signed by Dai Vernon! The worst part is that they damaged it in the theft. Unbelievable!
— Mahdi Gilbert (@mahdigilbert) July 8, 2012

This is right on the heals of this announcement from the MCA blog:

We regret to report that Mario Carrandi, one of the most respected dealers of rare and antiquarian magic, reports the loss of his collection of The Great Raymond lapel stick pins, last seen on display at his dealer booth last week at our 43rd Magic Collectors Weekend in Chicago.  

What makes this particularly upsetting is not only that it took place at a conference of peers and in a room in where the security and access were controlled, but also that these objects were of great sentimental value to Mr. Carrandi.

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If anyone has any information with respect to these missing items, please contact the appropriate organization as soon as possible.

An interview with Ben Train

From The Daily Deception a Q and Eh with Ben Train:

Chris Williams - Scotland, UK asks our first question for Q and Eh with Ben Train: What makes magic special to you?

Ben Train:When I was much younger I really struggled just trying to get through life. I had serious trouble making friends, was doing terribly in school, and since I didn’t have an outlet to deal with the frustration I was feeling, I acted out. It was a pretty crappy time for me.Then I found magic.  

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Review: Banachek’s The Alpha Project

From The Toronto Review of Books:

Do certain individuals have the ability to see the future, to read the thoughts of others, or to communicate with the spirit world? Whatever your answers to these questions might be, in his show The Alpha Project an extraordinary performer named Banachek invites spectators into a universe where such superhuman feats are possible. At least, this is true for the first half of his one-man performance, which recently finished its world premiere.

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