Posted by Shawn Farquhar on Saturday, 21 March 2015
17 April 2015
16 April 2015
Browser's Magic Bash 2015 recap
As many of you are aware, I live-Tweeted and live-blogged the first annual Browser's Magic Bash last Sunday. In this post I've consolidated (and edited) the blog posts and Tweets, and included many of your Tweets tagged with #BrowsersBash2015 . (For the complete list of Tweets and photos check out this Twitter link to #BrowsersBash2015 ) It's a very long post. Click "read more" below to view it. Thanks for joining in.
I hope you all had as much fun as I did!
15 April 2015
Breaking news: $250,000 For Excellence in Magic
I hope there's an award for best Canadian Magic Blog! *fingers crossed*
From Magicana:
Magicana is pleased to announce on behalf of the Slaight Family Foundation the creation of the Allan Slaight Awards to recognize oustanding achievement in the pursuit of the impossible.
Initiated by the Slaight Family Foundation to honour Canadian media mogul and philanthropist Allan Slaight, and his lifelong passion for and contribution to magic, Magicana will distribute, on behalf of the Slaight Family Foundation, $250,000 over five years to recognize excellence in magic.
Read more.
Jason, Glenn, Keith, Greydon, Chris and Chris at "Magic Tonight"
Confirm details by visiting Abracadabaret.com
Mississauga (Thurs): Jason Palter
Pickering (Fri): Glenn Ottaway
Toronto (Sun): Keith Brown and Greydon Gilmore
Toronto (Tues): Sketchy Magic
James Alan, over at Abracadaberet, has kindly offered the readers of Canada's Magic a coupon code for 50% off tickets to "Magic Tonight!" Use the coupon code cmagic when you buy your tickets for Magic Tonight to receive your discount*.
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* Offer is subject to change without notice. Canada's Magic earns a commission when you use the coupon code cmagic.
Pickering (Fri): Glenn Ottaway
Toronto (Sun): Keith Brown and Greydon Gilmore
Toronto (Tues): Sketchy Magic
James Alan, over at Abracadaberet, has kindly offered the readers of Canada's Magic a coupon code for 50% off tickets to "Magic Tonight!" Use the coupon code cmagic when you buy your tickets for Magic Tonight to receive your discount*.
--
* Offer is subject to change without notice. Canada's Magic earns a commission when you use the coupon code cmagic.
14 April 2015
Thirty seconds with Steve Valentine
This is the last in my baker's dozen of "Thirty
seconds with ..." interviews, so called because I approached the
interviewees at Sorcerers Safari Magic and Performance Arts Camp last summer with the idea that I
would interview them for 30 seconds. It didn't always work that way.
Professional actor and magician Steve Valentine was born in Scotland and currently resides in LA. Love and happiness are the things that come to his mind when he thinks of Canada; his wife, Inna, is originally from Toronto. Steve met Magic Mike Segal at a chance encounter at The Browser's Den of Magic. After hearing Mike talk about Sorcerers Safari Magic Camp, Steve said that he'd "like to help out if he could in anyway." And so, Steve attended magic camp last summer.
Steve's first memory of magic has him at six years of age in a playground in England and involves a vanishing knot. It was around that time that he also learned an important show business reality – if there's no publicity, no one will show up.
It's Steve's observation that the kids today are learning at an exponential rate given the easy availability of magic videos to consume. He hopes these kids will also make a point of exposing themselves to more of the history of the craft and rounding themselves out as individuals. Steve thinks that we're at a great place in magic, in that there's a new generation of audiences available who are not jaded by the "old shtick." He's especially happy that audiences are really accepting and enjoying close-up magic. Steve's advice for aspiring magicians: "Learn and read as much as you can – old books especially (fewer people know about this stuff)."
When Steve's not being magical, he loves being an awesome dad to his beautiful daughter, Evie. (Evie is a celebrity in her own right at magic camp. As near as anyone can tell, she never had to stand on her own because all of the campers were lined up to carry her!)
Visit Steve's website at: SteveValentine.com
From the Fireside Productions Facebook page:
Previously published "Thirty seconds with ..." interviews:
Professional actor and magician Steve Valentine was born in Scotland and currently resides in LA. Love and happiness are the things that come to his mind when he thinks of Canada; his wife, Inna, is originally from Toronto. Steve met Magic Mike Segal at a chance encounter at The Browser's Den of Magic. After hearing Mike talk about Sorcerers Safari Magic Camp, Steve said that he'd "like to help out if he could in anyway." And so, Steve attended magic camp last summer.
FUN FACT:
Steve would rather watch Dr. Who than either Star Wars or Star Trek.
DID YOU KNOW?
- Steve's life motto: "Always do everything you want and love to do, to live a fulfilling life. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."
- Steve was named the Magic Castle's Close-up Magician of the Year two years in a row.
- You may have seen Steve in on TV on shows such as Crossing Jordan, House, NCIS, and The Big Bang Theory.
Here's what Steve had to say about Sorcerers Safari: "It's fun! It's a bunch of magic nerds getting together." He also expressed a little bit of jealousy. Like many of the adults who have been to magic camp, Steve wishes something like this was available to him in his youth.Steve would rather watch Dr. Who than either Star Wars or Star Trek.
DID YOU KNOW?
- Steve's life motto: "Always do everything you want and love to do, to live a fulfilling life. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."
- Steve was named the Magic Castle's Close-up Magician of the Year two years in a row.
- You may have seen Steve in on TV on shows such as Crossing Jordan, House, NCIS, and The Big Bang Theory.
Steve's first memory of magic has him at six years of age in a playground in England and involves a vanishing knot. It was around that time that he also learned an important show business reality – if there's no publicity, no one will show up.
It's Steve's observation that the kids today are learning at an exponential rate given the easy availability of magic videos to consume. He hopes these kids will also make a point of exposing themselves to more of the history of the craft and rounding themselves out as individuals. Steve thinks that we're at a great place in magic, in that there's a new generation of audiences available who are not jaded by the "old shtick." He's especially happy that audiences are really accepting and enjoying close-up magic. Steve's advice for aspiring magicians: "Learn and read as much as you can – old books especially (fewer people know about this stuff)."
When Steve's not being magical, he loves being an awesome dad to his beautiful daughter, Evie. (Evie is a celebrity in her own right at magic camp. As near as anyone can tell, she never had to stand on her own because all of the campers were lined up to carry her!)
Visit Steve's website at: SteveValentine.com
From the Fireside Productions Facebook page:
Steve Valentine kills ...
Posted by Fireside Productions on Friday, 5 September 2014
Previously published "Thirty seconds with ..." interviews:
Dan Wiebe | Eric Leclerc | Lisa Close | Alex Seaman | Ben Train
Lorena and Trevor Watters | Mark Correia | Carey Lauder
Michael Close | Chris Pilsworth | Chris Mayhew | Simon Waring
Lorena and Trevor Watters | Mark Correia | Carey Lauder
Michael Close | Chris Pilsworth | Chris Mayhew | Simon Waring
From the Sorcerers Safari Twitter feed:
Guarantee your spot at #MagicCamp Aug.15-19 2015. Tell your parents registration is on your wish list - it's now open at sorcererssafari.ca
— Sorcerers Safari (@SorcerersSafari) December 22, 2014
13 April 2015
Interview: Zack Mirza about his show "Illusions of Grandeur"
I'm excited to have to guest post at TV, eh? where I interview Zack about his show.
.
Thank you for the opportunity Diane!
An excerpt from TV, eh?:
I was very impressed to see that you include historical footage like clips from Dai Vernon’s “The Spirit of Magic.” I understand you’re going to be delving into some magic history throughout the other episodes. How important do you think it is for magicians to study the history of their craft?
Prior to the show I knew a little bit about the history of magic but going through the whole experience I got exposed to so much more. I can’t express how important it is for up and coming magicians, and magicians out there in general, for them to learn about the history of magic. We’re basically standing on the shoulders of giants. Everything that they’ve done is pretty much the ground work for what magicians are today. There’s so much respect. There’s so much wisdom that you can pull from anyone in the past. As soon as you get to learn a little bit about the history it just makes it that much more special.
Read more.
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