19 December 2016

Chris Funk: Fascinating Manitoban

Congratulations Chris, on being named one of "Ace Burpee's Top 100 Most Fascinating Manitobans for 2016!"

From the Winnipeg Metro:
40. Chris Funk: Known as “The Wonderist”, Chris Funk is crushing it right now. As a magician, he’s performed around the world, on the Vegas strip, wowed Penn & Teller on their Fool Us show, and was a huge hit on America’s Got Talent. He’s mega talented and is an engaging and very funny performer.

Read more.

Have a listen to Chris on episode 37 of Discourse in Magic:

18 December 2016

Another five years for The Vanishing Rabbit!

From The Vanishing Rabbit Magic Shop Facebook page:
The Vanishing Rabbit Magic Shop just signed another 5 year lease soooo it looks like were staying OPEN serving all the Tricksters, Jokesters, and magicians in your life!!!!! We look forward to being your go to Brick and Mortar Magic shop in Alberta, Western Canada and Canada !!!. In January look for our Junior Magic Club starting for kids ages 9-17 and depending on your past purchases with us .....The Vanishing Rabbit preferred customer discounts cards.




17 December 2016

Reviews: "The Illusionists: Live from Broadway"

An article on Darcy Oake and links to three show promoting television appearances and appear at the bottom of this post.

A note that according to Mirvish.com, holiday performances have been added:
MORE HOLIDAY PERFORMANCES ADDED!
Monday December 26. 7:30PM
Monday January 2, 1:30 & 7:30PM
Tuesday January 3, 1:30PM

ADDED HOLIDAY PERFORMANCES AT 11AM!
Special Family Performances that play without an intermission and are slightly shorter to accommodate families with smaller children. This is reflected in the less expensive tickets available for these performances.
Wednesday December 28, 11AM; Thursday December 29, 11AM; Friday December 30, 11AM; Wednesday January 4, 11AM; Thursday January 5, 11AM; Friday January 6, 11AM

From the Toronto Star:
Starring Jeff Hobson, Dan Sperry, Darcy Oake. Runs until Jan. 7 at the Princess of Wales Theatre.

It’s a show that features seven ways of saying, “how did they do that?”

The Illusionists: Live from Broadway is a thrilling display of magic from a septet of seasoned professionals with different styles and disciplines who deliver two hours of pure enchantment.

They bill themselves as the “next generation” of magicians, but there’s plenty of traditional sleight-of-hand and illusion — from the guy sawed in half to a Houdini-inspired escape — to please all tastes.

From the moment all seven appear in a flash in a large enclosed glass box centre stage, you know you’re in capable hands.

Read more.


From the Toronto Sun:
Prepare to be astonished.

Seven of the world’s greatest sleight-of-hand practitioners have come from Broadway to Toronto to perform in The Illusionists, a magic show that includes Canada’s own Darcy Oake.

Oake, 29, first came to fame when he appeared on Britain’s Got Talent and America’s Got Talent — remember those crazy birds tricks? — and parlayed those performances into a big career.

It’s a career he’s been working on since childhood. Oakes grew up in Winnipeg and got hooked on magic by a fluke. His dad, sports broadcaster Scott Oake, showed a seven-year-old Darcy a card trick and that was it.

A star was born.

Read more.


A piece on Darcy Oake from the Toronto Star:
For Darcy Oake, magic was in the cards from a very young age.

The Winnipeg native is one of seven magicians performing in The Illusionists — Live from Broadway, which runs at the Princess of Wales Theatre from Tuesday to Jan. 7.

Oake, 29, said his love of the craft got started when he watched his father perform an “accidental” card trick at the age of 6 or 7.

After asking young Darcy to pick a card and return it to the deck, Oake’s father correctly selected the one Darcy had picked.

“I was absolutely flabbergasted and, for probably two or three weeks, I was like ‘Do it again, tell me how you did it.’ Eventually I got it out of him. He said, ‘Look, that was a one in 52 chance. That was a complete fluke,’” Oake recalled.

Read more.


From Clive Court's Facebook page:





From Darcy Oake's Facebook page:



Also from Darcy Oake's Facebook page:













16 December 2016

Luc Langevin: if teleportation existed

Translated from ICI.TOU.TV:
If teleportation became reality, our world as we know it today would not exist or would be completely transformed. If we could teleport us home to our work, need cars or even roads ... More time wasted in traffic jams, no more orange cones ... The architecture is completely different: more doors, more stairs or elevator since our movements would be instantaneous. With the illusions Luc Langevin runs, it gives us a glimpse of the potential impacts of teleportation on our future life by using various objects of everyday life. For the final, he teleports himself visibly and gradually to its guests.


From Facebook:



15 December 2016

Broken wand: Keith Hunter

If you've attended any community events in the Orangeville area within the last decade, there is no doubt you have come across Keith Hunter.

He is the one wearing the striped jacket, a robust red bowtie and his beige cap. Hunter’s “Touch of Magic” magician stand and the props for his tricks are usually close by.

The Orangeville and surrounding area’s resident magician for the last decade won’t be seen at these public events anymore.

After dying at home with his wife of 60 years holding his hand last Thursday, Hunter’s family and friends gathered in Orangeville for his funeral on Tuesday (Dec. 13). Hunter, who was one of the Rotary Club of Orangeville’s longest serving members, was 89 years old.

“The #Orangeville community said goodbye to an original today,” tweeted Dufferin-Caledon MPP Sylvia Jones. “Keith Hunter's memorial captured a special Father, Dad, #Magician #Rotarian.”

Hunter was one of Canada’s eldest practicing magicians. For more than a decade, he had performed over 1,000 magic shows across the country.

Read more.

14 December 2016

Charlottetown: Brent and Sarah at the Jack Frost Children's Winterfest

From Brent and Sarah's Facebook page:

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13 December 2016

Consulting for "Shut Eye"

From Shawn Farquhar's Facebook page:

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