Billy Kidd in GeniiOnline

From the article "Canadian Magician Billy Kidd wants her work to speak for itself" by Chloe Olewitz on Dec 1 from GeniiOnline:

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.

Toronto: Jay Sankey added to Browser's Bash line up

  

From the Browser's Den of Magic Facebook group:

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

Phil Matlin's 2017 Ragtime Tour

Phil Matlin - owner of Montréal's magic shop Perfect Magic, will be playing ragtime and touring through Ontario (Cambridge, Elmira, Kitchener, and Waterloo) at the end of December.

If you missed our previous post about the many talents of Phil, have a look at him playing Carolina in the Morning.

Phil Matlin's 2017 Ragtime Tour 

Tuesday December 26th
2 PM Hilltop Manor
42 Elliot St. Cambridge ON Tel. 519-621-3067

Thursday December 28th
2 PM Chateau Gardens
11 Herbert St. Elmira ON Tel.519-669-2921

Friday December 29th
4 PM Waterloo Heights
170 Erb St. Waterloo ON Tel. 519-886-3410

Saturday December 30th
1:30 PM Cambridge Country Manor
3680 Speedsville RD
Cambridge ON Tel. 519-650-0100

Sunday December 31st - New Year’s Eve
1:30 PM Bankside Terrace
71 Bankside Dr.
Kitchener ON Tel. 519-749-9999

Shawn Farquhar on why the world needs magic

At the end of the post, check out the "What's So Funny?" podcast with Shawn.

Watch the 2015 video on The Society of American Magicians YouTube channel:

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.

From What's So Funny?:

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.

A very Canadian optical illusion

I remember seeing this at a lecture, but I'm not sure which one ...

Thanks Owen, for reminding me about it!


From Owen Anderson's Twitter feed:

Coffee sleeve #opticalillusion! Can you guess which @TimHortons sleeve is bigger? #timmies #WarmWishes #HamOnt
(Actually they're all the same size -- Google 'Jastrow Illusion' for info) pic.twitter.com/IYm9oP0uX1

— Owen Anderson (@OwenTAnderson) November 29, 2017

Vote now for the 2017 Readers' Choice award

 

The nominations are closed and voting is now open for the 2017 "Readers' Choice Inspirational Canadian Magician of the Year" award!  Voting will close on Saturday, December the 23rd at 11:59pm EST.

To vote, scroll down to the bottom of this post and participate in the poll.  (Unfortunately, the poll does not appear in the mobile version of the site.)

Let's have a look at the nominees (in no particular order):

Caiden Finch (12 yo)
Nominated by Phil Matlin.
"He has performed on stage for paying audience and I might say he was great. His magic was excellent. He was dressed for the occasion. He had a themed routine and what I really liked was that came in [to Perfect Magic] about week before the show and asked for some advice. I talked, he listened and implemented 95% of it in his show."

I had the pleasure of meeting Caiden at Sorcerers Safari in 2016.  He's a fine young man with a bright future ahead of him!

Website:

• Read more about Caiden at the Perfect Magic Facebook page.
• Read more about Caiden at the Perfect Magic blog.

Ryan Brown
Nominated by dmdlfyer.

"Ryan started performing magic very early in school. While he was in my class, he would bargain his work completion in order to go to the kindergarten class and perform his latest trick. He continued to perform and cam back several years to perform free at our school's fun fair. True school and community spirit. Ryan has inspired many of the students to believe in their dream and to work hard to achieve it. He continues to seek advancement in his craft by seeking peer help and taking classes taught by more experienced magicians. In 2017 Ryan performed at Screemers at Exhibition Place Toronto in October. Great show Ryan!!  Increased his knowledge of magic by taking classes in Las Vegas with the master of masks and magical knowledge, Jeff McBride earlier this year."

Supporting information from Patricia Silver:

"Ryan Brown is an example of a young man who knew what he wanted to accomplish, kept focused under difficult conditions, and has achieved it - a life in magic. Not only is he talented, he is a joy to work with, both personally and professionally. My agency had the pleasure of mentoring and booking Ryan from early in his career. He takes his magic very seriously, and is constantly working to raise the bar on his show and learn from others. He is worthy of an award."

Supporting information from Anonymous:

"The magic or Ryan Brown. I have known Ryan for many years and not only is he a close friend but amazing magician who is dedicating his life to magic and works extremely hard so he definitely deserves an award."

Supporting information from Anonymous:

"I'd like to nominate Ryan Brown ("The Magic of Ryan Brown"). I've known Ryan since he was a youth and was shown his first magic tricks. From that point on, Ryan became dedicated to learning the craft, and perfecting tricks and routines. He recently won a scholarship to an exclusive magic school in Las Vegas where he had opportunity to perfect his craft further. Ryan creates routines to amaze his audiences with thought to ages he he performing in front of. He continues to create illusions himself. Seeing a performance by Ryan is nothing short of amazing. "

Supporting information from Unknown:

"I second all these nominations of Ryan. I have worked with as his assistant. And he is always improving and raising the bar, trying and accomplishing new tricks and striving to be the best magician he can be. "

Supporting information from Anonymous:

"I nominate Ryan Brown because having known him since he was 15, I have seen him hold fast to his dream of being a professional magician in the face of having his mother suffer a devastating illness when Ryan was age 11.

As a result Ryan had to grow up in a blue collar single parent household in a low income area, having to overcome many obstacles in order to be where he is today."

Supporting information from Anonymous:

"Many years ago, I gave Ryan Brown his first opportunity to perform professionally. Seeing his accomplishments to date astounds me, just like his magic does.

Ryan continues to diversify his act. In 2017 he added new stage illusions and executed them flawlessly in his own style. As Ryan moves to the next phase of his career, I can't help but be inspired by his daily dedication to the craft of magic. New wardrobe, new card manipulation, new stage illusions, he's been hard at work this year.

On a personal level, 2017 was an extra challenging year for Ryan, with the passing of his father. Ryan's first performance on a Las Vegas stage this past September would have made him very proud.

It is for these reasons that I nominate Ryan Brown for "Inspirational Canadian Magician of the Year"."


Website: RyanBrownMagic.com

Neil Croswell
Nominated by Anonymous.
"I would like to nominate Neil Croswell. I have watched Neil devote his life to magic from a young age and he has stuck to his vision from day one. His determination and work ethic over the years make him an inspiration as well as his countless awards and international TV appearances (Fool Us, etc.). In 2017, he appeared on "Masters of Illusion" , completed 250+ shows on a cruise in the Bahamas, and performed internationally across Asia which helped raise money for charitable causes in Sri Lanka. To accomplish what he has at his age, I believe, is an inspiration to Canadian magicians with goals of a professional career. "

Neil's Asia appearances include the "Knights of Illusion" magic show held in Colombo, Sri Lanka alongside Michael Finney and Xavier Mortimer.  He also performed 32 stage shows in Beijing, China at the annual "Happy Valley International Magic Festival."  This year, Neil performed over 300 shows across five countries.


Website: NeilCroswellMagic.com



 

Julie Eng
Nominated by James Alan.

Along with running programs such as "Senior Sorcery" and "My Magic Hands," this year Julie has had a few other things on the go!
 
"The Magic of Johnny Thompson": Julie has been project managing the production and publication of "The Magic of Johnny Thompson." Her roles include: photographer, photo editor, and editor.

Magic Live - performer, presenter, and host: Julie was invited back (for the third time since 2015!) to co-host all the general sessions with Jonathan Levit. Sometimes hosting meant interviewing interesting magic characters, like the one-and-only David Williamson, or being part of something like a “show and tell” with Levent (where he talked about 3D printing).

Magicana - Magic Collectors Weekend - producer, host, project manager:  As part of Magicana, Julie staged and produced a Magic History Conference called the Magic Collectors Weekend in Montreal (first time out of the USA).  It coincided with the opening of Illusions: The Art of Magic poster exhibition featuring some of the top-drawer posters from the newly acquired Allan Slaight Collection of posters.

Magicana - A Rich Cabinet of Magical Curiosities -  publisher, project manager: This year, Julie also worked closely with Dr. Eddie Dawes and his family to start the process of publishing the historical series A Rich Cabinet of Curiosities (published in the Magic Circle’s organ the Magic Circular). Magicana will produce and release Dr Dawes's collected monthly series in an epic, multi-volume compendium spanning forty years, of over 450 articles. The first volume is now in the works and with hopes of getting an edition out by the late fall of 2018 or perhaps early 2019.

Magic and Science - performer, host, presenter: Julie was included as part of the Magic and Science special, one-hour documentary for CBC’s "The Nature of Things: which will air sometime in the early part of 2018. Julie acts as “host” and helps to link the segments together, performing a bit of magic along the way. This is Julie's first major television piece.

Somehow, while doing all of that, Julie still found time to be the Executive Director at Magicana.


Website: magicienne.com

Murray and Teresa Hatfield
Nominated by The Magic Demon.
"The Magic Demon nominates Murray and Teresa Hatfield for starring in and producing their second ever extraordinary magic and illusions-filled phantasmagoria "Unbelievable" at this summer's PNE in Vancouver. For the second year in a row, it was again one of the the most inspiring and entertaining stadium-scale magical events Vancouver has ever seen."

In addition, Murray and Teresa amazed on season 4 of Penn and Teller Fool Us this year where Penn said of their performance "I haven't seen a better version of Metamorphosis ever." Murray is also the President of the Canadian Association of Magicians.


Website: MurrayHatfieldMagic.com



 

Benzi Train
Nominated by Ari.
"I nominate Benzi Train because of his tireless work over the years to promote the performance of live magic in Toronto and his efforts at the Sid Lorraine Hat & Rabbit Club and bringing in of top quality lecturers to our community. His (and partner Jonah Babbins) show Newest Trick in the Book gives any magician a venue/opportunity to perform in front of a live audience. He has inspired many magicians to challenge themselves creatively or to even perform live."


Supporting information from Steven Lafond:
"I second the nomination for Ben Train for his incredible work with the Toronto Magic Company. He is an amazing performer and producer and has worked very hard to keep magic alive in the Toronto performing arts scene."


Supporting information from Natasha:
"I’m nominating Ben Train for all the work he’s done for the Toronto magic community. Besides becoming one of the most popular performers in the city, Ben also founded the Toronto Magic Company and produces different magic shows every week across the city. Whether working with aspiring young magicians to give them the confidence to go on stage, provide professionals with new opportunities to share their magic, or bringing the best magic in the world to Toronto for public shows and lectures, there isn’t anyone in the city doing more for magic than Ben."


Website: BenTrain.ca




Cast your vote now at Poll Junkie!

Outerbridge Clockwork Mysteries in The Medicine Hat News

In the article "Time after time: Outerbridge Clockwork Mysteries at the Esplanade Friday" by Chris Brown in The Medicine Hat News:

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.

Read more.