Toronto: Mahdi Gilbert informal performance

From the Browser's Den of Magic:

MAHDI GILBERT — SATURDAY MAY 19, 2018

Mahdi Gilbert will be performing and teaching a few tricks at Browser's Den. This is not a lecture but rather an informal performance.

We will be celebrating the launch of Mahdi's brand new Hidden Leaves Playing Cards. The cards will be on sale that day at the shop for $20.00.  Great opportunity to pick up a deck and support Mahdi. Good opportunity too to have Mahdi sign one of the cards as they are destined to be collectable.

Young Jeff and I have already seen the deck and the quality is top. Plus the cards have some secret details that Mahdi will expose on this day at the shop for those who buy a pack.

We will have a limited supply at the shop of Mahdi's cards. Should you wish to buy a deck in advance please call us at 416-783-7022 with a credit card.

Read more.

Toronto: Newest Trick in the Book - May 8

From The Toronto Magic Company Facebook page:

HUGE NEWS!

This coming Newest Trick in the Book show will be our LAST ONE for the summer! Our amazing venue See-Scape is moving to a new location, and while they renovate we're going to be on break.
So lets make this last one a party! We're going to have an AMAZING FREE show, we're going to have delicious FREE snacks, plus amazing music, fun games, and awesome magic jams all night long.

So Toronto magic fans, do us a favour. Share this on your status and tag us to let us know you're coming. We'll have a special surprise for everyone who does!

See you all Tuesday May 8th

Get your tickets at Eventbrite.

New York City: Vitaly Beckman's "An Evening of Wonders"

From the May 4th article "Illusionist Vitaly Beckman Will Bring An Evening of Wonders Off-Broadway" by Andrew Gans on Playbill:

Vitaly Beckman, who stumped fellow magicians Penn & Teller on TV's Penn & Teller: Fool Us, will make his New York City performing debut next month.

Produced by Daryl Roth, Vitaly: An Evening of Wonders will begin previews June 13 prior to an official opening June 21 at the Westside Theatre (407 West 43rd Street, between Ninth and Tenth Avenues). The limited engagement is scheduled to run through September 30.

“Vitaly fooled us with his humor and amazing magic,” Penn & Teller said in a statement. “We are so proud he’s opening at the Westside Theatre where we first opened our show in New York over 30 years ago. He is an ingenious inventor, full of charming surprises.”

Read more.

Toronto: Free magic club May 5

From the Browser's Den of Magic Facebook group:

Hi Denizens!

Finally some nice weather!

This Saturday, May 5 is our Free Magic Club Meeting. All welcome. Club meets from 2:30pm to about 5:00pm at Browser's Den.
 

Thank you-Old Jeff, Young Jeff, John Cardella, Luiz Castro & The Browsers' Den Team

Billy Kidd's "Find it, sign it, leave it."

After following a number of your feeds it becomes quickly apparent that for some of you, airports are a second home.  I get the sense that there's a lot of time spent waiting.  With nothing to do.

Billy Kidd has not only been there and done that, she has created a little game to help keep you occupied!

It works like this.  She's hidden a 3 of clubs with her name on it at airports in Auckland New Zealand, LA, Sydney, Melbourne, Istanbul, London, Japan, Singapore, Amsterdam, Shanghai, Barcelona, Paris, and Dublin.

You find it, sign it, and leave it back in the same spot for others to find.

Optional: You take a selfie with the card and tag Billy on Instagram or Twitter so she knows you're playing along.  Use the hashtag #findmycard for bonus points.

Bonne chance!


From Billy Kidd's Twitter feed:

It’s only aerial artist Meghan Schech @mama_circus who has found my card in Auckland New Zealand & LA airport! Congrats! More to find at Sydney, Melbourne, Istanbul, London, Japan, Singapore, Amsterdam, Shanghai, Barcelona, Paris, & Dublin. pic.twitter.com/KY3fZ66ip5

— Billy Kidd (@Billykiddshow) May 2, 2018

Here are some clues from Billy's Instagram:


Amsterdam:

The view from the hiding place where this card is hidden in Amsterdam Airport. Head towards gate F, library, internet, piano area. Hint: it's a book but not a book. Between "Dance of Death" and "David Hewson". #findit #signit #leaveit #findmycard #threeofclubs #stroopwaffles #amsterdam #netherlands #airportboredom

A post shared by Billykidd (@billykiddshow) on Oct 2, 2017 at 12:29pm PDT

Barcelona:

Barcelona Airport T2 C,,,this place was hard. But maybe you should go into the middle dressing room at DeSiGual and have a snoop. #findit #signit #leaveit #findmycard #threeofclubs #barcelona #airportboredom #spain

A post shared by Billykidd (@billykiddshow) on Oct 8, 2017 at 1:15am PDT

Istanbul:

Any magi travelling via Istanbul airport? Need a seat or breathing space? go up to the terrace, Cakes & Bakes. Hint: Elves Don't Wear Hard Hats. #findit #signit #leaveit #findmycard #threeofclubs #turkey #istanbul #terminal1 #ataturkairport

A post shared by Billykidd (@billykiddshow) on Sep 18, 2017 at 9:20am PDT

LAX:

Going crazy bored at LAX airport. Ahh! So I have left a gift in Terminal 2 for my fellow magi. Find it, sign it, leave it. Background is a clue. #flowers #starbucks #terminal2 #losangeles #gate24 #gate23 #dirtyairport #threeofclubs #findmycard

A post shared by Billykidd (@billykiddshow) on Aug 29, 2017 at 7:37pm PDT

London, Heathrow:

New location fellow magi. If you fancy a tea in Queens Terminal 2 Heathrow, London at La Salle. 2nd seat from end of bench. By the wine glass rack. Find it, Sign it, Leave it you lovelies. . . . . . #airportboredom #travel #terminal2 #queensterminal #heathrow #london #stealthy #cleanerthenLAX #findmycard

A post shared by Billykidd (@billykiddshow) on Sep 12, 2017 at 3:15am PDT

Paris:

#findmycard hints PARIS: maybe you are sat looking @ the time, Terminal 2E JAPAN: across from Snack & Cafe terminal 1 Gate 14. MELBOURNE: plants near water by Two Johns. Gate 9-11. AUCKLAND: corner of 1958. DUBLIN: somewhere between WHSmith & Sunglasses. #findit #signit #leaveit

A post shared by Billykidd (@billykiddshow) on Mar 17, 2018 at 8:06am PDT

Shanghai:

Barcelona Airport T2 C,,,this place was hard. But maybe you should go into the middle dressing room at DeSiGual and have a snoop. #findit #signit #leaveit #findmycard #threeofclubs #barcelona #airportboredom #spain

A post shared by Billykidd (@billykiddshow) on Oct 8, 2017 at 1:15am PDT

Wild about "Wild Magic"

Through a long and convoluted series of events, I found myself (along with Kidlet, Kidlet's Other Parent (KOP), and Kidlet's Friend (KF)) at Great Wolf Lodge for an overnight stay on Good Friday.  It should come as no surprise that I viewed this as an opportunity to utilize some tickets that were gifted to me to see "Wild Magic" at the Greg Frewin Theatre. (Which reminds me, I owe a now very belated thank you note to the generous ticket gifter.)

Where I was on Good Friday.@GF_Theatre pic.twitter.com/Mq58iIJ7SB

— Canada's Magic (@canadasmagic) May 2, 2018

Tip: Arrive to the theatre as early as you can to ensure good seating (the box office will let you know what time is best).   There's also a photo opportunity next the to lion statues by the front doors.

Note to parents: Bring along some distractions for little ones (such as crayons with paper, playing cards, books, quiet hand-held video games etc.) to help pass the time between arriving for the best seating and show time. 

If you think your child would be scared sitting right up close to the tigers at level one, level two offers an equally good view of the stage along with the sense of a physical barrier between you and the big cats.

Inside the theatre there's some entertainment while you wait.  We watched footage of Greg's tigers when they were adorable cubs.  People had their special occasions celebrated (happy belated birthday Donna, Jason, and Nicholas).  There were also short clips of some of the TV appearances Greg's made.  He's done a tonne of interviews!

My favourite part of the show, three viewings later, is still the illusion involving fire and water.

Here are some random thoughts that came to mind while watching "Wild Magic":

• The show starts strong and keeps getting bigger and better.
• There's a smattering of mentalism and close-up magic to keep things varied, but make no mistake, Greg's large illusions dominate the show!
KF's favourite part of the show: all of the tiger productions.
• There are three large video screens making it easy to see the close-up parts from any seat in the house.
• The show is different enough from the last time we were there, that it felt new to us.
• It made me happy that some of my favourites (for example, the illusion with water and fire) are still in the show. 
• It looked like the show was sold out.  (The house is deep and narrow and particularly good for viewing magic.  I don't think there's a bad seat.)
KOP's favourite illusion: when Greg makes one of his assistants 'dissolve' into a metal plate.
• A good pair of theatre binoculars give you a seat upgrade!
• The show involved newspapers, a parakeet (or was it a macaw?), an invisible deck, artwork, handcuffs, tigers, talented ladies, candles, fire, doves, a dog, tigers, kids, a little bit of Sting, and a little bit of Shania Twain.  And a whistle. (One of Kidlet's favourite parts.)
• Greg even teaches a trick!
Kidlet's favourite illusion, three viewings later:  the one I referred to in 2012 as the "Assistants' Revenge."
• As I've previously noted, how magicians treat audience members is something to which I pay close attention.  For me, one of the things that brought me great joy, was when Greg asked a young boy to come up on stage to help.  They boy said, "no."  Greg didn't miss a beat and went on to find someone else.  I think more kids were interested in helping out after that.  They got the sense that they weren't going to be pressured into doing something they didn't want to do.
• Greg had an eye-popping and ambitious take on sawing a person into halves.  It was hard for me to count 'cause they kept moving things around, but I think that his poor assistant was broken up into 9 segments!
• It is a really physically demanding show.
• Greg and his crew deliver the same level of energy and passion for performing as I first witnessed six years ago!
• The evening was fantastically entertaining! 

All the excitement and entertainment of a Las Vegas show, for a fraction of the cost!
(A deal made even better with the current exchange rate.)

During the intermission I was delighted to spot Sorcerers Safari alumnus Christian Mascia demonstrating magic.  He was doing an excellent job of it too.  He had a crowd gathered that was at least 8 people deep and practically engulfed him.  I'm sure he sold a lot of magic kits for Greg that night!

I should also note that I think I saw Ben up on stage doing what looked like a fabulous job assisting.

After the show we queued up for the photo illusion with tiger Cashmere.  Kidlet and KF had their photo taken.  The adults watched on, secure in the knowledge that the tiger trainer is right there keeping a careful watch at all times.  (And because we were getting two copies of the same photo, one each for Kidlet and KF, the second copy was half price!)

Note: The profits from the photos go to a tiger sanctuary, and to feed hungry tigers. 

After the show (photo or not) you can queue up for an autograph from, a bring-your-own-camera photo with, and have a quick chat with Greg!

If you get the chance, I highly recommend the "VIP backstage tour package add-on."  We experienced the backstage tour in 2016 and it was fabulous

Thank you to John, Alex, Erika, and everyone else involved in making it such a magical evening for my family.  A special thank you to Greg, for his hospitality and for sharing his magical talent!

Thank you to our May 2018 friends!

Thank you to John Smithman, John Harrison, Richard Lyn, Joan Caesar, The Outerbridges, and Ian Crawford for being Friends of Canada's Magic!

It's good to have friends like you.

You too can Be Our Friend for only $20 per year! 

Donations of any size are always welcome.