Bullock, Mayhew, and Eng in the CBC!

From the January 23rd article "Escape the headlines, find the magic: Why we need the oldest tricks in the book more than ever" by Conor Sweetman in the CBC:

In the 1900s, the silver screen provided some distraction from the news of the World Wars, but it also served as a conduit for propaganda. These days, we similarly struggle to find escapism that isn't tinged with politics. Only now, partisan tension seems to follow us everywhere, beyond the movie theatre and into comedy clubs, sports arenas and  every content-producing corner of the internet.

It's hard to hide from it — all of our open tabs beckon us to dip one more time into what will inevitably put a damper on the day. But what if there were a way to momentarily hush the noise and avoid getting swept away by the deluge of headlines? What if, just for an evening, instead of going into a tailspin of reading, arguing and frantically fact-checking...you allowed yourself to be fooled?

Read more.

Orange County: It's Magic!

From the January 16th article, "It’s Magic! returns to cast a spell over Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts" from the Orange Country Breeze:

The award-winning It’s Magic! showcase enthralls and entrances fans at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts (CCPA) on Sunday, March 10, 3:00 PM. Purchase tickets, which start from $55, at the CCPA Ticket Office, cerritoscenter.com, or by calling (562) 916-8500.

The longest-running magic production in the country, IT’S MAGIC! brings to the stage the biggest stars in magic and variety. With a cast of award-winning performers from around the world – including Hollywood’s Magic Castle and Las Vegas – the extravaganza leaves audiences speechless and spellbound with sleight-of-hand illusions, stage tricks, and comedy and variety acts. The CCPA lineup features acclaimed illusionists Murray Hatfield and Teresa, quick-change artists David & Dania, satire illusionists Les Arnold & Dazzle, the duo Yonkany & Anabel, host Chris Blackmore, and comedy-magician Eric Buss.

Read more.

Outerbridge Magic tour dates

From the website of Ted Outerbridge:

• February 2, 2019   The Grand Theatre, Kingston, ON
• February 3, 2019   Flato Markham Theatre, Markham, ON
• February 12, 2019   Luseland Homecoming Hall, Luseland, SK
• February 13, 2019   Watrous Civic Centre, Watrous, SK
• February 14, 2019   Hudson Bay Allied Arts Council, Hudson Bay, SK
• February 15, 2019   CJVR Performing Arts Theatre, Melfort, SK
• February 16, 2019   Maurice Taylor Performing Arts Theatre, Tisdale, SK
• February 23, 2019   Morinville Community Cultural Centre, Morinville, AB

Read more.

Toronto: Chris Pilsworth, Jason Palter, Jonah Babins, and Ben Train

From Eventbrite:

Thu, 31 January 2019

In order to ensure every seat in the house is a good one, only 75 tickets are available for this intimate theatre experience. Make sure you order yours before they disappear forever!

Now, without further ado, let’s meet the performers.

Chris Pilsworth
Chris Pilsworth knows how to entertain. Since becoming a professional magician over 30 years ago, Chris has performed thousands of shows all over the world, including headlining at the Magic Castle in Hollywood and performing for millions of people on live TV. New York Times Best Selling Author Stephen Dubner says that "Chris Pilsworth is better than advertised: a great illusionist, yes, but with a heart and mind that match it." We couldn't agree more.


Jason Palter
Jason is a comedian, an award winning magician and one of Toronto’s top professional speakers. He has spent the last 20 years performing his original magic and illusions all over the world, including hundreds of live shows as well as numerous television and corporate video appearances. He is an "Entertainer of The Year" recipient, as presented by the Canadian Event Industry Awards, and just appeared on last month's season finale of "Penn & Teller: Fool Us". With Jason one thing is for sure - you’re going to laugh and be fooled at the same time!


Jonah Babins
Jonah is one of the founders of the Toronto Magic Company as well as the host of Discourse in Magic, the #1 rated podcasts for magicians on the planet. He has performed all over Toronto, L.A, and New York for celebrites, influencers, and private events - not to mention the 100+ show summer tour every summer. Jonah is a rising star in the world of magic and is not to be missed!


Ben Train
The host of The Art of Magic and one of the founders of the Toronto Magic Company, Ben is one of Toronto’s busiest entertainers. He has performed all over the world, including Canada, the United States, as well all across Europe, and he has a weekly show at Dave and Busters Oakville. When Ben isn’t on stage he’s busy creating magic for other magicians with 2 books and 3 DVDs of original magic for sale all over the world.

Read more and buy tickets.

From Ben Train's Facebook page:

Chris Yuill: Mandrake award recipient

Congratulations to Chris Yuill, recipient of the Mandrake award for Excellence in Showmanship and Creativity!


From Chris Yuill's Twitter feed:
A note to subscribers: the content of this post is embedded from another website and is not available to preview. To view the content of the post, please visit http://CanadasMagic.blogspot.com. Some of the embedded code may be visible in this notification.

So honored to have been chosen to receive the Mandrake award for Excellence in Showmanship and Creativity at the S.A.M. Annual Banquet #royalbluemagicsuit #magic #corporatemagician #magicalentertainer #hardrockcasino #mandrake https://t.co/M2N9i1mhob pic.twitter.com/HD49FgUKH5

— Chris Yuill (@ChrisYuill1) January 18, 2019

Anastasia Synn at Blackpool

Anastasia Synn will be joining Bill Abbott at the Blackpool Convention Feb 15-17, 2019!



From Anastasia Synn's Twitter feed:
A note to subscribers: the content of this post is embedded from another website and is not available to preview. To view the content of the post, please visit http://CanadasMagic.blogspot.com. Some of the embedded code may be visible in this notification.

Excited to be lecturing at the legendary Blackpool convention in February! Bringing some things to the table that you've likely never seen before...#blackpool2019 @ Blackpool https://t.co/whvrN7BM6q

— Anastasia Synn (@SiaSynn) January 11, 2019

Michael Close Webinar: The Truth about Lying

From Michael Close:

Magic depends on disseminating misinformation – in other words, lying. Learn to use this important tool with rapier-like precision in this informative and fun webinar.

Michael's live webinar will run 60-90 minutes long, you will be able to ask questions, geared for all skill levels, and you can add some tricks to your repertoire right away!

What you will learn:

• The whole truth and nothing but the truth
• Conditional (transitional) truth
• Verbal vs. non-verbal lies
• Sleight of hand as a non-verbal lie
• Sustaining a non-verbal lie
• Lies of omission
• Lying to distort memory
• Strategic placement of big lies

Read more and register.

Sign-up at MichaelClose.com to receive Michael's newsletters.  I've got it on good authority that there's an interview with Matt DiSero in the January newsletter!