Broken wand: Maarten (Martin) Hofman

Martin Hofman was a friend of Sid and one of his contemporaries and member of the IBM and the Hat and Rabbit Club. He was known professionally as Marlisto and lived in Cobourg. Over the years he mentored many young aspiring magicians.



From the MacCoubrey Funeral Home:

May 12, 1931 - January 25, 2020

It is with great sadness that the Hofman family announces the passing of Martin on January 25, 2020 at the age of 88. Beloved husband of the late Dixie (deceased November 26, 2007) Cherished father to Cathy (Brad McGill) of Ajax, Louise (John Glass) of Florida, Roger (Nina Minas) of Vaughn & John of Alberta. Loving Opa to Lauren (Stephanie), Rachel (Ryan), Mike (Lily) Rebecca, Curtis, Jennica, Ryan & Alex. Dear Great Opa to Madison, Logan & Adaline. A proud Canadian, he and his bride Dixie came from the Netherlands in 1955 and made Cobourg home. Great barber, esteemed Mason and Shriner, the entertaining magician and illusionist Marlisto. Visitation will be held at MacCoubrey Funeral Home at 11 a.m., followed by the service at 12 o'clock noon, 30 King Street East, Cobourg on Saturday Feb 1, 2020 Interment at Cobourg Union Cemetery followed by a reception at the MacCoubrey Reception Center. As expressions of sympathy, memorial donations to the Heart & Stroke Foundation would be appreciated by the family.

Read more.

Toronto: Free magic club

From the Browser's Den of Magic:

A friendly reminder that our next Free Magic Club Meeting is this Saturday, February 1.

All are welcome to attend the club, which runs from 2:30pm to 5:30pm.

Have a nice day!

The Jeff's & The Browser's Den Team.
Since 1975

Hamilton: Wes Barker

From Facebook:

Wes Barker / March 13-14 / Levity Comedy Club & Lounge
Levity Comedy Club & Lounge · Hamilton, ON

Wes Barker is the funniest magician around! This show is start to finish full of impossible tricks and unbelievable stories. He has been on America’s Got Talent, MTV, Wizard Wars, and most famously on Netflix where he fooled Penn & Teller on their show Penn & Teller: Fool Us. Wes is also one of the most popular YouTube magicians in Canada, with over 70 million views on his channel! Wes Barker has won the Performer of the Year for his Canadian College show tours, Performed in 20 countries, and been awarded the Silver Play Button from YouTube! Watch Wes really bridges the worlds of magic and comedy. It’s the best magic for comedy fans and the best comedy for magic fans. With this show, you literally can’t miss!

Montreal: Chris Pilsworth lecture

February 11

From Chris Pilsworth:

Looking forward to sharing my magic in Montreal. I'll also be sharing thoughts about how to make your magic better. These are techniques I've used when consulting in China on the Amazing Magicians series, Rick Wilcox and Mac King in Vegas. If you're from Montreal, I hope to see you there.

Macklin and Weyburn: Chris Funk

From Facebook:

Mark your calendars folks because this is a magical evening you and your family will not want to miss! Chris Funk The Wonderist. He's been redefining wonder on TV Shows like America's Got Talent and Penn and Teller's Fool Us and he is coming to MACKLIN! January 30

Also from Facebook:

February 6

Witness the dynamic and mind blowing magic show that has entertained and amazed audiences across the globe! Chris Funk’s magic show is an engaging and visceral experience that will have audiences talking for years to come. Something that can only be described as “refreshingly different!” The live-feed camera and interactive videos bring audiences up onstage and into the action, delivering a show that everyone can call their own.

Burlington: Billy Kidd at the Burlington Comedy Festival

From the Burlington Comedy Festival:

Billy Kidd is a magician who has been popping on screen and stages all around the world. She has appeared on numerous tv shows such as CBC's The Science of Magic, Hosted the Breaking Magic series on Discovery Channel, was a Wizard on Wizard Wars with Penn & Teller, BBC's Xmas Lectures, Now you See Me, ITV's Next Great Magician just to name a few.

Billy Kidd recently had a residency at Pittsburghs new theatre called Liberty Magic and often works in Canada with such companies as Firefly Theatre & Circus. She performs regularly at Hollywoods Magic Castle and runs her own theatre in England called Krowd Keepers Magic Theatre.

Read more and buy tickets.

SHHHHHHH! Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to try NOT to be amazed at our Cabaret Show by @billykiddshow, @illusionistdg, and @markhayward + comedian guests!
This message will not self-destruct. #BurlONhttps://t.co/BYJMK0IKtv pic.twitter.com/al8bTGgSMX

— Burlington Comedy (@BurlOnComedy) January 21, 2020

Scott Dietrich in Bradford Today

From the January 19th article "'I Can and I Did' inspires kids to believe in themselves" by Miriam King in Bradford Today:

"I do teach a lot of magic classes, and I do have a lot of kids say, 'I can't do it'," he said - frustrated by the difficulty of their first magic trick. "That's when I stop the class, and tell them that there are two bad words  - 'can't' and 'never'."

Instead, Dietrich helps them to persevere and overcome the challenge, fostering what he calls "positive doubt... What else did I think I couldn't do, that I can?"

Henry Ford famously said, “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.” That's the basis of Dietrich's philosophy, and of the book "I Can and I Did!", a story about secrets, surprises, and unlimited possibilities.

Dietrich calls the book "a gift. It just kind of came to me." Written in just two hours, it's the story of Stephanie, who initially gives up on a math problem in frustration. "I can't!" she says - until her grandfather introduces her to Henry Ford's "secret." Not only does she solve the problem, with "Gramp's" help, she discovers that her grandfather is a pilot, and that she too can learn to fly, "but only if you believe you can."

Read more.

'I Can and I Did!' inspires kids to believe in themselves. Read all about @denisegarrido and my book in @BradfordTodayCa's brand new article: https://t.co/qgeIR53P97

— Scott Dietrich (@scottdietrich78) January 22, 2020