Hidden Wonders live and virtual

From the Hidden Wonders Live and Virtual Eventbrite page:

Hidden Wonders the Speakeasy Magic Experience is presenting a unique presentation of their hit sold-out show allowing a virtual opportunity while still hosting a small live audience.

Members of both audiences will have an opportunity to perhaps guide this choose your own adventure experience.

Using the technology of the ZOOM Platform the audience at home will experience an evening of wonder and be secure in knowing what they are seeing on their screen is exactly what the in person audience will be viewing.

Read more and buy tickets.

Win a 1 hour Skype session with Michael Close

The contest is now closed. The winner was announced at "Winner of a Skype session with Michael Close."
 
Continuing with our 10th anniversary celebrations, here's your chance to win a 1 (one) hour private Skype session with Michael Close (approximate retail value of $100).  I think it would be fabulous to win this prize; you’ll have the opportunity to get feedback on a routine you’re working on, get technical advice on sleights, or ask questions about any subject that’s on your mind. Michael is the magic consultant on Penn & Teller: Fool Us, and in that capacity he has provided valuable help to hundreds of magicians.

To enter:

1. Log into the RaffleCopter widget below, using Facebook or a valid email address.
    
2. Mandatory: Leave a comment in the widget, telling us your favourite move, effect, technique, or magic product attributed to a Canadian magician.   (And also the name of the magician.)
    
   
3. If you win, you must be willing to provide your full name and email address so that we can coordinate your prize with Michael Close Magic.

The fine print:

• To participate in the contest, you must be 18 years of age or older.
   
• One entry per person.
   
• This giveaway is open to Canadian residents, excluding residents of Quebec. (Sweepstakes laws are complicated. Je m'excuse!)
   
• This giveaway is void where prohibited by law.
   
• If you experience difficulties submitting a Rafflecopter entry, you may email it to me for posting.  (I am not responsible if your email is misdirected or gets stuck in my Spam folder.)
   
• This giveaway may be terminated or withdrawn at any time.
   
• Entries may be disqualified at any time (reasons for disqualification include but are not limited to the provision of information that is untruthful, inaccurate, incomplete, or suspected fraudulent behaviour).
   
• You must be able to use the prize as offered.  (No cash value will be offered if you cannot use the prize.)
   
• Transportation to/from Toronto and accommodations will not be provided.
   
• The odds of winning depend on how many people enter the contest.
   
• Contest closes on Thursday November 12th at 11:59pm ET.

 

With thanks to Michael Close for generously making this prizes available to you! 

 

 

Enter via the Skype session with Michael Close Rafflecopter entry form or use the widget below:

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Photos from Dean Gunnarson's Halloween Houdini escape

Facebook posts with photos from Dean Gunnarson's Halloween Houdini escape last Saturday. 

Photos by James Carey Lauder.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Morgan and West lecture

From the Oakland Magic Circle:

The Oakland Magic Circle invites you to virtually meet Morgan & West, live from London on Saturday, November 7 at 1 pm PST.

Magicians, Time-travellers & all around spiffing chaps, Morgan & West will have you amazed and filled with laughter as they perform and teach.

Read more.

Celebrating 10 years of Canada's Magic with a 10% discount from Michael Close

This month Canada's Magic celebrates its 10th blogiversary! 

Throwing an anniversary party is challenging at the best of times.  Given the current situation, it's almost impossible.

So we're bringing the celebrations to you!  Throughout the month we'll have special offers and giveaways from our sponsors to thank you for your readership and support!

Kicking off our 10th anniversary celebrations, Michael Close Magic is offering our readers 10% (ten percent) off any Michael Close downloadable ebook products (up to a maximum of $200 per person) at MichaelClose.com

• The coupon code is valid for a single use per person and cannot be combined with any other promotions at Michael Close Magic.
• The coupon code will expire on November 30, 2020.

 

Use "CANADASMAGIC" (without the quotes) at checkout over at Michael Close Magic to redeem this offer!

 

Thank you Michael for making this available to the readers of Canada's Magic!

Magician Ryan Brown's Reality Magic Halloween Hearse illusion

From the November 2nd article "Internationally Celebrated Magician made a Hearse appear on Halloween at Ontario Haunted Hollows Scream Park" at WFMJ:

For those who didn’t find 2020 scary enough, York Region’s “most intense, scariest haunted attraction” had a few extra tricks up their sleeve this year. Well - it was actually renowned magician Ryan Brown, a Canadian native taking a break from performances in Vegas and waiting out CoVID-19 back home in Canada, who brought the magic to Haunted Hollows Scream Park on Halloween Morning.

Internationally renowned magician, Ryan Brown, isn’t telling how he did it, but you can see what happened on his Youtube series, Reality Magic. It’s an incredible illusion - or is it ?

How DID that hearse appear out of nowhere in the abandoned parking lot?

Check it out for yourself at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7HNc02AIRY&feature=youtu.be

Read more.

Shawn Farquhar (and a host of other magicians) featured in New York Times

This article includes quotes from magicians such as Shawn Farquhar, Ken Scott, Stephen Bargatze, Alexander Boyce, Jason Michaels, Kayla Drescher, and John Wolfson!

 

From the October 31st article "What if They Could Make the Pandemic Go Poof?" by Kenneth Sturtz in the New York Times:

Mr. Farquhar turned to virtual magic out of boredom. Homebound and desperate to perform for an audience, he arranged a free Facebook Live show. He committed to an hour, thinking he could adapt existing material. He was struggling after 15 minutes.

“I realized I was talking to a green light on a camera and there was no interaction,” he said. “It wasn’t Zoom, it was just me talking and trying to keep an energy up.”

He found not being able to interact with an audience in real time to be “soul-sucking.” He tried Instagram Live, but he soured on that too. It wasn’t until a friend recruited enough paying customers for a Zoom show that Mr. Farquhar changed his mind. There were stumbling blocks, like keeping people engaged and dealing with dozens of audio and video feeds. But when he learned he could interact with the audience, he developed a dedicated virtual show.

...

“Magic thrives when people are at their worst because people at their worst need hope,” Mr. Farquhar said. “And that’s what magic is.”

Read more.