Thank you to our May 2021 sponsors!

This is a reminder that our sponsors also have bills to pay and mouths to feed.  If you have the means, please support them by making a purchase. 

If you would like to show your support for our sponsors, but have no immediate need for their products, consider purchasing a gift certificate which you can put to use (or not) at a later time.

Thank you to our sponsors for their generous support.

This site would not be possible without their backing.

We're grateful to have the support of:

• Clive Court - Get PR help from a Life Membership Award winner of the Canadian Public Relations Society,
• Evelyn & Phil Matlin, owners of Perfect Magic,
• Jeff Pinsky, owner of The Browser's Den of Magic,
• Michael Close, author of the new Paradigm Shift ebooks, the Workers series and others,
• Ty Reveen - appearing at the St. John Imperial Theatre in June, and 
• Brent Smith, owner of The Vanishing Rabbit Magic Shop!

The next time you see them, let them know you saw their sponsorship here!

For more information about purchasing Sponsored Posts or about our Platinum, Gold, or Silver level sponsorships, please visit our Sponsorship page.

Or you can Be Our Friend for only $20 per year! 

Donations of any size are always welcome.

Ring 17 hosts a lecture by Will Houstoun and Harry DeCruz [May 5]

From Ring 17:

*please note, due to time zones and scheduling conflicts, this lecture is being presented on a Wednesday night*

Wednesday, May 5

 All over the world, video chat magic is exploding. It has been featured by AGT, BGT, Penn & Teller, The Late Show, Ellen, and many more. Creative magicians have never been busier, and agile corporate mentalists can’t keep up with demand (even though they never leave the house). New tricks and methods are being created daily to cater for and leverage this new performance space. It’s exciting, challenging, and lucrative.

In this never-before-seen 2 hour lecture, Will Houstoun and Harry De Cruz will share a selection of the best material from www.VideoChatMagic.com, a project by Will and Steve Thompson that features tricks, tools, essays and technology specifically designed to enhance your performances over Zoom and Skype. You will learn brand new visual and mental effects, devious methods, and cutting edge concepts unique to this exploding field.

Read more.

Michael Close lecture [May 4]

Updated at 9:20am to add the following from Lisa:

•  "Just for clarification, it's not really a lecture but more of a discussion of magic, Fool Us, and other magic related topics."
  

 

Tuesday May 4th.  Hosted by Tin City Magic.

 

From the May 1st Facebook post by Mike Segal:

 

 

 

Ben Proudfoot's Oscar nomination

You may remember that Ben won International Brotherhood of Magicians' Youth Close-Up Magic Contest in 2007.  Congratulations on your Oscar nomination Ben!

From Bill VanGorder:
"... his Oscar nominated movie, it is free on Vimeo: 'A Concerto is a Conversation'."

From the April 23rd article "Trip to the Oscars a ray of sunshine for Canada's Ben Proudfoot after 'very dark year'" by Jackson Weaver at the CBC:

Ben Proudfoot's short documentary is headed to the Oscars, and so is he — in the midst of pandemic-related upheaval in the industry and a major shift in how award shows connect with their guests and audiences.

The Halifax director is nominated alongside co-director Kris Bowers for A Concerto is a Conversation, their 13-minute feature about Bowers's grandfather, Horace Bowers, and the discrimination he faced as he escaped the Jim Crow South.

Read more.

 

 

 

Top 5 posts in April 2021

There were 28 posts at Canada's Magic this in April.  Here are the 5 most viewed posts in the past 30 days: 

5. Darcy Oake in the season finale of Hudson and Rex (and interview with Franz Harary) - Fabulous to see a magician on a Canadian grown show! 

4. See you on the other side! - It does sound like a lovely escape from reality though.

3. You're invited to a CAM JAM with Chip Romero - It was a fabulous night!  I hope there is, in fact, a part two.

2. A peek behind the curtain with Big Trick Energy - Congratulations again to Chris Ramsay, Eric Leclerc, Wes Barker, and Alex Boyer on the launch of their TV show Big Trick Energy!

and the most viewed post this month  ...

1. And then there were two … (brick and mortar magic shops) - Looking for ways to support the two left standing?  Have a read of Wednesday's [Guest post] Thirteen tips for supporting your closest brick and mortar magic shop.

 

Welcoming a new Friend: Gordon Precious

Welcoming our newest Friend, Gordon Precious!

Bitten by the magic bug over 90 years ago, Gordon is an absolute gentleman in every sense of the word.  He is consistently positive, welcoming, and encouraging.  I first met Gordon through Ring 17 over 20 years ago.  He's younger at heart than many in my generation. 

You likely know Gordon's signature Vanishing Birdcage effect.  But did you know that he also holds the World Record for the oldest heliskier?

For a deeper dive into Gordon's extraordinary life, have a listen to episode 161 of Discourse in Magic. 

Thank you Gordon, for befriending Canada's Magic!  We look forward to celebrating your 97th birthday next month!

 

Help Chris Ramsay set a Guinness World Record! #BigTrickTokChallenge

From the April 23rd Tweet by truTV:

#BigTrickTokChallenge pic.twitter.com/0WozqMifAS

— Canada's Magic (@canadasmagic) April 28, 2021