30 January 2024

Gull Lake: Danny Kazam at Winterfest [Feb 3]

From the January 28th Facebook post at SaskMagic:

Danny Kazam will be performing in Gull Lake for their annual Winterfest. Open to the public. 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

29 January 2024

USA: Chris Funk [Feb 1 - 22]

From the January 28th Instagram post by Chris Funk:

Well this is going to be amazing!

CRC KRAPEK FAMILY FINE ARTS CENTER  OSAGE, IA
FEBRUARY 1, 2024 7PM

EGYPTIAN THEATRE DEKALB, IL
FEBRUARY 2, 2024 7:30PM

LA PORTE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER. LA PORTE, IN
FEBRUARY 3, 2024 2PM

PONTIAC AUDITORIUM. PONTIAC IL
FEBRUARY 4, 2024 3PM

MONROVIA AUDITORIUM  MONROVIA, IN
FEBRUARY 5, 2024 7PM

CHANUTE MEMORIAL AUDITORIUM CHANUTE KS
FEBRUARY 7, 2024 7PM

BELOIT MUNICIPAL THEATER BELOIT, KS
FEBRUARY 8, 2024 7PM

HISTORIC SHULER THEATER RATON, NM
FEBRUARY 11, 2024 2PM

MOFFAT COUNTY AUDITORIUM CRAIG, CO
FEBRUARY 13, 2024 7PM

AMERICAN LEGION THEATER GETTYSBURG, SD
FEBRUARY 14, 2024 7:30PM

TRINITY AUDITORIUM DICKINSON, ND
FEBRUARY 15, 2024 7PM

EMPIRE ARTS CENTER GRAND FORKS, ND
FEBRUARY 17, 2024 7PM

ROSEAU THEATER ROSEAU, MN
FEBRUARY 18, 2024 7:30PM

LISBON OPERA HOUSE LISBON, ND
FEBRUARY 19, 2024 7:30PM

MEMORIAL AUDITORIUM WADENA, MN
FEBRUARY 20, 2024 7:30PM

MELROSE AUDITORIUM SAUK CENTRE, MN
FEBRUARY 22, 2024 7:30PM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

28 January 2024

Niagara Falls: Piff the Magic Dragon [May 9 - 11]

Tickets at Fallsview Casino Resort.

 

Read our 2023 interview where we learn about Piff's:
 
- journey into magic
- studies in magic-adjacent disciplines
- self-care on tour, and
- show growth in 10 years

 

From the January 8th Instagram post by Piff the Magic Dragon:

New year, new show, new dates. 


 

 

 

 

 

27 January 2024

Julie Eng interviewed by Dr. Melissa Karmen Lee

From the January 25th Instagram post by Julie Eng:

It was an honour to join the @ccmuseumbc at the opening of the new exhibition “The Magic of Tony Eng” at the Victoria location in collaboration with @victoriachinatownmuseum, back in December. At that time, I was invited to also participate in a podcast to talk more about my dad, Tony Eng.
Here’s the episode!

Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/1Q6eLIyk2vR4z123WlsY4X?si=abd37475a68d4071

YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsw-nuh8g6k

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CBC Radio: Jason Osler interviews Mel Jones and Julie Eng

Listen to Jason Osler interview Mel Jones and Julie Eng "Why aren't there many female magicians?" on the the January 10th episode of "Columnists from CBC Radio."


[via The Magic Demon]

 

 

 

 

26 January 2024

Toronto: "A Work of Fiction" by Nicholas Wallace [Feb 23 - 24]

Tickets at Factory Theatre.

From the December 14th Instagram post by Nicholas Wallace:

TORONTO - I’m coming to the @factorytheatre for 4 shows Feb 23 - 24. It’s been a few years since I’ve done a public show in Toronto, and I would really love to fill these seats - so if you can please spread the word!!

 

 

 

 

25 January 2024

Random thoughts about Gerry Frenette's lecture and his memoir "My Life as a Magic Maker"

Last Thursday, IBM Ring 17 (the Sid Lorraine Hat and Rabbit Club) was treated to a lecture about the Psychology of Magic by club member Gerry Frenette!

As you may be aware Gerry:

 

      From the back cover:  

    Magic Makers Gerry and Leonora Frenette travelled internationally as headline entertainers, performing their original illusions for major cruise lines, magicians' conventions, corporate events, and at the famous Magic Castle in Hollywood. Gerry also designed and built stage apparatus for magicians worldwide. His creations have appeared on numerous TV shows including the Gemini Awards, America's Got Talent, Britain's Got Talent, and touring shows like The Champions of Magic, and more.



    We made the trek to the club on a cold January night, learned a lot, and had a really good time!  

     

    In his lecture, Gerry:

    • demonstrated how assumptions are a powerful tool to use and can sometimes be stronger than "proving" (proving can ruin the psychology of assumption)
    • showed many of the assumptions that can be involved when using a Vortex tube
    • did some magic with his assistant Gwendolyn the Psychic Chicken and showed us something that once fooled Jeff McBride
    • got knotty with a piece of rope
    • ran though some thoughts about using a card box
    • did a beautiful Coins Across for young volunteer Andrew
    • talked about illusion design and worked through examples of how to make an illusion look smaller than it is (showing examples with boxes, illusion bases, and mirror frames)
    • discussed the importance of looking at things from the perspective of the audience
    • showcased his poker skills against David S, Rob F, and two other volunteers (and teased a story from his book which describes how he almost lost big with this "always winning" poker routine),
    • shared some interesting sub trunk stories
    • highlighted more psychological sleights while performing his Chop Cup routine and Slydini Paper Balls for volunteer Nicole (and as a bonus tipped another story from the book, where he stayed in the moment with a drunk audience volunteer and performed an effect powerful enough to be considered a reputation maker!), and
    • talked about his recently released memoir "My Life as a Magic Maker" at Amazon!

      This book starts from his childhood in Amherst, Nova Scotia and is chock full of entertaining stories from Gerry's magic journey, including: early days of illusion building, working with Dean Gunnarson, CRA audits, being suspected of money laundering, thoughts on copycats & exposure, career highlights, a plethora of photos from the past, and more!

      (No magic secrets are revealed in this book.  It is intended for magicians and non-magicians alike!)

     

    It was an entertaining and informative night!  Thank you very much Gerry!




    --

    * What people are saying about "My Life as a Magic Maker" ...

     

    From the January 7th Facebook post by Matt DiSero:

     

     

    From the January 7th Facebook post by Blair Marshall:

    "Gerry Frenette  has put together a fun read with lots of photos of "the big stuff" ( no secrets though lol) and it's available through Amazon. 🙂"

     

    Customer reviews from Amazon:

    MScott - 5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating & fun to read!
    Reviewed in Canada on December 30, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    Couldn’t put it down. As a lay person, I felt I stepped into the author’s entertaining world of magical illusions. Buy it & be amazed!

     

    Raman Sharma - 5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Best Books I have read in a long time!
    Reviewed in Canada on December 29, 2023
    It did not take me long to realize that this book is not just for Magician's. The author does a great job in making the reader live through his experiences. I definitely feel more inspired after having read this book, and will definitely be recommending it to my friends.

     

    Paul - 5.0 out of 5 stars Great book!
    Reviewed in Canada on January 4, 2024
    Interesting and fascinating to read all the way through!

     

     

      From the author:  

    "I've spent the last 40 years making magic on stage and in my workshop. All kinds of interesting, amusing, amazing, and downright hilarious things have happened. This recollection of colorful anecdotes and photographs is not only for magicians but for anybody who enjoys a captivating and inspiring story. It looks inside a unique career that started in a small Canadian town and grew to international recognition."

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Disclosure:  I received a free copy of "My Life as a Magic Maker." The opinions expressed above are entirely my own. I did not receive compensation for the writing or the publishing of this article.