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For more information, please visit the "Advertise" tab, leave your question in a comment below or send us an e-mail.

Toronto: A Little Holiday Magic

From Abracadabaret:

Friday, December 30, 2011
We know it can be hard to find things to do during the break between Xmas and New Years; everything’s closed, and if it’s not closed, it’s packed like sardines with Boxing Week shoppers.

Come celebrate the holidays with Abracadabaret! Live magic, mind reading and mischief with a cast of curious characters. Great fun, great food and a great way to get ready for the New Year.

Read more and purchase tickets.

Johnny Giordmaine: new contributions

From John Pellatt, creator of the "A Tribute to John Giordmaine" website:

JohnGiordmaine.com, the on line tribute to the late Canadian children's magician Johnny Giordmaine, has just posted a couple new pages for your magical holiday reading... featured are Ring 17 past prez Bob Taylor's recollections; photos from the 1961 Abbott Magic Get Together (one with the famous Harry Blackstone, Sr); and memories of the legendary Arcade Magic and Novelty Shop's closing (where Johnny once worked). The site now includes over 29 pages of unique photos and text.

New contributions are always welcome.

Link: http://www.johngiordmaine.co

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Toronto: Joe Culpepper’s Exits and Entrances at the New Gendai Workstation

From The Toronto Review of Books:

In his performance art–magic act Exits and Entrances, performed Friday 25 November at New Gendai Workstation, Joe Culpepper explored thresholds as places of illusion—“liminal boundaries,” he notes, “that separate the inside from the outside; the interior from the exterior.” Thresholds are also boundaries that invite us to cross over; they mark a space between, even as they reveal what lies just beyond.

~~~

The gallery will be exhibiting the aftermath of the performance space as an installation from 13 December to 17 December (11.00AM to 6.00PM).  Footage of Exits and Entrances will be projected onto the gallery walls for any visitors who wish to see a recording of the event while standing in its traces and remnants.  New Gendai Workstation is an open gallery and there is no cost for admission.

Read more.

St. Catharines: Alex Kazam's Dirty Dealings

From the Facebook page "Alex Kazam Presents: Dirty Dealings":

You're invited: $1,000 can be gained (see below) in this evening of lies, deceptions, exposed truths, psychological illusions, comedy and of course: magic.

Alex Kazam will be doing a combination of pseudo-mind reading, exposing some truths about charlatans' ways, combined with a side of his usual magically comedic trimmings that have got him on T.V, the radio, in newspapers, and believe it, or not, in TWEETS, and myspace statuses: across North-America.

Expect the unexpected: There aren't any rabbits, bunnies, and\or hares in this show.

Sunday, 18 December 2011 at Mahtay Café & Lounge

Read more.

Lothar Malmberg in The Strathmore Standard

From The Strathmore Standard:

If there's something unusual, unexplainable but strangely fantastic going on in Rosebud, chances are it's the work of Lothar Malmberg, professional magician. Lothar is a professional magician who has been working out of the area for almost 20 years, and has been honing his magic craft for over 30.

Read more.

Dai Vernon via The Double Deal

Tip of the hat to The Double Deal for posting these Dai Vernon videos:

Cards Up the Sleeve - 1974:




Slow Motion Card Vanish:

CAMaraderie 2012

Have you registered yet for CAMaraderie 2012?  From CAMmagic.org, the line-up so far:

May 3-5, 2012
Hamilton, Ontario

Lectures:
Michael Finney
Duane Laflin
Stephen Bargatze
Rick Merrill
Paul Gertner
Tom Vorjohan and Daniel Herron

Close up:
Paul Gertner
Stephen Bargatze
Rick Merrill
Daniel Garcia
Richard Turner: 1-man show

Gala Show:
MC: Michael Finney
Hyunjoon Kim
Stephen Bargatze
Neil Croswell
David & Dania

Competition:
MC: Doug Hunt

Watch the promo video Chris Weeks created for CAMaraderie 2012:
 


[h/t: Canadian Association of Magicians]

Kreskin at the West End Cultural Centre

From Uptown:

Canada loves Kreskin but that doesn’t mean Winnipeggers won’t try to stump the master mentalist and magician when he performs at the West End Cultural Centre on Dec. 13. The "cheque test" — Kreskin’s most well-known feat and the finale of every show — involves the audience hiding his payment for the performance while he’s escorted offstage. If Kreskin doesn’t find his fee, he doesn’t get paid.

Read more.

Toronto: James Alan in "Lies, Damn Lies & Magic Tricks"

From Abracadabaret.com:

• Date: Thursday, January 19, 2012
• Venue: Wychwood Theatre (601 Christie St. / M6G 4C7)
• Time: 8:00pm
• Price: $25.00 w/ group discounts

Join magician James Alan at the Wychwood Theatre for the premier of his one man show. Can a magician make you a better judge of character? Make you impervious to pain? Make money for nothing? Improve your luck? Make you smarter? Or is it all just Lies, Damn Lies & Magic Tricks?

Some of it's true. Some of it's not. Which is which is… your problem, not ours!

Read more and buy tickets.

2011 BroadwayWorld Las Vegas Awards

Canadian born Murray SawChuck is nominated in the 2011 BroadwayWorld Las Vegas Awards for Best Magician/Illusionist.

Visit LasVegas.BroadwayWorld.com to vote or to see who else is in the running.


[h/t: Gwyn Auger]

Ryan Pilling: Shave or Grow

Watch Ryan Pilling sing "Shave or Grow - Movember Moustache Song" (complete with Mustache Solo!) on YouTube:


[h/t: Gwyn Auger]

Hamilton: Nick Wallace

From the Lyric website:

You are invited to an evening of holiday magic featuring the Canadian Champion of Magic – Nick Wallace. Nick is best described as a minimalist, who has forgone fancy props and special effects and prefers to conjure with an audiences imagination by presenting bamboozling feats of magic and mind reading in a way that is both entertaining and thought provoking. Add some great music and you have a variety holiday show not to be missed!   
 
Visit the website more information or to but tickets.

The show runs from December 20th through December 29th inclusive.
[h/t: Deborah Fallick]

Everything Erdnase: Dodd Vickers interviews David Ben & Julie Eng

From the Magic Newswire:

Who was S.W. Erdnase? Most likely, anyone reading this knows this name as the pseudonym used by the author of "The Expert at the Card Table" which is arguably one of the most important books ever written on sleight of hand with cards. On this episode of the "Spirit of Magic" podcast, I am joined by David Ben & Julie Eng of Magicana and the publishers of Magicol.
 
Read more and listen to Dodd Vickers interview David and Julie.

Rounding the Western rings in December

Confirm details about dates and locations by visiting each club's website.
 

City	Club	Event(s)
Calgary, AB	Ring 66 (Calgary Magic Circle, Les Brocklesby Ring)	- N/A
Edmonton, AB	Edmonton Magic Club	- N/A
Winnipeg, MB	The Magic Club of Winnipeg	- N/A
Vancouver, BC	Ring 92 (Vancouver Magic Circle)	- N/A
Victoria, BC	Ring 183 (Victoria Magic Circle)	- "Teach a Trick" session with  Shayne King

Please leave a comment or e-mail me about corrections or omissions.

Rounding the Ontario rings in December

Confirm details about dates and locations by visiting each club's website.
 

Hamilton, ON	Ring 49 (The Doug Henning Magic Wand Club)	- Christmas party
London, ON	Ring 265 (London Magician's Guild)	- Gift Exchange & Hidden Talent!
Kitchener, ON	Ring 235 (The Caesar Hat & Wand Magic Circle)	- Christmas banquet
Ottawa, ON	Ring 151 (Ottawa Society of Magicians)	- Christmas party
Toronto, ON	Ring 17 (Sid Lorraine Hat and Rabbit Club)	- Members' night
Woodstock, ON	CAM 1 (Friendly City Mystics)	- N/A

Please leave a comment or e-mail me about corrections or omissions.

Rounding the Eastern rings in December

Confirm details about dates and locations by visiting each club's website.
 

Halifax, NS

Ring 316 (Conjourer's Court)

- Christmas Gift Exchange extravaganza

Please leave a comment or e-mail me about corrections or omissions.

Sidney Friedman: Mind Power

From the Facebook page:

Chicago mentalist and best selling author Sidney Friedman is coming to Toronto!

Known as "mentalist to the stars" for his many celebrity clients, Friedman will read your mind, perform ESP, telepathy, and premonition. Plus, you will witness his unique "Musical Mind Reading" where audience members think of a song and Friedman telepathically senses the tune and plays it on the piano.

Read more.

[h/t: Deborah Fallick]

Happy blogiversary!

Belated, that is.

Last Friday was our one year blogiversary!  (Just goes to show you how busy life gets.  That milestone just whizzed right by my ears!)

In the past year we've served over 10,000 page loads.  We have more than 140 Twitter followers and have sent over 1400 tweets into the ether.  We also have 48 Facebook fans and over two dozen subscribers.  While the majority of readers are Canadian (go figure), we also have visitors from the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, India, Germany, Belgium, Brazil, and the list goes on and on.

When this project started, I had no idea so much magic was going in inside this country.  I continue to be impressed as I learn about the number of magicians representing Canada abroad.  It's fabulous to be involved in such a generous and talented fraternity.

Thank you, as always, for reading, subscribing, re-tweeting, liking, sharing, submitting news, corresponding, making me aware of typos, guest posting and most of all for your wonderful feedback and continued support!

Everything Erdnase

From Magicana:

The exhibition, created by Jason England and Julie Eng, showcases the legendary book, The Expert at the Card Table - by the mysterious, S.W. Erdnase – and the book’s perpetual appearance in print for over a century. While exploring the numerous variants, both here and abroad, the exhibition also highlights the slew of ancillary discourse, publications and products Erdnase has inspired.

Read more.

Visit the exhibition at EverythingErdnase.com.