Toronto: Judges for Best Magician contest

From Arthur Poon:

Here is the information of the judges in the competition "Best Magician Contest 2012":

1. Lee Asher

Lee Asher is one of most popular close up magicians in the world. Over 20 years of experience in magic, his reputation and achievement are both successfully well-known within magic society. Asher has gained his champion in IBM Convention Close up Competition when he was 15 and 16 years old. His signature piece has been chosen as one of “The Ten Most Impossible Trick”. For magicians, his published materials are part of the essentials; at the same time, he always travels to Asia and starts magic lectures for foreign magicians, such as Hong Kong, China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan etc. Furthermore, Asher is the organizer of “X-elent Lecture Series” that he brings professional magicians to the Pacific Northwest and Western Canada for lecturing. Recently, he starts to travels all over the world for professional performances and also TV interviews. His magic can be found easily in many countries around the world.

2. Felix Poon

Felix Poon has immigrated into Canada from Hong Kong during the 80s. He is one of the few popular Chinese magicians in Toronto. Felix has studied magic from Len Cooper, the creator of Browser’s Den of Magic, about close up and stage magic. He has developed his unique performance style with theological principles after years of practice. Over the years, Felix has invited to perform for television and some TV specials; he also has performed in some events at CNE and other cities like Hong Kong and Macau. He is specialized in Mentalism, therefore he is expertise in predicting audience reactions and responses. Besides magic, he loves to do researches on magic theories and its history, and also how does it relate to different religions and cultures.

3. Jim Tam

Jim Tam is one of the most famous entertaining magicians in Toronto. Since the age of 7, he started to have strong interests on magic. After he has become a magician, he has performed for many big corporations, and also the Chinese Radio and Television during the important festivals, such as Easter, Halloween, and Christmas etc. In the past years, Jim has been cooperating with many charity organizations in different countries, such as the U.S.A., France, China, Cuba, Japan and Taiwan etc. Moreover, Jim has been invited to design stage magic performances for many Asian celebrities, such as the famous young model Christy Chow. He has also taken the role of magic consultant for competitors during the local talent shows and beauty pageants. At the same time, Jim has spent his efforts in training new generation magicians, for popularizing the Chinese magic society in North American, for example, he has organized two Chinese magician team ---- “Xtreme Illusion” and the current “Classic Force”. In order to allow more people to understand magic, Jim has taken one step forward and become one of the organizers of this competition “Best Magician Contest 2012” in Toronto area.

Toronto: Morrissey Magic is moving!

From Morrissey Magic:

I will have more information soon, the new shop will still be on Dufferin, just slightly north of our current location.  As soon as I can I will update this page with all the info on our new location. 

And when a store moves, chances are there's going to be a sale.

Got Talent: Montréal and semifinalists

The Montréal Canada's Got Talent auditions featured a fun act by Benoit Fournier and David Gaudet.

The second episode of the night had the judges reviewing the 244 promoted acts and attempting to select only 36 acts go to the semifinals. 

Here's a big shout out to all of the magicians featured on the show: Vladimir the Great, Neil Croswell, Ryan Joyce, Mike D'Urzo, Warren Toaze, Jordan Murciano, Edward Stone, Lucas Wilson, Oslen and Benoit Fournier.  You all did a fabulous job of representing the magic community and raising the profile of magic in the mainstream media with your appearances on CGT!

Unfortunately, of the 36 acts, there was a glimpse of only one magician.  It went by fast and looked like it could have been Oslen from the Vancouver auditions.

Congratulations Oslen!  We're rooting for you!



Edited at 7:00am to add:

• From Canada Newswire:
  
  With Canada's overwhelming number of talented performers to choose from, the judges could not contain the number of semifinalists to just 37. Subsequently, two additional acts from the You Tube 'Last Chance Auditions,' sponsored by Nissan, will also be included, bringing the total number of semifinalists to 39. These two acts - the highest vote-getter and one selected by the judges - will be revealed during the first live results show on April 3. 
  Read more.

Got Talent: Who will we see in Montréal?

There was a flash of what looked like a magic act in the trailer for Canada's Got Talent: Montréal auditions.  Any guesses as to who it will be?

Following the Montréal show tomorrow night, the semifinalists will be revealed.  How many magicians do you figure will perform in the live shows?

Guinness World Record holding magicians

Did you know that Canada has THREE Guinness World Record holding magicians?

• Doug The Great:  Heaviest Stilts Mastered.
• Scott Hammell:  Highest Suspension Straitjacket Escape.
• Lucas Wilson:  Fastest Suspension Straitjacket Escape.

 

Lucas was recently featured in the Simcoe Reformer:

Wilson escaped from a straitjacket and chains while hanging upside down as the audience watched with rapt attention. He performed the stunt in 43 seconds, shaving more than 11 seconds of the previous world record. Wilson did the same trick at last year’s Norfolk County Fair.
Read more.

Rumours abound that there's soon to be a fourth!  Who could it be?

Meta: popular posts

In reverse order, the five most popular posts on this blog:

5. Got Talent: Toronto and Vancouver do!

4. Making a Difference: My Magic Hands

3. Did Shawn Farquhar fool Penn & Teller?

2. Shawn Farquhar on Penn & Teller's Fool Us

and the number one most viewed post is .....





1. Canada's Got Talent 2012 auditions

David Acer: June lectures

David Acer will be lecturing in Canada this June.

The according to to the X-elent Lecture Series website David Acer's lecture dates are:

• Ring 183 (Victoria Magic Circle) on June 4th
• Ring 66 (Calgary Magic Circle) on June 6th
• The Magic Club of Winnipeg on June 7th
• Ring 92 (Vancouver Magic Circle) on June 8th

He'll be wrapping up the lecture tour with dates in the US (Seattle, Eugene and Portland).

Please confirm details about dates, times and locations by contacting each club directly.

I've had the pleasure of seeing David lecture and perform.  He is always informative and extremely entertaining!

Got Talent: Audition videos for Edward Stone and Jordan Murciano

I've updated Monday's "Got Talent: Toronto and Vancouver do!" post to include information about Edward Stone's appearance and to identify "the young man with fire in his hands" as Jordan Murciano.

With thanks to Edward for sending along information about Roger's Anyplace TV streaming video of both Edward's and Jordan's Toronto auditions! (You'll need to sign-up for an account to view these videos.)

Canada sure does have a lot of talented magicians!

Montréal: la journée magique 2012

From Magie Spectram:

Le Dimanche 29 Avril 2012 de 12h00 à 22h00
Magie Spectram vous invite à la journée magique 2012 au Centre St-Barthélemy situé au 7111 rue Des Érables coin Jean-Talon à Montréal (métro d'Iberville).
Avec:
Daryl - Conférence en Anglais
Ben Salinas - Conférence en Anglais
Vincent Hedan - Conférence en français
Will Houstoun - Conférence en Anglais
& Alain Choquette - Conférence en français

Read more and purchase tickets.

[h/t: MagicInfo.ca]

Johnny Giordmaine's tribute site is four!

From John Pellatt:

Today marks the 4th anniversary of the original launch of the only online tribute to Canada's most beloved children's magician, Johnny Giordmaine (1898-1974). Begun in 2008 with little more than a few pages of old photos, flyers and a lot of happy memories, the site has grown into (at last count) 33 pages of recollections and appreciations in visual as well as text form. Past contributors include James Randi, Bev Bergeron, Bob Taylor, Johnny Ould and others. The latest two page update features why/how Johnny transformed himself into "The Merry Magician" - an intriguing example of the continuing evolution of language... plus a moving remembrance of the Society of Canadian Magicians' unique celebration for Johnny's 75th birthday back in 1973... New contributions are always very welcome. Contact information is on
the site...

http://www.johngiordmaine.com

Got Talent: Toronto and Vancouver do!

Updated July 2017.  Audition video and other video links have been removed as they are no longer available to view.

Welcome iTricks readers. We hope you enjoy your stay! (And thanks iTricks, for the nice shout out!)

[Edited:

• Mar 22 to add link of Lucas being interviewed on CGT Backstage.
• Mar 21 to identify Jordan Murciano and to include links for Edward Stone's and Jordan's Toronto auditions and to embed video of Oslen's Vancouver audition.
• Mar 19 at 7:40pm to identify Warren Toaze, embed YouTube clips and add CGT Backstage link.]

On Canada's Got Talent last night we saw a number of talented magicians!
 
From Toronto Auditions Part 2 (at about the 14 minute mark) we saw clips from, the Neil Croswell segment posted last week, Ryan Joyce, Mike D'Urzo, a gentleman with a cigarette in his ear Warren Toaze and Jordan Murciano a young man with fire in his hand.  It's too bad that they were all spliced together in what felt like under 30 seconds.  Somewhere in there there was also a glimpse of Edward Stone.  They were followed by Lucas Wilson doing a timed, suspended, world record breaking straitjacket escape!  Watch the video of Graeme O'Neil interviewing Lucas on CGT Backstage.

[Thanks to Ian Crawford and Graeme O'Neil for providing Warren Toaze's name!  Thanks also to Edward Stone for pointing me to the Roger's Video Anytime clips!]

Roger's Anyplace TV streamed video of auditions for Edward and Jordan. (These videos are no longer availabe.)

The following YouTube videos are no longer available:

Neil Croswell's audition:


Clips from Ryan Joyce's audition:

Lucas Wilson's audition:

From the Halifax and Vancouver Part 2 show (at about the 35 minute mark) we were treated to The Dance and Illusions of Oslen. From CGT Backstage, watch as Oslen celebrates his standing ovation backstage! 



They showed Neil, Ryan, Mike, Warren, Lucas, Edward and Oslen progressing to the next round!  Congratulations gentleman!  And thank you for doing such a wonderful job of representing magic!


Trivia:  Neil, Mike and Ryan are all Sorcerers Safari Alumni either as campers or counsellors!

David Ben at the Genii 75th birthday bash!

The website for Genii's 75th Anniversary Birthday Bash, October 4 - 6 of this year, lists our very own David Ben on the performers list!

Montréal: Marc Trudel workshop March 31

From Montréal Magic Jam:

After the success of the Bob Fitch workshop, we’ve decided to continue with our workshop series at the MainLine Theatre.
 
This workshop will be one of a kind. For those who do not know him, Marc Trudel is a full-time pro who has been presenting magic for 15 years, including as the resident magician at the Just For Laughs Museum. 

Read more and purchase tickets.   (En Francais)

Toronto: Luminato - Mind Over Matter

From Sharing Wonder:

For the 2012 Luminato Magic series – Mind Over Matter – we have invited three masters of the impossible – Banachek, Richard Turner and Juan Esteban Varela - to challenge the way we perceive the world and function within it.
Follow us and we will keep you updated on all our shows! For now, see David Ben’s – artistic director for Magicana –  magical video invitation.

The sixth edition of Luminato takes place from June 8–17, 2012.
Read more and find out when tickets will go on sale.

Read more about Luminato at the CBC.

Ring 17 at Morrissey Magic

Photos from Ring 17's recent visit to Morrissey Magic.

From Morrissey Magic:

Sorcerers Safari 2012 season dates announced

From the Sorcerers Safari website:

Sorcerers Safari will run for a week from Tuesday August 28th – Sunday Sept 2nd, 2012.
Read more and register.

I had the privilege of spending 24 hours at Sorcerers Safari magic camp last season.  It was an absolutely fabulous time!  If you have an 8 - 18 year old who is interested in magic at any level, do look into this amazing experience!

Got Talent: Toronto part 2

At the tail end of Canada's Got Talent (Episode 4, Winnipeg) at about the 44 minute mark they show a trailer for episode 5, Toronto Part 2.  It goes by super fast, but to these eyes it looks like this is a magic heavy episode!  I caught a glimpse of a shock of (Sorcerers Safari alumni?) hair doing a suspended straitjacket escape in addition to acts that looked very much like Ryan Joyce, Mike D'Urzo and Neil Croswell.

Can't wait to see how they represent!

Toronto: Best Magician Contest 2012

From Arthur Poon:

"Best Magician Contest 2012"

Hello all Magic Lovers, this is an opportunity to show your skills.

In the evening of April 14th, 2012, “[A1] Chinese Radio” (http://www.facebook.com/l/TAQENPbLxAQGYzpy7GOnuXIOQPuHyXtoBdNq1-gxrYJvfZQ/www.ccue.com/a1_radio/web/) is giving out opportunities to the magic lovers! Bringing along with own incredible skills, the candidates will enter into an exciting competition held on a magical platform in Market Village.

This never hosted magician contest is gathering a large amount of Toronto professionals within the magic scope and the qualified contestants will be challenging among themselves, and then finally compete for the fame of Top Magician in Toronto.

Also, we are honor to have Wayne Houchin, giving an hour performance (exclusively) for the event, which you would not want to miss.

Date: April 14, 2012 (Saturday)
Time: 7:30pm
Contestant: All Ages, All Genders (The show will be hosted in Cantonese. However, English and other language speakers are welcomed.)
Performance: Stage Magic or Close Up Magic. For stage magic, it does not have to be “big stage illusion; any magic that can be performed on stage is fine, such as producing a rabbit from an empty hat etc.)
Venue: Market Village (Steeles & Kennedy)
Audition: We will start with YOUTUBE audition right away. From now till 30th of March, all participants only need to submit a roughly 2-minute video (MAX: 5 minutes) to: starz@classicforce.com. All videos should be titled as “Best Magician Contest 2012 1st Audition: XXXXXX (the title of your performance)”. (P.S. Video editing is permitted; HOWEVER, no editing on the MAGIC PERFORMANCE. Two minutes are including the effect AND all of the editing.)

Notes:
· By submitting your video before March 24th, 2012, the entry fee will be automatically waived. Any video(s) submitted after March 24th, 2012, a $20 entry fee will be applied.
· When submitting the video, please provide us your name and contact, so we can contact you.
· ONE video entry per contestant.

The winner of the competition will be receiving the following:
1. “Best Magician 2012” trophy,
2. Your chance to perform live at CNE on July 1st, 2012 Canada Day.
3. Gift(s) from our main sponsor(s).

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you have any question, please contact with the team "Classic Force" : info@classicforce.com
Look forward meeting you guys, See you all at there!!

Thanks for sending Arthur!

Got Talent: Sorcerers Safari

We have it on good authority that magicians that Sorcerers Safari magic camp people will know, will be appearing next Sunday on Canada's Got Talent!

Who will we see?

Ryan Joyce at the 2012 MPI Toronto Chapter Awards Gala

Watch Ryan Joyce and his lovely assistant!

Ben Train interview from The Blue Crown

Watch Ben Train answer questions by The Blue Crown on YouTube.





Don't forget that later today, Ben will be lecturing with Chris Mayhew at The Browser's Den. 

Got Talent: Neil Croswell

 Updated July 2017 to remove links to video that is no longer available.


Neil Croswell peformed for the judges at Canada's Got Talent at the Toronto auditions. 

Toronto: Magical March Break at the Bata Shoe Museum

From The Spec:

The Bata Shoe Museum is hosting a Magical March break. They kick off March break at 10 a.m. on March 12th with a special magic show by Toronto’s Magic Guy Phil Pivnick. During the rest of March break, kids can place a wish on their magic lantern, make a magic wand, try on magical shoes and costumes, decorate a spell book and enter a daily draw for a magic kit. There will also be a performance by Wandering Magician, happening daily between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. www.batashoemuseum.ca

Read more.

Morrissey Magic's door crasher

It's never a dull moment in the magic business.  Click through to Dan Morrissey''s Facebook album "door crasher" to see a demo of their new "Car Through Window" effect.  (Effect name lifted from Brian Michaels.)

In all seriousness, we're thankful that no one was hurt and we hope that Dan and Phoebe will be able to get things as good as new in no time.

Ottawa: Daryl lecture

On Monday April 30th, Daryl will be lecturing in Ottawa.  Details can be found at magicinfo.ca.

Wayne Houchin lectures in April

In addition to the April 15th Toronto date, Wayne Houchin will also be lecturing in Montréal on April 18th and Ottawa on April 19th.

I wonder if Wayne and his wife will be performing their double escape in Canada?



Additional details and contact information can be found at magicinfo.ca.

[h/t: magicinfo.ca]

Got Talent: Vladimir the Great!

Congratulations to Vladimir the Great from the Toronto auditions, for being the first magician to make it to the next level on Canada's Got Talent!  After the act, judge Martin Short said, "I think you are actually a wizard." 
 
You can watch the show streamed from CityTV here. Vladimir appears about 35 minutes in.

From the Toronto Star:

And then there was magician and illusionist Volodymyr Martyniuk, 52. At first it looked like Volodymyr might be a figure of fun, with his long grey ponytail, pirate-like jacket with garish gold embellishments and ruffled shirt. Measha complimented him on his “party in the back mullet.”

But Volodymyr astonished everyone by making candles appear from a handkerchief, and a rose and a small table float in mid-air.

Read more.

 
Will there be anyone we recognize from the Calgary auditions on tonight?

Peter Wardell: April lectures

Peter Wardell will be lecturing in Canada this April.

The according to to the X-elent Lecture Series website Peter Wardells' lecture dates are:

• Ring 183 (Victoria Magic Circle) on April 2nd
• Ring 66 (Calgary Magic Circle) on April 4th
• The Magic Club of Winnipeg on April 5th
• Ring 92 (Vancouver Magic Circle) on April 6th

He'll be wrapping up the lecture tour with dates in the US (Seattle, Eugene and Portland).

Please confirm details about dates, times and locations by contacting each club directly.

Got Talent?

Who out there is going to be watching Canada's Got Talent which premieres tonight on CityTV? 

I have it on good authority that there will be footage from the Toronto auditions and will include a magician / illusionist.  I wonder who it will be?

Let the games begin!

National Post: Hogwarts in Hogtown with the Potted Potter crew

Updated March 9th, 2018, to add:

• The National post article "On the Town: Hogwarts in Hogtown with the Potted Potter crew" was written by Ben Kaplin and published on March 3rd, 2012.

From the National Post:

The British comedians sit down for a magic show and proceed to have their minds blown. It’s not so much that the magic’s amazing — although the kid magician is oddly cool — it’s more like the entire afternoon has been weird. A publicist picked up Daniel Clarkson, 33, and Jeff Turner, 31, stars of the show Potted Potter, from their temporary quarters at the Pantages Hotel and saw it fit to bring along her small dog. Now, the actors are sitting around a table at Browser’s Den of Magic and trying to pay attention to the card tricks and disappearing loonies, except a man pulls up beside them and proceeds to slurp from a large bowl of soup.
 
Read more (including a nice bit with Jeff Hinchilffe).

Morrissey Magic in Toronto Sun video

From Toronto Sun:

Now that’s dirty. None of this computer silliness — with our leaders falling over themselves to say sorry, until next time.

(If party rat-f---ers are looking for ideas, may I suggest a trick shop. I dropped by Morrissey Magic on Dufferin St., magicstore.ca, to shoot the video for this column.)

Read more and watch video.

Ryan Pilling: Balloons and science

Ryan Pilling guest stars on Simple Fun. Watch Ryan's video on YouTube.

The many talents of Phil Matlin

Did you know that Phil Matlin - owner of Montréal's magic shop Perfect Magic is also a professional ragtime piano player?  He even has his own YouTube channel! Meir Yedid used some of his music for the background of one of his videos. Others use his CD's, Ragtime Daze, or Ragtime Magic, to accompany their act.

Watch Phil playing Carolina in the Morning below.

Dan Trommater: Quantum Pie

From Quantum Pie:

Quantum physicist Krister Shalm and magician Dan Trommater team up to show how similar the worlds of Harry Potter and quantum physics really are. From invisibility cloaks to powerful computers Krister and Dan introduce some of the revolutionary future quantum technologies being developed; technologies that will bring us closer to some of the magic of Harry Potter.
 
Read more.

Watch the video of the educational event filmed in Waterloo, Ontario, on July 14 and 15, 2011.

Mosquitoes Suck with Matt DiSero and David Peck

From Babble On Communications:

Malaria is no laughing matter but comedian Matt Disero (who opens for Drew Carey and Jerry Seinfeld) and David Peck, the founder of So Change, a social justice organization, know that if you don’t engage your audience, you might as well be laughing alone.
 
So they created Mosquitoes Suck, a fast-paced, laugh-packed, high-energy school show about Malaria coming to Ontario schools in the coming months and later across Canada. The show is funded by the Ontario Trillium Foundation and is produced in partnership with Spread the Net founders Belinda Stronach of the Belinda Stronach Foundation and comedian Rick Mercer.

Read more.

Watch a promo video:


MST intro part 2 from MosquitoesSuckTour on Vimeo.

Lee Asher: Promo video for trip to China in March

Chris Mayhew and folks at the Classic Force put this video together, promoting Lee Asher's upcoming tour of China.




Bon voyage Lee!

Rounding the Western rings in March

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)	- meeting and round table

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

Rounding the Ontario rings in March

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

Hamilton, ON	Ring 49 (The Doug Henning Magic Wand Club)	- Ring exchange to and from Buffalo Ring 12
London, ON	Ring 265 (London Magician's Guild)	- Doug Hunt lecture
Kitchener, ON	Ring 235 (The Caesar Hat & Wand Magic Circle)	- Kid Show Favourites
Ottawa, ON	Ring 151 (Ottawa Society of Magicians)	- Stand-up Magic - Charity Show:  Rehabilitation Hospital Show
Ottawa, ON	Ottawa / Gatineau magicians	- N/A
Toronto, ON	Ring 17 (Sid Lorraine Hat and Rabbit Club)	- Morrissey's Magic Shop
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 March

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

Halifax, NS

Ring 316 (Conjourer's Court)

- TBA

 

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

Richard Forget at Blackpool

From The Stage Reviews:

Magic from the USA and Canada comprised the second gala show and emceed by Jimmy Tamley. Appearing were Danny Cole with a modern comedy dress change act, Dirk Losander who blew soap bubbles, made a handkerchief dance and floated a table, Andost produced coloured light bulbs at his fingertips, and Chris Hart had a scarf penetrate his neck, and did the floating hand.

Charlie Frye & Co breathtakingly combined juggling, comedy and magic that had the audience gasping. Then there were The Evasons in a very fast mind-reading double act, Richard Forget had flames that floated and danced, produced drumsticks and a set of drums, and finally a girl from a telephone box that had formed part of the stage setting.

Read more.

More from Matt about Ron Leonard

Another comment from Matt DiSero, on the post Remembering Ron Leonard:

I just found a old VHS tape of a hat and rabbit club show I was on with Ron from 1996... he was the emcee. Black Tux, Red cummerbund. White Hair. It was later in his life...but he was still great. He did the production of the oranges and lots of great emcee bits. Man he's fun to watch. I miss him. Jeff Pinsky is right...he was an amazing business man... I STILL to this day, every day, use bits of professional advice he gave me.

He had an older style of performing, but people loved him. 

What stuck me most after watching this video was, that most of the acts on the show were younger " up and coming" acts... the new guys... all slick with their tricks and style of performing....but when you really watch the tape, you could see the audience still liked Ron best. Man he was funny. A zillion one liners... Just goes to show ya... no substitute for a solid, worked in act.

For me, Ron embodied something you don't see much of anymore. A guy who liked to PERFORM. Not just come up with tricks and moves to sell...but he liked his act. He impressed upon me the importance of always working on it, and always loving to perform. Its good advice. You don't hear it much anymore.... I wonder what Ron, or Herb Morrisey, or Len Cooper would think of the state of acts of late?

Grand Forks: Murray Hatfield and Theresa in an “Incredible Evening of Magic”

From the Grand Forks Gazette:

Magic! That’s family entertainment – spellbinding, heart-throbbing-in-the-throat suspense, uproarious laughter and brilliant surprises as the Boundary District Arts Council presents its grand finale of the 2011-2012 Performance Series with Murray Hatfield and Theresa in an “Incredible Evening of Magic”.

On Thursday, March 1 at 7:30 p.m., the Grand Forks Secondary School Auditorium will transform into a world of jaw-dropping illusion.

Read more.

Toronto: Magic camp open house at Browser's Den

From The Browser's Den:

OPEN HOUSE AT Browser’s Den of Magic FOR ‘SORCERERS SAFARI MAGIC CAMP’
 
Saturday, April 14/2012 at Noon
Free to Attend! 

Dear Magic Friend,

Come to meet the campers and staff of Sorcerers Safari and enjoy the MANY MAGICAL EVENTS planned throughout the day!

THE OPEN HOUSE THIS YEAR WILL FEATURE…

A MAGIC PERFORMANCE (With a Very Special Surprise Guest!) * Unveiling New Summer Video * Exciting Upcoming Plans * Special Guests Booked for Camp * Door Prizes & More * Coffee, Cookies, Snacks. 

Read more and view the schedule events.

James Randi: An Honest Liar - A Documentary in Production

From An Honest Liar:

An Honest Liar profiles the life of famed magician turned professional skeptic James “The Amazing” Randi as he embarks on a series of public crusades to expose America’s beloved psychics, mentalists, preachers, and faith healers with religious fervor. Along the way, the film will show how easily our perceptions can be fooled – by magicians, con artists, and even documentaries.

Watch the work-in-progress trailer:



An Honest Liar - Work-in-Progress trailer from Justin Weinstein on Vimeo.

[h/t: iTricks]

Shawn Farquhar: Sleight-ly perplexing

From the Chilliwack Times:

No sooner has the fourth-generation magician, who performs at the Chilliwack Cultural Centre next week, shaken your hand than he will launch into a seamless stream of funny quips, quotations and anecdotes-all while getting you to pick a card or stick your finger into a tiny guillotine.

Read more.

 The piece also states that young Hannah will be "premiering a new piece on her own."  How exciting!

Buffalo: Matt DiSero at Rob's Comedy Playhouse

From Rob's Comedy Playhouse:

Special Events:  Magician Matt DiSero
Straight from the Trump Plaza Casino
February 25th

Read more.

Montréal: Bob Fitch workshop

From Montreal Magic Jam:

Bob Fitch
PERFORMANCE WORKSHOP
When: Feb 25, 2012, 1pm – 5pm
Where: MainLine Theatre
3997 Boul St-Laurent
Read more.

[h/t: MagicInfo.ca]

[Guest post]: Remembering Sam Cramer

I am grateful to Phil Matlin and all of his input to the creation of the Broken Wands page. In the absence of a proper tribute page, Phil offers some memories of Sam Cramer, from Montréal:

One of the names I gave you was Sam Cramer. Although I am not sure I believe he had the first magic shop in Montreal. My first visit to his store was in 1947. I was 10. For about 2 or 3 months he sold me what I wanted (i.e. what he demonstrated) and then one day he wouldn't sell me another trick until I bought books. He set me up with a plan that if I gave him $3.00 every 2 weeks he would give a volume of the Tarbell course. I eventually got all 5 (that's how many there were then). The price of each volume was $6.00. When he retired, his brother-in-law Alex Chervin took over the store and kept it. Had to move a few times and finally closed it up when the city expropriated the land they were on. Alex's main interest was stamp collecting but he also was a wonderful magician. Alex is still around. I spoke to him a few months ago. He is still living by himself, (his wife died close to ten years ago), and confided in me that he was 94 years old. Between Sam and Alex, every magician in Montreal then and now owe them, because without them, magic in Montreal as we know it today would never have happened. I know that Sam Cramer from Montreal was a cover feature in an issue of MUM. So far I have been unable to find it.

Baldini: Seeing is believing

"Seeing is Believing!" - A Ryerson Graduate Film School short documentary project about Magic, featuring Baldini:

Jeff Pinsky and Matt DiSero remember Ron Leonard

In response to the earlier post Remembering Ron Leonard, the following comments from Matt DiSero and Jeff Pinsky have been added to the original post.

From Matt DiSero:

Ron was so nice to me as a kid at the magic club...when I got to be on a show with him for the first time it was one of the biggest thrills of my career at that time. He was so nice, and generous.... I miss him.

[Copied with permission from Facebook.]

From Jeff Pinsky:

I have fond memories of Ron Leonard. I was born in 1966. Thus I really only have my childhood memories during the decade of the 1970s.
 
Of course for those of us who were bitten by the wonderful magic 'bug' in Ontario Ron Leonard was an important figure.
 
How exciting it was to learn at the beginning of the Uncle Bobby Show that magic guest Ron Leonard was on. If memory serves me right he was not on all of the shows. That I learned many years later was due to his strong business acumen; busy with many professional performances and a gifted commercial painter.
 
In an era when there were about 12 television stations - one being in French - anything to do with magic appearing on television was exciting. Can you imagine the first Henning special? Or seeing for the first time Slydini on the Dick Cavett Show?
 
What was for me particularly wonderful about seeing Mr. Leonard perform on the Uncle Bobby Show was that he was using at times props which I might be able to afford if I saved my money. I could not dream of buying something I saw Doug Henning perform. And of course until I studied 'Magic of Slydini' I had no idea how Slydini's effects were done.
 
It was sort of a video catalogue for a magic shop well before there was any video! Watch Ron Leonard... then decide if I like the trick... then look it up in the (printed) magic catalogue and find out the price.
  
Years later after I took over Browser's Den of Magic I would have the pleasure of meeting Mr. Leonard. He was quite different than his TV personality. And why wouldn't he? On the show he was performing for little children at home.
 
But he was always pleasant when he would visit even with his poor hearing and health beginning to fail. One could tell it was affecting his enjoyment of life but at least he still had some 'magic' in him.
 
Jeff Pinsky
Browser's Den of Magic
Toronto, Canada
February 16, 2012


[With thanks to The Magic Demon for passing this along.]