Canada's Magic

02 December 2014

James Alan on Rogers TV

Watch James Alan talking about "Magic Tonight" on Rogers TV Toronto with Val Cole, tomorrow (Wed) at 10am, 3pm and midnight. Watch for James at the 10-minute mark.

A reminder that readers of Canada's Magic receive a 20% discount* by using the coupon code cmagic

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* Offer is subject to change without notice. Canada's Magic earns a commission when you use the coupon code cmagic.

A question from the floor

Updated at 16:00 the consensus so far:

The Browser's Den of Magic: oldest existing magic shop
Perfect Magic: oldest existing magic shop under single owner (the people that opened it are still running it)
IBM Ring 17 - since 1941
IBM - co-founded by a Canadian in 1923

What is Canada's oldest magic institution?

From Lee Asher's Twitter feed:

@canadasmagic I think @theBrowsersDen is Canada's oldest magic institution. Maybe @jay_sankey @SorcerersSafari or someone else can confirm?!
— Lee Asher (@LeeAsherMagic) November 11, 2014

@canadasmagic @theBrowsersDen I should preface by saying oldest Canadian magic institution "still open".
— Lee Asher (@LeeAsherMagic) December 2, 2014

01 December 2014

David Merry on "Too Much Information"

From David Merry's Twitter feed:

My first episode of Too Much Information @TooMuchInfo_TV is this Tuesday @ 11pm on @SuperChannel Topic: Marriage
— David Merry (@davidmerry) November 20, 2014

@davidmerry hey david! The marriage episode is actually airing next week :)
— Too Much Information (@TooMuchInfo_TV) November 24, 2014

From Toronto is Awesome:

Too Much Information pits two panels of… well, panelists I guess… against each other. Riffing on the topic of the day – Politics. Sex. Religion. You know, the classic non-starters. Each team of panelists waxes on the subject at hand, vying to outwit, out-banter, out-shock and generally out-clever their foes across the isle. Moderated by the affable Norm Sousa (Discovery Channel’s Never Do This at Home) who at times looks like a mischievous kid who stole his Dad’s suit and set out to host a late show. His boyish face lights up when someone says something truly off-key and really lays into an opposing panelist. After all, that’s the beauty of a show that airs at night and the majority of your guests are comedians – there will be some sh*t said.

Sousa kicks things off with a monologue of sorts, testing the electricity in the water. He does a few setups on the theme of the show, to get the crowd warm & loose. It’s definitely not the daytime audience they’re looking to draw. The crowd in these seats comes ready for comedy. Familiar faces saying very naughty things, almost as if the camera isn’t even there

Read more.

Grateful for our December sponsors

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 - The Fun-da-Mentalist,
Evelyn & Phil Matlin, owners of Perfect Magic and
Jeff Pinsky, owner of The Browser's Den of Magic!

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.

Who's where December 2014

Leave a comment on this post to let us know where you're going to be this month!

Jump to date: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31

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6	From the Amazing Corbin's Twitter feed: @canadasmagic I'm at the Schomberg winter festival on Sat DEC 6 with 3 evening performances. pic.twitter.com/ulTfhwSGAA — The Amazing Corbin (@AmazingCorbin) December 1, 2014
7	From the Abracadabaret Facebook page: Post by Abracadabaret.
8	From Keith Brown's Facebook page: Post by Keith Brown - The Official Fan Page.
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11	What's that? The Nerdtacular needs some more magic? @ErdnaseinTO is bringing it! @Tranzac Thursday, 7:30 $10. Be there and be magical! — Nerd Nite Toronto (@nerdnitetoronto) December 8, 2014
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14	From Chris Mayhew's Facebook page (reminder receive a 20% discount* at Magic Tonight with coupon code cmagic): Post by Chris Mayhew.
15	Post by Canada's Magic.
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18	From the Amazing Corbin's Twitter feed: Dec 18 in St. Thomas ON ~ Tickets are $5 each. The Charming Cheat - a very entertaining show. pic.twitter.com/Aaeg8Gy6nP — The Amazing Corbin (@AmazingCorbin) December 2, 2014
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20	From Oakville Kids Twitter feed: See #Magic by @MikeDurzo at @OakvilleCentre; http://t.co/CLqFNleVhs — Oakville Kids (@Oakville_Kids) November 27, 2014
21	Receive a 20% discount* at Magic Tonight with coupon code cmagic From James Alan's Facebook page: Post by James Alan. From Falls Avenue Resort Twitter feed: @MikeDurzo See you on Sunday Dec. 21st for your 1st Magic Show at Falls Avenue Resort http://t.co/Vq6UMBtSOJ pic.twitter.com/4AGx614u2b — Falls Avenue Resort (@fallsavenue) November 28, 2014
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27	#Montreal if you're thinking about considering seeing a show Dec 27/28 think about considering seeing this one I'm on http://t.co/7iONPJNnIm — David Acer (@David_Acer) December 11, 2014 @courtconjuring Sat 27th dec TWO SHOWS! @JohnKimmons @Billykiddshow @ScottDPenrose, Gazzo http://t.co/fUV0Lrgj83 pic.twitter.com/BQEyS2lIDG — STEPHEN BARRY (@Stephen_Barry) December 9, 2014
28	Receive a 20% discount* at Magic Tonight with coupon code cmagic Post by Abracadabaret. #Montreal if you're thinking about considering seeing a show Dec 27/28 think about considering seeing this one I'm on http://t.co/7iONPJNnIm — David Acer (@David_Acer) December 11, 2014
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30	Tix on sale today http://t.co/YmtNmLpnNp for The Conjuror @Soulpepper Limited time run Dec 30-Jan 3 pic.twitter.com/OG9thQ8LMn — David Ben (@theconjuror) June 24, 2014
31	From Incredibrent's Facebook page: Post by The Magic & Comedy of IncrediBrent. From Bill Abbott's Twitter feed: Looking for a New Years party in Toronto? Join @bobbymotta & myself at @DnB_Toronto Dec. 31st for a magical party! pic.twitter.com/ALNJjEZtjU — Bill Abbott (@billabbottlive) December 21, 2014 From the Amazing Corbin's Twitter feed: @canadasmagic Ahoy! I be sailing my ship to the Americana Resort in Niagara Falls ON for a Grand family friendly show on New Years Eve! — Captain Corbin (@Captain_Corbin) December 1, 2014 From David Merry's Twitter feed: Performing on NYE at Shenkman Arts Centre in Ottawa @shenkmanarts with two very funny pals @judycroonsays & @EvanCarterCmedy — David Merry (@davidmerry) October 2, 2014 From Peter Mennie's Twitter feed: The show is free but you have to be a @DeerhurstResort guest to go! http://t.co/VJ72V0tp7B pic.twitter.com/guJt7hnisB — Peter Mennie (@petermennie) November 4, 2014

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* Offer is subject to change without notice. Canada's Magic earns a commission when you use the coupon code cmagic.

30 November 2014

Rounding the Western rings in December

From Carey Lauder's Facebook page:

Post by James Carey Lauder.

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)	- No meeting.
Edmonton, AB	Edmonton Magic Club	- n/a
Winnipeg, MB	The Magic Club of Winnipeg	- n/a
Fraser Valley, BC	IBM Ring 387 (Fraser Valley Magic Circle, Celeste Evans Ring )	- Third Monday Magic
Vancouver, BC	Ring 92 (Vancouver Magic Circle)	- n/a
Vancouver, BC	SAM 95 (Carl Hemeon Assembly)	- n/a
Victoria, BC	Ring 183 (Victoria Magic Circle)	- n/a

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)	- n/a
London, ON	Ring 265 (London Magician's Guild)	- n/a
Kitchener, ON	Ring 235 (The Caesar Hat & Wand Magic Circle)	- Christmas Dinner.
Ottawa, ON	Ring 151 (Ottawa Society of Magicians)	- Michael Close lecture - Christmas Party Pot-luck dinner
Ottawa, ON	Ottawa / Gatineau magicians	- n/a
Toronto, ON	Ring 17 (Sid Lorraine Hat and Rabbit Club)	- David Regal workshop - David Regal lecture

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)	- n/a - Visit their Facebook page.
St. John, NB	Magic Circle of St. John	- n/a

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

29 November 2014

Toronto: Kainoa Harbottle lecture

From the Browser's Den of Magic:

Sunday, December 21

Currently known by most magicians as the coin guru for Reel Magic Magazine and Sleight School, Kainoa just wowed the audiences at the Magic Castle with his all coin close-up act. You may have seen him on Curtis Kam's Palms of Steel series, on the New York Coin Magic DVDs, or even read his many publications on close-up magic. Seeing him live is an entirely different experience.

Kainoa’s lecture will feature magic designed with visual impact, cleanliness of method, and modular climaxes. The material and techniques were developed in the strolling and table-hopping environments of Waikiki. He will also be discussing how to transform your close-up pieces into stand-up material using before and after examples from his repertoire.

Read more and buy tickets.

Montreal: Michael Close and Kainoa Harbottle

From Montreal Magic Jam:

We are excited to announce that we have two amazing magicians coming to Montreal in December. Michael Close, author of the Workers series and one of the top close-up magicians in the world, will be presenting both classic and brand new material in his Dec 10 lecture. The next week, Kainoa Harbottle, one of the most skilled and innovative coin magicians around, will present both a lecture and a workshop. As a thank you for making this an incredible year for the Montreal Magic Jam, we have an ealry Christmas present for you. While individual tickets will be available at the usual price, we’re offering the following specials:

Read more and buy tickets.

[via Magic Information Canada]

28 November 2014

11/2014 update to the Johnny Giordmaine tribute site

From the curator of the Johnny Giordmaine tribute site:

John Giordmaine tribute news.

JohnGiordmaine.com, the online tribute to Canada's most beloved children's magician (1898-1974), has posted an interim update to welcome new visitors from the Society of American Magicians who have read the featured article about Johnny in MUM's December 2014 issue.

All other visitors are also very welcome!

This update features Doug Henning's 1989 "retirement from magic " letter published in GENII. Visitors may be surprised to read that Doug thanked "the late John Giordmaine" first and foremost for helping him "so much over the years" - even before Dai Vernon, Slydini or Jay Marshall!

There are now over 50 pages about Johnny and his inspiring legacy in magic. Remembrances are always very welcome; contact information is on the site, which is:

http://www.johngiordmaine.com

Murray SawChuck on "Extreme Escapes”

Updated at 6:45am to include the link to the Las Vegas Sun article which mentions his recently received Career Achievement Award in the Magic Arts and his Best Comedy Variety Act of 2014 award. Congratulations Murray!

From Vegas News:

“Extreme Escapes” is a new original reality series with death-defying stunts premiering on REELZ, Saturday, November 29

Each one-hour episode of “Extreme Escapes” brings the shock, wonder and danger of escapology to television with astonishing performances by artists including Las Vegas headlining comic magician Murray SawChuck, America’s Got Talent contestant Spencer Horsman, Masters of Illusion LIVE! performer Farrell Dillon, Las Vegas Illusionist Jan Rouven and Hungarian escape artist David Merlini.

Read more.

More on "Extreme Escapes" from the Las Vegas Sun:

There’s no denying that magician Murray Sawchuck is on a roll as he gets ready to take on a new run at Sin City Theater in Planet Hollywood after nearly three years at the Tropicana’s Laugh Factory.

He’s just completed four months of filming “Extreme Escapes,” which starts broadcasting on Reelz for 26 weeks as of this Saturday. He was asked to do the “Blind Drive” illusion and wound up being invited to do more than 21 “escapes” for the series.

Read more.

[via iTricks]

27 November 2014

Phil Matlin's ragtime tour 2014

Phil Matlin, owner of Perfect Magic, will be playing ragtime and touring through Ontario (Elmira, Kitchener, New Hamburg, and Waterloo) at the end of December.

Dec. 26 - Lanark Place 44 Lanark Place, Kitchener
Dec. 29 - Chateau Gardens 11 Herbert St., Elmira
Dec. 30 - Nithview Home 200 Boullee, New Hamburg
Dec. 31 - Parkwood Mennonite Homes, 726 New Hampshire, Waterloo
Dec. 31 - Bankside Terrace 71 Bankside Drive, Kitchener

Watch Phil play Carolina in the Morning below:

26 November 2014

Toronto: Bill Abbott at "Magic Tonight"

From Reality Based Magic:

This week on the show we have Canadian Magician of the Year Bill Abbott. He’s been on the show many times (as evidenced below). Normally you have to go all the way up to Vaughan to see his show Every Trick in the Book at Dave & Busters. But he’s here downtown Sunday, November 30!

Read more and buy tickets.

Receive a 20% discount* at Magic Tonight with coupon code cmagic

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* Offer is subject to change without notice. Canada's Magic earns a commission when you use the coupon code cmagic.

Mark Correia: World record holder

From Mark Correia's Twitter feed:

As a fun little thing to celebrate the record set, I'd love if people could tweet something they liked about the stunt, or a question!
— Mark Correia (@Mark_Correia) November 26, 2014

From the Record Setter Twitter feed:

Canadian magician @Mark_Correia wears a straitjacket for a #worldrecord 14 DAYS, raises $ for @MichaelJFoxOrg: http://t.co/G1hNx14ABs
— RecordSetter (@RecordSetter) November 25, 2014

By my count, that puts the total of Canadian World Record holding magicians to five!

Doug The Great: Heaviest Stilts Mastered. [Guinness World Record]
Scott Hammell: Highest Suspension Straitjacket Escape. [Guinness World Record]
Lucas Wilson: Fastest Suspension Straitjacket Escape. [Guinness World Record]
Michael Francis: Most one-handed coin rolls in a minute. [Guinness World Record]

Toronto: David Regal workshop

From the Sid Lorraine Hat and Rabbit Club Facebook page:

The day before his lecture (Wednesday, December 3) David Regal is doing a performance workshop at the Browser's Den Of Magic. It's limited to a very small group - you get the chance to perform a piece you're working on and get feedback and help. An extremely rare opportunity for that kind of one-on-one attention. Information and tickets are on the club page www.ibmring17.com

25 November 2014

Happy fourth blogiversary to me!

Four years ago today, this blog was born!

Thanks to you wonderful people who have supported this project! More than 1,770 posts have been published, and well over 67,000 page loads have been served. Ninety-two of you have given us your thumbs-up on Facebook, more than 680 of you are following along on Twitter (8800 tweets and counting!), and approximately 80 of you have subscribed to this site's feed. The bulk of you are Canadian, and I'm delighted to see visitors from United States, Ireland,United Kingdom, France, Japan, Germany, and the list goes on.

There are so many of you doing such a fabulous job of making magic a priority in this great country!

A special thanks to:

All of my early supporters. Special shout outs to Ariel, Doug, James, and John for your continued encouragement.
All of you readers, Likers, RTers, submitters, guest posters, contest prize providers and all other manners of promoters of this site.
All of my sponsors, past and present. That means you: Magic Information Canada, Ryan Pilling, Clive Court, Perfect Magic, and The Browser's Den of Magic!
My family for their support of this bloggy experiment.