The Story of the Blaney Ladder Levitation

A little bird from the IBM head office told me that Walter Blaney turned 87 on February 11th.  If you haven't already, send him a happy birthday e-mail  (Walter AT walterblaney DOT com)!

In the video below, Peter Reveen speaks about the illusion, and if I'm not mistaken, Julie Eng has a cameo as well!

From the Walter Zaney Blaney YouTube channel:

The history of the famous Ladder Levitation Illusion as told by Walter Blaney himself. Guest appearance by David Copperfield, Lance Burton, James Dimmare, Jeff McBride, Peter Reveen, Steve Dacri and Stan Allen. A chapter in the documentary series Still Zaney After All These Years.

[via Carey Lauder and Ryan Joyce]

Shawn Farquhar interviewed in Vanish

From Shawn Farquhar's Facebook page:

Post by Shawn Farquhar.

Matt Disero interviewed by Adam Pal

(I haven't listened to this myself, but it wouldn't surprise me if it was NSFW.)

Rumour has it that James Alan does a cameo.


From PALmCAST Network's YouTube channel:

Ted and Marion Outerbridge in the Nanaimo Daily News

From the Nanaimo Daily News:

Ted Outerbridge's love of illusions started at the age of seven when the neighbourhood magician Magic Tom freaked him out by pulling an egg out of his ear.

The same magician had a TV show out of Montreal, and Outerbridge also has a specific memory of watching him perform a trick with hankerchiefs that blew his mind.

"I still remember it today, how I was so amazed, and I was very determined to be able to deliver that same experience of wonder," he said.

It became an obsessive focus as Outerbridge studied magic books and then got a job at the local magic store.

"The owner of the store, Richard Olsen, he taught me all kinds of things and I learned so much," he said. "All the big magicians coming through town would drop into the store and I got to meet them. That was really huge for me."

Read more.

via Perfect Magic's Facebook page:

Post by Perfect Magic.

Calgary: James Jordan at WOWFest

From James Jordan Twitter feed:

http://t.co/QPrtz3lUyz Excited to return to #Calgary's only #Magical #arts #festival WowFest. Get tickets at http://t.co/763xbiY3ot #yyc
— James Jordan (@JJordanmagic) February 8, 2015

Wes Zaharuk, Phil Pivnick and Ben Train at "Magic Tonight"

Confirm details by visiting Abracadabaret.com

 

Mississauga (Thurs):  Wes Zaharuk

Pickering (Fri):   Phil Pivnick

Toronto (Sun):  Ben Train


James Alan, over at Abracadaberet, has kindly offered the readers of Canada's Magic a coupon code for 50% off tickets to "Magic Tonight!"  Use the coupon code cmagic when you buy your tickets for Magic Tonight to receive your discount*.




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

Montreal: The McCord Museum magic acquisition

From the Montreal Gazette:

The McCord Museum has acquired a $3-million collection of 600 posters, 200 rare books and 200 documents relating to the golden age of magic – from the 19th to early 20th centuries. 

Included are objects linked to Harry Houdini, including personal correspondence and scrapbooks. Houdini performed in Montreal four times, including the event in 1926 where a McGill student punched Houdini in the stomach before he was prepared for it, rupturing his appendix. Houdini died a week later.

“It’s the second-largest collection of Houdini material held in a public institution,” said David Ben, artistic director of Magicana, an organization dedicated to the study of magic. Ben served as an adviser to the museum and was there on Monday as journalists were invited into the museum vaults to view some of the artifacts.  The Library of Congress in the U.S. has the largest such collection, making this the most extensive in Canada. “The collection is significant,” Ben said.

Read more.

From Julie Eng's Facebook page:

Post by Julie Eng.

More media links:

La magie entre au musée - La Presse+ http://t.co/Wl9al8mkMr via @lp_lapresse
— Julie Eng (@anjusan) February 10, 2015

Thrilled to be present at @museemccord announcement of its new magic collection. See video and hear interview here: http://t.co/TQgWdXrC3Q
— David Ben (@theconjuror) February 10, 2015

Acquisition majeure pour le Musée! RT @LeDevoir: #Houdini surgit au @MuseeMcCord http://t.co/rE0k1UazT3 pic.twitter.com/B3f0evCpMt
— Musée McCord Museum (@MuseeMcCord) February 10, 2015

Montreal’s McCord Museum gifted largest cache of magic-related memorabilia in Canada - The Globe and Mail http://t.co/LXMmbexcvl
— Magicana (@sharingwonder) February 10, 2015

Thirty seconds with Ben Train

This is the fifth in a series of "Thirty seconds with ..." interviews, so called because I approached the interviewees at Sorcerers Safari Magic and Performance Arts Camp last summer with the idea that I would interview them for 30 seconds. It didn't always work that way.

Professional magician Benzi Train is from Toronto, Ontario.  Proud of his homecountry, Ben thinks of "poutine, maple syrup, and free health care" when thinking about Canada.  (Good thing for that health care too; poutine and maple syrup aren't good for you in large doses.)

FUN FACT:
Ben's a fan of Harry Potter, chocolate chip cookies and Netflix.

DID YOU KNOW?
Ben's most embarrassing moment was getting pantsed at camp last summer. (I think there's video footage of that out there somewhere.  Finding it will be left as an exercise for the reader.)

Ben first came to Sorcerers Safari Magic and Performance Arts Camp loving the idea that two of his passions, magic and camping, could be experienced simultaneously.  He comes back because, it's "the most amazing place in the world."  The words family, fun, and magic come immediately to mind when he thinks about magic camp.    Last summer marked Ben's twelfth year at Sorcerers Safari.  He has attended as a counsellor in training, a counsellor and most recently as an instructor.

Ben's first memory of magic was seeing Triumph performed when he was 14 years old.  He hopes that magicians today adapt to, integrate, and utilize all of the new technology and platforms to their advantage.

Ben heads up Five Academy Magic and performs as well as lectures all over the world.

Visit Ben's website at bentrain.ca .

Ben will be appearing this coming Sunday at Magic Tonight (50% discount with coupon code cmagic) .


From the Fireside Productions Facebook page:

Post by Fireside Productions.

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Previously published "Thirty seconds with ..." interviews:

Dan Wiebe | Eric Leclerc | Lisa Close | Alex Seaman

From the Sorcerers Safari Twitter feed:

Guarantee your spot at #MagicCamp Aug.15-19 2015. Tell your parents registration is on your wish list - it's now open at sorcererssafari.ca
— Sorcerers Safari (@SorcerersSafari) December 22, 2014

Pickpocket James on Daytime TV

From Pickpocket James' Twitter feed:

Popping on Daytime TV for the Live show on Feb. 16th. @RTVBarrie @VioletsVenue
— PickpocketJames (@PickpocketJames) February 10, 2015

Shawn Farquhar interviewed by Scott Wells

There are two parts to the interview!

From Shawn Farquhar's Facebook page:

Post by Shawn Farquhar.

Europe: Jay Sankey tour

From Jay Sankey's newsletter:

I also love meeting my awesome students and fans. Which is why I'm so psyched for my European Lecture Tour, starting NEXT WEEK! 

Bruxelles/ Feb 16
Lieges/ Feb 17
Luxembourg/ Feb 18
Geneve/ Feb 19
Reims/ Feb 20
Strasbourg/ Feb 21
Dijon/ Feb 23
Clermont Ferrand/ Feb 24
St. Etienne/ Feb 25
Nimes/ Feb 26
Marseille/ Feb 27
Toulouse/ Feb 28
Poitiers/ March 2
Lorient/ March 3
Paris/ March 4
Bale/ March 5
Zurich/ March 6
Lille/ March 9
Velden/ March 10
Antwerpen/ March 11 

Read more.

Toronto: Markham Street Films at the Browser's Den of Magic

From the Browser's Den of Magic Facebook page:

Hello everyone! Tomorrow a film crew from Toronto's Markham Street Films will be at Browser's Den of Magic starting around 2:30pm to shoot footage for a documentary film about the bullet catch. The documentary features Scott Hammell, Magic Mike Segal (who will be in attendance at Browsers), and numerous other magicians. The crew would love to meet some young, budding local magicians to hear their stories, see them shop and talk about tricks, and to discuss the joy and wonder of getting into magic for the first time. Please come out if you are interested in participating. Please note, individuals under the age of 18 must have a guardian with them to sign a consent form to appear on camera. We hope to meet everyone there! 

Read more.

Mark Correia: Card to vending machine

From Mark Correia's YouTube channel:

Toronto: Browser's Bash update *More tickets are now available!*

From the Browser's Den of Magic newsletter:

Dear Magic Friend,  

Thank you very much for your patience regarding the Browser's Magic Bash. 

*More tickets are now available!*  

The wonderful news is that to accommodate everyone we have switched to a bigger and better venue, the Montecassino Hotel and Banquet Hall(3710 Chesswood Dr. Toronto, On. M3J 2P6).  

The Montecassino is:

• - 5 minutes off the 401 highway.

• - Has loads of Free Parking (if you're driving).

• - 5 minute bus ride (15 minute walk) from the Downsview Subway station.

• -Connected to a hotel in the event you want to stay overnight.

Buy A Ticket To The BROWSER'S MAGIC BASH 2015

(click here) 

We hope that you still plan on attending. 

Sincerely,
Jeff Pinsky
(Your faithful magic shop owner) 

ps. As always, if you have any questions about the BASH, just ask. I'm right here with the answers!

Read more and buy your ticket.

Ted and Marion Outerbridge on CBC Yukon

From Perfect Magic's Facebook page:

Post by Perfect Magic.

Win tickets to "Sketchy Magic"

Chris Westfall is having a contest to win one pair of tickets to his upcoming show "Sketchy Magic" on Tuesday April 7th in Toronto, Canada.

To enter:

• Follow Sketchy Magic on Twitter (@SketchyMagicTO)
• Tweet to @SketchyMagicTO your sketchiest first date story.  (You do not need to be a magican to enter the contest.)
• If you win, you must be willing to provide your full name and contact information to share with Chris.
• Chris will be notifying the winner by Twitter on Monday February 16, 2015.

The fine print:

• To participate in the contest, you must be 18 years of age or older.
• One entry per person.
• This giveaway is open to Canadian residents.
• This giveaway is void where prohibited by law.
• You must be able to use the tickets as offered.  (No cash value will be offered if you cannot use the tickets.)
• Photo ID will be required to claim the tickets at the show.
• The odds of winning depend on how many people enter the contest.
• Contest closes on Sunday February 15th, 2015 at 11:59pm EST.

From Chris Westfall's Facebook page:

Post by Chris Westfall.

Use the coupon code cmagic when you buy your tickets for Sketchy Magic to receive a 50% discount*.








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

Ben Train, Chris Mayhew and Wes Zaharuk at "Magic Tonight"

Confirm details by visiting Abracadabaret.com

Mississauga (Thurs):  Ben Train

Pickering (Fri):  Wes Zaharuk

Toronto (Sun):  Chris Mayhew


James Alan, over at Abracadaberet, has kindly offered the readers of Canada's Magic a coupon code for 50% off tickets to "Magic Tonight!"  Use the coupon code cmagic when you buy your tickets for Magic Tonight to receive your discount*.




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

Ty Reveen in The Telegram

From The Telegram:

Ty Reveen returning to perform in St. John’s, where his father did his last show
You have to concentrate when speaking with Ty Reveen. Every story leads down a series of paths that reveal a little more about who he is and why Newfoundland is so important to him.

Newfoundland played a big part in the fate of The Man They Call Reveen and his son, Ty.

Read more.

David Merry at the The Old Naples Comedy Club

From David Merry's Twitter feed:

Playing The Old Naples Comedy Club this Thursday through Valentines day with @briancorrion http://t.co/ANTsJ8VBXW pic.twitter.com/mYFXiMtroR
— David Merry (@davidmerry) February 8, 2015

Thirty seconds with Alex Seaman

This is the fourth in a series of "Thirty seconds with ..." interviews, so called because I approached the interviewees at Sorcerers Safari Magic and Performance Arts Camp last summer with the idea that I would interview them for 30 seconds. It didn't always work that way.


Alex Seaman is a university student and professional magician from Vancouver, BC. Alex's magic mentor, Shawn Farquhar, first tipped Alex to Sorcerers Safari Magic and Performance Arts Camp many years ago.  Alex considers magic camp to be the "best week of the year" and can't wait to come back.  He says Sorcerers Safari is all about "sharing magic and experience."  Alex has been a camp counsellor for four years.

FUN FACT:
Alex takes Superman over Batman any day.

DID YOU KNOW?
This past summer, Alex was nominated to the Executive Board of the International Brotherhood of Magicians and hopes to help nourish the growing strength in the community of magicians.

Alex's first memory of magic is seeing a magician at a birthday party when he was five years old. Alex received a magic kit as a gift and the rest, as they say, is history.  Alex hopes that the younger generation in magic will develop a strong sense of ethics in magical performance and display a greater willingness to credit the sources / resources upon which they draw.  He advises aspiring magicians to learn about the importance of performance over method, to cite sources, and to connect with their audiences.

Alex has empowered new students through the art of magic in his after-school programs and lessons across the school district. Leading by example, at only 19 years old Alex became the President of the Vancouver Magic Circle (I.B.M. Ring #92), making him the youngest Ring President in the International Brotherhood of Magicians.

When not engrossed in magical activity or his university studies, Alex spends his free time as a Scout Leader.

Visit Alex's website at:  GottaBeMagic.com .

Here's a picture of Alex doing the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge at camp from Carey Lauder's Facebook page:

Post by James Carey Lauder.

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Previously published "Thirty seconds with ..." interviews:

Dan Wiebe | Eric Leclerc | Lisa Close

From the Sorcerers Safari Twitter feed:

Guarantee your spot at #MagicCamp Aug.15-19 2015. Tell your parents registration is on your wish list - it's now open at sorcererssafari.ca
— Sorcerers Safari (@SorcerersSafari) December 22, 2014