Fergus: Bringing magic to the Fergus Grand Theatre

From the January 5th, 2018 article "Ryan Joyce aims to bring world class magicians to Fergus" by Jaime Myslik in the Wellington Advertiser:

“I’m trying to find ways to stay more locally bound and still do what I love,” he said. “I think we might have found a unique way to do both.”

The first project he’s working on is called Magician’s Masterclass, which is an educational show for magicians hosted by a guest magic legend and will be filmed at the Fergus Grand Theatre.

The goal is to “see how they learn and teach and explore magic, all on camera,” Joyce said.

The first episode was released in December with host Michael Close, a magic consultant for Penn & Teller: Fool Us.

Read more.

From Fergus Filming:

I asked Michael (Close) to join us to film an exciting new project for the magic community that teaches some of magic’s most well-gaurded secrets.  The project is turning out better than I expected and there is interested to bring other world-famous magicians and variety artists right here to our community.

While filming, it became very clear the opportunity that lay ahead.  I am gearing up to bring some of the world’s greatest magicians, variety artists and visual entertainers right here to Fergus Grand Theatre and film shows for distribution.

These performances will be free* and we need to fill all 255 seats with an enthusiastic live studio audience.  Sorry, I can’t mention too many juicy details yet.  You’ll be the first to know by signing up for updates below!  Don’t worry, I don’t have time to spam you– kinda busy working to make this happen (plus travelling like crazy for my job)

Read more and subscribe to newsletter.

Introducing "Magician's Masterclass"

Magician's Masterclass is brought to you by Ryan Joyce, Graeme Reed, Peter Mennie, and Matt DiSero.

From Magician's Masterclass:

A place where magicians help magicians.

Registration is free and you can join now.  Behind these walls are videos, podcasts, ideas and trade secrets for serious magicians, enthusiasts and professionals. We’ll also offer incredible classes and resources from the minds of the world’s greatest magicians.

Read more and register.

Montreal: Mahdi Gilbert lecture

From the Montreal Magic Jam:

Tuesday January 9th

Mahdi Gilbert is one of the hottest magicians in the world. His magic is incredible, his sleight of hand impeccable. Oh and he does all this without even having hands.

Mahdi has performed his magic all over the world and has been seen on TV by over 270 million people. Here’s your chance to see him live, performing and teaching some of his signature routines, talking about his thinking, as well as teaching some tricks that you haven’t seen before. Here’s your chance to sit down and spend an evening with one of the most inspirational magicians on the planet.

Read more and buy tickets.

Rounding the Western rings in January 2018

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)	- TBA
Edmonton, AB	Edmonton Magic Club	- TBA
Winnipeg, MB	The Magic Club of Winnipeg	- SYM - Mini-wands, Top Hats, workshop
Fraser Valley, BC	IBM Ring 387 (Fraser Valley Magic Circle, Celeste Evans Ring)	- Third Monday Magic.
Vancouver, BC	Ring 92 (Vancouver Magic Circle)	- Woody Aragon lecture and show - Ryan Pilling lecture - AGM
Vancouver, BC	SAM 95  (Carl Hemeon Assembly)	- Ryan Pilling lecture
Victoria, BC	Ring 183 (Victoria Magic Circle)	- VMC dinner

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

Rounding the Central rings in January 2018

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

Montreal, QC	Ring 62 (20th Century Ring)	- Second Saturday night special - Meetup Mensuel - Sunday brunch - Instagram Tuesday
Hamilton, ON	Ring 49 (The Doug Henning Magic Wand Club)	- Workshop night.
London, ON	Ring 265 (London Magician's Guild)	- Christmas treasures.
Kitchener, ON	Ring 235 (The Caesar Hat & Wand Magic Circle)	- Teach-a-trick night
Ottawa, ON	Ring 151 (Ottawa Society of Magicians)	- TBA.
Ottawa, ON	Ottawa / Gatineau magicians	- TBA
Toronto, ON	Ring 17 (Sid Lorraine Hat and Rabbit Club)	- Members' nights!

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

Rounding the Eastern rings in January 2018

Does anybody have current information to share about the Magic Circle of St. John?

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

Halifax, NS	Ring 316 (Conjourer's Court)	- Visit their Facebook page.
St. John, NB	Magic Circle of St. John	- TBA

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

Richmond Hill: January coaching session with Michael Close

From Michael Close:

During these sessions I will offer the same services I do in my role as consultant on Penn & Teller: Fool Us – addressing any technical problems, editing scripts, examining blocking and staging concerns, strengthening the clarity of the effect, and much, much more. You will get thousands of dollars worth of help and advice. For a limited time I am offering this at a greatly discounted price. This is your opportunity to take your existing material to the next level.

Please Note: Attendance will be very limited to ensure personalized attention.

Date: Wednesday, January 23, 2018

Read more and register.

From Matt DiSero's Facebook page:

Vancouver: Woody Aragon lecture and show

From the Vancouver Magic Circle:

Woody Aragon Show January 20th
Join us at the Inlet Theatre on Saturday January 20th as The Vancouver Magic Circle presents Magic with Woody Aragon! Direct from Spain, this is an exclusive, one time only, one man show!

Woody Aragon Lecture
Our next lecture is Woody Aragon, Sunday, January 21st. This is his ONLY appearance in Canada. Named by many as one of the greatest card magicians of the new generation, Woody is a North American and European FISM champion, winner of the main awards in close up magic and a wonderful performer! He's the author of two best selling books, a multi-disc DVD set and Magic Castle nominee.

Read more and buy tickets.

From Shawn Farquhar's Facebook page:

Toronto: Jon Armstrong lecture

A quick reminder that all are welcome this Saturday, January 6th at Browser's Free Magic Club.

The club meets at Browser's from 2:30pm to about 5:30pm.


From the Browser's Den of Magic:

Sunday, January 21, 2018

Dear Denizens,

We hope that you've been enjoying the holidays. Here at the Browser's Den we've been working on our first lecture of 2018, and we think you'll be as excited as we are.

Jon Armstrong is a multiple award-winning magician, including Close-up Magician of the Year at the prestigious Magic Castle in Hollywood. He was the resident magician at Disney World's Epcot Centre, as well as one of the house magicians at Caesar's Magical Empire.

He's been a top consultant to the film and television industry. He was featured on the Netflix documentary Magicians: Life in the Impossible. He's been on Masters of Illusion and Penn and Teller's Fool Us, and now he's bringing all his talents to the Browser's Den.

Join us on Sunday January 21st as Jon takes us on a journey through his magic, teaching not only the how but the why. And don't worry, the Tiny Plunger will be there!

Thank you for your kind support-Old Jeff, Young Jeff & The Browser's Den Team

Read more and buy tickets.

A new year. A new CAM.

It's time for me to renew my membership with the Canadian Association of Magicians (CAM) and I encourage you to do the same.

I recently received an email from Joan Caesar, which said in part:

Our January magazine (Northern Peeks) will be larger than in the previous few years, and there’s a drive to become more modern in every way.

Our CAMaraderie convention will be held in conjunction with the Québec Festival of Magic in the historic Quebec City May 3-6. The performers they have booked are outstanding.

We’re always looking for people to help, especially with Northern Peeks. We’d love to receive articles, big or small, from all regions of Canada, and we’d be honoured to hear from you. We can’t survive without our members and their help.

To become a member, renew your membership, or learn more about CAM, visit their website at cammagic.org

Toronto: The newest hat and rabbit trick in the book

Tonight's performers (January 2nd) are mentioned at the bottom of the post.

From The Toronto Magic Company Facebook page:

A note to subscribers: the content of this post is embedded from another website and is not available to preview. To view the content of the post, please visit http://CanadasMagic.blogspot.com. Some of the embedded code may be visible in this notification.




Also from The Toronto Magic Company Facebook page:

Happy 2018!

Wishing you and yours a year filled with awe and wonder!

In memoriam 2017

• Evans, Celeste (1931 - 2017) 
• Fattah, Suley ( - 2017)
• Foy, Vincent ( - 2017)
• Fricker, Bruce ( - 2017)
• Khan, Arshan ( - 2017) 
• Sacco, Nick (1947 - 2017)

Please e-mail additions or corrections to "canadasmagic at gmail dot com"

Top 5 posts in December 2017

Out of all the posts at Canada's Magic this month, here are the 5 most viewed posts in the past 30 days:

5. London: Michael Close at The Session 2018 - Sounds like a great way to start the new year!

4. Outerbridge Clockwork Mysteries in The Medicine Hat News - Ted and Marion put on a fabulous show!

3. A very Canadian optical illusion - Owen Anderson illustrates an effect I first saw David Acer demonstrate.

2. Phil Matlin's 2017 Ragtime Tour - Magicians, they are a multi-talented bunch!

and the most viewed post this month  ...

1. Vote now for the 2017 Readers' Choice award - 107 votes were cast.  I hope to get the results posted soon!

Thank you for a great 2017!

We couldn't have done it without you!

Thank you to our readers, our fans, our followers, our wonderful guest posters (Dennis Schick and The Magic Demon), those who sent news our way, and last but not least, thank you to all of this year's friends (John Smithman, John Harrison, Richard Lyn, Joan Caesar, The Outerbridges and Ian Crawford) and sponsors (be sure to support them!):

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.

London: Michael Close at The Session 2018

From The Session:

The Session & The Event – January 12th – 14th 2018

Now based just two minutes from Heathrow airport (making it very easy to get to!), you’ll learn the true secrets of performing amazing close-up magic and mentalism from some of the best in the industry.

With a variety of workshops, lectures, parties and plenty of time to session (of course), it’s no wonder that The Session has sold out every single year. With one-off events and lectures designed specifically for this event, The Session is not just a conference; it is a learning experience like no other in magic.

The Session 2018 promises to be the best yet! In previous years our guests were sharing magic with the likes of Derren Brown, David Blaine, Dynamo, Rune Klan, Troy, Ben Hanlin, Guy Hollingworth, Pit Hartling, Denis Behr, Daniel Madison, Roberto Giobbi, Juan Tamariz, and more. You would be CRAZY to skip The Session 2017. We’ll be announcing more info soon!

Read more and register.

From the Facebook page of Michael Close:

Hamilton: Michael Kras' "The Year and Two of Us Back Here"

From the Twitter feed of Michael Kras:
A note to subscribers: the content of this post is embedded from another website and is not available to preview. To view the content of the post, please visit http://CanadasMagic.blogspot.com. Some of the embedded code may be visible in this notification.

Also, my new play The Year and Two of Us Back Here is officially premiering at the @HamOntFringe in 2018 at @TheStaircase. It's really personal and also has the longest title at the Fringe this year probably. I can't wait to share it with you. pic.twitter.com/srieQJfaSu

— Michael Kras (@KrasMagic) December 12, 2017

Carleton establishing Chair for the Study of the Conjuring Arts

Speaking of picking a post-secondary school, Carleton is adding a new magical incentive!

(There's a nice mention of Johnny Giordmaine in the post too.)


From the December 20th post at the Carleton Newsroom:

Carleton University is pleased to announce the creation of the Allan Slaight Chair for the Study of the Conjuring Arts, thanks to a $2-million leadership gift from The Slaight Family Foundation that has been matched by the university. The Chair will work with students on various topics in many disciplines and will join the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.

“We are honoured to be the recipient of The Slaight Family Foundation’s generosity and excited for the learning opportunities this Chair will create,” says Carleton’s Interim President Alastair Summerlee. “As a society, it’s imperative that we understand when we are being deceived. It’s also important to remember that magicians are among some of history’s greatest performers and influencers.”

Read more.

Isn't this how everyone picks a post-secondary school?

From the December 19 article "The Things We Do For Love (of Magic)" by Evelyn Matlin at the Perfect Magic blog:

So here’s the story. Before Christmas Stephane came to our shop for  supplies. He was talking to Phil at this point, as I was with another customer so I don’t know how the topic came up,  but I caught a bit of the conversation and later got the whole story. Stephane told us when he graduated from CEGEP, he was accepted by four Universities. He told his father he wanted to go to the Polytechnique  Montréal. His father said, “Why do you want to go there? You can go to any University, you can go to McGill!” and Stephane said he made up some excuse that he told his father and that’s where he went.

He said “Very few people know this but I chose it because ...

Read more.

A magical Diversion to start the New Year

From the December 12th article "Entertainment Diversion Opposes The Great Illusion Friday, January 5th!" by Pascal at le blog TV news (translated by Google):

A program presented by Arthur and proposed by Satisfaction, The Television Agency, broadcast Friday, January 5 at 21 hours on TF1.

For one evening, forget everything you think you know about magic and let yourself be immersed in the incredible universe of "DIVERSION"!

" For this second issue, six magicians specializing in illusion or mentalism will take control of your TV!" Caroline Marx "The Sorcerer", Enzo Wayne "The Elusive", Luc Langevin "The Scientist", Gus " The manipulator ", Antonio" the expert "and Viktor Vincent" The mentalist "have given themselves the mission to make you spend an amazing evening that mixes magic and humor On the set, they will surprise anonymous and celebrities with blows many more bluffing turns than the others! "

Read more.

Read original article "Le divertissement Diversion opposé à La grande illusion vendredi 5 janvier !" in French.


From the MT1 Twitter feed:

@Diversion revient sur @TF1 vendredi 5 janvier 2018 à 21:00 présenté par @Arthur_Officiel accompagné de @LucLangevin, #ViktorVincent, @GusIllusionnist, @Caroline_Marx_, @EnzoIllusion, & #Antonio ! #Diversion pic.twitter.com/Ho51X6s8wb

— MT1 🎄 (@MT1_Off) December 12, 2017