10 July 2022

Broken wand: Patrick Watson

From the July 4th article "Canadian broadcasting legend Patrick Watson dead at 92" by Jackson Weaver at CBC News:

Watson was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1981, and later promoted to Companion in 2001 for promoting "excellence in Canadian television and radio." He was also a longtime disability advocate after his leg was amputated below the knee in 1960, and served as honorary chair of the Canadian Amputee Sports Association and chairman emeritus of the Canadian Abilities Foundation.

He later became an accomplished pilot, wind-surfer, water-skiier, scuba diver and magician; he had a lifelong love for the craft, and was one of three founding members of Magicana, a Canadian not-for-profit organization dedicated to the study of magic as a performing art.

Read more.


 

From the July 4th Instagram post by Magicana:

With a heavy heart, we report that Magicana’s Chairman Emeritus, Patrick Watson, passed away peacefully in his sleep on July 4, 2022, during his stay at his country home in Ontario. He was 92.

Patrick had a lifelong love for magic, having become smitten with the craft as a child after seeing Johnny Giordmaine demonstrate his wares behind the counter at Eaton’s department store. Patrick’s influence in the magic community extended to co-writing and directing several productions with David Ben, including The Conjuror, to commissioning and narrating documentaries about legendary Canadian magicians Dai Vernon and Stewart James; and to interviewing Johnny Thompson and Charles Reynolds about their lives and work in magic at Magicana’s 31 Faces North conferences.

Read more.


 

 

 

 

 

 

08 July 2022

Ottawa: Eric Leclerc's Magic & Humour [July 8]

Tickets at Eventbrite


From the June 6th Instagram post by Eric Leclerc:

Le 8 Juillet j’offre FINALEMENT un spectacle pour adulte FRANCOPHONE À Ottawa! Billets disponibles dans ma bio! Venez me voir LIVE!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

07 July 2022

Toronto: Pit Hartling lecture [July 22] and workshop [July 23]

From the Browser's Den of Magic newsletter:

Dear Denizens,

We are truly excited to inform you of a lecture and workshop that will most likely never be offered again in Toronto!

We will have Germany's INCREDIBLE Pit Hartling in our shop to give a lecture and workshop!

The Lecture (July 22nd)

Pit Hartling is one of Germany’s most successful magicians. He is part of Germany’s Flicking Fingers magic group, he was the youngest member of the famous Escuela Magica de Madrid and he has won Lecturer of the Year from the Academy of Magical Arts in Hollywood.

Internationally, Pit is best known for his fun and clever style of card magic as well as his Little Green Lecture notes and his critically acclaimed books Card Fictions and In Order to Amaze. In this entertaining show-lecture Pit discusses card effects from his professional repertoire. He covers not only the working of the tricks themselves, but also general principles of method and presentation that can be used in any magic context.

There will be a wide variety of plots and effects, with methods ranging from sleight of hand and clever uses of mathematical and psychological strategies to some routines that are entirely sleight-free!

You'll have fun! You'll be fooled! And you'll leave better equipped to bring that same fun and fooling experience to your audiences!

 
The Workshop (July 23rd)
Memorized Miracles: An introduction to Memorized-Deck Magic

This workshop deals with various aspects of memorized-deck magic with many examples from Pit’s latest book In Order to Amaze.

The vast majority of material is stack-independent and applies to any stack. (Aronson users rejoice!)

According to interest, the methods will range from technically self-working to more demanding material as well as theory, psychology and presentational technique. There will be time for questions and Pit will adjust to the interests of the group as much as possible.

Plots and effects may include: Coincidence effects, Challenge Locations, Poker and Gambling-themed material (including Pits “Poker Formulas“ which were part of his Magic Castle Act), mental effects, personal versions of classics (Weighing the Cards, Predictions,..), unusual plots, visual effects and more.

Techniques to be discussed may include: Full-deck and partial false shuffles, Spread Cull and applications, controls, etc.

General concepts may include: So-called “Improvisation“ with the memorized deck, Memorized deck as Open Index, The Faro and Antifaro concept, Riffle Shuffles and the Interlocking Chain Principle and more.

It is not required to already know a stack; it’s also fine to just join in, have fun and see what this memdeck-stuff is all about! ;)

Duration: About 3h plus breaks for coffee, etc.

A NOTE FROM YOUNG JEFF: Many of you know that I am an avid memdeck user, and I can personally attest to the quality and power of Pit's material from In Order to Amaze. If you're serious about memdeck work (or want to get serious about it) I strongly suggest you attend!

Finally, we would appreciate that being a larger event, coupled with the fact that our shop is not a large space, that everyone who attends wears a mask to enter.

Yours truly and thank you.
The Jeff's, Lisa Close & Luiz. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

06 July 2022

Montreal: Pit Hartling lecture [July 18]

From the Montreal Magic Jam:

Pit Hartling is Germany’s most successful magician in the weight-class under 130 pounds. Pit is part of Germany’s Flicking Fingers group, he was the youngest member of the famous Escuela Magica de Madrid and won Lecturer of the Year from the Academy of Magical Arts in Hollywood.

Internationally, Pit is best known for his fun and clever style of card magic as well as his Little Green Lecture notes and his critically acclaimed books Card Fictions and In Order to Amaze.

In this entertaining show-lecture Pit discusses card effects from his professional repertoire. He covers not only the working of the tricks themselves, but also general principles of method and presentation that can be used in any magic context.There will be a wide variety of plots and effects, with methods ranging from sleight of hand and clever use of mathematical and psychological strategies to some routines that are entirely sleight-free.

Finally, Pit will explain how to become rich and sexy, as well as the correct use of false promises. 

Read more and buy tickets.

 

 

05 July 2022

Thank you to our July 2022 sponsors!

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04 July 2022

Calgary: Jeff Newman's No Camera Tricks [July 7]

Buy your tickets at Eventbrite.

 

From the July 2nd Instagram post by Newman mentalism;

Hey Calgary! In less than a week, I'm heading to @snapfotoclub to put on an incredible night of magic. Not only do you get to see a brain-twisting show, but you'll also have a chance to dress to the nines and snap your next profile picture at Snap Foto Club! See you there!

 

 

 

03 July 2022

Congratulations Billy Hsueh and Rod Chow

Congratulations to:

  • Billy Hsueh, incoming President of the IBM, and
  • Rod Chow, incoming President of SAM

 

From Joe Turner's July 1st Facebook post:

Congratulations to the Vancouver Magic Circle, IBM Ring #92, and to my friends Billy Hsueh and Rod Chow for becoming International President of the IBM and National President of the SAM, respectively. Two great guys, and one fantastic Ring. This commemorative congratulatory ad produced by Ring 92 is wonderful. Well done, all!