SOMA wearing pie

And now, for no particular reason, a video of SOMA getting pies in his face at Sorcerers Safari 2012.

Go to the Facebook Page to watch the video at full size.

X-elent Lecture Series: The end of the road

From the X-elent Lecture Series website:

For the past 9 years, we've had some of the greatest lecturers come through the region and share their hard-earned knowledge with us.

This has been no small feat, nor something easily accomplished. Without the dedicated help of each city, we would have never lasted as long as we have.

Under the X-elent Series banner, the region has seen 47 of the best lectures possible. But as they say, ...all good things must come to an end. It's with a sad heart that I make the following announcement.

Season 9 was the final season of the X-elent Lecture Series.

Read more.
 

Read what Calgarian Yeats Wong had to say about his experience with the X-elent series and it's creator, Lee Asher.

Thank you Lee, for all you've done to bring more magic to Canada!

Welcoming a new patron: Ryan Pilling

Welcome to our newest sponsor, Ryan Pilling!

Based out of Calgary, Ryan is not only a comedy magician, but he is also: a blogger, a designer, and an author!  Check out:

Playing Big -- Making magic out of tricks:

Ryan blogs about peformance observations and tips. He recently posted about "The Importance of Being Bad" and his post "If You Can't Say Anything Nice" is a topic that really resonates with me.

The Magic Assistant -- Gwyn Auger:

From Gwyn's website:

Gwyn Auger is a vivacious, creative woman who brings dedication and enthusiasm to every project she embarks on. Gwyn’s primary goal is to be a full time magician’s assistant, and as a trained dancer and professional model, she brings beauty and grace to any stage.  

Gwyn is an integral part of tongue-in-cheek horror show "A Brush With Death," which has taken Calgary by storm!

In my experience, Gwyn definitely has her finger on the pulse of the magical happenings in Calgary!

WowFest:

Back in October we first heard the news about Ryan's idea for Wowfest -- a Magic Arts Festival that he'd like to launch in Calgary.  In November he shared the exciting news that he received funding for the project!  Listen to Ryan interviewed on CBC's The Homestretch, talking about WowFest.

If you haven't already, go and "like" the WowFest Facebook page and then go to the WowFest website to subscribe to the project's newsletter.

Finding the Funny --  A Professional Entertainer's Guide to Improvisation, Ad-Libs, and Audience Interaction:

"Learn the techniques to creating inspired moments of comedy, and getting the best out of your audience volunteers."

"This guidebook will help the practiced magician, juggler, clown and other entertainers add the sparkle of spontaneity to their performances."
 

Thank you Ryan, for your efforts towards raising the profile of magic in Calgary, and for your sponsorship!

Murray SawChuck returns to Pawn Stars

According to iTricks, Murray SawChuck will appear in today's episode of Pawn Stars, called The Offer.

From the History.com website:

Then, when a guy brings in a historic magician s "sawing in half" box the guys learn that cutting Chumlee in half is the easy part... putting him back together is a bit tougher.

Read more.

[h/t: iTricks]

Two years and 783 posts later....

Two years ago today, I published the very first post at this website.  Since that time over 28,000 page loads have been served.  There are 325 Twitter followers and I've sent 3400+ tweets into the ether.  There are  65 Facebook fans and 44 subscribers.  While the majority of readers are Canadian, our readers also come from the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Malaysia, Portugal, Australia, and the list goes on and on.

There are so many wonderful things going on in this country's magic community and I'm barely scratching the surface!

Thank you, as always, for reading, subscribing, re-tweeting, liking, sharing, submitting news, corresponding, making me aware of typos, guest posting, sponsoring and most of all for your wonderful feedback and continued support!

Toronto: The Mark Lewis Magic Show

Updated December 18th to extend the run to the end of January.

From Toronto.ca:

Starts: December 2, 2012
Ends: December 30, 2012  January 27, 2013
  
From the second the show starts, right through to the very end, the children will be laughing with delight! The show is sheer mayhem, madness, and magic! Through his decades of experience, Mark Lewis has achieved a rapport with his young audiences that is unequalled in this area of entertainment!
Read more

For more information, visit the Lower Ossington Theatre website or visit Ticketwise to purchase your tickets.

Alex Kazam vs.Teller

And now for something completely different...

Alex Kazam vs.Teller

Welcoming a new patron: The Fun-da-Mentalist!

Welcome to our newest sponsor, Clive Court, The Fun-da-Mentalist!

Clive's impressive career has taken him from England to Australia, New Zealand, the United States and lucky for us, Canada!  Some notable professional highlights include:

• Performed in London's West End as a teenager.
• "One of the best known magicians on Australian television." -- TV Week
• Wrote and cast "A History of Mystery," the first hour-long TV magic special produced in Australasia.
• Produced the TV magic special, "The Vanishing Art," shown on PBS.
• Approached by Gene Gordon, to give his first lecture in Buffalo.
• Developed the concept of the Canadian Telefilm Broadcast Fund.
• Helped to develop Canada's first degree program in Public Relations.
• Recently reinstated into the Magic Circle.

Currently, Clive performs as The Fun-da-Mentalist, "a cabaret entertainer who specializes in demonstrations of mind-bending magical experiences."

If you haven't already, read Clive's full biography.  It is fascinating!  (It may be that Clive is responsible for my introduction to Monty Python's Flying Circus via PBS.)

Thank you Clive, The Fun-da-Mentalist, for your tireless efforts towards the improvement of Canadian Television and your sponsorship of this website!

Recently asked question

A reader of this blog recently asked:

As I sponsor, may I submit more than one ad image for display?

Short answer: yes.

I can set your sponsorship up, at no extra charge, to randomly display one of a maximum of 4 images, when a reader comes to this website.  I cannot guarantee that all images will receive an exactly equal number of views.

If two or more of you out there would like to split a sponsorship, you may do so.  One of you would need to be the "point person" and coordinate the provision of all of the images, details and communications for the group.

If, however, if you'd like more than one image on display at the same time, you'd be required to pay a sponsorship rate for each of the images.

Publication ready art / graphics are to be supplied by the sponsor.  Graphic design services are available at an additional charge.

Now is the perfect time to become a sponsor of this website, while our 50% off annual sponsorship rates deal is still in effect!

 

California: Oslen's Dance & Illusions

From Star Tickets:

Friday January 11th 2013

At a very tender age, Oslen witnessed David Copperfield in The Great Escapes. It was love at first sight. Oslen’s curiosity and new found passion for magic led him on an incredible journey. He studied performing arts at school, where he mastered a wide range of craft, including magic, dance, music and acting. Over the next twenty years, this boy next door morphed into the glamorous illusionist he is today.

Read more.
 

David Blaine at Tim Hortons

Not really.

But This Hour Has 22 Minutes imagined what it would look like if David Blaine were to take a shift at Timmys!




[h/t: iTricks]

Billy Kidd reads minds on Breaking Magic

From the Huffington Post:

"Breaking Magic" continues its quest to show the science behind some of magic's most famous tricks. On this week's episode, illusionist Billy Kidd pulled the curtain back on the trick behind some basic mind reading stunts performed on the streets.

Read more.

50% off yearly sponsorship rates!

Show your support for Canada's Magic, the website Shawn Farquhar describes as:

"the finest location for up to date information on magic in Canada."

Canada's Magic is offering, for a limited time, a 50% discount on the listed price of any one year advertising package.  Qualifying packages include the Platinum, Gold, and Silver annual rates. (This offer does not include Sponsored Posts.)

Join the company of patron Magic Information Canada and sponsor us (or be our friend) today!

For more information, please visit the "Sponsor" tab, leave your question in a comment below or send an e-mail.

Thank you for your continued support!

Fraser Lake: The magic of recovery

Ray brings "The Magic of Recovery" to Fraser Lake on November 20th. 3 full hours of entertainment and education.
— Ray Bertrand (@RayBertrand) November 17, 2012

Wowfest Magic Festival on CBC's The Homestretch

Listen to Ryan Pilling as he is interviewed on CBC's The Homestretch about his recent successful funding of his Wowfest Magic Festival initiative.

Cote St. Luc: Another children's magic workshop

From Montreal Families:

Nov 18, 2012

Do you want to watch a magician perform his tricks, or do you want to learn how to do them yourself? The Amazing Todsky will be sharing his trade secrets with you. You'll walk away with special skills sure to dazzle and captivate your friends and family.

Read more.

[h/t: Perfect Magic]

Dorval: Children's magic workshop

From Montreal Families:

Nov 18, 2012
Children will learn how to mystify and astound with clever magic tricks.

Read more.

[h/t: Perfect Magic]

Tony Eng Memorial Lecture

Go over to Sharing Wonder to read all about the first ever Tony Eng Memorial Lecture, given by Joe Monti, which took place at this year's Tri-City 3 of Clubs Convention.  What a wonderful way to honour the memory of Tony Eng!

Creative Ensemble

Check out Creative Ensemble, the brainchild of Ring 17's own Deborah Fallick!

Creative Ensemble is a database of resumés and job opportunities for disciplinces related to performance and the periphery of performance artists (includes Information Technology, Video Production, Graphic Design etc).

What a fabulous idea!  Best of luck with this endeavour Deborah!

Toronto: A 6th slice of magic

From Pick Any Card:

Monday, 26 November 2012

Chris Westfall with Chris Mayhew and Keith Brown at Boston pizza.

Read more and purchase tickets.

[h/t: Deborah Fallick]

Ben Train is the Blue Crown's special guest tonight

From The Blue Crown Facebook page:

Our Question of the Day comes from our special guest - Ben Train!

"Everyone likes impromptu tricks, but I think we can all agree that sometimes great pieces of magic require preparation (other than just practice).

So here's my question. What's the furthest, or most elaborate, set-up you've been willing to go through to create a real miracle?" - Ben Train

Don't forget to join us TONIGHT at 8PM eastern time for a LIVE hour-long Q&A session with Ben! See you there!

Read more.

Bill Abbott at The Session

Bill Abbott will be will be presenting at The Session, the UK's only close-up magic convention, in January 2013. 

We'd previously reported that Jay Sankey will also be there receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award! 

Canada will certainly be well represented!

Luc Langevin at Théâtre St-Denis

From Journal Metro:

Les trucs de magie à la télé, c’est bien. Sur scène, c’est beaucoup mieux. Luc Langevin l’a bien compris, et il offrira son tout premier spectacle, Réellement sur scène, les 25 et 26 septembre prochain sur la scène du Théâtre St-Denis.

Read more.

[h/t: Eric Levesque]

Winnipeg on Demand: Pick a card, any card

From the MediaCircus.TV Facebook page:

Here is the long synopisis for "Pick a Card, Any Card", coming soon to MTS Winnipeg on Demand.

- The City of Winnipeg has a rich history in the art of Magic. From the founding of the International Brotherhood of Magicians (I.B.M.) in 1922, , to modern day successes like Dean Gunnarson and Sean Fields; Winnipeg and the world of magic have grown together to form a charming relationship.

Over a light dinner and wine, Winnipeg magicians Anders, Greg Wood, Gord Gilbey, Ray Starr, Chris Funk and Sean Fields tell stories of Winnipeg magic; how Harry Houdini played a part in the founding of the I.B.M., how Philips Magical Paradise was founded out of tragedy, which Winnipegger worked on Criss Angels "Mindfreak", and other fascinating tales.

Read more.

Toronto: Jason Palter lecture

Updated November 11 to add link to event at the Browser's Den website.

Winner!! @krasmagic Jason Palter, lecturing at the Den December 2nd. 5-7pm Mark your calendars. #browsersdenlecture
— The Browser's Den (@theBrowsersDen) November 4, 2012

Jeff also had this to say about Jason Palter:

Another good guess @canadasmagic how bout a clue.. He is also an actor and voice-over talent when not performing magic. #browsersdenlecture
— The Browser's Den (@theBrowsersDen) November 4, 2012

Winnipeg: Bill Abbott lecture

Monday December 3rd, Bill Abbott lecture in Winnipeg!


[h/t: Magic Information Canada]

Calgary: Magical arts festival

From the WowFest Facebook page:

Exciting News! We have received word that WowFest has won a funding grant from Calgary 2012! Hooray! A huge thanks to all those who supported the project with their votes, and all the friendly Calgary Cultural Ambassadors. Plus a special thanks to Gwyn The Magic Assistant who helped spread the word. I'm very pleased she has accepted the role of "Social Media Coordinator" for WowFest.

Read more.
 

Congratulations to Ryan Pilling on being one step closer to making his dream a reality!

Dorval: Hahacadabra!

From Montreal Families:

November 3, 2012

Magician Michel Deslauriers will have all the kids laughing, screaming and shouting out for more. There is lots of audience participation as candies appear, silk scarves disappear. And don't forget...EVERY child brings home a balloon animal.

Read more.
 

[h/t: Perfect Magic]

Whistler: Moose in a Top Hat

Moose in a Top Hat (warning: sound) opens December 28th in Whistler, BC.

From their website:
THE EVENING ADULT SHOW brings together the incredible mind reading skills of Christopher Taylor, the outrageous comedy entertainment of Matthew Johnson and the award winning magic of Trevor and Lorena Watters (warning: sound) in one spectacular show.

THE FAMILY AFTERNOON MATINEE SHOW brings together the enchanting story telling magic of Professor T, the hilarious comedy entertainment of Matthew Johnson and the award winning magic of Trevor and Lorena Watters (warning: sound) in one spectacular show.

Read more (warning: sound).

Updated Breaking Magic update

Breaking Magic on Discovery WILL air on November 11 USA side...as far as I know again.
— Billy Kidd (@Billykiddshow) October 30, 2012
 

Which has also been confirmed at iTricks.

Breaking Magic: Breaking news

Updated to add:

Breaking Magic on Discovery WILL air on November 11 USA side...as far as I know again.
— Billy Kidd (@Billykiddshow) October 30, 2012  

Which has also been published at iTricks.

Just got news there will be a new transmission date for Breaking Magic in the USA..probably early 2013. I'll keep you posted.
— Billy Kidd (@Billykiddshow) October 30, 2012

Discovery wants to save Breaking Magic for the new year which means it will not air Nov 11th. Disappointing, but this is good news.
— Wayne Houchin (@WayneHouchin) October 30, 2012

Shawn Farquhar on Canterbury Television

Watch Marcus Gibbs interview Shawn Farquhar on Canterbury Television:




[h/t: CAMmagic.org]

Brampton: Magic With the Sleight-est Hint of Cheese

From zvents:

Today.

Gord Cadabra is bringing his hit comedy/magic show Magic With the Sleight-est Hint of Cheese to Brampton's Cyril Clark theatre for one night only!

Read more.

Rounding the Western rings in November

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)	- Lance Pierce lecture
Edmonton, AB	Edmonton Magic Club	- n/a
Winnipeg, MB	The Magic Club of Winnipeg	- Lance Pierce lecture
Vancouver, BC	Ring 92 (Vancouver Magic Circle)	- Lance Pierce lecture
Victoria, BC	Ring 183 (Victoria Magic Circle)	- Tri - City 3 of Clubs Magic Convention - Lance Pierce lecture

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

Rounding the Ontario rings in November

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

Hamilton, ON	Ring 49 (The Doug Henning Magic Wand Club)	- antique magic - Owen Anderson lecture
London, ON	Ring 265 (London Magician's Guild)	- n/a
Kitchener, ON	Ring 235 (The Caesar Hat & Wand Magic Circle)	- n/a
Ottawa, ON	Ring 151 (Ottawa Society of Magicians)	- Gambling, Betchas, & Scams Magic - CHEO Charity Show Children’s Show
Ottawa, ON	Ottawa / Gatineau magicians	-
Toronto, ON	Ring 17 (Sid Lorraine Hat and Rabbit Club)	- Shane Cobalt lecture
Woodstock, ON	CAM 1 (Friendly City Mystics)	-

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

Rounding the Eastern rings in November

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

Halifax, NS	Ring 316 (Conjourer's Court)	- n/a
St. John, NB	Magic Circle of St. John	- n/a

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

Tony Eng Youth Fund Bursary

From Sharing Wonder:

Magicana’s Tony Eng Youth Fund and Magi-Fest in Columbus, Ohio are proud to announce a partnership for the Magi-Fest Youth Scholarship 2013.

The Columbus Magi-Fest is one of the oldest and most significant magic gatherings in the world. It is an 83-year old tradition that has fostered and helped develop the careers of young magicians. The festival includes youth-only events in which international headline performers work directly with young magicians on their acts. Additionally, lectures, shows and workshops are held where attendees can learn about the experiences and knowledge of  professional magicians.

We are thrilled to announce a scholarship for a young magician to attend Magi-Fest. 

Read more.

Geneviève Bernier: Woman of Exception

Evelyn Matlin has a wonderful english summary of the article "Geneviève Bernier : femme de courage et de détermination" from Le Courrier Du Sud.

Go to Perfect Magic and read Evelyn's post "More About Women In Magic" to read about Geneviève, an exeptional woman indeed!



[h/t: Perfect Magic]

CAM has a new webmaster!

Shout out to Jeph Stahl, who has kindly offer to volunteer his time to be CAM's official new webmaster!  Jeph hails from Hamilton Ring 49 (The Doug Henning Magic Wand Club) and is doing a fabulous job with their newly revamped site!

Thank you Jeph for taking on that role!

Meta: popular posts

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

5. Luc Langevin: aux limites de l'illusion [comme par magie]

4. The secret to Sorcerers Safari's success

3. Send healing thoughts for Volodymyr Martyniuk

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

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





1. Canada's Got Talent 2012 auditions

It appears a staggering number of people don't realize that Canada's Got Talent wasn't renewed!

Chance vs Motta

From Post City:

What is Halloween without tricks to go with your treats? Our city is home to two masters of magic, who can easily contend with the likes of Criss Angel. This month, we pit the illusions that wowed Ray Chance’s MuchMusic audience against the in-your-head act of Annex Live’s mentalist Bobby Motta. Who has the best tricks up his sleeve?

Read more.

A day at Niagara Falls

As part of last summer's school break plans, we saved up our pennies to see Greg Frewin's show "Imagine" at the Greg Frewin Theatre in Niagara Falls.

Kidlet and I made the trek to Niagara Falls through the pouring rain and arrived mid-afternoon during a light drizzle.  We made a quick check in to the theatre box office to make sure our tickets were there (they were!) and to get the parking pass for the car.  (Did you know that ticket price includes free parking anytime after 9am on the day of the show?)

From the theatre it's a short walk to Clifton Hill (the "Street of Fun" by the Falls) and a five to ten minute jaunt (depending leg length and ease of distractibility – SkyWheel! Fudge Factory! Ice cream! Wax museum!) to the Maid of the Mist at River Road and Clifton Hill.  Two silver linings to it being a rainy day: 1) we were already decked out in our finest rain gear and were suitably dressed for the iconic boat ride next to The Falls and 2) the line ups were super short!  (Sadly, we weren't able to see any rainbows in the mist itself, but we were warm and dry!)  Exit through the gift shop...

We wandered through the area, grabbed a bite to eat and explored a little more.  Then back to the car for a dash to the Butterfly Conservatory.

Note to Ontario families:  We used a coupon for a free child's admission (as long as we paid for an adult admission) from our "Ontario 2012 Fun Pass" booklet which was given to us at the end of the school year.  The conservatory was FABULOUS!  Highly recommended!

Back to the theatre.  We were seated with a wonderful young couple from New York.  We were later joined by wonderful company from Ohio and Vancouver Island.  The table next to us had plenty of children aged 4 and up – I had as much fun watching the reactions of all the children as I did watching the show!

Tip: Arrive as early as you can to ensure good seating (the box office will let you know what time is best). 

Note to parents: Bring along some distractions for little ones (such as crayons with paper, playing cards, books, quiet hand-held video games etc.) to help pass the time between arriving for the best seating and show time.  We were lucky that the delightful couple from the Rochester area, kindly joined us in a game of Crazy Eight Countdown  and the time flew by! 

If you think your child would be scared sitting right up close to the tigers at level one, level two offers an equally good view of the stage along with the sense of a physical barrier between you and the big cats.

The theatre also has some entertainment while you wait: tiger and magic trivia on the big screen!  In addition, there was a creative pre-show animated short from the Vancouver film school.

Note to parents:  Some of the kids 8 and under in our area found the short a little scary at times.

My favourite part was a fabulous video promoting Sorcerers Safari Magic Camp.  It put a big smile on my face!

As for the show itself, how could you not be entertained by helicopters, a bowling ball, an invisible deck, Oreos, tigers, talented ladies, fire, milk, tigers, a dog, doves, tigers, Chuck the Duck, and macaws?  Did I mention the tigers?  What's not to like?  (Throughout the show, one of our evening's companions could be heard muttering, "How did he do the thing with the duck?")

Note to parents of young children:  The last big illusion, which I'll refer to as the Assistants' Revenge, was a little tense for some of the younger children.  But it ended with happy faces!

After the show there's an opportunity to have your photo taken in the same cage with a tiger!  (Well worth it in my opinion.)  Technically, you're not really in the same confined space as the tiger, but it sure looks like that in the picture.  The tiger trainer is right there, which made this parent feel a whole lot more relaxed about the experience.  Part of the profit from the items in the magical gift shop, including the photo sales, are used to support a tiger sanctuary.  After the show, you can queue up for an autograph from Greg!

Needless to say, Kidlet and I had an absolutely wonderful time at the show!  A picture with a tiger, a souvenir from the gift shop, and the chance to chat with Mr. Frewin himself!

As impressed as I was with the show, I was equally impressed with all of the staff at the theatre.  Everyone was friendly, professional and customer focused.  Huge thanks to:  the very patient box office staff (Caitlin, Roxanne and Nina), the ushers, the fabulous assistants who we met while in line for having our photo taken, Johnny Ferrara the tiger trainer, the gift shop staff and all of the fabulous people who kept things orderly and moving for the post-show autographs. 

Thank you Greg et al, for a most magical ending to our wonderful day in Niagara Falls!

Spotted in the wild ...

If you receive the CAM publication, Northern Peeks, you'll notice that this edition (Vol 15, Number 3) features Sorcerers Safari!  Tucked inside, is the article "The secret to Sorcerers Safari's success" written by yours truly!

Shawn had the nicest thing published below the article:

"Originally published on August 11 at CanadasMagic.blogspot.ca, which is the finest location for up to date information on magic in Canada."

Gwyn took a nice photo of it ....

@canadasmagic spotted! twitter.com/magicassistant…
— Gwyn Auger (@magicassistant) October 17, 2012

Thanks Gwyn!

And thanks to Shawn for his kind words about this site!

Murray Hatfield and Teresa: Magic 'n' Miracles tour

The schedule is up for Murray Hatfield's Magic 'n Miracles tour!  They're starting in Etobicoke, Ontario in early December.

Not only will you get to see some amazing magic, you'll be supporting some deserving charities. 

Also on the Hatfield tour are Christopher Hart, Michael Goudeau, Miles Meechan and Magdalaina Tamasik.

Schedule and ticket information at the Magic 'n Miracles website.

Anthony Lindan: Peace of Mind

Anthony Lindan is holding a two teleseminars, titled Public Speaking Peace of Mind.  Click through more more details about the events on Wednesday October the 24th and on Thursday October the 25th.

Shrine Fantasy Show

It's the time of year for the Shrine Fantasy Show!  From their website:

The Shrine Fantasy Show will amaze, surprise, and entertain the entire family when it comes to your town this autumn. This magical extravaganza which includes magic, illusions, juggling acts, comedy, and more, is filled with imagination and showmanship. 

For years the Shrine Fantasy has toured the country entertaining thousands with new acts.

What’s more, just by coming out to share in the fun and excitement, you will assist in creating true magic in your community through support of worthy causes. A portion of all proceeds from Shrine Fantasy will benefit the many Shrine activities.

Participating talent includes:  Dick Joiner, Patrice Meunier, Fantasy Circus, Neil Croswell, John Park, Johnny Toronto, Michael Bourada, Sheldon Casavant, Greg Tarlin, and Damien James (performers vary by province).

Schedule and ticket information at the Shrine Fantasy Show website.

Windsor: Illusions live!

From the Chrysler Theatre website:

October 27, 2012

Canadian Illusionist Ryan Joyce is truly a man of many “top hats.”  Not only has he impressed audiences with his modern, mind-blowing feats of magic-- which include vanishing a firetruck and levitating a two ton SUV live on stage--  he has also devoted himself to humanitarian causes by raising over two million dollars for charities and making 100 politicians disappear (if only for a short time).

Read more and purchase tickets.

Broken wand: Everett Andrews

Updated October 15th, to include link to Legacy.com listing and date of passing.

Earlier this week on October 15th, Calgary magician Everett Andrews passed away.  Born May 5th, 1935, Everett was 77.

More details will be posted when they become available.

Thank you to Gwyn and Ryan for sharing the news.

Our thoughts are with Everett's family and friends at this difficult time.

Photos from Eugene Burger's The Presence of Magic

See photos from The Presence of Magic show c/o SNAP North York.   

[h/t: Deborah Fallick]

Mosquitoes Suck: David Peck and Matt DiSero

From the Brampton Guardian:

SoChange, in partnership with the Peel board and with funding for the Trillium Foundation, is organizing this Mosquitoes Suck Tour at Ontario high schools.

The event is organized to give students information about the effects of malaria and ways they can help stem the spread of the disease. Students were introduced to the Spread the Net Student Challenge, a global campaign raising funds to buy $10 insecticide-treated bed nets that could help reduce the transmission of Malaria in Africa by up to 50 per cent.

Read more.
 

David Peck and Matt DiSero created and perform in the MST touring show.  Visit DontBiteMe.ca for more information.