Showing posts with label # media. Show all posts
Showing posts with label # media. Show all posts

19 March 2024

Toronto: Lost in the Shuffle a Hot Docs Special Presentation [Apr 25 - May 5]

Additional details at Hot Docs.

 

From the March 17th Instagram post by Hot Docs:

Pick a card, any card!

Enter the magical world of magician Shawn Farquhar (@magichampion) as he simultaneously devises a new magic trick and delves into medieval murder cold cases in @LostInTheShuffleMovie.

Seen through the eyes of some of the world’s best sleight-of-hand artists, LOST IN THE SHUFFLE is a loving look at how playing cards has become synonymous with magic and the mysteries hidden in their art.

This magical film will have its world premiere at #HotDocs24 as part of the Special Presentations program.

 

 

 

 

 

12 March 2024

Ben Proudfoot wins Oscar for Best Short Documentary

Congratulations Ben!

 

From the March 11th article "Canadian Ben Proudfoot wins Oscar for best short doc" in CBC News:

Halifax's Ben Proudfoot won his second career Academy Award on Sunday for co-directing the documentary short The Last Repair Shop, about volunteers who fix school-issued instruments in L.A. He hopes the win will 'help the millions of young people ... who just want to play music.'

Read more and watch video.


 

From the March 10th Instagram post by Ben Proudfoot:


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

08 March 2024

Magicians on Canada's Got Talent [Mar 19 premiere]

Good luck to all!  

 

Who'd we miss?

 

From the March 5th media release:

ALBERTA
JEFF NEWMAN – Magic Act, Calgary

NOVA SCOTIA
VINCENZO RAVINA – Magic Act, Halifax

ONTARIO
ALEXANDRA - Stunt, St. Catherines
CARSON & TAYLOR – Magic Act, Toronto
EKATERINA – Magic Act, Barrie
MARK CLEARVIEW – Magic Act, Toronto
MARK LEWIS – Magic Act, Toronto

QUEBEC
BAO HOANG – Magic Act, Montreal
THE AMAZING TODSKY – Magic Act, Montreal

SASKATCHEWAN
MITCHELL HRYCAN – Magic Act, Saskatoon

ABROAD
NICOLAS RIBS – Magic Act, Lyon, France

 

 

 

 

06 March 2024

Michael Kras in Intermission Magazine

From the March 1st article "Invisibility cloaks, cardboard rockets, and flying orbs of light: Here’s how Canadian theatre uses the art of magic" by Michael Kras at Intermission Magazine:

Cursed Child is hardly an isolated case for this hefty use of theatre magic. Plenty of prominent productions utilize magic design in considerable ways, including the current West End hit Stranger Things: The First Shadow (also featuring illusion design by Cursed Child’s Jamie Harrison and Chris Fisher), which is already planning to hit more stages internationally, with little doubt that Canada will eventually be in the mix. Hit musical adaptations from the West End and Broadway like Back to the Future (illusions by Chris Fisher) and Beetlejuice (illusions by Michael Weber) are both slated for the forthcoming Mirvish subscription season.

Of course, a common thread here is that these are all imported, big-budget commercial properties. But the beautiful thing about magic is that a relentless spirit of ingenuity and creative problem-solving is far more important than a price tag. The entire job description is about making the impossible possible onstage, and the greatest magic is achieved by earthy, organic means rather than high-tech gadgets.

One such homegrown example is Young People’s Theatre’s Dora-winning The Darkest Dark, adapted by Jim Millan and Ian MacIntyre from Chris Hadfield and Kate Fillion’s book of the same name. Canadian conjuror David Ben – who also staged the effects in the Stratford Festival’s Grand Magic last season — was tasked with crafting magic that had a childlike spirit of play and imagination, with sophisticated, memorable illusions built from humble cardboard boxes. On a smaller-scale indie level, Eric Woolfe’s Eldritch Theatre is also known to regularly feature sleight of hand in their spooky seasons of plays. 

Read more.





19 February 2024

[Guest post] February 2024 Genii Issue Features Canadians

The following is a guest post from an author who wishes to be known as The Magic Demon.

--

February 2024 Genii Issue Features Canadians


The current issue of Genii opens with a heart-felt tribute filling an entire page in their "In Memorium" section to the late Micky Hades written by Stephen Forrester.

"The Eye" section (featuring stories from around the world of magic) curated by Vanessa Armstrong has two Canadian references:

  • A photo of Gabriella Lester illustrates a short piece linking to a longer New York Times article on diversity in magic, highlighting three women performing today including Lester. Armstrong refutes some of its broader generalizations.
    Link - https://myqrcode.mobi/70e1232e

  • A second longer piece about the Magic of Tony Eng Exhibition opening in the Victoria BC Chinatown Museum includes several quotes from Tony's daughter (the Executive Director of Magicana Julie Eng) as well as a link to the CBC television report on the Exhibition's openinglast December.
    Link - cbc.ca/player/play/2290720323810


Finally, in Shawn McMaster's column "Knights at the Magic Castle" Murray Sawchuck is prominently reviewed for his December holidays appearance at The Magic Castle along with Lefty (Doug Leferovich.)

 

- The Magic Demon

 

 

Thank you The Magic Demon for guest posting at Canada's Magic!

 

 

 

 

 

27 January 2024

Julie Eng interviewed by Dr. Melissa Karmen Lee

From the January 25th Instagram post by Julie Eng:

It was an honour to join the @ccmuseumbc at the opening of the new exhibition “The Magic of Tony Eng” at the Victoria location in collaboration with @victoriachinatownmuseum, back in December. At that time, I was invited to also participate in a podcast to talk more about my dad, Tony Eng.
Here’s the episode!

Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/1Q6eLIyk2vR4z123WlsY4X?si=abd37475a68d4071

YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsw-nuh8g6k

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CBC Radio: Jason Osler interviews Mel Jones and Julie Eng

Listen to Jason Osler interview Mel Jones and Julie Eng "Why aren't there many female magicians?" on the the January 10th episode of "Columnists from CBC Radio."


[via The Magic Demon]

 

 

 

 

22 January 2024

Graeme Reed in the Brant Beacon

From the January 3rd article "Living a magical childhood dream" by Kimberly de Jong in the Brant Beacon:

Since entering the world of magic at a young age, one thing is clear, Reed has opened a host of opportunities for himself, from doing a TEDx talk, to being Doug “the Great” Hunt’s Guinness World Record Verification and Video\Photograph Coordinator, he continues to work on projects that nurture his passions.

His advice for those looking into getting into magic, is simple.

“If anyone was interested in really learning magic and discovering more, there are local magic clubs you should look into joining,” he said. “The best person to reach out to would actually probably be Doug Hunt because he’s the president of the local Hamilton Magic Club. I first met him at the club when I was a kid, and it’s people like Doug that keep someone like me doing magic.”

Read more.


 

From the January 18th Instagram post by Graemazing:



 

 

 

 

17 December 2023

Shawn Farquhar on "This is BC" with Jay Durant

ICYMI, on November 9th, Shawn was featured in a segment of This is BC.   Watch the segment about Shawn in This is BC: Magician follows family tradition with Jay Durant.

 

 

 

 

09 December 2023

Victoria: The Magic of Tony Eng at the Chinese Canadian Museum

From the December 6th article "New magician exhibit opening at Victoria’s Chinese museum in Fan Tan alley this week" by Curtis Blandy at Victoria Buzz:

Eng was born in 1948 and raised right here in Victoria. According to the museum, he had an affinity for the magical arts since he was a young boy. He received his first magic kit at the young age of 8-years-old and had started performing shows by age 12.

Onlookers would be able to see his show at The Japanese Village restaurant for two decades.

He worked over the years to piece together a show that was interwoven with his Chinese Canadian heritage that he called ‘Mysteries of the Orient,’ in which he was adorned in an elegant, embroidered mandarin robe. 

Read more.



Listen to Gregor Craigie interview Julie Eng about her father on the December 4th segment at CBC's On The Island.

 

 

From the December 7th Facebook post by Julie Eng:

It’s official! The Magic of Tony Eng exhibition, at the Victoria Chinatown Museum in Fan Tan Alley is now open! It is wonderful to see my dear dad being honoured in this very special way. Throughout the curatorial process, I was very moving to hear just how many people were touched by Dad and his magic. Thanks to the Victoria Chinatown Museum Society and the Chinese Canadian Museum for choosing to spotlight someone who dared to be different and to chase his dreams. I was very excited to be part of the ribbon cutting ceremony today. A profound honour and one I will never forget. Dad, I think you really would have loved this exhibition. I know I do.

 

 

 

From the December 6th Facebook post by Charlayne Thornton-Joe:

The Victoria Chinatown Museum Society and the Chinese Canadian Museum have worked closely with the Eng family to create the exhibition which celebrates the spellbinding magical career of Tony Eng, whose enchanting influence and legacy reached far corners of the world. The exhibition features Tony’s original mandarin robe and many items from his bag of tricks.

“The Victoria Chinatown Museum Society is delighted to work with the Chinese Canadian Museum on the installation of ‘The Magic of Tony Eng’,” says Grace Wong Sneddon, Board Chair of the Victoria Chinatown Museum Society and Co-Curator of The Magic of Tony Eng. “Tony was a mentor to youth in Victoria and around the world. His magic was more than a routine, it provided a space for us to dream beyond the ordinary. Stories of Victoria Chinese Canadians are important to share.” 

Born and raised in Victoria, B.C., Tony’s fascination with magic began at the age of eight when he received his first magic kit, and then started performing magic shows at age 12. He became a fan favourite when he performed every Sunday at The Japanese Village restaurant for two decades. 

Embracing his Chinese Canadian heritage, he created a distinctive show called “Mysteries of the Orient” which he performed in an embroidered mandarin’s robe. His skill and talent made him renowned in the Canadian magic circle where he was known as the “Ambassador of Magic.” His entrepreneurial skills enabled him to run a successful wholesale business and establish the Premier School of Bartending. He also started up his own Tony's Trick & Joke Shop in Victoria which was a fantasy emporium of wizardry and gadgetry where he inspired and mentored many young up-and-coming magicians for years to come.


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

28 November 2023

The Montreal Trio sur La France A Un Incroyable Talent

We couldn't find the YouTube video mentioned by Michel below, so at the bottom of this post we embedded their fantastic performance from a video on Facebook.

 

From the November 22nd Facebook post by Michel Hout (translation by Facebook):

In September and October, I visited France twice. One of these times was because we had been invited Marc Trudel , Yannick and I: The Montreal Trio) to come perform an original number at France's got incredible talent.

It was a bit crazy because on August 29th in the evening, I was performing in Prévost and had to go directly to the airport. Immediately heading to the recording studios upon arrival. So 2 shows in 18 hours on two different continents. Hehe. Watch 28 Nov on M6. For America, the whole thing will be on YouTube the next day.



From the November 26th Facebook post by Michel Huot (translation by Facebook): 

Several years ago I watched the show Whose Line is it Anyway and saw this principle there. I have always wanted to do something similar After the very good Chick N Swell had done some circus themed floor (excellent). We decided to get involved in magic. 🙂








 

04 November 2023

Chris Mayhew on CP24

From the November 1st Instagram post by Chris Mayhew:

I don’t ever do TV magic, I much prefer to perform live, but I was asked to do a lil segment on CP24’s breakfast television for Halloween! 🎃 Here’s a clip of the performance 🤗 Shout out to Richard Sanders for this awesome piece of magic. I was a lil nervous because I don’t do this sort of thing ever, but I think I did alright considering this is my first live TV performance 😅 Anyways enjoy everyone and come watch me perform live weekly in downtown Toronto at @coctoronto

 

 

 

 

 

20 October 2023

Toronto Threads with David Peck [Saturdays]

Listen to Toronto Threads (including David's interview with Julie Eng) at the Toronto Threads website

 

From the October 13th Instagram post by Face 2 Face Live:

Exciting News! David Peck is back with a brand new venture: "Toronto Threads!" Tune in to 640 Toronto every Saturday at 10pm for an incredible radio experience that delves into the fascinating people that make up Toronto's diverse and vibrant culture.

 

 

 

 

 

13 August 2023

Dean Gunnarson's "Escape or Die!" now on Tubi [free]

Watch on Tubi.

 

From the July 24th Instagram post by Dean Gunnarson:

I just found out my TV series Escape Or Die can be watched on tubitv.. Watch as me and my crew travel around the world and i attempt some pretty daring escapes... let me know how you like it. 💀 ☠️ https://tubitv.com/series/300000904/escape-or-die?start=true

 

 

 

 

28 June 2023

Clear Lake: Dean Gunnarson [Jul 15 ] and Day Tripping at The Morgue

From the June 26th Instagram post by Dean Gunnarson:

I don't promote all my shows but I thought I would share this show happening Saturday July 15 at the Elkhorn Resort in beautiful Riding Mountain National Park. It's so very close to home.... 2 shows . One kids show and one more adult originated. Both are Family fun. Hope to see you there ❤️

 

 

 

 

From the June 20th Facebook post by Dean Gunnarson:

 

 

26 May 2023

Bill Peterson on CTV Morning Live Atlantic

From the May 25th Facebook post by CTV Morning Live Atlantic:

ICYMI: magician Bill Peterson returned to the studio this morning to share with us some of the newest tricks up his sleeve that are sure to impress!
WATCH: 

 

 

 

 

15 May 2023

Atsushi Ono in the Calgary Herald

Tune into Canada's Got Talent on CityTV tomorrow night to watch Atsushi compete in the live finale!

 

From the May 12th article "How Calgary magician Atsushi Ono wowed his way to the season finale of Canada's Got Talent" by Eric Volmers in the Calgary Herald

For now, he is in Niagara Falls, Ont., which is where the two-hour live finale of Canada’s Got Talent will be filmed on May 16. Ono, who showcased some genuine nervousness during his initial audition, seemed to legitimately wow the judges, particularly Offishall. The hip-hop artist seemed too enamoured with what he was seeing to sit still.

“I thought I was very lucky,” he says. “The beauty of close-up magic is that you never know what is going to happen. When I saw him (walking away), I thought I can make this funnier. The other thing was that I trust all the judges. They are the real stars … they understand how TV works. So whatever happens, I’m going to trust them. They are going to make me even funnier or make me cool or whatever.”

Still, he admits he is dealing with some nerves leading up to the all-important finale.

“I don’t want to disappoint anybody,” he says. “At the same time, of course, I’m nervous because it’s a live show.”

Read more.

 

 

 

 

14 May 2023

Brian Glow in KYUK

From the May 8th article "Touring magician spreads anti-bullying message to youth in rural Alaska" by Evan Erickson at KYUK:

“There was a news report on the radio on my way back that had said that the worst suicides in the world were happening in Arctic Canada and Arctic Alaska. I said, you know what, I have some of those skills and I can do something about it,” Glow said.

One of the villages that Glow visited on his recent tour of the Y-K Delta was Tuntutuliak, where he performed for the whole community, as well as for elementary and high school students at Lewis Angapak Memorial School.

“It was a really great experience. He had a really great message that he was providing to the students as well,” said Dean of Students Katie Chearney.

Glow uses a two-fold approach to communicate an anti-bullying message, combining his personal experiences with symbolic illusions, for example, using three different-sized ropes to represent children at different levels of maturity.

Read more.


 

 

 

 

 

 

06 May 2023

Vincenzo Ravina in SaltWire

From the April 28th article "Fun childhood experience unlocked Vincenzo Ravina's inner wizard" by Katy Jean at SaltWire:

Though many questions could be asked of someone who has a career in wizardry, asking how he became one seemed of most importance.

“When I was a kid my family and I loved going to this restaurant downtown that had a guy named Dave Moon and he would go around table to table doing magic. And he wore this long flowing purple moon and star robes and he had a long white beard,” Ravina said of a childhood experience that would unlock a lifelong interest.

“I loved seeing magic and being left in a state of mystery. I wanted to learn how to do that and share it with other people.”

Read more.

 

 

From the May 1st upload "Vincenzo Ravina: Actual Wizard" at the SaltWire YouTube channel:

SaltWire's Katy Jean has a wish fulfilled by wizard and magician Vincenzo Ravina.
Ravina shares his story of becoming a career wizard and his experiences in the magician industry.

 

 

 

 

 

29 April 2023

The Psychology of Magic at the University of Toronto

From the April 26th article "Sleight of Mind -- How magicians exploit gaps in human perception to trick audiences" by Cynthia Macdonald at the University of Toronto Magazine:

In his popular first-year foundations course, the Psychology of Magic, Dirk Bernhardt-Walther reveals the secrets behind magicians’ tricks as a way of teaching students about the human mind and the fallibility of perception. The associate professor of psychology draws on disappearing acts and other illusions to explain how magicians take advantage of human misjudgment and perceptual gaps to wow audiences.  Here, he explains three of their techniques:

Read more.


ICYMI, this course was also mentioned in: