Category: Magician Feature

Magic of Canada, Magician Feature

Prof. Vincent Sacco Links Magicians, Politicians

Inside Magic Image of Dr. Vincent Sacco - Sociologist and MagicianDr. Vincent Sacco of Queen’s University’s Department of Sociology is the go-to guy when it comes to criminology, the deviant mind, the suspicious motives and what sociologists would call “other.”

So of course, the first words out of his mouth upon meeting a reporter for Kingston EMC would be “Want to see a magic trick?”

The esteemed professor believes there is a similarity of method — if not motive — between magicians and their evil counterparts in the non-magic world, politicians and advertising executives.

“The basic principles of how a magician fools you are the same ones that the advertiser and the politician use to fool you,” said Dr. Sacco.

In a recent presentation to the Toronto Alumni Association titled “Nothing Up My Sleeve: What I Learned from the Great Magicians,” Dr. Sacco performed magic in support of his thesis.

“I’d never performed magic in public before,” he said. “I even included the bending-a-spoon trick.”

Like many of us addicted to this profession of deception for entertainment’s sake, he was hooked as a preteen.
Continue reading “Prof. Vincent Sacco Links Magicians, Politicians” →

Magic of Canada, Magician Feature

Canadian Magician Anthony Lindan Attacks Autism

Canadian Magician Anthony Lindan and his friends, Shaun Fergus, Alex Kazam and Bill Abbott perform next Monday to benefit Autism Ontario’s efforts on behalf of Autism’s victims.

Niagra This Week features Mr. Lindan’s story and personal involvement in the cause.

Mr. Lindan and fellow magicians intend to entertain guests of  Ridgeway’s restaurant  from 6 to 9 p.m.  with close-up effects.

He told reporters the style will be like The Magic Castle.

The magicians will accept no tips and they are not being paid for the work.  They will encourage their table-side audience to contribute to Autism Ontario.

“They gave us donation boxes,” Lindan said. “We’re what is called a third-party fundraiser. We do all they work and the autism people get all the money.”

There’s two things that are close to magician Anthony Lindan’s heart – magic and the fight to find a cure for Autism Spectrum Disorder ASD.Lindan, along with three of his magician friends will be at Ridgeway’s Restaurant in Ridgeway next Monday to help raise money research to help unlock the mysterious condition, a complex neurobiological disorder that impacts normal brain development.

The magician’s 12-year-old son, Harvey, was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome as well as Tourette syndrome, both part of the autism spectrum.“So yes, we went through the flapping, kicking stages,” Lindan said. “He’s at the very high functioning end of the spectrum.”

Mr. Lindan makes a profound point to close out the article:
Continue reading “Canadian Magician Anthony Lindan Attacks Autism” →

Magic News, Magician Feature

Teller’s Favorite Films

Inside Magic Image of Movie Poster for Nightmare Alley Starring Tyrone Power and Joan BlondellTeller of Penn & Teller fame, is more than an incredible magician, writer, historian and inventor. He has a life outside the Penn & Teller Theater (that’s “Theatre” in metric).

He graduated from prestigious Amherst College in 1969 under the nom d’études (metric for “student name”) of Raymond Joseph Teller.

To ensure that our posting on the topic will be the most derivative of all on the topic, we cite Tom Shay from MassLive.com who in turn credits New York Magazine for the bird’s eye lowdown on Teller’s favorite movies about Magicians.

“The Great Buck Howard: The most accurate depiction of what it’s like to be in magic anywhere, because it’s so sad!
“A-Haunting We Will Go: One of the movies that made me fall in love with stage magic. Laurel and Harding encounter the actual magician Dante, and there’s a whole bunch of slapstick mix-ups.
“The Man from Beyond: It’s melodramatic crap, but it’s got Houdini, for crying out loud! You’re actually seeing Houdini on the screen!
“Nightmare Alley: Tyrone Power starts off as a sideshow magician, then does a mind-reading act, and he’s gradually tempted into being an evil crook. A hideously black downward spiral; and
“The Lady Vanishes: One of the most perfect movies ever made. And the fact that the evilest bad guy takes cover as a magician – that makes me laugh.”

You can read Tom Shay’s version of this list at MassLive.com here. We checked and checked but could not find a New York Magazine article on Teller or his favorite movies. We don’t doubt Tom Shay’s word, we just wanted to give credit where it was due.

Magician Feature

Magician Shawn Farquhar and Love at First Sight

Inside Magic Image of Couple in LoveIn our discussion of Penn & Teller’s new UK television series Fool Us! earlier this week, we mentioned that Inside Magic favorite Shawn Farquhar thoroughly stumped the duo.  We offered the incident to show how gracious and excited Penn & Teller were to be fooled.

We provided a YouTube link to Mr. Farquhar’s segment to prove the alleged “Bad Boys of Magic” are no different from any of us. They love magic and love to be fooled.

There were three contestants in this year’s International Brotherhood of Magicians Stage Competition who fooled us badly.  It was a wonderful feeling.  Our peanut size and shaped brain instantly switched from “figure it out” mode to “enjoy it” mode.  Once we gave into the reality that the unreal was happening, we felt the same exhilaration experienced at the start of our 43 years in magic.

Back then it was a red plastic ball that appeared and disappeared from an interesting-looking royal blue plastic vase.  We had no clue how it could be done and, as we say at the special meetings we are required to attend, “it’s okay.”

The sesame seed sized portion of our peanut-esque brain responsible for accepting or rejecting visual images based on their conformity some established measure of reality was delighted to take a break and let the impossible flow unhindered into our active consciousness.  The effect is similar to shoving a peanut butter sandwich into a DVD player.

In our experience, most magicians want to be fooled.

They also want to learn secrets or hypothesize methods but that process comes later.  Similar to falling in love at first sight, the experience of being mystified is precious, unique and always unanticipated.  Love may fade immediately after the first sight and the baffled magician may wonder how he or she could have been fooled once the trick’s secret is known.

Most magicians chase the prospect of being truly amazed.  There  may be years between those epiphanies but that’s enough to keep us in the hunt.
Continue reading “Magician Shawn Farquhar and Love at First Sight” →

Latest Magic News, Magic News, Magician Feature

Holingworth’s EXPERT Gets Boffo Reviews

Inside Magic Image of Guy Holingworth from Expert at the Card Table In its review of The Expert at the Card Table, LA Theater Review identifies Magician and British Barrister Guy Holingworth as both “suave and debonair.”

We certainly do not disagree but wondered if the statement should be considered “news.”  After all, it is well known that all intellectual property attorneys are by tradition always either suave or debonair; and a select few of us are both.

We read further into the expertly written essay and understood.  The theater critic was using what us professional writers call, “an introduction” or, as we say around the professional writers’ clubhouse, “an intro.”

But we are quick to protest — probably because we were conceived during some beatnik protest in the late 1950s — that Guy Holingworth needs no introduction. Magicians and magic fans know him well from his writing and performing neat effects with ordinary cards.

Then we read further into the review and realized the introduction was primarily for those unfamiliar with Guy Holingworth.  We calmed down, popped a Chocks and continued sounding out the words as quietly as possible lest we wake those around us in the Mystic Hollow Public Library.

Neil Patrick Harris directed Mr. Holingworth’s show based on 1902 classic The Expert at the Card Table. The critic then explains the rich history and intrigue surrounding the creation of S.W. Erdnase’s gift to future generations of knuckle-busting masochists and their ever-patient friends and family.
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Image of Two Wands
Magician Feature

Magician Banned: Tweeting ‘Wand’ Pic

Image of Two WandsInept magician Tony Spain’s attempt to “cash in” on the Anthony Weiner scandal backfired.

Tony Spain is by all accounts one of the worst people in magic. He proved deserving of the title last week attempting to make commercial hay out of the Anthony Wiener scandal by “sending a Twitter of his wand.”

Mr. Spain sent a grainy image of a beat-up magic wand as an attachment to his unsolicited direct messages to hundreds important debutantes in 23 different locations in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Many of the young ladies — having been chastened by the news surrounding Anthony Weiner’s scandal — refused to open the image attachment. As a result, Twitter determined Tony Spain’s messages were “uninvited, obscene material” and violated the Twitter terms of service. The folks at Twitter closed Tony Spain’s account without opening the attached image. Tony yelped and pleaded but Twitter refused to entertain the insolent magi’s petitions.

Tony Spain, being Tony Spain, started an impotent public attack on Twitter. He claimed the nascent Internet social media company was infringing on his “Fifth Amendment rights.”

Disregard for a second that the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution has nothing to do with free speech or speech conducted via social media, by making this allegation Mr. Spain’s shared ample proof of his ignorance worldwide.

We assume Mr. Spain wanted to argue that he had certain First Amendment rights guaranteeing him the “Right to Free Speech.” As noted above, this right only protects against actions by the government.  (With the passage of the 14th Amendment, the Bill of Rights apply to protect against the actions of state and local governments). As readers of Inside Magic know, the Fifth Amendment protects against being forced to incriminate oneself.

We have received perhaps hundreds of copies of Mr. Spain’s Twitter messages from the original recipients and others. The text of the message accompanying the image attachment reads, “Here is a picture of my wand. Look at it. Isn’t it magnificent? It is so magical.”

What Tony Spain hoped to accomplish is unclear. But that is how Tony Spain rolls. Who would open the attachment to a message like this?
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Magician Feature

Magic Nate’s Summer Camp Featured

On today’s ColumbusLocalNews.com, Nate LeGros, aka “Magic Nate” credits magic for transforming him from shy youngster to busy performer. He wants to bring our Art to a new generation of shy and not so shy kids during his magic camp scheduled for June 27 through July 1.
The camp is for young people between the ages of 8 to 15 years. An awkward age for all of us but made less so with the help of magic.

Magic Nate tells reporters he was timid when mixing with strangers – “unless he had a deck of cards in his hand.”

He found that performing even an elementary card trick worked as a wonderful ice-breaker. The strangers now became active and appreciative audience members.

Magic Nate’s magic camp starts at the end of this month at Gallery 202, 38 N. High St. in Westerville.

“Magic is universal,” LeGros said. “I’ve done shows for young kids at birthday parties and for cranky adults early in the morning — with the right trick, you can have anybody laughing and having a great time.”

The students will learn five effects in the course of five two-hour sessions.

The magic virus infected the 24-year-old performer at age 10 and has only become more intense in the ensuing years. He performs parties, community events, corporate shin-digs, and virtually any gathering of people wanting great entertainment.

“Nate is a very positive performer, and he knows how to connect with his students and really get down on their level,” said Gallery 202 owner Renee Kropat.

The perfect trick for kid shows?
Continue reading “Magic Nate’s Summer Camp Featured” →

Latest Magic News, Magic of UK, Magician Feature

MagicWeek: Derren Brown Wins David Berglas Award

Inside Magic Image of Our Intern Missy Rochelle Holding an Original TV Magic Card Deck Reading is one of our favorite things to do.  We read constantly.  Our job (the real one where we make gobs of cash easily converted into gobs worth of magic tricks and books) is all about reading and during our breaks, we read.

We used our advance skills to learn about the goings on over in the United Kingdom.  You may be able to read this faster, it is tough for us to sound out words in a British accent and virtually impossible to focus on not  moving our lips as we work through each word plus try to derive meaning.  Duncan Trillo’s MagicWeek.co.uk web site is on our weekly must read list.  This weekend we learned the British Magical Society awarded the David Berglass Award to Inside Magic Favorite Derren Brown.

The presentation took place during Annual Awards Dinner of the BMS in Coldfield, Birmingham.

Derren Brown is currently touring with a new show “Svengali” and was therefore well-equipped to document the presentation by his own private film crew.

We will have to do some more reading to learn more about his new show, Svengali.  It sounds fascinating and is just the type of thing young magicians in this country need to see.

The Svengali Deck has fallen on tough times in the States.  Perhaps its ubiquity from the TV Magic Card campaign scorched the earth but if Derren Brown can do an entire two hour evening show with nothing more than a Svengali Deck, that’s proof that the old trick still has some life yet.

We imagine with his big budget, he can use a different deck for each show and decrease the chances of being found out by audience members who see the show more than once.

Read the full article here: MagicWeek – Magic News in the UK – Magic Shop, Magic Tricks, Magic Convention.

Magic News, Magic of Asia, Magician Feature

Magician Liu Chien in Vegas for Two Shows

Inside Magic Image of Liu Chien and Report on His US American Debut at the Wynn Casino in Las VegasWe feel like we know Liu Chien from our magic marathon sessions watching our fellow artists on YouTube. He probably does not know us, though. It is funny how you feel you know someone because you see them on television or YouTube but when you finally meet them, they stare blankly at you without a hint of recognition. As we wrote in that essay we had to hand into the judge, “we must remember, seeing them is not the same thing as them seeing you.”

There are days when we will actually stop playing Trisk™ to open our laptop and watch YouTube magicians.  Some are good, most are not.  Liu Chien is one of the very good ones.

As we have admitted on these pages before and have thusly testified before certain international tribunals that the United States may or may not recognize as having jurisdiction over its putative citizens, we do not speak Chinese.

It is not that we speak it sort of good but our syntax is not the best.  We know about three things in Chinese and one of them is actually Vietnamese but is apparently a comment that is accepted with the same meaning in China, Japan and South Korea.  And even then, we can say it (but we wouldn’t if there there is a chance that anyone from the Asian Rim is within earshot) but we have no idea how to write it.

Trisk™, by the way, is a favorite winter game here in Mystic Hollow.  It is essentially Risk® but instead of conquering armies taking over the world in long drawn-out fashion and endless turn-taking; you have a small cadre of well-connected magicians who have access to armies they can summon to do their conquering if necessary.  Some have suggested it is the strategy game Risk® but with fewer pieces and twenty or so pewter top hats taken from Monopoly® sets.

They’re probably right.  While we don’t know the game’s origins, it has been an essential part of our lives since we were Little Shavers.

Thanks to do-gooders and socially aware voting blocks, Mystic Hollow no longer permits children under the age of seven to shave with a straight-razor or any disposable shaving system.  As a consequence, the next generation of young magicians growing up in this hamlet of magic will not learn Trisk™ or Risk®.  Their parents won’t have a need to distract their curious attention and less coordinated hands away from sharp blades and mature smelling shaving cream.

Some blame our close proximity to the Straight-Razor Capital of the World, New Finito, Michigan.  Kids start out as unofficial “Little Shavers” even before they attend pre-school and get their first box of second blades.  Most of the blades are dull — quality control at the factory usually culls the bad blades before they get to the sharpening section — but kids can still find a way to carelessly handle the products and someone always ends up getting hurt.

There are few in Mystic Hollow without a good scar or two on their hands, upper thighs, or cheeks (of their face).  Your first scar is a rite of passage; and if not properly handled can require Last Rites.  “What does not kill us makes us less attractive,” is the unofficial motto.

We suppose this quirk is similar to other towns adjacent to some factory or service center.  The young magicians of Deerfield, Illinois take tremendous pride in their first episode of hypoglycemic shock fostered by the cubic yards of Sara Lee Bakery Seconds and Rejects.

Continue reading “Magician Liu Chien in Vegas for Two Shows” →

Latest Magic News, Magician Feature

The Spencers: Lovin’ It on the Road

Inside Magic Image of Kevin and Cindy Spencer from their Web Site spencersmagic.comSomeone far brighter than your dedicated authors quipped, “do something you enjoy, and you’ll never work a day in your life.”

Our maternal uncle (in the full sense of the phrase) is proof of the aphorism’s validity.

He loved kiting checks and defacing public restrooms with childlike images of his broken home life using glitter and Elmer’s glue.  He currently is free of any work responsibilities at nearby Gullwig, Michigan.  While he is denied access to checks, money orders, or craft supplies, he finds a way to occupy his time and hands. He is, in the word of his warden, “happy.”

Further proof that work does not have to be work appears to be evident in the magical act The Spencers.

As reported in The Folsom Telegraph today, Kevin and Cindy Spencer spend most of their time touring and have shows this in Carmel at the Sunset Center on April 2nd, the next day at Three Stages at Folsom Lake College in Folsom, and on April 5th at the Laxton Auditorium in Chico, California before they load the trucks and head to the beautiful Art Deco Ross Ragland Theater in Klamath Falls, Oregon.

“We’re on the road about 10 months of the year,” he said. “We do between four and seven shows per week, 40 to 45 weeks per year. You know, for a guy who has always wanted to do this, it’s pretty neat to wake up in a new town and perform on a new stage every day.

“People ask me if I would I ever want to settle in a Vegas or a Branson,” he said. “I can’t think of anything more boring than to be on the same stage everyday.”

Kevin Spencer describes the show as family friendly with the 18 to 35-year-old demographic in mind.

Continue reading “The Spencers: Lovin’ It on the Road” →