Magic of Canada

Reveen the Impossiblist’s Tradition Continues

Inside Magic Image of Reveen The Next GenerationThe late Peter Reveen, known professionally as Reveen the Impossibilist, passed away in 2013 but his family’s gift to the St. John’s Arts and Culture Centre in Newfoundland, Canada.

Mr. Reveen’s last show was on the main stage at the Arts and Culture Centre in 2008 and now on Saturday, his son Ty will carry on in the Impossiblist tradition with a new Reveen show on the same stage.  Mr. Reveen’s 13-year-old grandson Taj was also at the presentation. He says he’s looking forward to taking over the show when his father, Ty, retires.

The family donated Mr. Reveen’s famous bejewelled red tuxedo to the Centre.

Tickets are available for this weekend’s show here.

Check out the Reveen website here.

Latest Magic News

Speak of Fantasio!

IBM Jacksonville Convention LogoWe were just mentioning on this very virtual vehicle that we went through an influential and formative period when we owned every type of cane and candle made by the great Fantasio.  Hours later we received this great press release from the IBM.

The I.B.M. Convention Just Went From GREAT to AWESOME!!!!

Haven’t made your reservations for Jacksonville?  What are you waiting for?  JUST ANNOUNCED – the incomparable lineup for the Fantasio Tribute Show. Ricardo “Fantasio” Roucau will be joined by his friends from Argentina for the show that will be the highlight of the summer convention season!  See the most awarded magician from the FLASOMA convention – Gustavo Raley; Gus Yelar’s mesmerizing hand shadows; Daba and Cielo performing mental telepathy; Sebak will performing the act he will present the week before at FISM; Fred Karis; and of course Fantasio!  You won’t see this show anyplace BUT Jacksonville!

For our younger magicians (ages 13-19) don’t forget we will be presenting the Lance Burton Teen Seminar immediately before the convention – July 13-15.  If you are registered for the convention – you can attend this event at NO EXTRA CHARGE.  Since 2003, this has been the premier seminar for young magicians.  Join us and see why!  For more information, contact Becki Wells at beckiwells@cox.net.

We still have some spaces available in our Stage and Close-Up contests. Go for the Gold in Jacksonville.  Over $14,500 in cash and prizes available!  Sign up today.  For more information go to www.magician.org/convention/contest.

The complete convention schedule is now available:  http://www.magician.org/convention/convention-schedule

To register go to http://www.magician.org/convention/upcoming-convention TODAY!  Jacksonville HERE WE COME!

Magic News, Magic of UK, Magic on TV

UK Magician Damien O’Brien: “Old Skool David Blaine”

Damien OBrienThe Mirror newspaper asked UK Magician Damien O’Brien about his influences and he responded, without irony, “Give me old skool David Blaine any day of the week.”

Mr. O’Brien is one of the stars on BBC Three’s new magic-oriented show Killer Magic.

The six-part series begins tonight at sports a new theme each week.  The young magicians then try to make new effects and impress their colleagues and celebrities.

Mr. O’Brien described himself for The Mirror, “I’m a little bit flashy, a little bit cocky. I like to do visual magic. I like to put magic in people’s hands. I want people to be the stars of the trick. I don’t like to give them any suspicions that let people think that I’m cheating… which I am.”

He describes David Blaine as being one of his major influences.  “I grew up watching David Blaine. I loved his approach doing it close up with regular items. I like the idea of doing things close up and any time with anything.”

We probably will not be able to see the show until it is released on DVD or on the internet but look forward to checking it out.

Magician Feature

Houdini’s Relationship with Judaism

Inside Magic Image of Harry HoudiniJoshua Spivak has a great article in today’s Jewish Daily Forward, “The True Story of Harry Houdini’s Tefillin.”

While researching a totally unrelated topic by reading through old newspapers, he came across an article about Harry Houdini’s death.  That led him to further research into the newspapers of the time and into an interesting – if occasionally contradictory – depiction of Houdini’s relationship with the Jewish community and his Jewish practices.

One article, collected the perspective of folks who claimed to be former Wisconsin neighbors and friends, claimed that: “They know him as a man devoutly religious, who, wherever his performance brought him, carried his phylacteries and mezuzahs, Jewish creedal symbols, with him…The mezuzahs, strips of parchment with scriptural passages encased in tin, considered effective in warding off evil, he is said to have nailed to the door of the hotel room wherever he lodged for the night, on the true orthodox Jewish fashion. And the phylacteries, little leathern boxes with scriptural parchment recognized as charms, he bound to his forehead and left arm each morning during his prayers, his friends declare.”

Joshua Spivak is a senior fellow at the Hugh L. Carey Institute for Government Reform at Wagner College in N.Y., and blogs at http://recallelections.blogspot.com/

Magic News

Breaking: Fox Greenlights 10-Episodes of  Houdini & Doyle

Inside Magic Image of Houdini and DoyleAccording to Deadline.com, Fox Television has ordered ten episodes of “supernatural crime” series Houdini and Doyle based on the real-life friendship between Harry Houdini Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

The two characters “join forces to investigate crimes with a supernatural slant.”

Houdini is the debunker and Doyle believes in spooks.

Some are describing it as an X-Files-esque take on two great historical figures.

We will keep you apprised as we learn more.

 

Magician Feature

Mac King Inspires Kids and Adults

Inside Magic Image of Mac KingInside Magic Favorite Mac King received well-deserved, positive press in today’s Las Vegas Review-Journal for his tireless work to promote reading.  This is the fifth year Mac King’s Magical Literacy Tour has visited Las Vegas elementary schools to promote the magic of books.

Beverly Mathis, director of literacy for The Public Education Foundation, praised Mr. King effusively (see how we up our adverb choice when talking about literacy?).

“Mac King is fabulous, and we know how he motivates children to read,” Mathis said. “There’s a little book by Dr. Seuss, and the title is ‘Oh, The Places You’ll Go!’, and just think about that. Children can go anywhere they want, even though they’re right here at Bunker Elementary School. Reading opens up the world.”

Mr. King acknowledges that young audiences can be tough audiences.

“It’s hard doing magic for kindergartners and first-graders, you know?” he said. “They kind of believe it; they believe it’s real.”

“I started doing a few school assemblies when I first started at Harrah’s,” said King, “and I started seeing libraries in Las Vegas and thought, ‘Maybe we can get some more books in there.’  When I was a kid, I checked out a book about magic —Tricks Any Boy Can Do — from my school library, and it literally changed my life.”

Mr. King’s multi-award winning show runs Tuesday through Saturday afternoons at 1pm and 3pm at Harrah’s in Las Vegas.

Each student got a free book, courtesy of a book drive sponsored by local companies and the YMCA of Southern Nevada.

“Some of these kids, it’s the only book they’ve ever owned,” King said. “And that’s just appalling. But, for them, it’s like Christmas.”

Be sure to stop by Mr. King’s website at mackingshow.com

Magician Feature

Escape Artist Andrew Basso Profiled

Inside Magic Image of Andrew BassoThe Minneapolis Star-Tribune has a great profile piece on Italian escapologist Andrew Basso today.  Mr. Basso is receiving raves for his twist on Houdini’s Water Torture Cell escape performed as his turn in The Illusionists nationwide tour.

How did he get into magic?  To impress mom.

“If you knew my mother, you would say she’s Morticia [Addams],” he said.  “She was very serious, no smiles. But when the circus came, she watched the magician’s act, and laughed out loud. I thought, Aha! He has the power to make my mother laugh. I want to be like him.”

He has worked escapes professionally since 2003 and has brought audiences to the edge of their seats and the limits of their composure town after town during The Illusionists’ tour.

Mr. Basso can hold his breath for about four minutes but aims to be out of the restraints and back to breathing air in two minutes.  He has had a couple of close-calls.

“It was this big opening, Sydney Opera House, and I was pumped — I just couldn’t get my adrenaline down,” he said.  “After 2 minutes and 30 seconds, it was taking longer than normal, and my guys knew that I was in trouble, so they got me out.”

He was also burned when performing an escape on live Italian TV.  He was locked in a wooden coffin rigged with explosives and severely burned over his face and hands.  “I haven’t done that trick again, but I would, but different,” he said. “I learned something from it.”

Be sure to check out his incredible website here.

Check out The Illusionists’ website to get updates on their tour schedule.

eBay Items

Wonderful Magic for Sale – The Chop Cup Era

Inside Magic Image of Innovative BunnyWe are like Magic Archaeologists.

We noticed several phases or times in our career, marked by the tools we used (or hoped to use) in our various acts across the decades.  We have unearthed and will soon be selling wonderful pieces found during our excavation of what scientists have termed the Chop Cup age.

The Chop Cup Age lasted over several years and is found just before our Gimmicked Coin eon and just after our Card College era.  All of these time periods are decades from one of our first temporal settings, The Cane Years.  The Cane Years had canes that vanished, appeared, changed color, lit on fire and danced.  They led to the subsequent period in which canes gave way to candles that also appeared, vanished, changed color but never danced.

We will have links to the eBay sale of some Rings and Things cups, a fine brass Benson Bowl (not technically a Chop Cup but still within the realm) and a wonderful China (as in Chinaware, not the country) Chop Cup using a wooden ball that makes a wonderful “ting” sound when the ball appears under the cup.

They are all beautiful pieces and, sadly, not extensively used.  We even have a load ball for the Chop Cup that fits like a wonderful knitted surprise.

Also, although not technically (or in any way, really) a Chop Cup, we have a set of Brass Three Shells and a set of Perfect Peas that will be offered for sale at the same time.  The set is from The School for Scoundrels and comes with a nice velvet bag and perfectly fitting chop cup.

Thank you in advance for sharing in our bountiful excavation of our magical past.

Magician Feature

Steve Dacri’s Storage to be Cleared

Vintage-antique-oak-library-card-catalog-remington-rand--2We received the following from Marleen Dacri Goddard this weekend.

Hi, I am Steve Dacri’s ex-wife(married circa 1980s-1995) and mother of his son Jesse.

Jesse and I are going to meet in Vegas the week of 3/31 and will be cleaning the storage area of Steve Dacri’s magic and personal belongings that have been left.  There is a vintage antique Oak Library Card Catalog that Steve used to store many tricks in.  I can’t think of a better use or anyone who might want it rather than a fellow magician who would like to keep his/her tricks in each little drawer.  Steve loved this unit as it kept each “trick” with the proper props it required in each drawer.

I don’t know what is left in the storage unit, but if anyone is interested in what I might find, please feel free to email me.

My main purpose is to get Steve’s Ashes out of the storage unit that his last wife left.  Jesse and I will hopefully find a nice place to let his ashes go during our trip.

Any ideas would be great! Coming from the East Coast.  Thanks for reading!

Latest Magic News

Copperfield’s Pool Floods Penthouse

Inside Magic Image of David CopperfieldYou may have already heard but in case you missed it, Illusionist David Copperfield’s Manhattan rooftop swimming pool burst and flooded his penthouse apartment and those in the 30 stories below.

Apparently the pump for his lap pool went on the fritz and pumped water throughout his “four-story, greenhouse-like penthouse.”

It could have been a real tragedy because Mr. Copperfield keeps some of his most valuable artwork and antiques.

What kind of antiques? Our kind of antiques.  He has a wonderful collection of vintage arcade pieces from Coney Island.  We would like to think that when we get really wealthy, we will have such collectibles in our east coast apartment.  We’re not being ironic or even sarcastic.  We mean it. We find it depressing when millionaires invest in artwork that we wouldn’t pay to see.  We would pay good money to see a collection of vintage arcade pieces from the home of cool carny things, Coney Island.  Perhaps that thinking is why we will never be a millionaire.

The water did damage the elevators for a day or so and there was damage to the apartments below all the way down to the basement.

Mr. Copperfield’s attorney told the press, “David was terrified, because he has these rare, vintage Coney Island machines, which are priceless, irreplaceable antiques, including a fortune teller, strength testers, an electric shock machine and shooting galleries. But for some unknown reason — or stroke of luck — these machines were spared by the water. There’s a magic trick called ‘The Bullet Catch,’ where the illusionist catches the bullet in his teeth, and David thinks he really dodged a bullet here.”

Mr. Copperfield was not in New York at the time – he was in Las Vegas, performing at the MGM Resort.