28 March 2024

Toronto: Loran lecture [Apr 20]

From the Browser's Den of Magic Newsletter:

Accomplished magician, lecturer, and author, Quebec illusionist Loran is thrilled about sharing the secrets he has accumulated over a lifetime with you and offers a most inspiring lecture.

With over 30 years of experience, Loran has amazed thousands of spectators around the world. He has collaborated on stage and films with the Rolling Stones and AC-DC, Allan Rayman, and Jackie Chan.

Loran has presented his magic on English-language screen TV networks, CTV, CBC and City TV, as well as the national French-language networks, TVA, and Radio-Canada. His acting and consulting skills have been seen in a wide variety of Canadian and American movies, and television series, notably; Relic Hunter, The Tuxedo and Terror Train (Remake 2022).

THE LECTURE
Covering a vast array of topics on the art of illusion, Loran guarantees that no matter what your current skill level is, you will come away with knowledge that can be immediately implemented in your current presentations.

Loran presents and explains many of his original effects using various objects such as cards, spoons, scarves, and T-tip for close-up and stage magic performance. Most of the effects are commercial routines that include the complete presentation. Here are some of the effects.
  •     Mirrorize” A mystifying coincidence with mirrors.
  •     Unreal Silk” The scarf that penetrates matter.
  •     The Nostradamus egg” Is it an egg or a prediction?
  •     Card-Trap” A dangerous game with a mousetrap.
A part of the lecture is also devoted to the technical aspects of stage performance. This includes subjects like how to create a good cue sheet and technical requirement document, how to manage your music, what type of microphone and road case you may need. This segment will benefit both the seasoned professionals, as well as the novice beginner, and is indispensable if you are performing for school, on small as well as the large stage.

The knowledge that is shared with you by Loran, has been obtained over decades spent in real stage situation experience.

We look forward to seeing you all at what will be an incredible lecture!

 

From the March 12th Facebook post by the Browser's Den of Magic:




27 March 2024

Canada's Got Talent: Getting to know Mark Lewis

Next in our series of short interviews with some of the magic acts listed in the March 5th Canada's Got Talent media release is Mark Lewis!
 

You may already know that Mark:



We're delighted that Mark made time to answer our questions ahead of his April 2nd appearance on the 2024 season of Canada's Got Talent!

 

 

Who inspires you that is not a magician?
 
Nobody really! Or maybe there is but I can't think of any right now!
 
What is your first memory of magic? 

I was nearly 13 years old and went into a library and saw a book on magic. I took it out on loan and that started the whole thing off and it has lasted 66 years!

 


Who from the magic community inspires you?

Nobody really! I think the best magicians are all dead!  In other words there are many, many magicians from the past that inspired me. David Nixon in the UK certainly did. As did David Berglas, Harry Lorayne, Tommy Cooper, Paul Potassy and many, many more! However, I can't think of anybody alive that does! That is probably a sign that I am an old misery born in the age of the dinosaur!

 

Was there anyone or anything instrumental to you becoming a magician?

No. I was completely self taught from books. I never met a magician for the first two years of my studies and I thank God every day for it! I think I went downhill very slowly after that! 






Mark Lewis

📸 : CGT




Did you ever get discouraged and think about quitting magic?  
 
I have never even for a single second thought about quitting magic. I have devoted my life to the art.

Do you have any tour or pre-show rituals you’d be willing to share with our readers?
 
Not really. I do know the great Howard Thurston used to jump up and down before going on stage saying, "I love my audience! I love my audience!" Of course he had never worked the working men's clubs of Northern England or to drunks in the middle of the night in London night clubs like I have!




 
Why is now the right time for you to be a part of Canada's Got Talent?
 
Because I am 79 years old and nearly dead! I don't think they accept applications from the spirit world so I better do it now while I am still above ground!



 
 
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
 
Not really. I have probably said too much as it is! 

 

 

Thank you Mark, for making the time to answer our questions!  Break a leg on CGT!


Learn more about Mark at his website MarkLewisMagic.com and follow him on Facebook and YouTube.

 
 
 
Watch Canada's Got Talent Tuesdays on CityTV.

 

 

 

 

26 March 2024

Buffalo: Ken McCreedy and Shawn Farquhar at MAWNY 2024 [Apr 28]

From the February 16th Facebook post by IBM Ring 12:

The greatest one day convention in the world! MAWNY 2024 is approaching on Sunday April 28 at the M Hotel in Buffalo, NY! Register at mawny.org today!

 

 

 

25 March 2024

Canada's Got Talent: Getting to know Vincenzo Ravina

Next in our series of short interviews with some of the magic acts listed in the March 5th Canada's Got Talent media release is Vincenzo Ravina!
 

You may already know that Vincenzo:



We're delighted that Vincenzo made time to answer our questions! 

 

Who inspires you that is not a magician?
 
I'm inspired by Wes Anderson, "Weird Al" Yankovic, Lemony Snicket, David Lynch, the Muppets, and Fiona Apple. And I'm inspired by TV shows like The Twilight Zone, LOST, and Taskmaster. I'm inspired by events like the theft of the Mona Lisa.
 
What is your first memory of magic? 

I'm not sure how old I would have been, but my earliest memories of magic are of a family friend making a coin vanish and reappear inside several small nesting boxes with rubber bands wrapped all around, and of my family regularly going to a restaurant in Halifax where a magician named Dave Moon would perform. He had a long, white beard, and wore purple robes and a tall pointy hat. I loved the feeling of watching his magic and I wanted to share that feeling with others.
 


 

Who from the magic community inspires you?

I am regularly inspired by the magicians in my local club, the Halifax Magic Club. They have made my work so much better with their feedback and ideas. 

In the broader magic community, there's too many... I love Charlie Caper, Penn & Teller, Zabrecky, Carisa Hendrix, Morgan & West, Ben Hart, Joshua Jay, Derek DelGaudio, Mac King, Piff the Magic Dragon, Andy at The Jerx, and the two big Davids (Copperfield and Blaine). I've learned something important from every single one of these folks and I'm definitely forgetting others.

 

Was there anyone or anything instrumental to you becoming a magician?

Mark Wilson's Complete Course in Magic was a treasure trove of knowledge which I'm still using today, and a subscription box service called Magic University started me off with a lot of props, which I used a lot when I was doing shows as a kid. 




Vincenzo Ravina

📸 : CGT



Did you ever get discouraged and think about quitting magic?  
 
I think like a lot of magicians, I learned magic in my youth, and then at a certain point, I drifted away from it and didn't do magic for some years. I got tired of birthday parties and I started thinking magic was uncool in high school. I also got to thinking that magic couldn't be a career or creatively fulfilling, for some reason. So I focused on creative writing and journalism. But Rod Doiron, who was the president of the Halifax Magic Club at the time, reached out to me in 2009 and invited me to come to a meeting. I started going regularly and I got back into magic again. At first, as a hobby. And then I realized that pretty much anything I want to do creatively, I could do through magic. So I started going to open mics and developing new routines and material and got one of my pieces onto Penn & Teller: Fool Us. Since then I've been regularly performing my show, Actual Wizard, at different venues and theatres in Nova Scotia, and writing a new show every year for the Halifax Fringe Festival.

Do you have any tour or pre-show rituals you’d be willing to share with our readers?
 
A lot of magicians like to pack small and play big. Me, I pack pretty big. So the majority of my pre-show ritual is just setting up my tables, lights, sound, props, hanging strings from the ceiling, putting programmes on seats, checking and double-checking my lists, going over cues, greeting people as they arrive, etc. and then suddenly it's time to perform. I always feel like I'm planning a surprise party or wrapping a gift when I'm setting up my show. I'm excited to surprise people.

Those rare times when I have time between setting up and performing, I will think about Joshua Jay's pre-show mantras "Tonight is part of the process. Perform like it's the first time and the last time. Enjoy the show," and I will think about how appreciative and privileged I am that people have bought tickets and have taken time out of their lives to come see me.



 
 
Why is now the right time for you to be a part of Canada's Got Talent?
 
When I performed on Penn & Teller: Fool Us, I was basically going directly from open mics to onstage in Vegas in front of a huge audience and celebrities, so I was not entirely at ease. Now is the right time for me to be a part of Canada's Got Talent because I feel more comfortable with my character and my performance than I've ever felt. I created the piece that I brought to my audition at CGT four years ago and I've performed it in nearly every show I've done in that time. It has grown, changed, and evolved into what I think is a quite good piece of magic, so I was eager to share it with the judges, the live audience, and the rest of Canada.


 
 
 
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
 
If you're in Nova Scotia or visiting, come out to one of my shows! I try to have one or two public shows every month and tickets are available at ActualWizard.ca

 

 

Thank you Vincenzo, for making the time to answer our questions!  Break a leg on CGT!


Learn more about Vincenzo at his website ActualWizard.ca and follow him on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

 
 
 
Watch Canada's Got Talent Tuesdays on CityTV.

 

 

 

 

23 March 2024

22 March 2024

Canada's Got Talent: Getting to know Bao Hoang

Third in our series of short interviews with some of the magic acts listed in the March 5th Canada's Got Talent media release is Bao Hoang!
 

You may already know that Bao:

  • has over 21k followers on Instagram, 170k on TikTok, and 170k on YouTube,
  • was named "Creator on the Rise" by YouTube Canada, and
  • is the founder of the BaoBao Restaurant Playing Cards brand.



We're delighted that Bao made time to answer our questions! 

 

Who inspires you that is not a magician?
 
Eric Decker, aka Airrack, is another inspiration from the YouTube space (yes, I get inspired a lot by YouTubers). I saw Eric grow from a small channel to reach his goal of getting 1 million YouTube subscribers within only a year. His determination to reach his goals, whacky, out-of-the-box ideas, and skill in keeping viewers hooked have deeply influenced my approach to video making and magic. His influence significantly shaped how I designed my act for "Canada's Got Talent." It was crucial for me to ensure that the act wasn't just impressive in its magic but also tailored for success on YouTube. I aimed to create moments within the act that could be captured in a captivating thumbnail and crafted a premise that was clear and engaging, with the potential to go viral. Airrack’s blend of entertainment, storytelling, and audience engagement has reshaped how I view content creation and performance, teaching me the importance of creativity, perseverance, and strategic presentation in achieving success.
 
What is your first memory of magic? 

I was 4 years old when my classmate’s father performed a magic show for my kindergarten group. I remember him making a toy dinosaur appear from an empty box, then making candies appear from that same box.
 



Who from the magic community inspires you?

As a YouTuber myself, Chris Ramsay has been an enormous inspiration. He makes magic and puzzle-solving videos that go insanely viral on YouTube all the time. Even Tom Holland watches his videos. Chris has inspired me because he showed me that it was possible to make a living performing magic on the internet. If I hadn’t started making YouTube videos and seeing the positive feedback from my online community, I’m not sure when I would have found the confidence to leave my day job and make a career out of magic.
 


Was there anyone or anything instrumental to you becoming a magician?

During my teenage years, my mom would drive me every Saturday to visit the Spectram magic shop in Montreal (which unfortunately had to close down because of the pandemic). But the real magic happened downstairs in their basement where they had this magic school, MagieStrale. That’s where I met Yannick Lacroix, my magic teacher. He was the one who taught me all the fundamentals of magic and it was his guidance that steered me into exploring coin magic, which can be technically very difficult. He told me that mastery in coin magic could enhance my proficiency in all other magic manipulation techniques... and he was right!





XXXXX

📸 : CGT




Did you ever get discouraged and think about quitting magic?  
 
I never completely dropped magic, but there was a time when it sort of took a backseat. That happened when I dove headfirst into my "real job" in marketing, thinking that was going to be my lifelong career. But, you know, I think it's totally fine to wander off, try out different hobbies, and pick up new skills. Then, you bring all that experience and inspiration back into your magic. I’m a firm believer that to really grow as an artist, you need to soak up life beyond the magic scene.

Do you have any tour or pre-show rituals you’d be willing to share with our readers?
 
It’s not really a ritual, but I always stay hydrated and do finger-stretching exercises before performing them. I also have to make sure to eat ahead of time because I have absolutely zero appetite within hours leading up to the performance!



 
Why is now the right time for you to be a part of Canada's Got Talent?
 
I just quit my day job in marketing to go all-in and pursue magic. Canada’s Got Talent is an opportunity to prove myself that I made the right decision. While it’s scary, you only grow if you step out of your comfort zone!


 
 
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
 
I’ve always been an introvert, and magic has played a big role in helping me get out of my comfort zone.I hope that my journey can inspire introverts to put themselves out there and take risks. It won’t be easy, but it’s 1000% worth it!

 

Thank you Bao, for making the time to answer our questions!  Break a leg on CGT!


Learn more about Bao at his website BaoMagic.com and follow him on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.

 
 
 
Watch Canada's Got Talent Tuesdays on CityTV.

 

 

 

 

21 March 2024

Toronto: Browser's Den auction [Apr 14]

From the Browser's Den of Magic:

You LOVE auctions! We LOVE auctions...So it is our time for our annual spring auction!
 
For those who would like to bring in 'magic' (props large or small, books, videos) to be auctioned off you may start dropping them off now.
 
We have been doing these auctions since 1975.  Auctions are a lot of FUN! 

For those who have never attended one of our auctions, you are missing out on tremendous bargains as most of the magic sells for at least half their regular prices.  Plus, often there are props, books that are no longer readily available.

Read more.