Jason England goes West!

Magicana is pleased to announce, Jason England, a recognized expert on gambling and sleight of hand with cards, will be conducting Lectures and Workshops in five Canadian cities this March.

Jason England has spent years researching and practicing the more difficult card moves and their applications to both gambling and magic. His workshop was a highlight of the 2009 Canadian Association of Magicians convention and now he will be taking his card-handling to Western Canada. 

Tour schedule:

Vancouver March 5 & 6

To register, contact Lon Mandrake

Edmonton March 7 & 8

To register, contact Kent Wong 

Regina March 9 & 10

To register, contact Chester McBain

Calgary March 11 & 12 

To register, contact Brent Smith

Victoria March 13 & 14 

To register, contact Murray Hatfield

See Full Schedule

Lecture

This lecture will feature some more advanced card moves as well as diabolically clever self-working and almost self-working routines which are within the grasp of beginning and intermediate card handlers and give the illusion of incredible skill.

Workshop

Each three-hour workshop will be tailored to match the needs and requests of the group. Some of the topics include:

False Deals – Detailed descriptions “from the ground up” to help you learn the Second Deal (push off and strike deals), the modern Bottom Deal, and the fabled Center Deal.

Palming – Classical methods of palming from Erdnase including top and bottom palms for single and multiple cards and more recent developments including the Gambler’s Cop and Gambler’s Flat Palm.

False Shuffles – False shuffles suitable for use at the table including technique and routines with the Push-Through Shuffle and Riffle Stacking.

G.P.S. - As the production consultant of the of the recently re-released Gambling Protection Series DVDs by legendary card-handler Steve Forte, Jason is able to speak about many of the moves and sequences from this set, including 52.

“Jason England is the modern day Erdnase! … His lecture and workshop will give you a full understanding of what real card work is all about”

-Joe Pon, Misdirections Magic Shop

Jason England is no slouch with a deck of cards. But more importantly, he is an excellent teacher. He goes beyond showing you just how the technique works  which allows you to learn to do it as well (with a few years practice). His workshop provides amazing value to anyone interested in learning to perform these techniques properly.

-James Alan, workshop participant

For more details visit: www.magicana.com and click on Conferences or click here.

This lecture series is being sponsored by Magicana, and

 Kent Wong of RJK Entertainment in Edmonton, AB.

And the winner is...

Well, the entires are in!

Thank you to those who participated in Magicana's Tony Eng Youth Fund CAM competition. All entires have been validated and now submissions are in the hands of our judges. The all-star CAM convention is just around the corner, April 29 to May 1. The convention promises quite a showing of international talent; you don't want to miss your chance!

The judges will score the entires "blind" (not knowing anything about the applicant other than their age and submission) based on the merit of each individual's application. The judges include a magician from Western Canada, representatives from the Magicana Board of Directors, CAM Board of Directors and a member of the Eng family.

We will release the name of the winner on our website and blog on Monday March 1, 2010 so be sure to check back often!

An Artistic Point of View

We are delighted to announce that Magicana's Artistic Director, David Ben, is now posting on a new blog: Tricks & Tweets. You can visit it here: www.davidben.com/blog.

After much lobbying, we have convinced David to share his thoughts and insights on all things magic. Though he is known for his vast knowledge of history and sleight-of-hand, David is also a creative individual who has much to share. His eclectic background often produces interesting conversation - and those interpretations, more often than not, turn into very interesting projects! Just look at some of Magicana's recent endevours: www.magicana.com.

Want to know how he does it? Then, check it out the blog. You can also follow him on Twitter.

In his new blog, David will muse on tangential thoughts drawing from things that he is currently working on: from Riffle Cull Shuffle work (for those who really want to know!), to consulting for theatrical production companies, to sharing his tips and tricks on achieving useful and productive practise.

We hope you enjoy it!

Camping in our own backyard.

On Sunday Nov, 8, 2009 Magicana was thrilled to present "Bootcamp Magic" a one-day magic workshop for children attending Camp Oochigeas' Urban Camp.

Camp Oochigeas is a privately funded, volunteer-based organization that provides kids with cancer and kids affected by childhood cancer with a unique opportunity for growth through challenging, fun and magical experiences.

Magicana was honoured be invited to provide a custom-version of our children's program, My Magic Hands. We created custom "Boxes of Secrets" for each child and Magicana provided all the instruction and Camp Ooch Counsellors took the role of Magic Coach. The children were, of course, our magicians for the day.

The morning started magically right off the top: as campers arrived, they checked into the "magic station" where "magic powers" were created ... with duct tape, crepe-paper streamers and a lot of imagination! We made magic wands, supercapes, power shields and of course, magic bands of power.

After taking our oaths of secrecy, we rolled up our sleeves and dove into learning magic. Children learned magic with ropes, "props", cards, sponges and even a fortune-telling fish! It was a jam-packed day of learning and fun.

A highlight was the immense delight the magicians showed as they discovered magic (and their own abilities!) and watching how their counsellors brought out the very best in each child. And, being at camp, you never knew when a group of campers and their coaches would suddenly break into song! Magicana "retaliated" with random acts of magic.

At the end of the day, we invited family and friends to come and attend The Big Show where 19 of the children presented the magic that they had learned. Family members confessed to us afterwards that they were astounded at how much the children learned in just five hours. The audience applauded wildly as the children graduated with their "Box of Secrets" and "Certificates of Completion" in hand.

What did the kids think of the day:

"The classes were fun and the teachers were great! The Big Show was awesome."

"The Big Show was the most fun of the program."

"I wish that we could learn more magic tricks!"

"It's wonderful to learn magic. I love magic now a lot."

Magicana was very proud to be a part of something so powerful and inspiring. We were pleased to have Julie Eng at the helm leading the team with assistance from James Alan and Magicana volunteer extraordinaire, Joe Culpepper. We applaud and acknowledge the incredible and hard-working volunteers and staff of Camp Ooch for making the event possible.

It is wonderful to see that anything is possible!

It's true!

David Ben, Artistic Director of Magicana, is pleased to announce that Magicana is taking over the stewardship of the Magic Collectors’ Association.

Founded over sixty years ago, the MCA has staged an annual conference devoted to discussing the history of magic as a performing art, profiling its builders and championing its performers. It has published Magicol, a quarterly magazine, for close to fifty years, the last fifteen under the direction of David Meyer of Glenwood, Illinois. David is now retiring from the role, this November issue being his last, and is turning the reins of the publication and the organization over to Magicana.

Magicana looks forward to building on the success of David Meyer and his cast of contributors, and plans to continue the publication of Magicol, stage the annual conference, and harness new technology, particularly as offered on the Internet, to extend the reach and membership of the MCA.

The Board of Directors of Magicana offered their unanimous support for the undertaking seeing it as perfect fit with Magicana’s mandate.

Stay informed! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter. We'll keep you up to date with MCA developments and conference news.

Do you recognize them all?

Did you play last week?

Check out our website to see if you guessed correctly. Thanks to all your fun entires...the guesses were hilarious and fabulous.

We will soon be featuring the Guess Who photos as an online exhibition soon. Do you have some old photos you want to submit? Send your entries to Magicana (info@magicana.com).

We are also excited to announce that we are adding feverishly to the Sid Lorraine Blog. We have had some interesting discoveries so we are saving our next entry - which will be sizable - for Friday. Stay tuned!

Magic Week in Toronto! Aug 19 - 23

It's unofficially magic week Aug 19-23 in Toronto, and you are invited!

Magicana Chairman, David Ben invites you to attend the magical events that we are hosting in August.

For several years now, Magicana has staged a conference called 31 Faces North. The conference attracts stellar names in magic, and as a result, we have worked with Jeff Pinsky and The Browser’s Den to stage a lecture each year for the greater magic community. Past presenters have included Johnny Thompson, Max Maven, Eugene Burger, Roberto Giobbi and Eric Mead.

This year we thought we would do something different. We decided to stage a mini-convention of magic – two superb performers and lecturers for an afternoon of entertainment and education.

MAGIC DAY – Sunday August 23

So, on Sunday August 23 you can enjoy meeting, watching and learning from Norman Beck and John Carney. Each will perform a full lecture – with a suitable break in between – for a limited group.

I have known Norman for many years and respect both his thinking and performing. Having seen him perform and lecture, it is no surprise to me that Norman is considered one of the “inner circle”, a confidant of the who’s who of magic that includes people like Steve Forte, Michael Weber, and Steve Freeman. You will enjoy Norman immensely. He is one of the best-kept secrets in magic!

John Carney needs no introduction. He is simply one of the most respected magicians and performers of the last quarter century. It has been almost seven years since John presented his last lecture in Toronto. As he is one of the most prolific presenters of magic – and a celebrated student of Dai Vernon – you can be sure that John’s portion of the program will entertain and inspire.

The cost to attend these two world-class presenters is $50.00. As I mentioned, it is like a mini-magic convention, but without the fuss or filler. Space, however, is limited. We have room for about 40 people.

So, if you don’t want to miss out – please reserve your spot now through the Browser’s Den (416) 783-7022.


BONUS WORKSHOPS – Wednesday August 19

As many of us like to learn in a more hands-on environment, we’re prevailed upon John Carney and David Solomon to conduct a private workshop on Wednesday, August 19th at 7:00 pm. Both workshops will be conducted at Magicana – at the same time, but in separate parts of the building. Each workshop is limited to ten people.

John’s workshop will focus more on performance – your performance. Those attending will be encouraged to perform a segment from their own show in front of John and the others. He will then ‘workshop’ the segment, providing technical and directorial notes that move the presenter and the group towards more polished performances. This is a special opportunity for those interested in polishing their work to profit from one of the greats. The cost to attend John’s workshop is $75.00. Please visit www.magicana.com for more details or contact Julie Eng at Magicana at 416-913-9034 to reserve your spot.

David Solomon’s workshop is a hands-on cavalcade of card magic. If you are interested in subtle and sophisticated card magic with a commercial bent, David’s your man. Perhaps the best way to describe David is that there are Marlo guys, and then there is the Marlo guy: David Solomon was one of Ed Marlo’s closest confidants. Ed Marlo only lectured a few times in his entire life and, unfortunately, he is no longer with us. David Solomon, however, knows Marlo’s work as well as anyone – anyone – and was inspired by Ed to create his own magic. Interestingly, in recent years, David has become enamored with the Spanish School of magic, popularized by such performers as Juan Tamariz and Rafael Benetar, both with whom he is well-associated.

So, if your interest is in card work that ranges from technically demanding to simply sly and devious, you will enjoy the time and company of David Solomon. Once again, enrollment is limited to ten people and the cost is $75.00. Again, contact www.magicana.com for more details or pone Julie Eng at Magicana at 416-913-9034 to reserve your spot.

Other surprises are in store. You can’t be surprised, however, unless you attend.

Sincerely,

David Ben

“Sir, it’s an honour to have been cheated by you…”

Richard Turner – The Cheat, left a very impressionable mark during his first visit to Toronto on May 23, 2009.

In partnership with The Browser's Den of Magic, Magicana was proud to present Richard Turner, world renown card mechanic, to the Toronto magic community. In both the three-hour workshop and two-and-a-half hour lecture, Richard imparted invaluable words of wisdom, unbelievable card techniques, and to our delight, many of his incredible stories.

The workshop was intense: with enrollment limited to twelve people, participants received hand-on-hand coaching by Richard as he shared his thoughts and advice on intricate card technique including: false cuts, false shuffles, full-deck controls and the table faro. He graciously spent a large percentage of time explaining and showing us detailed work on his legendary second deal. Many said it was the best workshop they had ever participated in.

Later that evening at his lecture, he performed for and audience of forty magicians and magic enthusiasts for over an hour. He included material from his Magic Castle Show and from a new show, Hoodwinked. For the remaining ninety minutes, Richard answered questions - again, in incredible detail - about his technique and thinking for advance card work including, palming and bottom dealing. Most importantly, however, he tipped secrets on being both a fine technician and a professional performer. Few have the ability to be both, but then again, Richard Turner is, indeed, a rare talent who has accomplished both, in spades. He closed the lecture with sound advice that left everyone inspired and motivated to raise the bar on their own work.

In keeping with his generous spirit, Richard also sold his products at unbeatable prices. Richard is a “touch-analyst” for the United States Playing Card Company and he brought many of his “made to measure” decks of cards, manufactured precisely to his standards. As you can imagine, the difference is night and day. If you missed your chance to buy some of these premium cards, you can purchase directly from Richard.

Magicana was honoured that Richard made his whirlwind trip all the way up to Toronto to “cheat” us. We look forward to seeing him back in Toronto soon.