Joshua Jay is a performer, writer and creator. In Unreal he performs and explains some of his finest effects. Practical, tried and tested routines that amaze audiences and confound magicians. The album also includes his professional theatre show recorded at the San Bernardo Theatre in Coimbra, Portugal. For the first time you’ll see how Joshua puts together a full evening show. Advice, performance and explanations from one of magic’s greatest teachers.

Available at your favorite Murphy’s Magic dealer including:
Stratomagic
Merchant of Magic
Hocus Pocus
MJM Magic
Saturn Magic
The Magic Apple
Tesmar Zauberartikel
TrickSupply.com

Sponsored Post | No Comments »

Outfielder Michael Cuddyer signed with the New York Mets in November. As this video shows, even though spring training has not started he is already in uniform and entertaining the fans. In this video from MLB.com, though, he is using his sleight of hand skills to impress the kids from PS 92 in Queens during a visit to the Mets clubhouse.

Magic videos | No Comments »

Blake Shelton was the guest on NBC’s Saturday Night Live over the weekend. The lead video, from the NBC website, is a potentially NSFW sketch featuring him as a heckler turned believer at a magic show.

Speaking of magic on television, Rubik’s cube magician and friend of iTricks Steven Brundage will be on today’s Steve Harvey Show. You will have to check your local listings to see when the syndicated show airs in your market.

Speaking of magic on British television (and eventually PBS), The Dorset Echo caught up with Midsommer Murders star Gwilym Lee. The focus is on superfans of the series, but they tip an upcoming episode involving stage magician and Lee learning a bit of magic himself. The article does not mention who served as Lee’s magic coach.

Finally, and still speaking magic on TV, Wizard Wars returns to SyFy with new episodes this Thursday night (along with the premiere of Close Up Kings). VegasNews.com talked to Rick Lax and has some photographs from the set as well as details on a Wizard Wars viewing party at The Sand Dollar. By the way, big shot producer Rick Lax returns to the iTricks podcast later this week.

Headlines, News, TV | No Comments »

The Amazing Kreskin, who recently turned 80, is known as a mentalist but like almost all of us magic types, he started with a deck of cards. This recent clip from the CBC’s George Stroumboulopoulus shows something that is rarely seen: Kreskin’s skills with a deck of cards. I have to say, this might be my favorite Kreskin clip ever; it really highlights his gift with patter and his natural flare.

What better way to bring this week’s Video Friday to a close? Don’t despair, though, iTricksters! The end of a Video Friday means the beginning of a Hustler’s Weekend. Time to get out there and hustle… whether that means working or refining that new effect or jamming with your own magic circle*. Whatever it is, get out there, hustle and have a great weekend.

* Yeah, that is pretty lame, I admit… I think I mentioned I have been hitting the cold medicine pretty hard this week. The first draft of this actually said “jamming with your own magic posse” and that was just too ’80s, too wrong in general and magic circle is best I could do.

It’s been a long week.

Magic videos | No Comments »

This appears to be from a 2012 ad campaign promoting the city of Hong Kong. It features magician Louis Yan on stage and street. It starts silent and when Louis starts speaking (and reminding some of us how rusty our Cantonese has gotten) there are English subtitles.

Our theme-free Video Friday is coming to a close but stick around for one more video a little later. Something a little different…

Asia, Magic videos | No Comments »

Take two magicians, one star from MTV’s Jackass and a broken bottle… what could go wrong?

Well, as we were recently reminded, plenty can go wrong with this type of trick. I personally still have very mixed feelings about them… Honestly these effects always make me a bit squeamish, and I have built this type of prop for guys in the past! Do any iTricksters perform Russian roulette effects?

For the record, in case the accents are not tipping you off, these are the Australian Naked Magicians (Christopher Wayne and Mike Tyler) and not the Chris James, Andrew Goldenhersh and Jason Baney version.

Magic videos | No Comments »

Dan Sperry gets us warmed up for Video Friday with his latest YouTube postings, featuring Jackie Burns from the Broadway show If/Then. It is a deconstructed card trick with a fire theme… What else would you expect?

I think we are going themeless today, so let’s see what videos we dig up!

Magic videos | No Comments »