With today marking the anniversary of the death of Harry Houdini, one of the greatest influences in the world of magic, here is a story about Sid Radner, the man who’s life long goal has been making contact with the great escape artist.
“One time the medium asked for Houdini to make his presence known, and a gal standing around, her beads broke and fell on the floor,” he says. “Another time, a book fell down off a shelf. We had some strange things happen.”
Happy Halloween to all!
With a handful of previews under its belt and the official opening slated for November 11th, “Play Dead” seems to be hitting the nail on the head with critics and audience members alike.
“Play Dead” doesn’t lack for scary material: There are cannibalistic child serial killers and beheaded rats; light bulbs are devoured like potato chips and at least one audience member is killed each evening. Audience members’ dead relatives speak from beyond the grave amid legions of bats, hordes of spiders, gaggles of ghosts and bath-loads of blood.
Looks like a fun time is to be had by all. Big round of applause to Teller and Todd Robbins for putting together what is looking to be a fantastic show. Any iTricks readers that have seen a preview or plan to see the show when it opens, please let us know! Check out the rest of the story HERE, and for more info on ‘Play Dead’ including tickets and showtimes, check out PlayDeadNYC.com
We all have that moment as young kids where we think, “I like magic!” and we get the magic set, do one or two tricks and nothing ever comes of it. For David Lawrence it was more of a “I like magic….but now I like music….hey lets do magic full-time!” kind of thing.
Still, following a semester studying at the Berklee School of Music in Boston, he moved to Pittsburgh and entertained audiences for more than 30 years not as a magician but as a guitarist. Now, he is back at his first love, performing as a full-time magician doing more than 300 shows a year.
Check out the article HERE
It looks like Lance Burton wants his next showbiz project to be in front of the camera instead of in front of an audience.
From Robin Leach:
However, I can tell you that he does have two TV projects in the works for next year, and one is a reality TV series. He’s signed on with a top TV agent in Hollywood, and the presentation pitches are almost completed. Advance word is that there’s already a lot of interest from one cable network and that a schedule will be set right after The Super Bowl in February.
If Vanilla Ice can get a show fixing houses and Steven Segal can hand out parking tickets, Lance can surely find something to do, right?
On the eve of Believe’s second anniversary, a show that has undergone profound change, the star of the production seems to have followed suit.
Criss Angel speaks with the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Mike Weatherford in today’s edition and appears to be a wiser man on the other side of a brutal stretch which saw one of his life-long ambitions torn to shreds by the press.
Quoth Angel about his opening night in 2008:
But two years ago this weekend? Well, it can’t be stated in any high-planed way.
“I got my ass handed to me.”
This kind of self-reflexive honesty is what local reporters and columnists has craved from Angel and he specifically seemed, until recently, unwilling to give. The interview goes on to describe Believe as a much improved show (let’s not forget that Weatherford was one of those critics who bellyflopped onto the Believe dog pile when it first opened) largely because they have gone back to basics. It’s more Mindfreak: Live! and less Cirque du Angel.
Angel has been dinged by detractors for being arrogant and unaware of what people are saying around him. But what we’ve seen recently (including his time spent answering questions on this website) is proof positive that is not the case now.
Two years ago, we would have been very surprised to read a quote to Criss admitting he was affected by negative press. Now, it doesn’t seem out of place.
If that’s changed, and therefore he has changed, maybe it’s time that many in this industry looked at Criss Angel differently?
Remember when we unleashed to the world, Magician Or Denstist.com? Well as if things could not get any better, there is a new website out there. Ladies and gentlemen welcome to the brand new Tumblr Blog: Rappers Looking Like Magicians.
Yes. It’s real. No. I have no explanation for you. Have a great weekend everybody!
In the video for the new Katy Perry empowerment dance anthem Firework, a magician is beset by a pack of thugs looking to mug the youngster. Can the power of illusion save him?
Perry has been a sneaky fan of the art, she featured Penn & Teller in her Waking Up In Vegas video and was in attendance (with now-husband Russell Brand) for Magic Vs. Science week this year at the Magic Castle.
Thanks to iTricks reader Calen.
