It is with a heavy heart that we let you know a legend in our industry Paul Daniels has passed away. There will and should be thousands of words written to eulogize a man whose shadow in the UK scene will never truly disappear however we can add this. You can count on your fingers and toes the number of magicians who could be stars without magic and Paul Daniels was a star.
One of the elements I’ve most lamented about theatrical magic presentation is music. Specifically, the continued reliance on any song with the word “magic” or other magic iconography in the chorus.
It’s not that the songs are bad, it’s that the obsession with them ignores a wealth of other melody, tone and mood that music has to offer. And with that we say goodbye to a man who embodied so much of those words he nearly personified them, David Bowie.
There will be countless columns, blog posts and what not eulogizing a man who lived a life so well he released his best album in years because he knew he was dying. His career was simultaneously mainstream and iconoclast. His art skipping from the ponderous to the anthemic.
We leave you with one of our favorites, Kooks from Hunky Dory. Written for his son Duncan as a newborn, has always been a warming center of Bowie’s catalogue. Stripped beyond the performance, his art was about love and expression. We will miss you, David.
Oh, wait, you didn’t think we meant that male stripper movie, did you? No, this is a new Halloween video from Adelaide magician Magic Mike. He is a kid’s performer down under who really seems to have a handle on creating a media presence. Check out his website for more.
“This is so f#&king great. So many ideas are rushing through my head right now!” – Calen Morelli
“Ran Pink is a genius! I’ve used his pens on everything from money to my own flesh and it has made it into several of my videos. And I’m not done creating new effects with it!” – Justin Flom
Ran Pink understands the mind of a creative magical ARTIST. After years of research and development, he’s created something that generates “infinite possibilities” with one very special device.
P’ink is perfect for creating powerful magic for any audience. From effects that can be pulled from your wallet in a casual setting to routines for formal performances. There are infinite possibilities.
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Today’s lead video is from Voice of America. It features the story behind Kevin Spencer’s work teaching magic to people dealing with disabilities. You can read more about Spencer helping people feel “wizardy” on the VOA website.
Movie news! TV Guide reports that The CW (the folks who brought Fool Us to America and brought back Masters of Illusion this summer) are planning on adapting The Illusionist for television. The full story details those involved with the production, which includes movers and shakers from True Blood and Jane The Virgin.
More movie news! We Got This Covered is saying Lizzie Caplan (Cloverfield) is considering the female lead in Now You See Me 2.
Miss Justin Willman on @Midnight? Check out the full episode at Comedy Central’s website.
If you are going to be anywhere near Sacramento this weekend, you may want to check out the Old Sacramento Magic Festival, which kicks off Friday. It has some real talent involved including Daryl, Jay Scott Berry and Sam President ICE McDonald. Get more details from the Sactown Magazine website.
As he explains at the top of the video, Chris Ballinger does a themed magic trick every Monday on his YouTube Channel. This week’s theme was Father’s Day and it seems like a great way to kick off this pre-Father’s Day Video Friday.
There is a follow up video to this (in a way) which sees some of Chris’ young co-stars from this video talking about their father. They provide important details about him, such as how old they think he is, how much he weighs, what he does at his job and such, and explain why Father’s Day is important. You can check it out here.