In the ninth and final episode of VH1′s Celebracadabra C. Thomas Howell was proclaimed the champion… perhaps because he threw himself into the competition and was willing to do almost anything to further his magic.
Although you might find a few pirate episodes bouncing around the Internet, Celebracadbra is not available on any platform we checked which is too bad because it really was not a bad show compared to other reality shows!
That’s it for us this week. Have a great, fun and safe weekend everyone and try to stay cool!
Celebracadabra, which was hosted by magician Jonathan Levit only lasted a single season of nine episodes. After several eliminations, Hal Sparks and C. Thomas Howell were the last two would be magicians to head into the final.
Back in April of 2008 Celebracadabra premiered on VH1. Seven celebrities, including C. Thomas Howell, Hall Sparks, Lisa Ann Walter, Kimberly Wyatt Christopher Reid, Ant and Carnie Wilson, were trained by magicians Murray SawChuck, Asi Wind, Derek Hughes, Silly Billy, Simon Lovell, David Regal and Rocco Silano. In this clip, the contestants visit the world famous Magic Castle.
This magician automaton, featured in the movie Sleuth, is one of several going up for auction on August 24 in Potter and Potter’s AUTOMATA: Life & Other Illusions event. You can see more video on the auction house’s YouTube page and learn more about the auction on their website.
Michael Lauck is a columnist for iTricks. All opinions expressed in this review are his own and not necessarily those of iTricks.
Owen Magic Supreme traces its history back to 1891, when Floyd Thayer placed his first advertisement in Mahatma. A little more than two decades later the Owen brothers, Carl and Emmett, joined Thayer. Eventually the Owen brothers purchased the controlling interest in the company and added other companies, such as Merv Taylor Magic. Today, Thayer’s company is known as Owen Magic Supreme and has been producing some of the highest quality magic available for over a century. I have personally owned a few of their pieces over the years, all of them older than me and still ready for the stage. You can add some of their heirloom quality magic to your collection by visiting their website.
Finding myself in the neighborhood, I could not resist the temptation to drop by the legendary magic company. I have marveled at Owen products since I was a little kid and just seeing the building, which I knew from magazine articles and catalogs, was enough to make my day. Unfortunately, the genie that used to be perched over the door fell victim to a windstorm a while back.
Even though appointments are required, owner Allan Zagorsky and his daughter welcomed me inside and gave me a little of their afternoon. Allan was gracious enough to let me take a few pictures of their incredible collection of memorabilia and even of the workshop where Allan and his employees create the props that literally entertain audiences all over the world.
After years of running Owen Magic Supreme, Allan is looking for a new generation to take over the business and its legacy. Serious offers for one of the world’s premier magic companies are being taken and if you are interested in taking Owen Magic Supreme forward into the 21st century, visit their website at OwenMagic.com.
I have probably mentioned this before, but Harry Blackstone Jr. was a huge influence on me as a very, very young magician. Harry Anderson was an idol as I grew up, but it was Harry Blackstone Jr. and that incredible voice that I first remember seeing performing magic on television… before Copperfield, Henning or even Mark Wilson (although I remember watching them all and dreaming of the day I would have a stage show of big, colorful boxes that warped reality and and army of showgirls and tigers). So today, simply because it is my birthday and this is the one act of public self indulgence I will allow myself (although I am going to try really, really hard to get by Owen Magic Supreme but that is more of a crime of opportunity) I present you with Harry Blackstone Jr. performing on the 1979 MDA Telethon. A seven year old me probably sat through hours of telethon waiting to see this!
Wild Films India have posted several new clips featuring PC Sorcar Jr on their YouTube channel. It is always cool to see historical magic performances especially when you get to see why someone like Sorcar became an international star.
