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Month: November 2014

Murray moves, Mac King extends contract for magic afternoons…

Murray moves, Mac King extends contract for magic afternoons…

By MIKE WEATHERFORD
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

Fans of comedy magic won’t have to worry about either Mac King going anywhere or having an afternoon alternative in Murray SawChuck.

King has signed a four-year contract extension at Harrah’s Las Vegas that will take his long-running show to 19 years at the hotel.

Murray (who is billed by his first name) is moving into the Sin City Theatre at Planet Hollywood Resort, with afternoon shows starting Dec. 20 that will compete almost directly with King’s. Murray’s showtimes will be 2 and 4 p.m., while King’s are 1 and 3 p.m.

Both magicians will be at Caesars Entertainment properties, but the corporation has never been too assertive as a landlord when it comes to refereeing rival shows within a genre. And, much like the arrangement he had at the Tropicana’s Laugh Factory, Murray will be a step removed from Caesars. The Sin City venue is leased from Planet Hollywood and run independently by John Padon and general manager Pete Housley.

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When science seems magical..

When science seems magical..

In recent years, the TV landscape has exploded with cutting-edge magicians like David Copperfield, Criss Angel, Dynamo, David Blaine and Derren Brown. Drawn to this world of illusion, the UK’s Ben Hanlin has been leaving his own footprints with Discovery Channel’s Magic of Science, writes Debashine Thangevelo.

DESPITE just flying into South Africa with not much time to recover from jetlag, Ben Hanlin was a bundle of energy.

In fact, the confident 25-year-old was only too happy to dive into media interviews and, in between the ongoing banter, bowled over sceptics in the room with a trick or two.

Read more at:

http://www.iol.co.za/tonight/tv-radio/when-science-seems-magical-1.1779678#.VGUDHfnF9gl

The Unbelievable Skepticism of the Amazing Randi..

The Unbelievable Skepticism of the Amazing Randi..

A very in-depth article by ADAM HIGGINBOTHAM for The New York Times..

A few minutes before 8 o’clock one Sunday evening last July, around 600 people crowded into the main conference hall of the South Point casino in Las Vegas. After taking their seats on red-velvet upholstered chairs, they chattered noisily as they awaited the start of the Million Dollar Challenge. When Fei Wang, a 32-year-old Chinese salesman, stepped onto the stage, they fell silent. Wang had a shaved head and steel-framed glasses. He wore a polo shirt, denim shorts and socks. He claimed to have a peculiar talent: from his right hand, he could transmit a mysterious force a distance of three feet, unhindered by wood, metal, plastic or cardboard. The energy, he said, could be felt by others as heat, pressure, magnetism or simply “an indescribable change.” Tonight, if he could demonstrate the existence of his ability under scientific test conditions, he stood to win $1 million.

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