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Month: July 2016

Did Criss Angel miss the chance to move magic forward?

Did Criss Angel miss the chance to move magic forward?

Criss Angel certainly has the resources to deliver what he promised: “The most mind-blowing, revolutionary magic show ever to be performed live.”

But rival magicians are asking if he has a different goal: to be magic’s ultimate cover band.

Rick Thomas paraphrases the letter he says he sent Angel:

“Your success in Vegas is huge. You have much more opportunity than I do, and many more people who you can hire to work for you to create. I don’t. And when a magician comes up with something they can call their own, let them keep it.”

You may remember Thomas for a family-friendly magic show that ran on the Strip for years. Back when he did a lot of cabinet illusions with tigers, you could call it a bargain version of Siegfried & Roy. But — with the exception of a pop-up pooch — those aren’t what turned up in “Mindfreak Live!” the reboot of Angel’s Luxor showcase. Read the rest of this excellent article by Mike Weatherford at:

http://www.reviewjournal.com/opinion/columns-blogs/mike-weatherford/did-criss-angel-miss-the-chance-move-magic-forward

( Photo Courtesy of Criss Angel’s ‘Mindfreak Live’ )

Jamie Raven talks BGT mishaps and real magic..

Jamie Raven talks BGT mishaps and real magic..

Who’s Jamie Raven, anyway?

He’s the charmer who made Simon Cowell believe in magic, for a start.

“Somebody once said to me, who I really respect, that there are a lot of people who do tricks and there are a few people who actually can do magic, and I think we just saw that,” were Cowell’s exact words, leaving Raven close to tears.

This was at his Britain’s Got Talent audition last year, which got him a unanimous ‘yes’ from the judges, 20 million views on YouTube and a spot in Cowell’s good graces.

Alas, the Hammersmith lad didn’t go home with gold, but he came in second only to a dancing dog act. Let’s face it — canines boogying? Nobody stood a chance.  Read more…

http://gulfnews.com/leisure/events/jamie-raven-talks-bgt-mishaps-and-real-magic-1.1858700

AGT Magician Steven Brundage Uses Rubik’s Cube To Avoid Speeding Ticket..

AGT Magician Steven Brundage Uses Rubik’s Cube To Avoid Speeding Ticket..

Magician Steven Brundage is competing on Season 11 of America’s Got Talent. The 25-year-old from Glenville, New York is known in his upstate New York hometown for performing a magic trick with a Rubik’s Cube in order to get out of a speeding ticket. Brundage was doing 42 in a 30 mph zone around 3am. When the officer asked Brundage why he had so many playing cards in the car, Brundage told him he was a magician. “He then asked me to show him a magic trick,” says Brundage. (See video below.)


http://2paragraphs.com/2016/07/agt-magician-steven-brundage-uses-rubiks-cube-to-avoid-speeding-ticket/