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HOW FEMALE MAGICIANS BROKE THROUGH THE MAGIC CIRCLE’S BOYS’ CLUB..

HOW FEMALE MAGICIANS BROKE THROUGH THE MAGIC CIRCLE’S BOYS’ CLUB..

(Pic..The Magic Circle)  In a year that Britain appointed only its second female Prime Minister in Theresa May and Hillary Clinton is on the cusp of her own historic presidential race in the United States, female magicians across the world are also celebrating a milestone: 2016 marks 25 years since the elusive and prestigious Magic Circle allowed entry to its first female members.

Founded in 1905, The Magic Circle is the secretive society that illusionists across the world want to join. Its current members include David Copperfield, arguably the most famous magician alive, and British magician Dynamo. The late Paul Daniels was also a member. Its most famous member isn’t a trickster by trade—but royalty; Prince Charlesgained entry in 1975 by performing a cups-and-balls trick.

Gaining membership is the ultimate approval of a magician’s showmanship; before joining, he or she must complete a rigorous process that includes being recommended by two current members, complete an interview with the Magic Circle’s council and, finally, perform a show in front of a panel of judges and members. “You get judged on three counts. It was terrifying, I don’t think I’ve ever practised so much for anything in my life,” the British mentalist Katherine Mills tells Newsweek. “It was a landmark in my career. I wanted to be part of the Magic Circle so much.”  Read more….

http://www.newsweek.com/how-female-magicians-broke-through-magic-circles-boys-club-504185

The Illusionists make theater magic…

The Illusionists make theater magic…

By Trevor Fraser…   Mentally, I’m about 6 years old when it comes to magic. So when Jeff Hobson of The Illusionists is flipping through the four cards in his hand to show me they’re all jokers, I’m already wide-eyed with anticipation of what these cards are going to do.

Hobson is known as The Trickster. He looks every bit the Las Vegas con man with his perfectly combed blond hair and his sharp suit jacket. You know you can’t trust him, but it still feels safe. “I’ve stolen over 75,000 watches in my career,” he boasts, “and given them all back.”

“The Illusionists – Live From Broadway” presents a team of seven modern sorcerers, all with different specialties. Fairwinds Broadway in Orlando is bringing the show to Orlando for eight performances beginning Tuesday, Oct. 4.

Hobson is the unofficial emcee, doing his own tricks but also segueing between the acts. He is as much comedian as he is conjurer. “Magic inherently brings surprise,” he says. “Surprise in many people comes in the form of laughter.”  Read more…   http://www.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment/os-the-illusionists-dr-phillips-center-orlando-20160929-story.html

Magician Ricky Jay schedules 3 NY shows (first in over 10 years)

Magician Ricky Jay schedules 3 NY shows (first in over 10 years)

Legendary magician, sleight-of-hand master and actor Ricky Jay (who’s aligned himself with the prestigious likes of Paul Thomas Anderson, David Mamet, Steve Martin, Bob Dylan, and David Milch, among many others) doesn’t perform much magic these days. But fortunately, NYC residents will get a chance to catch him later this year, as its recently been announced that he will be performing 3 NYC shows, his first appearances in the city in over a decade.

Read More: http://www.brooklynvegan.com/magician-ricky-jay-schedules-3-ny-shows-first-in-over-10-years/?trackback=tsmclip

One of the Greatest Magicians of the 20th Century Was a Marianist Brother..

One of the Greatest Magicians of the 20th Century Was a Marianist Brother..

By Angelo Stagnaro. 

Image Credit: Hashir Milhan, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons..

Of all the performing arts, very few people actively dislike stage magic.

It’s the principle reason I remain gainfully employed.

That, and my incredible humility.

You’ll regularly find people who are bored with opera and flummoxed by modern dance, but what kind of misanthrope doesn’t like a good card trick? Who doesn’t want to see a bunny pulled out of a hat? Who doesn’t gape at magicians, or magiciennes, who flagrantly disregard the very laws of physics and stunningly do the impossible?

But what about if you’re already a magician, or magicienne, and are already privy to all of the arcane secrets of legerdemain? How can magic be entertaining? There are only so many ways to produce a bunny out of a hat. (There are exactly 32.)

Being a professional stage magician, I can assure everyone that it’s exceedingly difficult to create magic tricks and still more difficult to find ones that confound other stage performers.

What do you do when you’ve already witnessed and figured out all the regular magicians’ acts?

You seek out a Magician’s Magician…..  

A Magician’s Magician is a magus so skillful that his legerdemain remains a mystery even to the otherwise most experienced of stage performers. These people regularly amaze even the most jaded magician hoi polloi who’ve already “seen it all.” It’s the highest honor the magic community can bestow on one of its own.After all, even we need to entertained.When magicians are asked as to who qualifies as a Magician’s Magician, the first name that comes up is Br. Hamman.

Read more…..

http://www.ncregister.com/blog/astagnaro/one-of-the-greatest-magicians-of-the-20th-century-was-a-marianist-brother