(Source: http://www.today.com/)
Philly trickster Francis Menotti combines magic tricks with motivational speaking..
Fancis Menotti keeps a deck of playing cards in his pocket at all times.
That simple fact is a sign of just how devoted 38-year-old Menotti, from Center City, is to his art form. To call him a “full-time” magician is almost to do his efforts a disservice. He travels internationally for about a quarter of the year, spends at least half of his week performing regionally, consults on magic scenes in movies like “The Immigrant,” writes for Magic magazine and, in his spare time, perfects new tricks – ones that often involve cards, coins, business cards or, as recently demonstrated in an episode of The CW’s “Penn & Teller Fool Us” reality show, Scrabble tiles. And if all that’s not enough, he’s earned his way into President Obama’s inaugural ball as a performer twice.
And still, he told PhillyVoice, he’s not convinced many people actually understand why magic is important. Read more…
http://www.phillyvoice.com/francis-menotti-philly-magician-using-magic-motivational-speaking/
5 Ways Your Body Language Gives You Away: A Famed Mentalist Shares His Secrets..
Ever since I obtained my Master’s degree in marriage and family therapy and studied communication theory, I’ve been fascinated by how we communicate and, in particular, how much information we share through our body language that we don’t realize we’re revealing. So when my son and I saw Oz Pearlman working his mentalist magic on America’s Got Talent, we both were deeply intrigued.
Dubbed as “The Wall Street Mentalist” by CNBC’s Squawk Box, Oz Pearlman is one of the busiest performing mentalists in the world, impressing major figures of Wall Street including Jeffrey Immelt, chairman and CEO of General Electric, who said of Pearlman, “He just turned one dollar bills into hundreds…amazing!” After several years working on Wall Street, Oz decided to pursue his dream and became a full time entertainer, entertaining audiences with his mind reading abilities and fascinating sleight of hand for over two decades. His numerous television appearances include NBC’s Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, The Today Show, CBS’s Early Show and ABC’s World News Tonight just to name a few. Recently, he dazzled television audiences nationwide as a favorite and finalist on America’s Got Talent.
See for yourself. Here’s a glimpse of Oz’s mentalist and magic abilities: Read more….
Irene Larsen, Co-Founder of the Magic Castle, Has Passed Away
Magic Castle co-founder Irene Larsen passed away this morning at her home near Hancock Park. Irene was treasured by generations of magicians and entertainers who came to know her through the Magic Castle and the Academy of Magical Arts. She was the very first member of the club built by her, her late husband Bill, and brother-in-law Milt in 1963. The trio transformed a dilapidated old mansion in Hollywood into an elegant restaurant, theater, and international center for the performance of magic that is more popular today than ever before. Irene and Bill (and later their daughter Erika) edited Genii: The Conjurers Magazine for many years, spreading interest in the art form around the globe.
I was so privileged to call Irene a friend. She was so affectionate, kind, and curious that every guest in her home became a member of the vast family she accumulated over the years. A constant stream of well wishers and entertainers visited her magnificent estate Brookledge turning it into a private clubhouse for the variety arts. Musicians, actors, and all manner of creative types (check out Puddles Pity Party, pictured) found a community there that spawned collaborations and friendships that could not have existed without her larger than life personality. For the past several years, her daughter Erika made these visits into glorious productions with her Brookledge Follies shows and Irene always sat in the front row.
Irene spent years creating a lush garden dreamscape (complete with a gnome forest!) around the historic-cultural monument, which sits on both sides of a natural brook. The animals that Irene loved and protected made themselves at home there and the ones she didn’t personally adopt she advocated for through non-profits like Last Chance for Animals, which the family asks friends to support in lieu of flowers. Irene’s daughter Erika is currently serving as president of the Magic Castle, and Irene’s granddaughter Liberty is the 4th generation of the family to perform at the club. Princess Irene leaves an extraordinary gap in the creative world of Los Angeles and I will miss her very much.
http://www.lamag.com/askchris/irene-larsen-co-founder-of-the-magic-castle-has-passed-away/