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Tag: magicians

Oscar Munoz – San Antonio magician crowned president of national magic organization..

Oscar Munoz – San Antonio magician crowned president of national magic organization..

I started doing magic when I was 7 years old and have been doing it professionally for the better part of 30 years. As a kid, my grandmother was diabetic and often sick. Kids weren’t allowed to visit in the hospital rooms so when my mom went to see her, I would go across the street to a magic shop. That’s the first place I remember saying the word, ‘Wow.’

About a year after I started visiting the magic shop, a magician came to perform at our school. It cost 50 cents to go see him. I grew up in South Texas and worked in the fields so I knew what 50 cents meant. When he left after his show that day, his pockets were full of change and I said, “If he can do that, I can do that.’

I went to the library and checked out as many magic books as I could. I also hung out at the magic shop hoping to run into a magician who could teach me tricks. My first trick was a coin trick—pulling it out of somebody’s ear…Read more..

http://www.sanantoniomag.com/August-2016/Oscar-Munoz/

Masters of Illusion: A Primetime Hit And A Stage Success..

Masters of Illusion: A Primetime Hit And A Stage Success..

( Very good article by

Marc Berman  and the Huffington Post ) One of the more established categories of performing arts in the world, a true pioneer in entertainment, is also one of the unsung heroes on the small screen. Magic is in the air, and on the airwaves, and CW mainstay Masters of Illusion, in particular, has had more lives than any other series in the history of television.

Call it magical.

“Everything from grand illusions, to stage and close-up magic, to comedy magic, to escapes,” said featured illusionist Michael Grandinetti, who has performed on the series. “Masters of Illusion is the only show on television that gives audiences a view of all of the various styles of magic from around the world.”

Now a staple in the Friday 8 p.m. hour on The CW every summer, Masters of Illusion from Associated Television International, hosted by Dean Cain, is a tour de force reality style featuring some of the most popular magicians, illusionists and escape artists as they entertain you with seemingly unprecedented feats. Astounding! Extraordinary! Stupefying! And family friendly!  Read more…

(Thanks to Mel Kientz and Magicians Life Web Notes for the link..)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marcberman2/masters-of-illusion-a-pri_b_10813014.html

Las Vegas Magic Show Duo ‘Siegfried and Roy’ to Get Biopic Treatment..

Las Vegas Magic Show Duo ‘Siegfried and Roy’ to Get Biopic Treatment..

ROME — The German-American duo known as Siegfried and Roy, whose magic show with its trademark white tigers was one of the oldest and most popular in Las Vegas for more than two decades, will be getting the biopic treatment.

UFA Group, which is FremantleMedia’s German production arm, has secured film rights for the biopic, to be directed by Philipp Stoelzl and scripted by Jan Berger, who both worked on UFA’s epic “The Physician.”

The rights deal was brokered by UFA producer and co-CEO Nico Hofmann. FremantleMedia International will handle international distribution.

The “Siegfried & Roy Show” was a major money-maker for MGM Mirage, the company that owns the Mirage Casino and Resort, where  it was based between 1990 and 2003. The show was shut down after a white Bengal tiger called Mantecore grabbed Roy Horn by the neck and dragged him offstage during a performance. Roy survived the attack but was partially paralyzed by it.Read more at:

http://variety.com/2016/film/global/las-vegas-magic-show-duo-sigfried-and-roy-to-get-biopic-treatment-1201804139/

Psychologists used a magic trick to show how irrational we are..

Psychologists used a magic trick to show how irrational we are..

Can you think a thought that isn’t yours? A remarkable new study, led by psychologist Jay Olsonfrom McGill University in Canada, suggests you can.

The research, published in Consciousness and Cognition, used a form of stage magic known as “mentalism” to induce the experience of thoughts being inserted into the minds of volunteers. It is an ingenious study, not only for how it created the experience, but also for how it used the psychology lab as both a stage prop and a scientific tool.

Years before he was famous, stage illusionist Derren Brown wrote a book called “Pure Effect,” where he argued that presenting tricks as “psychology” could be an effective form of misdirection.

In his innovative shows, Brown often claims he is debunking psychics by demonstrating how psychology can be used to manipulate people’s minds. In practice, his mind-reading and mind control feats can involve the same traditional techniques used by stage magicians, it’s just that he presents them as psychology rather than magic. Read More…

http://www.techinsider.io/psychologists-magic-implant-thoughts-2016-6