TELLER PLAYS DEAD WITH TODD ROBBINS

We've mentioned Teller's Off-Broadway project "Play Dead" with Todd Robbins has finally announced an opening date at the Players Theatre. According to the New York Times, "In the mood for a little darkness? The New York premiere of “Play Dead,” a new Off-Broadway thriller written by Teller (of Penn & Teller), and Todd Robbins, is to open Oct. 21 at Players Theater on MacDougal Street. Mr. Robbins will perform the one-man show, which explores “themes of death, darkness and deception” — at least according to a press release, which also warns of “ethereal sights, sounds and even touches of the returning dead.”   Additional announcements were published today by Theater Mania and Playbill.

MAGICIANS HELPING MAGICIANS

As we all know, Murray Sawchuck has been wowing the audience and the judges of this season's America's Got Talent. Mike Weatherford has written an interesting piece for the Las Vegas Review Journal telling a bit of the back story about Murray's efforts and those that have been helping him prepare.

Four magicians, not currently gigging, denied him warehoused car illusions he wanted to rework in his own style. It was Lance Burton and illusion builder Bill Smith who said yes. "One of the top magicians in Vegas was nice enough and secure enough to say 'Sure.'

Each week of "Talent" competition must be "the act you would normally close a one-hour Las Vegas show with." So after you produce a Ferrari, who you gonna call for a tiger? Why, Stacy Jones, of the currently dormant duo The Majestix.

Read The Complete article Here.

Click here for past reports on Murray from the Magic Newswire !

SHAQ VS PENN & TELLER

For those that missed the original broadcast of Shaq VS Penn & Teller, here is is from Hulu.com. Johnny Thompson also makes an appearance and see if you can spot James Randi in the clip!

MARCO TEMPEST RECEIVES MERLIN AWARD

From his Twitter feed and blog, I learned today that Marco Tempest was presented with the 2010 Merlin Award for "Best Contemporary Magician." IMS founder Tony Hassini presented the award to Tempest in a special ceremony held on Times Square. 

WYRICK RETURNS TO TV

No, Steve Wyrick hasn't vanished from magic. In fact you can catch him on television twice this week! Here are some images that Steve sent my way as well as the details on the shows!

Thursday, August 12th @ 11 pm - History Channel, "That's Impossible" Steve makes a full size 10 Ton Hummer H2 vanish on the top level of the parking garage at Planet Hollywood
 
Tuesday, August 17th @ 12 pm - Discovery Channel, "Steve and the Teutul's create the SW 1000 Super Chopper"  to celebrate his 1000 performance at Planet Hollywood.

RE-ANIMATOR :: OUTLAW EFFECTS

OUTLAW EFFECTS INTRODUCES THE "RE-ANNIMATOR!"

Recently acquired from the estate of Dr. Hans Berlitz. A fully functional Re-Animator, circa 1915. Dr. Berlitz experimented in re-animating small animals like bats and parts of animals such as a monkeys paw. It was also rumored that he could use the machine to teleport in-animate objects and open holes into other dimensions. The device comes inside an old aged wood box (and itself is primarily wood) about 14 by 12 inches and 14 inches tall. It has laboratory labels in German on the box. When you unlatch the bottom, the top of the box pulls off to reveal the Re-Animator.

Click to read more ...

DAN SPERRY ROCKS THE HOUSE ON AGT

Dan Sperry was featured as a part of AGT's YouTube week in which new performers were elected to compete from videos posted of them on the site. There is little more to say other than that Dan killed it! Watch the video and you will agree:

CAVETT MAGIC SPECIAL :: TOMSONI & CO.

Following my great chat with Dick Cavett, I received numerous emails from people willing to help me find footage from the HBO magic specials that he hosted in the 1970's. I have since received copies and am very happy to share the first clip with the readers of the Magic Newswire! As far as I know, this is the earliest televsion clip of The Great Tomsoni & Co! (It is certainly the earliest that I have ever seen.) Watch for more coming in the very near future. Enjoy!

Thanks to Michael Grandinetti & Joe Hanosek for helping me obtain this footage.

IS THE FIRST LADY OF MAGIC RETURNING TO LAS VEGAS?

Apparently, we are about to witness the return of Melinda "The First Lady of Magic" to the Las Vegas Strip in a  show produced by her brother David on his stage at Planet Hollywood. According to Robin Leach who was reporting on several other related acts.

I can confirm that shock comedy magician Amazing Johnathan’s annual wild and wicked Halloween Party will be part of a one-hour pay-per-view special this fall. TV cameras will film a half-hour of highlights of his live nightly Krave showroom at Planet Hollywood’s Miracle Mile and a half-hour of the Halloween happenings. … Magician Teller, the silent half of Penn & Teller, is at work on a new Broadway show, Play Dead, that will have pre-New York previews at The Rio, where they appear nightly. Teller is working with Las Vegas magician Johnny Thompson on the “very dark and macabre” show that’s headed to the Great White Way next year. Expect Penn & Teller’s Rio contract to get a new five-year renewal sometime this fall. … Melinda, the first lady of magic, is returning to the stage. I’ve confirmed that she’ll be back next month on brother David Saxe’s stage at his Planet Hollywood Miracle Mile theater, but not in his new production Vegas The Show. … Japan’s First Ladies of Illusion and aerial acrobats Ai and Yuki open at the theater next week. … Contracts are being signed as I type for the new show going into the Thunder From Down Under theater at Excalibur to replace comedian Louie Anderson, who has moved to Palace Station. 

MAGIC LIPDUB FROM ISRAEL

With the popularity of LipDub videos on YouTube, it was only a matter of time until a magic themed one popped up, and here it is: