The Music, Magic & Make Peace Tour

Musician Justin Mraz is hitting the road with a new tour and he's taking along a magician. Dubbed the "Music, Magic & Make Peace Tour," the show will be hosted by comedic magician Justin Kredible. Mraz says of his host, "They can expect something going on onstage when they get into the theater. All the acts will segue into the next. Our host, who's a world-class magician, isn't like a top-hat-and-cane, cheesy magician. There's no tigers that appear. He's a very modern, comic-based magician. No matter what people say, everyone loves to be like, 'Wow. How did he do that?' I'm a huge fan of magic."Article:: Jason Mraz takes hands-on approach to eclectic tour

Tommy Cooper Remembered

Pete Price offers up recollections of UK magician Tommy Cooper in an article from the Liverpool Echo. During an interview with Comedian Les Dennis for an upcoming show, Les spoke of the night that Tommy died while on stage. He and partner Dustin Gee were following Cooper on the bill on April 14th, 1984. "While Les and Dustin were working in front of the curtain you could see Tommy’s feetjutting out behind it. Backstage, they were giving him mouth-to-mouth and couldn't move him." Pete closes the article on Cooper saying, I could talk about this great man all day as I was very fond of him. I’m just so glad they’ve honoured him with the statue in his home town of Caerphilly." Article:: Tommy Cooper was a true star 

Elijah, Designated Drinker

During the Passover holiday, a cup is filled for Elijah and sits on the table until the contents are washed away after the end of the meal. Magician Kerry Pollock has helped Marc Jaffe develop a cup that drinks itself for this year's feast. The contents of the "Elijah Drinks Cup" slowly vanish as the meal progresses after the secret mechanism is engaged. "I'm looking forward to seder because it would be the first time to have it in action in its own context," said Jaffe, who is expecting "laughs from adults and amazement from kids." The cup sells for $34.95 at his website. Article::  Enter Elijah, Designated Drinker

Pooch or Magi?

Steve Gore was the first performer in the history of the Northern Magic Circle to win four awards in one competition and he plans to try and duplicate the feat this weekend. The competition is to be held as a part of the Northern Magic Circles Spring Parade which will take place this weekend beginning on April 5th.  Steve was the first magician to claim four trophies in one year when he won for comedy, originality, representing the Bradford circle and stage work in 2004. His current act features Patch the Magic Pooch who Steve says  "has been learning to blow balloons and he'll be helping me with some card tricks in the stage section." ARTICLE: Magician Steve Plans to Pull Title Out of Hat. 

Kreskin on Stage in Baltimore

The Amazing Kreskin is set to appear on the stage of the Westchester Broadway Theatre on April 29th. An article from Broadway Wold offers little insight into what to expect from the show, but does mention that Kreskin is working on his thirteenth book, his memoirs. It goes on to say, "Kreskin is also a voracious reader capable of consuming an average novel in less than 15 minutes with remarkable retention. In fact, in certain casinos, he is banned from the card tables, not, they say, because of his mind reading skills, but because of Kreskin's ability to memorize four decks of cards at once!" Tickets are $73 and include both dinner and the show. Article:: The Amazing Kreskin at Westchester Broadway Theatre 

Houdini Buyers Revealed

As mentioned in our post from March 28th,  numerous pieces of Houdini Memorbilia were sold as a part of Guerney's auction of the Pugilese Pop Century Collection. It will be no surprise to many that David Copperfield snatched up several pieces during the auction as well as the original O-R-C-A life preserver from the 1975 Movie Jaws . What may come as a surprise is that the most significant portions of the Houdini collection were purchased by Wayne Lansing who maintains a private museum in Illinois. During the auction, he obtained bought handcuffs and arm locks as well as a burlap straightjacket and a crate from which Houdini escaped.Houdini, who spent part of his childhood in Wisconsin, is an icon in that area of the Midwest, Lensing said. "Even the kids know about him."Aside from Houdini's stuff, Lensing bought a cigar stub that Elvis smoked ($1,200) and paid $6000 for the wingtip shoes that Jack Ruby was wearing when he shot Lee Harvey Oswald READ:: Pop Culture at a Hefty Price  My Podcast Alley feed! {pca-78b487f9bb04cc6d63fc053d5cd94df4}

An Audience Made Speechless - Or was it?

According to an article from the Australian Site News.com.au, an Audience was silenced when the beer bottle trick went wrong during a performance of Tim Ellis' show Something About Razorblades and Nails . Accoring to the paper,after an accident during the show, audience members had to sign a confidentiality agreement to stop them revealing details. "Ellis confirmed that a trick did not go to plan but said he could not reveal any more details "out of respect for the others involved," says the author. "It has never happened before and it is not something we would expect to happen again," he said."No one was seriously hurt. A lot of magicians have secrecy agreements on stand-by in case something goes wrong." Ellis responds to media inquires with regard to the incident on his blog saying, "People do get hurt during the show - on screen - in the video prelude to INSANITY (maybe they got confused between what they saw on the screen and what they saw on stage) - but as far as I know no-one (other than me!) has been hurt seriously or otherwise during my show. (Someone in the audience did have a seizure, but that was in the show next door). As far as secrecy agreements go, we will not require anyone to sign anything, either secrecy agreements or waivers, when attending the show so please feel free to come along.

ARTICLE:: Crowd Watches Magic Trick Go 'Horribly Wrong'
Tim Ellis' Blog:: Magic Unlimited with Webster & Ellis 

"SARMOTI"-The Magic is Back!

Siegfried and Roy's magical incantation SARMOTI may once again be heard on stage at the MGM Grand. At a recent press event, and on their website, they have announced plans come out of retirement in February of 2009. The Duo have plans  for a single benefit show featuring a new magic act to be held in conjunction with the 13th annual “Keep Memory Alive” benefit for the Lou Ruvo Brain Institute. This will be their first performance since Roy was injured by one of their white tigers during a performance at The Mirage four and a half years ago. As a result of the attack, Horn suffered severe neck injuries blood loss as well as several strokes. At the event, Siegfried said, “I make a promise… one year from tonight at next year’s gala ... That is the new goal—our next dream. We will make that come true. The magic is back although may only be a one-night only appearance for now for the Masters of the Impossible!”  SOURCE ARTICLE:: The Magic Is Back

Nathan Burton to appear in Flamingo Hallways

Also fom the Luxe Life Column by Robin Leach, "Guests at the Flamingo won’t quite be able to make new magic headliner Nathan Burton “vanish”—but they can keep him outside their suites! Infact, he’ll be appearing and disappearing every night on the new “Do Not Disturb” & “Make Up My Room” door hangers there—and here’s the sneak peek at that magic prop!" READ:: Strip Scribbles 168 

Is a New Magic Themed Resort to be Conjured for Vegas Strip?

The magic word Abracadabra will conjure a new magic themed hotel on the Vegas strip according to Robin Leach in his Luxe Life column in Las Vegas Magazine. In a recent piece, he revealed plans for an all-magic resort & casino set for the Strip. Code named “Abracadabra” plans are for a ground breaking in two years with a grand opening four years away. According to Leach, Abracadabra will present a unique Madhatters Party with everything set upside down. Guests will enter from the top floor and literally “slide” down through a magical kingdom to check in at ground level. He goes on to say that Everyone you meet on staff from valet-parkers to bellmen to the concierge and check-in receptionists will be masterful magicians, card-trick conjurers, wondrous wizards and even princes of prestidigitation.  The plans also call for one close-up entertainment room with an hourly show, several larger performing venues and a museum with the world’s largest collection of magic memorabilia—even if the bankers have to buy out David Copperfield’s warehouse. The planners told Robin that, “Vegas has more magicians here than any other city in the world so staffing will be easy and we’re going to lure a lot of headline names away from other resorts for our main showrooms. This will be the world’s centerpiece hotel for magic.”(Note: This story is pure fabrication. It was posted to Mr. Leach's column as an April Fool's Joke.) ARTICLE:: Abracadabra Hotel Casts a Magic Spell Over The StripRETRACTION:: Strip Scribbles For April 2, 2008