It’s been really busy …

In June, in partnership with Luminato, Magicana presented Juan Tamariz, Mac King, Max Maven and Bob Sheets in Toronto. We also presented three My Magic Hands programs which were timed to conclude to have Luminato guest performer, Bob Sheets close “The Big Show” – a magic show recital by students.

During July we delivered special one-on-one versions of  My Magic Hands at Holland Bloorview, and scheduled an additional summer session to coincide with another visiting guest magician, Rafael Benatar of Spain.

In August, we partnered with Montreal Magic Jam to produce Gaëtan Bloom and Rafael Benatar in an international double-header lecture for both Montreal and  Toronto, which also included intensive card workshops by Rafael Benatar.

We were also thrilled to also produce Jim Steinmeyer’s “Gee 20” Lecture for Torontonians in August. Jim rarely lectures, so having this creative genius present was an added bonus to Magicana’s summer lecture series.

Steve Forte presenting at 31FN

In addition to these lectures and workshops, Magicana also hosted the eighth, and final instalment, of 31 Faces North – an intimate gathering of 31 (which swelled to more than 40) magicians from around the globe. For four wonderful days, we were treated to first-class lecture presentations, magic performances and, of course, generous sharing. A huge highlight for the group was having Steve Forte come and present something special for the group.

To round off an excellent summer, we just received notice that our latest publication, A Grand Exposé has finally been delivered! As soon as the books arrive to our fulfillment facility in the USA, advance orders will be processed and mailed out – we anticipate September 15 shipping.

This 1860s reprint is truly, a gem of a read. The Advance Order Offer expires at midnight September 10, so if you haven’t already done so, order now before the price goes up!

We now will turn our attentions back to online exhibitions, blogs, another publication (it’s another secret!) and our beloved community  projects with My Magic Hands and Senior Sorcery. We have a full scheduled planned with our community programs and hope to squeeze in one more surprise before the year’s end.

Celebrating the Art of the Impossible!

For those lucky enough to be in Toronto between June 16-20, you could definitely feel the magic in the air!

Four master magicians from around the world descended upon the city to take part in Luminato – the Toronto Festival of Arts + Creativity. For the first time, the festival included magic in its programming and the results were nothing short of spectacular.

Max Maven, the world’s most prolific mind-reader and mystery entertainer, took to the stage with Thinking in Person – his thought provoking foray into the fascinating world of the mysterious and the unknown.

Mac King came all the way up from Las Vegas to say “Howdy” to Canadian audiences and he brought his entire show with him. Through his performances at the Panasonic Theatre, we were treated to mystifying magic, side-splitting comedy, some animal friends and quite a few surprises along the way.

Maestro, Juan Tamariz, joined all the way from Spain. Making his first appearance in Toronto, he performed three outstanding shows (two in English and one in Spanish) and delighted audiences of all ages. The evenings were jam packed with excitement and wonder. They included a cast of magical friends including a lovely assistant, a powerful spirit medium, and an adorable furry friend.

All the while, Bob Sheets of Washington D.C., was roaming the streets of Toronto creating magical happenings. Those who happened to be in the right place at the right time got to see Bob perform great classic magic tricks and con games in his own zany way.

Out in the community, some new magicians from My Magic Hands got to show off their talents. Children from Big Brothers & Big Sisters of Toronto, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital and The Learning Enrichment Foundation worked hard over weeks and months learning, practicing and polishing their magic and invited family and friends to see their Really Big Shows, which also featured a special guest appearance by Bob Sheets.

Check out festival highlights at http://www.luminato.com/2010/tv