You might be surprised to learn that the “Magic Capital of the World” is not Las Vegas, New York, or London, but the tiny town of Colon, Michigan. Indeed, the tiny town with barely more than a thousand residents is recognized as such by the United States Congress. For the past 80 years Colon has hosted Abbott’s Magic Get Together, an annual convention that pulls in several hundred magicians from all over the world. This year, it’s also hosting Michigan Magic Day 2018.
Starting with a Night Before Gathering on May 18th and running throughout Saturday, May 19th, the event boasts hours of lectures and performances, including appearances by:
Harrison Greenbaum
A multi-award winning stand-up comedian who has appeared on dozens of popular shows including America’s Got Talent, Last Comic Standing, Gotham Comedy Live and Brain Games. Sometimes dubbed “the hardest-working man in comedy,” Greenbaum often clears 600 shows a year.
Scott Alexander
This chill illusionist was described as, “hip, laid back and refreshing,” by the LA Times. His fun patter and impressive illusions got him into the last stage of America’s Got Talent, as well as onto channels like SyFy, Discovery Channel and NBC Showtime.
John Shango
This multi-talented magician has great reviews, but almost no online presence. Upload some videos, John!
BJ Mallen
A razorsharp magician, comedian and sideshow performer, Mallen makes time for plenty of TV appearances between cushty corporate gigs.
Nahan Kranzo
A magician and trick creator who has performed and lectured across the United States, Europe, and Asia. He’s worked as a consultant for Penn & Teller and appeared on Wizard Wars, Houdini and Doyle, and America’s Got Talent.
Tyler Gronauer
Gronauer started performing magic at just 12-years-old. He’s been performing for 4 years. Do the math.
Mike Powers
This prolific author and skilful close-up magician has been entertaining restaurant crowds for nearly thirty years. He has lectured and performed at magic conventions and clubs around the world.
Early registration for Michigan Magic Day 2018 starts at 6:00pm on Friday, May 18th, with most of the events taking place the following day. Tickets are available now.
The Bindlestiff Family Cirkus is returning to New York City with an exciting new production featuring, among others, multi-talented magician The Great Kaplan. Fortunately, your pals here at GeniiOnline have got the inside line on a swank discount for the show’s opening night. Pre-booking seats for the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus Cabaret at The Cutting Room would normally run you $25, but by using the code THEGREATKAPLAN, you can get $5 off tickets for the May 23rd show.
Comedian, magician, illusionist, musician, and master of the turkey baster (no, really): David Kaplan’s multi-faceted act is in high demand in magic circles. The discount is meant for magicians, but we won’t tell if you don’t.
Joining Kaplan in this “hilarious celebration of the dangerous space between failure and glory” is a host of circus and cabaret performers, comedians, arbalists, and live musicians.
The Bindlestiff Family Cirkus Cabaret will run for just five performances from May 23rd to May 27th at The Cutting Room on 44 East 32nd Street in New York. Tickets are $25 in advance (or $20 for the May 23rd show using our code) or $35 at the door. If you’re feeling brave, you can turn up in clown makeup or a circus costume for a $10 discount on the door price. Discounts are available for young children and families.
Jessica Jane sees herself as an entertainer first and a magician second. That philosophy is reflected in her new show, Jessica Jane’s Magic Comedy & Variety Show, which opened last month at the Sweet Fanny Adams Theatre in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. The show features singing, dancing, comedy, and, of course, magic.
“Magic is the main thing I do,” she told Laura Fraker of Mountain Fun Life, “but I try to blend a little bit of everything with it to make it a full variety show.”
“I want to be the Carol Burnett of magic,” she said with a smile.
Jane has spent most of her life in and around the magic industry. Her mother was a magician’s assistant and her uncle was a magician. As a child, Jane often accompanied them on tours.
“My mom was getting sawn in half and I was sitting there with beanie babies,” she quipped.
She began practicing the art in her own right at the age of 14, after she got her hands on a dancing cane while visiting Colon, Michigan, “The Magic Capital of the World,” (seriously). A career in magic soon followed, and Jane has since toured the country and made a number of TV appearances, including a great performance on Penn & Teller’s Fool Us. Earlier this year, Markos Papadatos named her as his entertainer to watch in 2018.
Jessica Jane’s Magic Comedy & Variety Show runs every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 1pm at the Sweet Fanny Adams Theatre in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. During busier months, Jane also performs on Wednesdays at 8pm. Tickets are on sale now, and can be had for just $19.95 for adults or $12.95 for children. The show is family friendly.
Last year, the Boston Ring of the International Brotherhood of Magicians staged a two hour show to raise funds for Alzheimer’s research during the Wellsesley Wonderful Weekend. Alzheimer’s still hasn’t been cured yet, so they’re doing it again this year.
The show runs from 4pm to 6pm at the Wellesley Community Center on May 19th, with the proceeds going to the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund. The fund’s board of directors are covering all overhead costs, so 100% of every donation made to the fund goes towards research into the crippling disease.
The master of ceremonies for the show will be the Boston Ring’s president, Bruce Fenton, who will be joined by the following performers:
Alan The Uncanny
Magician and cartoonist, Alan Wassilak, combines the art of illusion with the art of, um, art, to perform unique tricks.
Pat Farenga
Pat Farenga is a magician, magic teacher and editor of The Silent Messenger newsletter.
Ryan Lally
Young, but with the classical charm of a born magician, Ryan Lally adds a touch of class to the proceedings.
Gil Stubbs
Wellesley’s own Gil Stubbs and his associate, Jerry Schiowitz, will be performing “on-demand” close up magic before the show and during the intermission.
Those seasoned magicians will also be joined by performers Danny Winter and Mikey Lee.
Jen Kramer‘s new show, The Magic of Jen Kramer, debuts at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino at 6pm, May 16th. The show will run four days a week, Wednesday to Saturday.
At the time of writing, Kramer will be the only female magician headlining an act in Las Vegas. That’s ridiculous of course, but if the city is only going to have only one woman headliner, Kramer is a good choice. She’s been performing professionally for over a decade, and was named Female Magician of the Year by the International Magicians Society back in 2016. She made the jump to television with successful appearances on Penn & Teller: Fool Us and Masters of Illusion.
Tickets for Kramer’s inaugural performance at the Westgate are on sale now for $19.99 o $29.99 plus tax.
Art may be magic, but you know what is even magic-ier? Actual magic. That’s why gorgeous illusionist Ryan Oakes will be performing at this year’s Fresh Art’s Annual Benefit, Art is Magic, in New York this May.
A quality illusionist and magician, Oake’s career took off when he he became the youngest person to win the Society of American Magicians’ National Magic Competition in 1990. Since then, he’s been touring the US at a breakneck pace, performing literally thousands of shows in a career that has spanned more than two decades.
Fresh Art is a New York-based charity that supports and displays the art of disadvantaged or disabled people throughout the city. To quote the charity’s website:
Fresh Art was formed in September of 1997 by people active in social services and the arts who believe that disadvantaged and underserved individuals should be recognized for their talent and not solely for the obstacles in their lives. Fresh Art introduces these artists to the greater community with the belief that they will benefit in all aspects of their lives from being recognized for their cultural contribution to society.
The Art is Magic benefit begins at 6:30pm on May 8th at The Curator Gallery, 520 W 23rd Street (between 10 and 11 Avenues), New York. Tickets are on sale now and range from $75.00 for general admission or $125.00 for a VIP ticket that includes a “one-of-a-kind magical gift bag.”
“It makes for a show that any night anything can happen, anything can go wrong, it’s not a prepackaged idea, and it’s not an illusion show,” David Blaine explains to Dori Monson. “What you’re seeing is night after night, an event with a bunch of endurance feats where anything could stop the show.”
He’s talking about his new show, David Blaine Live, which debuts in the San Diego Civic Center on May 6th. The show combines many traditional tricks with the real-or-not feats of endurance that have defined Blaine’s career. But while being frozen in ice, staying underwater for days, or living in a plastic box for weeks was hard, repetition is harder.
“There is an unknown in every single night – it’s exciting,” he said. “It’s fun for me night after night. But it is very difficult physically.”
The interview with Blaine is short, but interesting. In it, he discusses the show, his thoughts on the supernatural, and the intimacy of a live performances versus television. Check it out.
The SF Magic Hour – 75 minutes of mind blowing magic with a different set of performers each month.
Oh, of course. It does take place in San Francisco, right? The one with all the hills?
Before I go into detail about the show, I just have to address the fact that this place is called PianoFight and its logo is a bear with wings and a unicorn horn. That is the kind of detail that deserves mentioning in any news piece regarding this establishment.
Okay, so the show itself. The San Francisco Magic Hour is a new show that brings in an entirely new set of magicians each and every month. The first show starts at 8:00pm on Monday, May 14th, and will feature the magical talents of Michael Feldman, Ryan Kane, Brad Barton, and David Gerard.
Tickets are available now and cost $20 online or $25 at the door.