Jul 30, 2020 | Magicians, Picture of the Day
For the Picture Of The Day, let’s take 15 minutes to watch the late, great Ricky Jay show off his skill with cards and con games. This is a compilation from a series of appearances he did in 1990 on a British show called “The Secret Cabaret.”
Sep 30, 2019 | Magicians, Theater
More than four decades ago, my parents took me to the Cort Theater on Broadway to see “The Magic Show,” starring Doug Henning. He was different than all the other magicians I’d seen on TV who wore tuxedoes and made doves appear out of their sleeves. Henning wore a...
Jul 18, 2019 | Magicians, Picture of the Day
To promote the paperback edition of his book, “Shoot For The Moon,” Professor Richard Wiseman worked with magician Will Houstoun to tell the story of Apollo 11’s mission to the lunar surface — through sleight of hand…
May 28, 2019 | Magicians, Picture of the Day
Three weeks ago, I wrote about the death of Johnny Thompson, one of the most revered names in magic. In addition to his decades on stage, he also worked behind the scenes with Penn & Teller, Lance Burton, Criss Angel, and so many others. Not long after his death,...
Mar 11, 2019 | Blog, Magicians
Legendary magician Johnny Thompson died this weekend at 84. Even if you don’t know his name, you’ve probably been exposed to some of his work through other performers he mentored and designed illusions for — Siegfried and Roy, Criss Angel, David...
Feb 18, 2019 | Blog, Magicians
In 1995, a young magician named Brian Brushwood wrote to Teller, asking for some advice about how to hone an act that was original and clever. To his surprise, Teller wrote back the next day, explaining the struggles he and Penn had endured early on, and offering a...