tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58940283937761974242024-03-05T04:41:47.407-07:00It's Safer than Spying - Malcolm Russell's magician blogThe life and times of a working magician and a big dog.Malcolm Russellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11764866197996240367noreply@blogger.comBlogger108125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5894028393776197424.post-20783767089110812622014-03-16T16:58:00.001-06:002014-03-16T16:59:08.252-06:00Not From Around Here at Fort CalgaryFor the past number of months I've been working with Atsushi Ono, a Japanese magician now living in Calgary, putting together a 60-minute two-magician stage show that we've called Not From Around Here. As far as I can tell this is unique in Western Canada; other people have done shows with two magicians taking turns, but this one is entirely scripted and choreographed to feature two magicians throughout!<br />
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We were recently approached by Fort Calgary to be part of their dinner theatre season, and along with our third member Barry Crane 'Da Newfie MC' we did our first show at the Fort last week. And it was a great night! We had so much fun.<br />
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We start with close-up strolling magic over the cocktail period, then a little more between courses (with Barry doing his hilarious meet-and-greet), and the main show is after dinner. Unlike most 'dinner theatre' events, after the meal everyone walks down the hallway to the purpose-built 140-seat theatre for the show. Yup - cushioned seats, red curtains and the whole bit. Such a treat to be able to perform in a venue like this.<br />
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The first show was wonderful fun and a superb evening and the next one is coming up in less than two weeks! Thursday 27 March 2014. You can get tickets via www.fortcalgary.com!<br />
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Oh - you can also visit our website - www.notfromaroundhere.ca, and find us on both Facebook ('Not From Around Here') and Twitter (NFAH).<br />
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Malcolm Russellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11764866197996240367noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5894028393776197424.post-82806531583537342602013-08-12T09:05:00.001-06:002013-08-12T09:05:34.373-06:00...And saying goodbye to Snowdon.It's been less than a month since Augustus died, and sadly little Snowdon had to leave us yesterday as well. He'd developed a tumour on his neck over the past few months; surgery would have been risky, healing would have been difficult and the whole thing would have been shockingly expensive so we agreed to let him live the happiest life possible until the tumour began causing him problems.<br />
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We weren't sure how he would recover from Augustus' death but he surprised us. He really came into his own. He was happy, binky, active and outgoing. King of all he surveyed.<br />
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Yesterday morning, though, he caught the tumour with his claw with a vigorous scratch and managed to tear a gash along it. Within an hour it was obvious that this would not heal well. He was in distress. We had one more dose of Tramadol in the fridge which made things easier for him, but at 3:30pm we had an appointment with the vet.<br />
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I have to say the vet we use is always fantastic. She sedated him partially in order to look for a vein but - as often happens with little bunnies - she was unable to find one with the needle. She gave us the option of being with him as they put him under with gas and then injected the euthanol into his heart, but I would have found that too hard to watch. He would have been asleep anyway and would not have know we were there. We had a few final minutes with him, and then said our goodbyes. He was three years old.<br />
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Rough day, and the house is now terribly empty.<br />
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So it goes.<br />
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The first photo here is him getting an unlimited breakfast buffet of snacks yesterday morning.<br />
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Malcolm Russellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11764866197996240367noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5894028393776197424.post-1374782623630800882013-07-19T09:39:00.002-06:002013-07-19T09:39:40.324-06:00Saying goodbye to AugustusSadly last week we had to say goodbye to our little Augustus. He was three years old.<br />
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By June he'd gone through GI stasis three times in 12 weeks, and each time we spent days with him, force-feeding him critical care mix and meds every 2~4 hours. It was hard on him, and it was hard on us. There was no apparent reason for this happening, but our vet (a very good rabbit vet) suggested feeding him metaclopramide and trimebutine prophylactically to see if it would keep his guts working.<br />
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Every three days or so we'd dose him up (he loved the banana flavour we added and would lick it off the tip of the syringe) in the hopes that it would stave off the GI stasis longer.<br />
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I don't think it worked.<br />
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Only five weeks after the last time he stopped eating, it happened again last Sunday. Fourth time in four months. On Saturday evening he was gobbling his snacks as he sat (reluctantly, as always) on my lap and got stuck straight into his bedtime nuggets, but in the morning the nuggets were almost entirely still there. Wouldn't touch his banana, wouldn't take any other food. He looked listless and in pain.<br />
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We had already talked it over at length and decided that if it happened again we would have to say goodbye. Knowing the pain he was in each time, for days at a time (the tramadol would help but who knows how uncomfortable he was each time the meds wore off), and how awful it must be to have a giant syringe full of 'baby-gack' stuck down your throat every couple of hours, we just couldn't justify putting him through it again and again and again. For all we know, it might have continued every month interminably, and that's not fair to put an animal through.<br />
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So Nadine and I took him to the vet's one last time.<br />
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I had to go to work but Nadine took his body home for 24 hours for Snowdon's sake. Apparently bonded animals recover from grief better if they've been allowed to see the body of their friend after death, rather than just not understanding why their friend vanished into thin air one morning. I'm happy to say that Snowdon seems to be doing well. He was quite uncertain what to make of Augustus' body, but tried grooming him a little and went over to sniff him a number of times.<br />
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On an unrelated note, we're beginning to wonder if Snowdon might be deaf! He's always been slow to respond to a number of things (calls for snacks, crows and other noises outside etc) and we're trying to work out how to tell for certain whether he is in fact hard of hearing or not.<br />
<br />Malcolm Russellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11764866197996240367noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5894028393776197424.post-56298936229970225522013-05-27T15:33:00.000-06:002013-05-27T15:33:38.201-06:00Augustus video - first harness experience<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Ok, looks like I might have worked out how to upload it. Let's see if this has done the trick...Malcolm Russellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11764866197996240367noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5894028393776197424.post-32191236458954417282013-05-27T15:17:00.000-06:002013-05-27T15:17:42.282-06:00Augustus on his first harness forayThe weather is lovely, the birds are out and all the flowers are coming up. Here's a little video of Augustus on his first-ever harness excursion in our back garden. They used to have a large run in the garden but it didn't survive last winter so we got one of these instead to try out.<br />
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Hmmm... can't seem to get the video to upload. Here are some photos instead.<br />
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<br />Malcolm Russellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11764866197996240367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5894028393776197424.post-5825908307619748172013-05-12T22:26:00.001-06:002013-05-12T22:26:56.257-06:00Holiday of sorts<p dir="ltr">We're off to Moose Jaw in the morning to help my mother prep her house for sale. In our absence my sister in law will be bunny sitting. This means pen life for both until we get back. As you can see Augustus is less than thrilled at the prospect. </p>
<div class='separator' style='clear: both; text-align: center;'> <a href='http://lh5.ggpht.com/-8vOf_yz9vRU/UZBiuIeEcBI/AAAAAAAAAog/OLK0SCLx_hg/s1600/1368416693078.jpg' imageanchor='1' style='margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;'> <img border='0' src='http://lh5.ggpht.com/-8vOf_yz9vRU/UZBiuIeEcBI/AAAAAAAAAog/OLK0SCLx_hg/s640/1368416693078.jpg' /> </a> </div>Malcolm Russellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11764866197996240367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5894028393776197424.post-89225811149236778552013-04-30T17:13:00.000-06:002013-04-30T17:14:38.515-06:00New photos from Jason VerschoorQuick update here - thought I'd show off the new promo photos I had taken recently by photographer Jason Verschoor. Some wonderful images here! The Japanese fellow in some of the shots is magician Atsushi Ono, my occasional performing partner.<br />
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<br />Malcolm Russellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11764866197996240367noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5894028393776197424.post-65467472643196223912013-04-27T11:28:00.006-06:002013-04-27T11:29:57.224-06:00Matryoshka dollsI had an idea a while ago for a magic routine for my Cabinet of Curiosities show involving matryoshka dolls. It turns out you can buy blank unpainted doll sets so I ordered a few and set about designing and painting them. I went through a bunch of different options - composers, artists, a melting sequence of cyborg dolls - before settling on silent movie comedians. Yes, it was tempting to go for the pop-culture Star Wars theme but I restrained myself. Barely.<br />
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Buster Keaton was always my favourite when I was younger so he got to be the biggest. Now that I remember it, for my stag party we rented a 16mm film projector and got some old celluloid film reels for the night that included Buster Keaton ("Cops") and the Wombles. Ah, good times.<br />
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After Keaton, then Chaplin, Marx, Laurel and Hardy, and finally Fatty Arbuckle and Harold Lloyd. Yes, Lloyd did that iconic hanging-from-the-clock-tower scene but he was never my favourite. Too many sports-related bits, perhaps. Not sure.<br />
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So here are a few photos of the finished set.<br />
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<br />Malcolm Russellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11764866197996240367noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5894028393776197424.post-84167591678939534432013-04-23T17:19:00.000-06:002013-04-23T17:19:17.192-06:00Gozinta BoxesIn two months' time I'll be doing a pair of shows at the Glenbow Museum in Calgary (why, 1pm, I believe! Certainly, you'd be most welcome to come along). Family-friendly event on 22 and 23 June 2013 and - now here's the cool part - the reason I've been asked to do this is because the museum is having an MC Escher display for a couple of months and they want entertainment to dovetail with the theme of mathematical magic, optical illusions and perception.<br />
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Yay!<br />
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I met with Ty Larner of the museum recently and that triggered a few ideas for the show. One was something I saw performed about 20 years ago called the Gozinta Boxes (or In and Outer Boxes). I'd forgotten all about them and hadn't actually seen anyone do them since then so I looked them up on Youtube (bless Youtube), figured out how they were meant to work, drew up a plan on a scrap of paper and spent yesterday afternoon building a set.<br />
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Here's the result! Not yet sure exactly what the routine's going to be like for the show, but I've got the prop so I'm on my way to getting it performable.<br />
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And for no other reason than that I haven't posted rabbit photos in a while, here's a little video clip from this afternoon. Augustus is just getting over a bout of GI stasis but he's pulling through and is finally wanting snacks again. We think his guts got completely blocked up with hair from grooming Snowdon. Rabbits usually don't get hairballs...but we got a model that does, it seems.<br />
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<br />Malcolm Russellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11764866197996240367noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5894028393776197424.post-65053581171914994652013-03-19T17:14:00.004-06:002013-03-19T17:19:15.534-06:00Cabinet of Curiosities<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The Cabinet of Curiosities is finally done! After four months of thinking (over...and over...and over again...) about how to make it, seven solid days' work and it's ready for use. Well, nearly - still a couple of touch-ups.<br />
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Oh, and I need to finish writing the show. I suppose that's quite important too. Not many people want to sit for an hour and watch me polish the thing on stage. They want a show.<br />
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So I've got most of the show written already but I'm still working on it. I'm pleased so far, though.<br />
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The cabinet itself is a mix of Baltic birch, walnut, oak, hemlock and maple. And about a pound of brass fittings.<br />
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Here are some more photos.<br />
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Oh, right - and a photo of Nadine holding Augustus in the nail-clipping pose. He hates this. Not fond of human contact at the best of times and really not fond of being held upside down to have his feet played with.<br />
<br />Malcolm Russellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11764866197996240367noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5894028393776197424.post-32010801331165868712013-01-10T15:43:00.001-07:002013-01-10T15:43:16.418-07:00The Chronicles of Professor ElementalSo Professor Elemental, hybrid beast-creature offspring of Marie Curie and Charles Dickens, the Apollo of the comedy chap-hop (...hmmm...think Steampunk Victorian/Edwardian comedy rapping) scene, has been releasing chunks of a mini-film called The Chronicles of Professor Elemental.<br />
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Here's part one...<br />
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Don't just sit there, people! Click on the little TV-shaped box with the arrow in it - that's the only way you can enjoy this as much as I did. <br />
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I discovered the Professor almost by accident. Well, not accidentally at all. A friend posted a link on Facebook to the deliciously irreverrent and cleverly-lyricalised (is that even a word? I've used it, so it is now) song 'Fighting Trousers', a song which is still to my mind the zenith of chap-hop smartiness. See last month's blog posts - I think the link is still there. <br />
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He's got a brilliant bunch of folks working with him on this, it would seem - director, camera people, actors, gorillas (I assume he has at least two to comply with local labour laws. Professor?) - and the result is half an hour of pure comedy indulgence, a pastiche of Sherlock Holmes, Jules Verne and the entire Steampunk movement. Well-worth watching over a cup of sugary tea in a proper china cup. <br />
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And saucer. <br />
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Don't forget the saucer.Malcolm Russellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11764866197996240367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5894028393776197424.post-69038048040242965532013-01-07T11:29:00.000-07:002013-01-07T11:29:03.490-07:00WOWFest - Calgary's first magic festivalClick this link below...<br />
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<a href="http://www.wowfest.ca/" target="_blank">www.wowfest.ca</a><br />
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So Calgary is set to have its first ever magic festival, thanks to the efforts of a man who calls himself Ryan Pilling, probably because it's his name. Yes, folks, only six weeks to go. It happens on February 22 and 23 and is designed to allow the public to see a variety of types of magic in a short time - close-up, stage and parlour magic. The performers will be top-notch and it's well-worth getting tickets to. Have a look at the website above.<br />
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The format is meant to mimick that of Hollywood's famous Magic Castle and although the planned venue may not have a secret entrance and password, he'll likely hire someone large to stand in the doorway until you say please.<br />
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So if you're in Calgary or anywhere near, please come and join in! Not only will you have the time of your life but you will later be able to tell your grandchildren that you were there at the inaugural night. Or tell your neighbours. Or anyone who'll listen. Strangers love to hear that kind of thing while waiting for a bus.Malcolm Russellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11764866197996240367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5894028393776197424.post-53056664256329546932013-01-02T12:44:00.002-07:002013-01-02T12:44:59.092-07:00Yellowknife, NWT!What a fantastic way to start a new year! Faintly reminiscent of my 'Beer-commercial Weekend' with my friend Corey way back in the early 1990s, in that wow-that-was-amazing sort of way.<br />
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I was booked to perform at the New Year's event held in Bechoko, a First Nations town about 100km outside Yellowknife, NWT. Not quite the Arctic Circle, but not far off. I'd been looking forward to it for a year (they tried to book me twice last year but each time our schedules conflicted); I'd never been that far north before. Not even Shetland was quite that far up - Muckle Flugga sits at 60.85 degrees North but Bechoko is a full 2 degrees higher.<br />
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There were a few hiccups to the evening that didn't bode well but when I finally got up to perform for the 200-ish people, they blew me away. What an absolutely fantastic welcome and response! They were attentive, generous with applause, supportive of the volunteers that got up to help, lively and overall one of the best audiences I've had in a long time. I could happily have packed them up in a bus and brought them with me to every gig I have for the next year. This was one of the first times since we left Orkney over five years ago that I've felt that sort of community spirit.<br />
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And that was just the start. After the stand-up show I was doing close-up magic around the tables but kept getting interrupted. Dragged onto the dance floor to exercise my dismal two-stepping skills, taken outside to watch the fireworks after midnight, and eventually waved over to join in the celebratory circle dance - nearly a dozen drummers pounding away and singing, with almost every single person in the hall swept up in a cheerful circling mass of humanity. Not the kind of thing I (as an outsider) would normally inject myself into, but when they start beckoning you to join in, well, you do! And I was glad I did.<br />
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From the bottom of my heart I have to thank the folks of Bechoko for an outstanding welcome, for their kindness and hospitality, to Janita for arranging the evening and for being persistent in trying to bring me up, to Madeline for the dances, to Reuben for driving me through the snow back and forth from Yellowknife and for keeping me entertained with stories. I had the best start to a new year that I could have hoped for, and I'd love to make it back up there again.<br />
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Malcolm Russellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11764866197996240367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5894028393776197424.post-46044901666833847652012-12-12T19:33:00.004-07:002012-12-12T19:33:58.885-07:00Fighting Trousers<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/0iRTB-FTMdk" width="560"></iframe><br />
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I love this video. There's more by him on Youtube as well as his arch-rival Mr B the Gentleman Rapper.Malcolm Russellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11764866197996240367noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5894028393776197424.post-70385476143125748672012-11-11T09:05:00.000-07:002012-11-11T09:05:23.659-07:0052 factorialAnother epic absence from the world of blogging. Or at least a faintly embarrassing length. We were off in England for three weeks for a friend's wedding plus a little holiday and are now firmly ensconced in a Canadian winter again. Icicles hanging from the guttering in front of my window. Minus somethingorother outside.
But to cheer us all up, how about this. Pretty astonishing. One of the coolest bits of trivia I've come across in a while.
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/kPBlOdYZCic" width="560"></iframe>Malcolm Russellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11764866197996240367noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5894028393776197424.post-46641687837792881842012-10-01T11:05:00.000-06:002012-10-01T11:05:10.185-06:00Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to Heathrow we go...Holiday time!<br />
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Off to England tomorrow afternoon. My friend Steve is getting married and yours truly will be playing best man for the first time ever. It seems there isn't a wedding category for 'fairly pleasant fellow' or 'alright guy' so I've accepted the best man role in spite of its apparent hubris.<br />
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We'll be catching up with a handful of friends and seeing some places we've never been before. Hoping to get to Bletchley Park, Blenheim Palace, maybe even London House to look up some family military records that have now been opened. <br />
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Back in three weeks...Malcolm Russellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11764866197996240367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5894028393776197424.post-19443454299348387092012-08-24T10:30:00.000-06:002012-08-24T10:30:08.330-06:00James Freedman at TEDJames Freedman, one of the best-known stage pickpockets around (and author of at least one book and DVD on the topic...for magicians, of course) has appeared at TED London. It's a shame it's so short - I would have preferred a proper 20 minute talk, but so it goes.<br />
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Here it is:<br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="331" scrolling="no" src="http://talentsearch.ted.com/video/James-Freedman-Secrets-from-a-p/player?layout=&read_more=1" width="420"></iframe>Malcolm Russellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11764866197996240367noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5894028393776197424.post-37207027998011409912012-08-13T21:11:00.000-06:002012-08-13T21:11:19.638-06:00wooden magic automatonI love this. I just wish they'd shown more of the mechanism. I've built one or two very simple automata but nothing nearly this complex...or clever!<br />
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On an unrelated note, the bunnies have had a companion for a week - our next-door neighbours' dog Rosco, an ageing lab-sized dog. Well-behaved and timid, though you wouldn't know it from Augustus' anxious reaction. Snowdon couldn't care less and even sniffed Rosco nose to nose, but not Augustus, the Guard Bunny. The rabbits are in large pens all week until Rosco goes, which is tomorrow morning.Malcolm Russellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11764866197996240367noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5894028393776197424.post-57267706691509355822012-08-08T21:37:00.000-06:002012-08-08T21:37:11.636-06:00Teatro Hugo & InesA friend recently posted this link and I had to share it. It made me laugh and laugh and laugh - what an incredible combination of creativity, simplicity, precision, observation and humour. I'm going to make myself some popcorn and watch it on a loop until bedtime.<br />
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Festival highlights: <br />
1. the paper fight at the end of Russian/American clown show Aga Boom. Real clowns, these guys, not the creepy I-own-a-silly-wig-and-rainbow-striped-trousers wannabes. Trained clowns. The real deal. And they were great. The paper fight at the end starts off small but engulfs the audience in showers of confetti, a dozen oversize balloons (two of them about 9 foot in diameter!), streams of toilet paper and tarpaulin-sized sheets of newsprint. Mayhem and chaos and very, very liberating...unless you have a touch of tidiness-OCD, in which case it's enough to send you into paroxysms of panic. Sadly on opening night Irena (the spiky-haired clown) went to throw a bundle of rubbish off the stage into the audience, slipped and ended up breaking five ribs by landing on the arm of a seat in the front row. Soldiered on for the rest of the show but is now out of commission for months to come. Below is a photo of the aftermath...<br />
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2. the worm-puppet doing MC Hammer's 'Can't Touch This' in The Ugly Duckling (done by Corbain Visual Arts and Dance & Lightwire Theater). Mmmm. Funnier than it ought to be.<br />
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3. the incredible set of Alice in Wonderland - vanishing doorways, sliding bookcase panels, flipping shelves revealing puppets and people... Superb fun.<br />
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4. the grand finale show. The audience was wonderfully responsive and my five-minute bit of silliness was a highlight for me. What a warm, delightful crowd...and my young volunteer Conrad made it all work.<br />
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And a couple of short videos, if I can upload them. Trying it a new way today.<br />
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Here's James Hill on the outdoor stage doing a little Rimsky-Korsakoff and making the ukulele cooler than ever...<br />
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Ahhhh. Back home now. Warm baths. Chiropractor visits. Bunny hugs.Malcolm Russellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11764866197996240367noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5894028393776197424.post-8994179615980992492012-05-09T20:09:00.001-06:002012-05-09T20:12:28.026-06:00Vegas, baby!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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You have every right to pillory me for the ever-lengthening gaps between blog posts but I'll be honest with you - I write when I feel I have something worth writing about. Or just when I'm in the mood. And that's not all that often. But today it's time. Why? Because I've just returned from my first ever trip to Las Vegas. <br />
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And we loved every flippin' moment of it. I had people telling me that my planned eight days would be far too long ("Four days is all you'll be able to handle," said one person. "We got bored after three," said another.) And to them I say "thpffffft." <br />
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We both loved it. In spite of a mini-April-heatwave (up to 35 degrees C) it was tolerable and for the first three days we just walked and walked and walked. And looked at the lights, and watched people playing games, and checked out each and every hotel on the strip, and and and. <br />
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In a nutshell, we saw five shows, explored countless casinos and hotels, went window-shopping in laughably expensive places (seriously - $28,900 for a watch? No jewels or precious metals, just a nice watch), drove to Hoover Dam, drove to the Grand Canyon and took a helicopter ride, hit the pawn shop from History Channel's 'Pawn Stars', <br />
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and even went shopping. Oh - and even found the Zombie Apocalypse Store, for all your Armageddon needs. <br />
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The magic shops (I found four of them) were by turns slick-but-dull, slick-and-duller, dire-and-empty, and ok-but-uninspired-and-mundane. Such a disappointment. Someone seriously needs to put together a real (ie not for tourists) well-stocked magic shop with some rockin' decor - plush carpet, secret doorways, wood cabinetry, red velvet chairs and a wide range of real working magic stuff. Not just kits aimed at visitors. <br />
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So...shows. Saw Penn and Teller. Absolute masters of their craft. Showmen. Polished, original, funny, engaging and eminently watchable. (Me with Teller after the show...) <br />
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Then Mac King. Not as famous among laypeople as he deserves. Warm, funny, and again very watchable. <br />
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And then there were two other magic acts I'm not even going to mention by name because I didn't enjoy either one. Neither was satisfying, admirable, entertaining or original. Disappointment. <br />
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So here I am, back in Canada, writing this in the rain. But it's good to be back.Malcolm Russellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11764866197996240367noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5894028393776197424.post-53228629692425327092012-02-08T07:16:00.003-07:002012-02-08T07:19:15.190-07:00Garden Variety Show video<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/nLxFU0EcV8k" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br />Paul Spenard at ESP photography put together a short compilation video of last month's Garden Variety Show held at Loose Moose Theatre. I'm in there too, towards the end.Malcolm Russellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11764866197996240367noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5894028393776197424.post-7851096420699663422012-02-06T07:56:00.003-07:002012-02-06T08:02:12.352-07:00Mountain View Festival: "Albion" at Lougheed House<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vK7g1VgogQQ/Ty_qZ7grb1I/AAAAAAAAAas/onQkZEbzNRg/s1600/Copy%2Bof%2BExposure%2B5.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 316px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vK7g1VgogQQ/Ty_qZ7grb1I/AAAAAAAAAas/onQkZEbzNRg/s400/Copy%2Bof%2BExposure%2B5.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706036984094093138" /></a><br /><br />Next Sunday and Monday I've been invited to be a special guest at the next installment of the Mountain View Festival's lineup. Each month they put together an intimate evening of chamber music, sometimes interspersed with 'extra' entertainment. The last one I saw was all music by Chopin along with a very talented actress presenting a series of monologues in the character of Chopin's lover, George Sand.<br /><br />So yours truly is up next week! The theme is English composers (with a slight romantic theme, being just before Valentine's day). It's held at the ever-wonderful Lougheed House which is the ideal atmosphere for something like this. The main room there can hold perhaps 80 people at the most and it's always fun. A glass of wine, some good conversation and an hour and a half of chamber music. And me, this time.Malcolm Russellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11764866197996240367noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5894028393776197424.post-90217552362415729752012-02-03T10:42:00.002-07:002012-02-03T10:44:37.072-07:00Sheep-rabbit. Love this.<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/qeuL5IGimCQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br />I found this recently on Potentially Nervous' blog. Love it.<br /><br />(Incidentally - Jade, thanks for the comments. I've tried to post comments on your blog but I've had trouble signing out and signing back in to do so. I'm not ignoring you!)Malcolm Russellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11764866197996240367noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5894028393776197424.post-8558956271840771102012-01-25T10:53:00.002-07:002012-01-25T10:57:32.448-07:00Make A Wish Foundation fundraiser photosJust before Christmas I was invited to perform at the Make A Wish Foundation's annual fundraiser in Calgary. They had a professional photographer - Phil Crozier - there with his studio lights and backdrop, taking portraits of all the guests. He kindly took a few of me before I went onstage - I love the results!<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pI4QY3OU2W8/TyBCUWeFmMI/AAAAAAAAAaY/XIt0OeJzfmc/s1600/Malcolm_Makeawish_Nov20%2B013%2BSMALL.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pI4QY3OU2W8/TyBCUWeFmMI/AAAAAAAAAaY/XIt0OeJzfmc/s400/Malcolm_Makeawish_Nov20%2B013%2BSMALL.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5701630045647640770" /></a><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BfVCPFGoVuA/TyBCUDVV84I/AAAAAAAAAaI/vPxoV984oZQ/s1600/Malcolm_Makeawish_Nov20%2B015%2BSMALL.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BfVCPFGoVuA/TyBCUDVV84I/AAAAAAAAAaI/vPxoV984oZQ/s400/Malcolm_Makeawish_Nov20%2B015%2BSMALL.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5701630040510690178" /></a><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mz5yyM2nHf8/TyBCUFn_u1I/AAAAAAAAAaA/0gMd4EN3wAA/s1600/Malcolm_Makeawish_Nov20%2B008%2BSMALL.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mz5yyM2nHf8/TyBCUFn_u1I/AAAAAAAAAaA/0gMd4EN3wAA/s400/Malcolm_Makeawish_Nov20%2B008%2BSMALL.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5701630041125796690" /></a>Malcolm Russellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11764866197996240367noreply@blogger.com2