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Todd Robbins
Todd Robbins (born August 15, 1958) is an American magician, lecturer, actor, and author. Biography Todd Robbins was born in Long Beach, California, the son of a soap executive and a schoolteacher. At the age of 10, Robbins was introduced to magic, enrolling in magic lessons at the B&H School of Magic every Saturday afternoon. His regular interaction with these seasoned magicians and "carnies" led to an interest learning the secrets of Sideshow Arts. He became the first Junior Member of the Famous Magic Castle school of magic. Soon after, Todd joined the Long Beach Mystics, a troupe run by the students and hosting professional magicians and variety acts, including an up-and-coming young juggler/magician named Steve Martin. With a new interest in performance, Robbins attended the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco where he earned his degree in Theatre Arts. It is here that Todd met scene partner and friend Annette Bening, and in 1980 he moved to New York City to pursue ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California. Incorporated in 1897, Long Beach lies in Southern California in the southern part of Los Angeles County. Long Beach is approximately south of downtown Los Angeles, and is part of the Gateway Cities region. The Port of Long Beach is the second busiest container port in the United States and is among the world's largest shipping ports. The city is over an oilfield with minor wells both directly beneath the city as well as offshore. The city is known for its waterfront attractions, including the permanently docked and the Aquarium of the Pacific. Long Beach also hosts the Grand Prix of Long Beach, an IndyCar race and the Long Beach Pride Festival and Parade. California State University, Long Beach, one of the largest universities in California b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sword Swallowing
Sword swallowing is a skill in which the performer passes a sword through the mouth and down the esophagus to the stomach. This feat is not swallowing in the traditional sense. The natural processes that constitute swallowing do not take place, but are repressed to keep the passage from the mouth to the stomach open for the sword. The practice is dangerous and there is risk of injury or death. History Sword swallowing spread to Greece and Rome in the 1st century AD and to China in the 8th century. In Japan, it became a part of the Japanese acrobatic theatre, Sangaku, which included fire eating, tightrope walking, juggling and early illusion. In Europe, it developed into yet a third distinct type of performance associated with the medieval jongleurs, that of the street performance. Sword swallowing was performed during the Middle Ages as part of street theatre and was popular at festivals and other large gatherings. It began to die out in the mid-19th century and was outlawed in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
James Randi Educational Foundation
James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF) is an American grant-making institution founded in 1996 by magician and skeptic James Randi. As a nonprofit organization, the mission of JREF includes educating the public and the media on the dangers of accepting unproven claims, and to support research into paranormal claims in controlled scientific experimental conditions. The organization announced its change to a grant-making foundation in September 2015. The organization previously administered the One Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge, a prize of one million U.S. dollars to anyone who could demonstrate a supernatural or paranormal ability under agreed-upon scientific testing criteria. JREF also maintains a legal defense fund to assist persons who are attacked as a result of investigating or criticizing those making paranormal claims. The organization has been funded through member contributions, grants, and conferences, though it ceased accepting memberships after 2015. For seve ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Montreal Gazette
The ''Montreal Gazette'', formerly titled ''The Gazette'', is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Three other daily English-language newspapers shuttered at various times during the second half of the 20th century. It is one of the French-speaking province's last two English-language dailies; the other is the ''Sherbrooke Record'', which serves the anglophone community in Sherbrooke and the Eastern Townships southeast of Montreal. Founded in 1778 by Fleury Mesplet, ''The Gazette'' is Quebec's oldest daily newspaper and Canada's oldest daily newspaper still in publication. The oldest newspaper overall is the English-language ''Quebec Chronicle-Telegraph'', which was established in 1764 and is published weekly. History Fleury Mesplet founded a French-language weekly newspaper called ''La Gazette du commerce et littéraire, pour la ville et district de Montréal'' on June 3, 1778. It was the first entirely French-language newspaper in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Richard Turner (magician)
Richard Edward Turner (born June 16, 1954) is an American expert card mechanic who is known for his card trick performances. He was the subject of the documentary '' Dealt''. Early life Turner was born in San Diego in 1954, which he dubbed "the year of the full deck" (referring to a standard 52-card deck of playing cards, plus the two jokers). At the age of seven, he became infatuated with the television show ''Maverick''. His eyesight began failing at the age of nine following his recovery from a bout with scarlet fever. The macula of each of Turner's eyes was completely destroyed, preventing forward vision. By the age of thirteen, his vision deteriorated to 20/400; over the years, what little vision Turner possessed gradually deteriorated to the point where he presently can no longer distinguish between a fully lit room and total darkness. Turner attended a special school for the visually impaired in Santee, California, where he refused to learn Braille. His younger brot ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Banachek
Banachek (born Steven Shaw; 30 November 1960) is an English mentalist, magician, and " thought reader". He first came to public attention as a teenager for his role in James Randi's Project Alpha experiment, which exposed the lack of objectivity in parapsychology research. As director of the One Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge conducted by the James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF), he has since tested the authenticity of many self-described psychics, none of whom has managed to pass scientifically controlled tests of their claimed paranormal abilities. Banachek is currently a fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, a program of the Center for Inquiry, and the President of the James Randi Educational Foundation. Early life Banachek was born in England and raised in South Africa and Australia. He was abandoned at the age of nine in South Africa with his two brothers, aged one and three, and raised them by himself until he was 16. Deciding that his given name ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bob Arno
Bob Arno (born 1940) is a Swedish-American entertainer, known primarily as a comedy pickpocket, and more recently criminologist specializing in global street crime. He grew up in Stockholm, Sweden, and became a US citizen in 1992. Career Arno's stage pickpocket performance is billed as comedy, though it includes some non-comedic elements which, neverthelessfascinate and impress audience members First among these is his incorporation of documentary-style video which is projected during his presentation. As described in a March 9, 2004 article in ''The New York Times,'' the video is footage shot by himself and his wife, Bambi Vincent, of criminal pickpockets and other street thieves before, during, and after committing their crimes. This "reality factor" contributes greatly to the presentation's originality and adds elements of awe and enlightenment that give it depth beyond comedy. Unlike most other performers in the small, specialized field of pickpocket entertainment, Arno doe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Drama Desk Award
The Drama Desk Award is an annual prize recognizing excellence in New York theatre. First bestowed in 1955 as the Vernon Rice Award, the prize initially honored Off-Broadway productions, as well as Off-off-Broadway, and those in the vicinity. Following the 1964 renaming as the Drama Desk Awards, Broadway productions were included beginning with the 1968–69 award season. The awards are considered a significant American theater distinction. History The Drama Desk organization was formed in 1949 by a group of New York theater critics, editors, reporters and publishers, in order to make the public aware of the vital issues concerning the theatrical industry. They debuted the presentations of the ''Vernon Rice Awards''. The name honors the ''New York Post'' critic Vernon Rice, who had pioneered Off-Broadway coverage in the New York press. The name was changed for the 1963–1964 awards season to the ''Drama Desk Awards''. In 1974, the Drama Desk became incorporated as a not-for-pr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The New Yorker
''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues covering two-week spans. Although its reviews and events listings often focus on the Culture of New York City, cultural life of New York City, ''The New Yorker'' has a wide audience outside New York and is read internationally. It is well known for its illustrated and often topical covers, its commentaries on popular culture and eccentric American culture, its attention to modern fiction by the inclusion of Short story, short stories and literary reviews, its rigorous Fact-checking, fact checking and copy editing, its journalism on politics and social issues, and its single-panel cartoons sprinkled throughout each issue. Overview and history ''The New Yorker'' was founded by Harold Ross and his wife Jane Grant, a ''The New York Times, N ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nick Basile
Nick Basile (born February 10, 1978) is an American film director, producer, actor and screenwriter. Films produced and directed by Basile include ''The Adventures of Captain Steel'', ''Slasher Flick'' (featured on the NYC Horror Film Festival DVD); the futuristic thriller ''Beyond Dreams'' and the award-winning thriller/modern-day western ''The Man Who Knew Belle Starr''. January 8, 2008 saw the DVD release of Basile's full-length documentarAmerican Carny: True Tales from the Circus Sideshow released by Cinema Epoch & Koch Entertainment. "American Carny" made its television debut on October 19, 2009 on the Documentary Channel. Basile's next project is the psychological thrilleDARK The movie is set in New York City during the 2003 blackout. It stars Whitney Able, Alexandra Breckenridge, Brendan Sexton III, Michael Eklund and the rapper Redman. The movie is produced by Minerva Pictures in association with Renfield Productions. Famed Gremlins director Joe Dante serves as Executive ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Criss Angel Mindfreak
''Criss Angel Mindfreak'' is an American reality television series that aired on A&E from July 20, 2005, to September 8, 2010. It centers on stunts and street magic acts by magician Criss Angel. Releases See also * List of ''Criss Angel Mindfreak'' episodes *''Criss Angel BeLIEve ''Criss Angel Believe'' was the sixth Cirque du Soleil show in Las Vegas, which premiered at the 1,600-capacity Believe Theatre inside the Luxor hotel in Las Vegas in 2008. It is a theatrical production created in partnership of Cirque du Solei ...'' References External links * * {{IMDb title, 0461622 2005 American television series debuts 2000s American reality television series 2010 American television series endings 2010s American reality television series A&E (TV network) original programming Television shows set in the Las Vegas Valley English-language television shows American television magic shows Las Vegas shows ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Masters Of Illusion (TV Show)
''Masters of Illusion'' is an American television magic show broadcast on Pax TV from 2000 to 2001, which was performed on the grand stage at the Magic Castle in Hollywood, California. The show was later revived in 2009 and broadcast on MyNetworkTV. In 2012, the show was presented as four different specials and run in syndication. The show derives its name from the profession's term Master of Illusion. The series has been revived by The CW with new episodes in 2014, featuring new performers and hosted by Dean Cain. The show has run for seven seasons on the network as of 2020, and has been renewed for an eleventh total. The eleventh season premiered on April 9, 2022. On January 20, 2022, The CW renewed the series for a twelfth season is scheduled to premiere on February 11, 2023. Series overview Episodes Season 1 (2000–01) Season 2 (2009) Season 3 (2012) Season 4 (2014–15) Season 5 (2015) Season 6 (2016) Season 7 (2017) Season 8 (2018) Season 9 (2019) Seaso ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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