Top Chef Masters: Magic Chefs

Top Chef Masters is an American reality competition show currently broadcast on the cable television network Bravo. It is a spinoff of Bravo's hit show Top Chef. In the series, 24 world-renowned chefs compete against each other in weekly challenges.

This show is a contrast from Top Chef, which typically features younger professional cooks who are still rising in the food service industry. The first season began airing June 10, 2009. The program takes place in Los Angeles.

Last night in week four, Top Chef Masters brought together distinguished chefs Anita Lo (Annisa), Douglas Rodriguez (Alma de Cuba), John Besh (Restaurant August) and Mark Peel (Campanile). The Masters find their hands tied in the Quickfire Challenge as they must cook an egg with one hand tied behind their back. Magician and Mentalist Max Maven explained the evenings challenge.

In the Elimination Challenge: The chefs were challenged to create a meal for Neil Patrick Harris and a few of his friends at The Magic Castle. The chefs had to use one of the following magic words as the inspiration for their dish: Mystery, Suprise, Spectacle, and Illusion.

Lance Burton: 6 More Years in Las Vegas

The grand illusions of legendary Master Magician Lance Burton will continue to captivate and enchant audiences at Monte Carlo through 2015. The signing of the new agreement comes at the completion of an already legendary 13-year run, which began the day the resort opened on June 21, 1996. The addition of six more years celebrates one of the longest partnerships in the history of Las Vegas entertainment and promises Monte Carlo guests almost two decades of astounding performances and mesmerizing sleight-of-hand. 

"We are thrilled to sign Lance Burton for another run," said Monte Carlo President & COO Anton Nikodemus. "We have spent the last two years introducing new energy into Monte Carlo, with exciting offerings such as BRAND Steakhouse, Diablo's Cantina and a newly remodeled casino floor. Even more enhancements are planned over the next few months leading up to the opening of City Center late this year. The thousands of visitors soon to grace our doors, some maybe for the first time, will introduce a whole new audience to Lance's magical entertainment." 

Lance Burton broke his foot during a performance on Thursday, May 7 and has been confined by a doctor to bed rest since, stating, "I wish I could magically make the bones in my foot heal faster, but that is against union rules. Magic should only be used for entertainment purposes and that is what I am looking forward to doing once I start walking again." 

Magic returns to The Lance Burton Theatre on Tuesday, July 7 with a new performance schedule at 7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. 

Lance Burton has been chosen as Las Vegas' "Best Magician" for the past 11 years in a row in the R-J's "Best of Las Vegas" poll. 

His TV specials will begin airing on WGN -- America (80 million subscribers) on July 6 with "Lance Burton Master Magician: Top Secret," on July 13 with "Lance Burton Master Magician: On the Road," on July 20 with "Lance Burton's Young Magician’s Showcase" and on July 27 with "Hocus Pocus It's Fielding West." Show times are 9 p.m. ET and 6 p.m. PT. Check your local listings.

Jay Mattioli Wows Judges on America's Got Talent

We first saw Jay Mattioli, 27, at Tannen's 40th Anniversary Magic Jubilee back in 2002. Last night he wowed the country on "America's Got Talent," NBC's hit summer series.

The show returns this summer with the hottest performers from across the country ready to compete in the blockbuster reality show's fourth season.

With the talent search open to acts of all ages, "America's Got Talent" has brought the variety format back to the forefront of American culture by showcasing performers from across the country. The series is a true celebration of the American spirit featuring a colorful array of hopeful stars, including singers, dancers, comedians, contortionists, impressionists, jugglers, magicians and ventriloquists, all vying for their chance to strut and perform on stage hoping to win America's hearts -- and the $1 million prize.

Watch the performance that left the audience and judges stunned.

David Blaine and Ellen Hit Chicago Streets

Ellen’s Bigger Longer and Wider Show

DeGeneres is in the third edition of her variety show, which features live music, dancers and unique specialty acts.

David Blaine and Ellen DeGeneres went out on the streets of Chicago and did some great street magic. Here is a list of similar effects that David and Ellen did on the show.

Card Fictions: Finger Flicker where only one finger is used for one of the coolest demonstrations of precision and skill with a deck of cards. Easy to perform with any deck, anywhere, anytime.

Two Card Monte: An effect David Blaine performed a number of times on his Street Magic Special - Eddie Fetcher’s "Be Honest - Was Is It?" (also referred to as the "Two Card Monte"). David Williamson offers a terrific version of this great in the hands card trick with his variation entitled "The Memory Test" don’t miss it.

Watch Steal: The definitive guide on how to steal a watch.

Mouth Coils: Produce yards of tissue ribbon from your mouth.

Vanishing Cane: Watch it disappear.

Dancing Cane: The performer enters carrying a handsome cane which snaps to life at his command, floating from hand to hand.

iPhone: Application available at exclusively at iTunes.

Time Warp: Dan and Dave Buck

Discovery Channel's series Time Warp, in which MIT scientist and teacher Jeff Lieberman -- along with digital-imaging expert Matt Kearney -- uses new technologies to bring truly never-before-seen wonders into a form that your body can actually process. Using the latest in high-speed photography, the Time Warp turns them into a thing of both beauty and learning.

Dan and Dave Buck are featured on "The Fine Art of Cheating" at playing cards episode. Dan and Dave Buck demonstrate several techniques card cheaters might use to hustle someone in a game of poker or blackjack. Checkout some of Steve Forte's gambling protection books here. 

The MacMillan Switch was created and first published by Dan MacMillan. It is expertly taught by Jason England on the new "Foudations DVD".

The Botton Deal method used is from "The Expert at The Card Table" by SW Erdnase. It is also expertly taught by Jason England on "Foundations DVD"as well.

Street Magic: See a Card by David Blaine iPhone App

Press Release:

Magician David Blaine Teams up with Partners 1993 to Bring His Favorite Close-up Card Magic, See-A-Card, to Apple’s App Store

Now iPhone and iPod touch Users Can Amaze Everyone with Easily Downloaded App

The coolest new app for the Apple® iPhone™ and iPod touch lets users perform famed magician David Blaine ’s amazing card effect that astounds audiences everywhere, thanks to the skills of software engineering firm Partners 1993 .

The user-friendly app -- “Street Magic: See A Card” -- works on supported iPhones, including the new 3G S, and iPod touch devices, and allows users to become a magician, like Blaine, in boggling the minds of those who see the effect performed. The app became available for downloads at Apple’s iTunes app store for $1.99 on Friday, June 26, 2009.

“This is my favorite piece of magic; it was pivotal in gaining my first TV special. Now, for the first time, I am making it available to magic fans as a download from the Apple app store,” said Blaine, who continually strives to amaze audiences with magic and public feats of endurance that include levitation and remaining under water longer than any other human being.

“Turning the iPhone into a virtual deck of cards is no small feat,” he added. “This is one of the hardest card effects to get right, and Partners 1993 has really demonstrated its technical skills. This application makes every owner of a supported iPhone and iPod touch a magician.”

David Blaine’s software firm, Mindboggling LLC, chose Partners 1993 to develop Street Magic for the iPhone and iPod touch because of its track record of innovatively solving complex mobile-application problems.

“Partners 1993 is pleased to have collaborated with David Blaine in adapting the physical effect to one that works in the iPhone and iPod touch formats,” said Lew Roth, Partners 1993 vice president of business development. “We’re proud that we could apply our out-of-the-box thinking and implementation skills to Street Magic and deliver an app that allows any performer to duplicate what David Blaine does best – leave audiences of all ages amazed by what they have just seen.”

Roth said building Street Magic to replicate Blaine’s legerdemain presented many challenges, including:
Developing the full size, composite animated imagery and sequencing needed for the iPhone to be perceived as a three-dimensional full deck of cards.
Getting the iPhone 3-D deck to behave the same as the physical deck of cards when David Blaine performs the effect.
Getting the card seen by the viewer to be the same card that is revealed on the iPhone screen.

“Street Magic was one of the most fun yet challenging iPhone projects we’ve undertaken at Partners 1993. We were inspired by David Blaine’s initial vision and driven by the extraordinary responses that this card trick evokes,” said Roth.

For other iPhone effects go here!

Charlie Caper: How Swede It Is

Swedish Magician Charlie Caper is the winner of Sweden's Got Talent 2009 and the $65,000 dollar first prize. He performed Richard Sanders "Interlace" in the video below.

Here is his very funny bio:

"I was born in Sweden at the age of 0 and it wasn't long until my stage debut. 1 years old I was seen on cult Swedish TV show Drömplanket. On my eighth birthday my wellmeaning parents gave me a unicycle with complete disregard for the influence it would have on my young brain

Tricked into magic at the age of 9 I was 14 at my first paid gig as a magician. I was also juggling and fire eating (cleverly given up after a scary burn).

In the last six years I have toured Europe, Asia, Central America, Oceania and North America with a magic show that swings.

The summer of 2007 I was invited to perform at the Street Performers World Championship in Dublin. I was invited back for 2008 and am proud to be one of only three performers ever to be booked twice.

In the summer of 2006 I was asked to perform and organize street magic at the World Championship Of Magic and it ended up being the largest gathering of street magicians in modern times."


Magican Charlie Caper: The winner of Sweden's Got Talent 2009