Comedy hypnosis shows are one of the most popular forms of entertainment in Las Vegas and on college campuses across the country. Yet despite their appeal, it?s been years since anyone?s mounted such a production in the Los Angeles area. Thankfully, that?s about to change.
On Saturday, February 12th, ?Magicopolis? will become home to ?The Joshua Seth Comedy Hypnosis Show?, a fast paced, high-energy production that combines side-splittingly funny interactive-comedy with the mysteries of the human mind. Joshua’s comedy hypnosis show is unscripted and stars the audience, so every performance is unique.
The Feb. 12th performance will feature a live TV taping the show for inclusion on the upcoming Special ?The World?s Greatest Hypnotists,? Mr. Seth will be flying to Tokyo the following week to make media appearances in support of the show.
“I hope to do for hypnotism shows in the 21st Century, what David Copperfield has done for magic,” says Mr. Seth. And with his extensive Hollywood connections, he looks to be the perfect person to do it too. Joshua?s been around the Hollywood entertainment field for over a decade, lending his hypnotic voice and comedic sensibilities to such movies as “Akira” and “Spongebob Squarepants” as well as cracking people up in dozens animated of TV shows. But it?s performing on stage that remains his passion.
“The thing that makes this show so great is that it’s the volunteers from the audience who are being so incredibly funny. Everyone knows the people up on stage, so it’s truly shocking and amazing when they go into hypnosis and begin to act out hilarious comedy routines.” And when they?re directed by Master Hypnotist Joshua Seth, it truly is like having a dozen comedians up on stage at once!
Joshua Seth is a certified member of the National Guild of Hypnotists has been featured on Discovery Channel, Kids WB, ABC Family, Fox Kids, Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon and Internationally on TV specials in Australia, New Zealand, and Japan (upcoming).
Date: Saturday, Feb. 12
Time: 10:30pm
Location: “Magicopolis” 1418 Fourth St. Santa Monica, CA
The Grand Illusions of Rick Walker & Company will be featured in two evenings of magic to benefit Cooper Elementary School as well as provide some fantastic entertainment.
The show, called It’s Magic, will bring a full evening of magic to lucky audiences.
Mr. Walker is well-known in Texas and around the world for his flashy, professional stage act. In fact, he just recently returned from a European tour. If Mr. Walker’s illusion show was all the audience got for their ticket, that would be enough.
But wait, there’s more. Lots more.
For the price of a ticket, $10.00 general admission, you can see the magic and comedy of Jeff Lee as well as former Ringling performer and artiste Fanny Kerwich. Ms. Kerwich peformed with the elite and boutique Ringling’s Kaliedescape.
The show will be held at Garland’s beautiful Plaza Theatre, 521 W. State Street, on March 3rd and 4th. Both shows will begin at 7:30 pm. Do not miss this chance to see a family-oriented full-evening show.
Check out Mr. Walker’s impressive website by clicking here.
You can learn about Ms. Kerwich’s work and range of characters by clicking here.
We
mentioned in yesterday’s Inside Magic the unfortunate news that organizers were
forced to cancel Canada?s Mid-Summer Magic Festival. Juliana Chen was slated to
be one of the headliners.
Fortunately, Ms. Chen is
again in the news today – and it is very good news. The incredible Chinese Opera
student and performer will appear Friday through Sunday at the Pacific Coliseum
(Vancouver) during the Lunar New Year festival.
In a wonderful and
sometimes too candid profile, The Vancouver Province traces this dynamic artist
from her schooling in China to her return to her adopted hometown of Vancouver.
As a young woman, Ms. Chen
trained at Chinese Arts School in Hunan in ballet, Chinese Opera, and other
disciplines but not magic. She worked first as a foot juggler. “I was a ballet
dancer but the government decided that since I had very long legs, I should
foot-juggle,” she said. “You did what they told you to do.”
While audiences enjoyed
watching the act, they rarely saw her face – she was on her back most of
the time as she propelled items around with sleight of foot.
She received her big break
when she suffered two broken legs in a practice session. Her physician told her
she’d been in wheel chair before she turned 30 years old.
Ms. Chen had admired the
magicians in her circus and had been practicing on the side. She focused on
manipulation – magic props were tough to find – and within a few years, she was
pulling down $2.00 a month.
(Of course, that’s 1988
dollars so it would really be closer to $4.25 a month by today’s standards).
After immigrating to
Canada, Ms. Chen continued her practice and performances. In 1997, her decision
to study magic and years of practice paid off when The World Congress of
Magicians in Dresden, Germany named her the first woman champion of
sleight-of-hand.
What does she think of
David Copperfield?
She told the paper that
“she isn?t the biggest fan” of the magician.
How about other females in
magic?
“I don’t see any other
females who are on par with me yet. Mostly, they do simple manipulation or are
there to look sexy and get cut in half by someone.”
We have no idea how Magician Nathan Burton fare at the end of the E! cable network series, “The Entertainer,” but we know he is still in the running and he will be managed by Mr. Las Vegas, Wayne Newton.
Mr. Burton’s agreement with E! specified that the veteran entertainer had the option of taking over the management of the young magician. Mr. Newton accepted representation for Mr. Burton as well as singer Jennifer Joseph and prop comic Joe Trammel.
What the new management will mean for Mr. Burton and his current gig at the Desert Passage mall in “V - The Ultimate Variety Show,” is not clear. David Saxe, brother of Inside Magic’s Favorite, Melinda, told the Las Vegas Review Journal that “the concept of ‘V’ doesn’t rely on any one particular person.”
Hmmm. That’s reassuring, not.
But perhaps more significant than his new management, his great exposure on national television, his tremendous work in ‘V,’ is the foolhardy risk of his own life he intends to carry out. In a stunt set for March 9th through the 15th, the young man will push the envelope one more time.
From his press release:
Houdini submerged himself while shackled in chains; David Blaine was enclosed in a box by himself; but Nathan Burton will be accomplishing this feat Vegas-style — sandwiched between seven sexy, scantily-clad showgirls. No food, no water — only an endless supply of energy drinks! Upon completion of the seven-day challenge, the glass box will be transported under heavy security to a network television studio in Hollywood to be opened before a live national audience.
From memory, we recall Houdini had contemplated almost exactly the same stunt. Houdini’s sexist mentor Harry Kellar urged him to give up the notion saying:
“no man of our manner can survive such foolishness. I fear, my good friend, you will go mad, else die of exhaustion, frustration, or die by gunshot from Bess ostensibly to put you out of your misery. Remember Chung Ling Soo. Women, Houdini, Women!”
We wish Mr. Burton good luck in the competition and his new management situation. We fear for his safety and sanity in the upcoming stunt.
Check out one of the best magic websites we’ve seen in quite a while.
Mike Weatherford, Entertainment writer for the Las Vegas Review Journal, reports this morning that Rick Thomas has decided to leave the Tropicana to accept a contract with the Stardust Hotel and Casino.Mr. Thomas will perform his last show at the Trop on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17th, and open at the Stardust just one week later, March 25th.
Mr. Thomas is too professional and too much a gentleman to discuss the reason for his departure.He has been with the Trop since 1997 and does not want to discourage ticket sales or be seen as disloyal to his long-time employer.
There has been speculation for months whether the Trop would remain a going concern.Mr. Thomas’ departure would seem to indicate he was seeking the relative certainty of the Stardust over his present home.
Mr. Weatherford quotes an unnamed source close to Mr. Thomas as saying the illusionist was “waiting for news like everyone else.”Ultimately, the source said, “everyone had to make some educated choices.”
Coincidentally, Reuters is reporting today that Aztar Corp., the Trop’s parent, missed expectations by announcing a dramatic loss in profit for the fourth quarter of 2004.Read Reuters’ article here.
Mr. Thomas will continue performances in the afternoon as at the Trop.He is consistently rated one of the best shows on the Strip ? day or night.We’ve seen his show several times and have been so impressed by not only his style and presence but the originality of his effects.Mr. Thomas received a standing ovation at the recent Magic Live convention.His performance of Asrah ended with a twist that completely devastated the audience.We won’t give away the surprise ending ? trust us, though.
The Trop says they’ll fill the afternoon show schedule with a new act soon.We wish Mr. Thomas, his troupe, his cats, and family the best of luck on the start of their next venture.
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