From start to finish the2015 Melbourne Magic Festival Gala at Northcote Townhallhad me smiling from ear to ear. It proved to be a wonder filled night of magic and joy that encapsulated the multi-generational audience on that night.
Having seen Dynamobe Dynamo, over the years, I’ve acquired a taste for magic. This however, this was the first time that I was part of a live audience with so many multi-talented magicians at play.
The experience has left me very excited about the future of Magic as a premier form of live entertainment for our fair city of Melbourne; serving as an elixir for this centuries over load of artificial intelligence.
It was a star studded line up including 10 performances that had us pinned to our chairs, waiting in anticipation to catch that slight of hand, those invisible wires and of course the ever present smoke and mirrors.
Obviously one needs to be in the know, because all of the above eluded me!
Stay posted for more updates as I will be continuing to cover some more of these very entertaining performance.
Artistic Director of The Melbourne Magic Festival Tim Ellis
Gone with the Wand starring Richard Wibberley & Ally Pearce.Internationally acclaimed Rob Zabrecky previewing his show Turn on the Dark
TAGGthe alternative gig guidecelebrating the launch of it’s hard copy, pocket sized entertainment guide on Sunday at St Kilda’s Sports Club.
This very special event rocked in with SLAB centre stage with Nelson Fuller on lead guitar / vocals, Ben Blaak on bass andJames Pachollirocking on drums; all looking and sounding like very hot stuff.
TAGG is a state-of-the-art, multi media pocket sized gig and entertainment guide which will soon to be hitting the streets throughout Port Phillip. It offers readers eight pages of what’s on in localised areas, complete with convenient QR code portals to online sites and an A3 sized glossy poster on the back, all in full colour!
Slab – Nelson Fuller on lead guitar and vocals, Ben Blaak on bass and James Pacholli on drumsNelson FullerJames PacholliBen Blaak
In the 1950’sElvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis,Carl Perkins andJohnny Cash spearheaded the pathway for Rock n Roll to enter the mainstream music industry. They achieved phenomenal success and also opened the flood gates of global appreciation for “Black Music”, Rhythm and Blues, Gospel, Soul and Country, music that is the heart and soul of Sun Records.
With this powerful mojo at play, it was Sun Records producer Sam Phillips and his fundamental experience, appreciation and vision that gave birth toRock n Roll as we know it today.
This richly layered history is what propels Melbourne’s Sun Rising Rock n Roll Tribute Band to live and breath this music and strive for excellence.
Last Saturday night at the Thornbury Theatre we captured images of this brilliantly orchestrated and passionate show.
Damon Smithmulti-instrumentalist and composer (piano, guitar and vocals) produced and co-wrote this two part show with David Cosma (acoustic guitar and vocals) using spoken word between songs giving the audience background on how the music was conceived, recorded and took flight. The whole band including Trent McKenzie (upright and electric bass), Adam Coad(drums, backup vocals) andAdrian Whyte(electric guitar and vocals), are all die hard fans who have made the pilgrimage to Sun Records in Memphis to recorded their music on vinyl.
The show was a sell out success and if you love Rock n Roll music this show is a dazzling window into the magic of an ageless era.
As a follow up to this last national tour Sun Rising Rock n Roll Tribute Band will be performing at the Caravan Club on the 15 August 2015. Tickets are currently on sale, so book now to secure your seats.
Blues … a pulse of the soul … for some a gateway to salvation and others a mystical resonance, either way the Blues is a timeless rhyme that hits our core.
Way Out West Roots Music Club is run by a dedicated group of volunteer enthusiasts and is located at the very well decked out Williamstown RSL. Not only does this venue have GREAT ACCOUSTICS the club hosts both local and international roots musicians and endeavours to support and promote young artists by giving the vast majority of gig funds directly to the performers!
The Melbourne Magic Festival casts its spell across Northcote’s Town Hall from June 29 to July 11, 2015 and promises to take you to the extreme end of visual theatre with over 250 shows and free events including two international guest magicians from Hollywood’s famous Magic Castle!
Artistic Director and internationally award winning magician, Tim Ellis, says:
“It has been eight years in the making but The Melbourne Magic Festival has finally come of age. Already known internationally as the largest event of its kind in the Southern hemisphere, the importance of our festival has been recognised for its creativity, innovation, and the development of one of the world’s oldest art forms. I am proud to see our magicians taking their theatre shows all over the world and receiving both critical and box office acclaim.”
In fact last year Tim himself was invited to the Beijing International Carnival of Magic specifically to perform and teach his renowned rendition of The Chinese Linking Rings. A wonderful testament to his contributions to their own beloved classic of magic.
Australia is fast gaining a reputation for producing some of the most exciting new magicians in the world today – and as the international theatre tours and TV magic specials continue to break all kinds of records, the one event the magicians look forward to all year is now only three months away!
International superstar Rob Zabrecky
This is the eighth edition of Melbourne’s annual Magic Festival and our CELEBRATION OF IMAGINATION has attracted over 60 world class magicians including:
INTERNATIONAL MAGIC SUPERSTAR ROB ZABRECKY (USA). Winner of The Hollywood Magic Castle’s ‘Stage Magician of the Year’ in 2011 and 2012 and nominated again this year!
INTERNATIONAL MAGIC LEGEND POP HAYDN (USA). Six time ‘Magician of the Year’ winner at Hollywood’s Magic Castle and again nominated this year!
AUSTRALIAN MOST INTERNATIONALLY KNOWN MAGICIAN TIM ELLIS (AUS). Two time winner and three time Jury member at the World Championships of Magic.
RISING SUPERSTAR OF AUSTRALIAN MAGIC SIMON CORONEL (AUS). Two time winner at the World Championships of Magic.
TOP SELLING AUTHOR AND “AUSTRALIA’S HONEST CON MAN”NICHOLAS J JOHNSON (AUS). Launching his latest book ‘Fast & Loose’ at the Melbourne Magic Festival.
AUSTRALIAN TELEVISION STAR, COMEDIAN & MAGICIAN LAWRENCE LEUNG (AUS). Star of the ABC TV series ‘Maximum Choppage’ and upcoming feature film ‘Sucker’.
From USA Pop Haydn
In addition to over 150 performances, magic workshops and classes – this year’s highlights include:
THE GALA SHOWS. Showcasing the very best of Australia’s top magical talent. These shows are always the first to sell out.
THE AUSTRALIAN JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS OF MAGIC. See Australia’s upcoming magic superstars compete in ‘Stage Magic’ and ‘Close Up Magic’.
MAGICSPORTS. Two teams of magicians compete in an hilarious night of improvised magic. Imagine a David Copperfield show combined with ‘Whose Line Is It Anyway?’
MAGIC CENTRAL. Our brand new program of free events including close up magicians, magic workshop sessions, storytelling for kids and adults, video and performance art installations
THE MAGICIANS INVITATIONAL POKER TOURNAMENT. World Pro Poker are hosting the first ever MMF Tournament where cheating is allowed… as long as you don’t get caught
NEW OFF SITE VENUES. The Festival is expanding beyond the Town Hall to ‘Dane Certificate’s Magic Theatre’ in Brunswick and ‘The 86’ in Collingwood.
In 2014 we attracted over 10,000 magic fans, and 2015 looks like it will smash that record! The full program of events can be found at www.MelbourneMagicFestival.com
WHAT: THE 2015 MELBOURNE MAGIC FESTIVAL
WHERE: Northcote Town Hall 189 High Street, Northcote WHEN: June 29 to July 11, 2015
COST: Tickets start at $10 and can be booked online at
www.MelbourneMagicFestival.com or 9481 950045
We are proud to acknowledge The City Of Darebin as our Major Festival Partner
‘Here Comes The Sun’ showcases much loved Australian singer songwriter Wes Carr interpretingGeorge Harrison’ssongbook – taking on such chart topping classics as ‘My Sweet Lord’ and ‘What is Life’, and The Beatles classic ’Something’, a song which Frank Sinatra deemed ‘the greatest love song ever written’.
‘Here Comes The Sun’ will see Wes share intimate tales and anecdotes from George Harrison himself, not only showcasing the depth of George’s music but looking ‘within and without’ on a spiritual journey, recounting conversations George started many years ago. Storytelling is what Wes does best, and this is a truly unique story, celebrating the essence of an incredible artist from a musician’s perspective.
George Harrison wasn’t just the ‘quiet Beatle’ who played lead guitar for the most celebrated and influential band the world has ever seen. George was an innovator, arguably more so than John Lennon andPaul, McCartney, questioning life and reality, always searching for something deeper and in doing so, introducing the culture and traditions of the east to the west. Most famously, George Harrison collaborated with Ravi Shankar and embraced the practice of Transcendental Meditation, the teachings of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.
The connection with George Harrison has played a significant role in Wes’s life, the singer songwriter explaining, ‘If it wasn’t for George, I wouldn’t have started Transcendental Meditation 5 years ago, the practice played a large part in my recovery from depression. To me, George was a spiritual leader in his own way, as he was a guiding light for so many. Through his music he questioned life and challenged modern day thought. As The Beatles were falling apart and breaking up, George was finding himself through his many personal voyages around the world, mainly to India. I believe he became a vessel to expose the world to ancient traditions, spiritual practices and musical sensibilities that Westerners may not have come across otherwise. The times certainly were ‘a changing’ and George was at the forefront of a global shift that today still rings true for so many. I believe George’s music has more relevance now than it ever did – for all of these reasons, I knew I had to pay tribute to the life and work of George Harrison through a live show’.
Wes Carr will celebrate George Harrison’s life and influence through the live show. For bookings: HERE COMES THE SUN
He is certified under the Chinese Medicine Registration Board of Victoria,and a member of the Australian Chinese Traditional Orthopaedics Association Inc. He is a guest Professor at Foshan Sports University(China), and assigned as Senior Research Professor of the Bone Research Department to Beijing Chinese Medical University (China). He is an author of eight books on health and well-being and currently lectures in more than a dozen countries as well as having a standing invitation to teach at Yale University in Connecticut, USA.
In 1972, Grandmaster Chueng was the honoured custodian for the five hundred year old ancient Chinese Medical Scrolls containing secrets in herbal formulae and Meridian / Pressure Point treatments for various illnesses and disorders. These scrolls have been traditionally handed down by famous Chinese doctors and grand masters for the past two thousand years.
During the last forty years or more, with his knowledge from the scrolls and through years of tireless research he has developed the most effective healing programs in Cheung’s Meridian Therapy (CMT) and ISO CHI.
Cheung’s Meridian Therapy (CMT) has been scrutinized by the medical profession in the USA, Europe and Asia and his Chinese Medical Development is widely accepted by hospitals and clinics around the world.
CMT takes a surprisingly simple, but highly effective and holistic approach to healing. It deals with health problems at the source and is amazingly effective.
The ISO-CHI Program is a most effective health, fitness and wellbeing program which combines Isometric andChi Kung(internal energy) exercises.
The development of these programs incorporates Grandmaster Williams Chueng’s accumulative knowledge from over a half a century’s experience in Wing Chun Kung Fu, traditional Chinese medicine and research of human anatomy and physiology. These are holistic, state of the art health and fitness programs that are suitable for all ages and fitness levels.
This soothing herbal Chinese massage cream formulated by Grandmaster William Chueng is to be applied externally. It is a combination of a powerful and effective herbal mixture for the treatment of:
Just before the commencement of his recent Melbourne tour I had the opportunity to film an exclusive interview with world renowned Cellist, Columbian born Santiago Cañón Valenciaat the Tolarno Hotelin St Kilda.The next day I saw him perform at the Melbourne Recital Centre.
Under any circumstances this young man is a standout. At 19 years old he is already a veteran of the world stage, playing with some of the best Symphony Orchestras from across the globe from the age of 6!.
With an impressive array of accolades Santiago is a well polished, disciplined musician who was born into a gifted musical family all of whom play classical and his teachers were carefully chosen. But does anyone really know the source of this kind of musical presence?
I’ve seen many of the worlds best performers do their thing. Santiago is something else altogether.
He plays the Cello as a Maestro. When he is playing, one’s eyes are firmly fixed on him and his ring clad fingers. His playing is ethereal, hypnotic and transportive. His physical appearance conjures gothic images of past worlds. If I had to draw on a contemporary romantic parallel to describe Santiago’s appearance in the flesh, who springs to mind are the beloved characters from Ann Rice’s sizzling novel Interview with a Vampire. But of course, that is only fantasy and Santiago is very human, very gracious, and a very talented young virtuoso.
Lady Marigold Southey, champion of the arts in association with Skyhigh Promotionsdelivered Santiago to our shores to give us a taste of what is to come from this unique and enigmatic musician.
My lasting impression is Santiago Cañón Valencia is classical music’s equivalent to a Rock God.
The release of our forthcoming filmed interview with Santiago Canon Valencia by gifted Melbourne pianist 15 year old Spencer Harris titled ‘The Man Behind the Cello’ is coming soon so stay posted…
Lady Southey, AC is proudly launching her signature series of concerts with the incredible Santiago Cañón Valencia. Having been hailed by critics as “a phenomenon” and “without doubt already one of the finest cellists on the world stage today”, the young virtuoso cellist Santiago, has established himself as one of the most exciting, emerging musical talents.
Santiago Cañón Valencia (born May 9, 1995 in Bogotá, Cundinamarca) is a Colombian cellist. He comes from a family of musicians (his father is a clarinetist of the Bogotá Philharmonic Orchestra and his sister is a violinist). His mother started teaching him cello when he was 4 years old. When he was still 6 years old, in 2002, he gave his first concert with the Bogotá Philharmonic Orchestra. He has played with the world’s best ever since.
Santiago is returning to Australia for some concert performances, to kick start this wonderful program. Marigold’s philosophy has always taken pride in nurturing talent and promoting the art of performance. Skyhigh Promotions has developed this new platform, which is named after Marigold Southey, for her continued commitment to the arts in general and young people specifically; in an effort to reach out to artists at an early point in their burgeoning careers. Artists will include young, up & coming opera singers, musicians and chamber ensembles amongst others.
Santiago will be performing alongside the Strings of the newly formedMelbourne Sinfonietta, led by Roger Jonsson, the outstanding Concertmaster who co-led the Melbourne Ring Orchestra in 2013. Roger Jonsson has held regular positions in nearly all of Sweden’s leading orchestras, including the Swedish Radio Symphony, the Baroque Orchestra, Stockholm’s New Chamber Orchestra and the Stockholm Sinfonietta. Roger has performed in many tours throughout Sweden and Europe. Roger is currently OV’s Concertmaster.
Santiago has performed concertos with orchestras in Colombia, Australia, New Zealand, China, South Africa, United States, Canada and Hungary. Recently, he was invited to perform Haydn in C Major Cello Concerto with the Moscow Soloists andYuri Bashmet as conductor, in Bogota, Colombia. He has also been a guest artist several times at the Cartagena International Music festival and in 2015, he will play with the Mahler Chamber Soloists at the same festival.
“Santiago possesses a musical maturity that is way beyond his years. His technical precision is quite staggering and he is without doubt already one of the finest cellists on the world stage today.” Adam Chalabi, Melbourne, October 2012, Elgar Cello Concerto with the Orchestra Victoria
“Playing the Shostakovich First Concerto, Valencia proved to be a phenomenon.”
William Dart, New Zealand Herald, March 2011
‘TO WIN’ a double ticket giveaway to see Santiago Canon perform at The Salon – Melbourne Recital Centre on the 7 April 2015 be the first to ring Kerrie on 0423 308 005 and tell me Santiago’s current age.
It’s a feeding frenzy for fans of The Walking Dead aswe reveal the katana-wielding heroine, Danai ‘Michonne’ Gurira, will be joining the Supa-Star lineup for next month’s Melbourne (11 &12 April) and Gold Coast (18 & 19 April) events.
Zimbabwean-American actress, Danai Gurira, is best known as Michonne on the television series The Walking Dead. An award-winning playwright, Danai has written for stage and screen. Prior to TWD Danai starred in film The Visitor, and played a recurring part on the Cyclone Katrina drama, Treme. Danai joined the cast of The Walking Dead in its third season in 2012 as one of the main supporting characters in the storyline.
Christopher Lloyd: ‘Doc’ Brown, Back to the Future
Celebrities include:
Christopher Lloyd: ‘Doc’ Brown, Back to the Future
Dolph Lundgren:Ivan Drago, Rocky IV
Tyler Hoechlin: Derek Hale, Teen Wolf
Ryan Hurst: Opie Winston, Sons of Anarchy, Gerry Bertier, Remember the Titans
James Cosmo: Jeor Mormont, Game of Thrones, Angus MacLeod, Highlander
Robin Lord Taylor: The Penguin, Gotham
Willa Holland: Thea Queen, Arrow, Kaitlin Cooper, The O.C.
Manu Bennett: Deathstroke,Arrow, Azog,The Hobbit
Jason David Frank: original Green/White Ranger, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
George Takei: the original Hikaru Sulu, Star Trek
Nichelle Nichols: the original Nyota Uhura, Star Trek
Walter Koenig: the original Pavel Chekov, Star Trek
James Marsters: Spike, Buffy the VampireSlayer, Angel
Charisma Carpenter: Cordelia, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel
Georgina Haig: Elsa, Once Upon a Time
Sean Maguire: Robin Hood,Once Upon a Time, Leonidas,Meet the Spartans
Rachel Skarsten: Tamsin, Lost Girl, Black Canary, Birds of Prey
Martin Klebba: Marty, The Pirates of the Caribbean, Randall, Scrubs
Kevin McNally: Gibbs, The Pirates of the Caribbean, Hugo Lang, Doctor Who
Jessica DiCicco: Flame Princess, Adventure Time
Todd Haberkorn: voice actor from Soul Eater, FullmetalAlchemist: Brotherhood
Robbie Daymond: voice actor fromSailor Moon, Breadwinners
Kirby Krackle: geek rock band from Seattle, USA
Tony Moore: artist – The Walking Dead, Fear Agent
Arthur Suydam: artist – Marvel Zombies, Deadpool, Army of Darkness
Peter F. Hamilton: author – Greg Mandelseries,Night’s Dawntrilogy
John Scalzi:author – Old Man’s War series, Lock In
Dolph Lundgren: Ivan Drago, Rock IV
Also joining the event is Richard Epcar, whowas voted one of the Top 20 Video Game Voice Actors of all time by IMDb, having voiced over 400 characters in games, animation and anime. Best known as the voice of Batou in Ghost in the Shell, and The Joker in several Batman-themed games, including Injustice: Gods Among Us. Some of Richard’s other notable voice credits include characters from Robotech, Digimon and Bleach.
Classically trained actress Ellyn Stern has worked as a voiceover artist, director and writer, with a career spanning across film, television and stage. Ellyn’s debut into anime voice acting was during the ‘80s on the original sci-fi series, Robotech, in which she voiced a number of characters. Ellyn’s other voice credits include Miyuki Gotou in Noein. and Haraway in Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence.
Greg Van Borssum is an Australian fight designer and weapons consultant for feature films. An accomplished athlete and martial artist, Greg recently worked as the fight choreographer for the highly anticipated Mad Max: Fury Road. He has also worked as an assistant director on the animated films, Happy Feet and Happy Feet Two.
Brisbane-based journalist-turned-author, Paula Weston will join Supanova’s Gold Coast event. Paula is the master behind The Rephaim series, containing three books: Shadows, Haze and Shimmer. The fourth and concluding book in the series, Burn, will be released this coming June.
Supa-Stars Alexander Vlahos and Steve Worland have been called away to work on some new and very exciting projects, which unfortunately means they will be unable to attend Supanova in April as planned. Both guests send their apologies to fans in Melbourne and The Gold Coast.
To see the full lineup of talented guests from the realms of film, television, anime, comics and fantasy/sci-fi writing visit ourSupa-Star Guest page.
Artistic Director of The Melbourne Magic Festival Tim Ellis
