Mac King's career seems to have taken a big turn lately. In addition to being named the "Magician Of The Year" by the Academy of Magical Arts, a Las Vegas Sun article reported that King will be moving into a larger theater, "King, the afternoon headliner at Harrah's for the past four years, will perform his popular "The Mac King Comedy Magic Show" in the Clint Holmes Theater from May through September." A Las Vegas Review-Journal article also reported that, "The best could be yet to come: King and his illustrator cousin, Bill King, have sold a Sunday comic strip to Tribune Media Services, which will syndicate it in July. It's called 'Mac King's Magic in a Minute,' and 'each week I teach my monkey assistant Lewis (and thus the reader) how to do a simple trick or gag.'" A Las Vegas Sun article also reported that, "His popularity has become so widespread that during the peak tourist season it is not unusual for 100 to 200 people to be turned away from each performance."(4/12)
--To read the Apr. 6 Las Vegas Sun article by Timothy McDarrah titled "Strip style escalates with Wynn Las Vegas" click: HERE.(4/12)
--To read the Apr. 11 Las Vegas Review-Journal article by Mike Weatherford titled "These are good times for King" click: HERE.(4/12)
--To read the Apr. 9 Las Vegas Sun article by Jerry Fink titled "King is clowning his way onward, upward" click: HERE.(4/12)

Damien Nieman's movie Shade is reviewed in the Hollywood Reporter where they report, "Cardsharps, grifters, gangsters and shady women mix it up in  surprisingly entertaining 'Shade,' a dramatic thriller with a large cast playing the hell out of some very juicy roles." The review also predicts, "If marketed with as much imagination and verve as it was made with, this film from RKO Pictures could rack up decent box office figures." To read the Apr. 7 review by Kirk Honeycutt titled "Film Review: Shade" click: HERE.(4/12)

Criss Angel has been named as the "Louie" Award recipient at the 42nd Annual Tannens Magic Jubilee on Sep. 10-12. The convention also announced its lineup of top notch close-up and stage talent: R. Paul Wilson, Aaron Fisher, Lee Asher, Ayala & Tanya, David Stone, Thomas Solomon, Boris Wild, Nathan Kranzo, Robert Baxt, Guy Bavli, Kenny Brown, Tony Chapek, Doug Edwards, Matthew David Stanley and David Kaye. The event will be held at Kutshers Country Club in upstate New York. Registration is $115 per person. For more information click: HERE.(4/12)

Lennart Green and Darwin Ortiz will be headlining a special "A-1 Evening Of Magic" on Sunday Apr. 25 at 5:30pm at A-1 MagicalMedia (4961-C Windplay Dr.) in El Dorado Hills, California. Seating is limited to 50 registrants. Admission is $40 in advance and reservations are available by phoning: 800-876-8437. Also offered will be a Workshop with Green (Apr. 26) and an opportunity to watch Ortiz tape parts of his upcoming  "Scams & Fantasies with Cards" DVD set (Apr. 23).(4/12)

Jeff Hobson's "Money and Madness Show" is called "a one-man riot a laugh riot" in a Las Vegas Sun article that pointed out, "If the Paul Lynde-inspired entertainer doesn't have you laughing from the minute he prances onstage in his sparkling smoking jacket, you just don't have a sense of humor." To read the Apr. 9 article by Jerry Fink titled "Hobson's show a wealth of comic riches" click: HERE.(4/12)

The "world's longest continuous magic show" that began on Apr. 4 in Australia gets some local press. Tim Ellis is quoted in The Age, "We will have about 30 performers who are giving their time freely to come along and perform at all hours, including some guys who have dedicated themselves to come in and perform in the midnight to dawn shift." To read the Apr. 5 The Age article titled "Magicians conjure record attempt" click: HERE.(4/12)
--Tim Ellis gave MagicTimes some of the statistics: The show lasted 75 hours, featured 43 performers that appeared in 483 spots and performed 1,177 tricks.(4/12)

Carl Bajor will be honored on Wednesday Apr. 14 by JMMRT (John McNicholas' Magicians' Roundtable) in celebration of the end of a 50-year run of providing regular lectures to the magicians of New Jersey. Bajor, who was one of the founders, and actually suggested the idea, of the private lecture group told MagicTimes that group first met in April 1954 and was originally called "The Elizabeth Magic Round Table." In 1972 the name was changed to "John McNicholas' Magic Round Table" after he passed away. McNicholas ran the group and also subsidized it since it began. Al Hillman and Bajor have run the group for may years and it is currently organized by Eric Appel. As the only remaining founder of what is most likely the longest continuously running lecture group in the United States, Bajor will be honored with a party and a show with many of the current members. The Anniversary celebration continues on May 12 when a rare "Evening with Herb Zarrow" will be presented. For more information click: HERE.(4/12)

The Bi-annual Gathering for Gardner conference is reported in the New York Times where magicians Mark Setteducati, Harry Eng, Lennart Green, Jamy Ian Swiss, and Arthur T. Benjamin are mentioned. Elwyn Berlekamp is quoted about the common ground between the attendees, "most mathematicians would consider this on the P.R. side of mathematics; most magicians would consider it on the mathematical side of magic." To read the Apr. 3 article by Edward Rothstein titled "Puzzles + Math = Magic" as reprinted in the Houston Chronicle click: HERE.(4/12)

OperaCadabra produced and hosted by David Williamson will be presenting it's third annual show at the Cedarvill Opera House (State Routes 72 & 42) in Cedarville, Ohio on Saturday Apr. 24 at 2pm and 7:30pm. Joining Willaimson this year will be John Carney and Glenn Singer in an evening that promises Mirth, Magic & Music. All proceeds will benefit the Cedarville Opera House as well as The Riding Centre of Yellow Springs. Tickets are $5-$15 per person and are available by phoning: 937-766-5529. For more information click: HERE.(4/12)

Jonathan Levit will be hosting the new television show "Miracle Hunters" that will premiere on Apr. 28 on the Discovery Channel. The show has Levit explaining "miracles" like "Twin Telepathy," "The Ghost Tracks of San Antonio," "Bio energy Healer," "Marfa Mystery Lights," and the crosses of Light in a church. If the show captures an audience it might be picked up as a series.(4/12)

Richard Cohn will be presenting a public lecture titled "The History of Magic" on Tuesday May 4 at 7:30pm at the Bryant Library (2 Paper Mill Road) in Roslyn, New York. For information phone: 516-621-2240.(4/12)

Jerry Sadowitz is featured in a lengthy article in The Scotsman where they discuss his career as he embarks on a tour through Scotland. The magic related part of the article reported that "Sadowitz’s early interest in magic developed with visits to Tam Shepherd’s magic shop in Glasgow. (The owner was the card conjuror of the century, claims Sadowitz.)." Sadowitz also explained, "If I do a magic trick and fool you, you think you have been fooled because of magic powers. But there are no magic powers. There is a method to that magic but you are not allowed to see the method. I see no problem with the argument that we see and live the effect but we don’t see the method." Discussing why he works in a magic shop Sadowitz offered, "It’s like a good family… People are really nice; they help you out. It’s genuinely the closest I get to feeling love, to feeling safe." To read the Apr. 11 article by Catherine Deveney titled "Smoke and mirrors" click: HERE.(4/12)

Penn & Teller are featured in a Knight Ridder story in conjunction with the premiere of the second season of their Showtime series. Penn Jillette is quoted, "We've been trying every year since anybody would listen to us, pitching some kind of a skeptical TV show… But we never got anywhere. Show business, as a rule, is anti-science. The attitude is, 'If it feels good, believe it.' Real science can do all these marvelous things, but they prefer to believe in UFOs." To read the Apr. 5 review by Glenn Garvin titled "Penn & Teller are equal opportunity attack comics" click: HERE.(4/12)

Mark Kalin and Jinger Leigh and their new show the Magic Underground in Reno are featured in a Reno Gazette-Journal article that quotes Jim Steinmeyer, "This is the way magic is supposed to be seen… There isn't a magic theater like this… It really is the only place in the world." The article also reported, "Along with the occasional reworking of their own bits, Kalin and Jinger will hire guest performers. Each will be responsible for about 20 to 25 percent of the show. The first guest is John Carney, who will perform through April 11." To read the Apr. 7 article by Forrest Hartman titled "Now you see it..." click: HERE.(4/12)

The Fercos Brothers will be presenting their "Untamed Illusions'' show in Shanghai on May 2-4 are featured in the Shanghai Daily where they are described as, "In recent years, Untamed Illusions has evolved into a major production that has audiences on their feet around the world. In 2002, Tony and Ferdinand won the International Magician's Society's coveted Merlin Award for 'Most Original Magicians of the Year.'" To read the Apr. 1 article titled "Wild magic" click: HERE.(4/12)

Bill Abbott's performance at the Torch Lounge in Canada is featured in The Eyeopener where his mentalism/mindreading show is discussed, "Abbott considers his magic and mind reading routine to be 'jazz magic' in the sense that it is 'very off the cuff.' He recently started a regular Thursday night show at the Torch Lounge, and is interested in rescuing magic to give it a more distinguished atmosphere." The article concluded, "Abbott is not only a magician, but is also a performer whose interaction and witty humour makes for a very entertaining evening. You can catch him any Thursday night at the Senator." To read the Apr. 6 article by Meghan Hurley titled "Magic man has crazy plan" click: HERE.(4/12)

David Copperfield's upcoming tour of China beginning on Apr. 20 is reported in Xinhuanet, "As well as some of the more traditional illusions, Copperfield will incorporate some real-life props such as a motorcycle and elevator into his latest acts. He will even be inviting some audience members to fly around the theater together with him." To read the Apr. 6 article titled "David Copperfield to make third China tour" click: HERE.(4/12)

Tom O’Brien's magic classes are featured in a Middletown Press article that reported, "It was also magical just watching one man keep 18 small, sometimes squirmy, sometimes shrieking children mesmerized for a full hour. More than once, it was easy to say, 'How’d he do that?'" To read the Apr. 6 article by Jeff Mill titled "A mysterious, magical afternoon" click: HERE.(4/12)