Magic At Coney

We at Tannen's Magic Shop are thrilled to see a New York magic institution receive some recognition in this month's Genii Magazine (April 2014, featuring Paul Daniels on the cover)!

The incredible magic history of Coney Island dates back to the heyday of Jean Hugard and Jean Herrmann, who opened magic theatres in Coney, as well as Henry Roltair (renowned illusion builder of the time), Horace Goldin, Jansen, Si Stebbins, Francis Carlyle, Al Baker, Dai Vernon and (of course) Harry Houdini.

Of particular note, the great Al Flosso (the Coney Island Fakir himself) worked the sideshows at Coney, including Dreamland. Al also owned and operated his very own legendary magic shop, which would eventually move just one wall away from where Tannen's Magic Shop now resides today!

Image of Al & Jackie Flosso Courtesy of MagicTimes Spotlight News

This astounding legacy for the art of magic at Coney Island continues under the watchful eye of Gary Dreifus, who has been producing Magic at Coney since 2011. His work on the show is pure gold directly from his enormous heart. His passion for this wonderful institution is contagious, and it is an inspiration to see it continue to thrive, as today's modern greats perform alongside the magic legends of tomorrow.

Kudos from Tannen's Magic Shop to Gary for doing so well to keep magic alive in a location it truly belongs, and thanks to Carl Mercurio for sharing the tale with the global magic community this month in "The Conjurer's Magazine!"

David Blaine returns in David Blaine: Real or Magic, tonight!

We are ecstatic to see the return of, former Tannen's Magic Camper and Counselor, David Blaine to television in the much-anticipated special

David Blaine: Real or Magic?

While promoting the special, David gave a little nod to Tannen's Magic Shop in this online interview with Ali Wentworth on her program The Daily Shot!

Tune in tonight to see David's return to magic on TV! Not convinced? Check out Entertainment Weekly's synopsis of what we can expect from David this evening:

Are David Blaine's magic tricks real? Can they be done anywhere? Those are the questions Blaine is addressing in his upcoming 90-minute special, David Blaine: Real or Magic?

Tuesday, November 19th at 9:30 PM Eastern Standard Time on ABC

After working mainly on stunts since 1999, Blaine recently decided it was once again time to stretch his magic-trick muscles on camera. The twist? He wanted to go into the homes of some of the world's most famous people to get real reactions.

From Kanye West to Katy Perry, Robert DeNiro, Will Smith, Harrison Ford, George W. Bush, Olivia Wilde, Jamie Foxx, Aaron Paul, Bryan Cranston, and more, Blaine spent the past year making some of the most well-known people in the world question what's real in the comfort of their own living rooms, kitchens, pools, and more….

Best of luck, David and Welcome Back!!!

Patrick Terry Presents: WONDERSHOW!

This Thursday, in Brooklyn, there is magic in the air!

Act now for a sweet Groupon discount here: http://www.groupon.com/deals/gl-wondershow

We hope we'll see you there!

Get Ready for WONDERSHOW - an extraordinary line up New York's best magicians and variety acts!

Don’t miss the extreme circus stunts of Acrocomedian Rudi Maccagi (The Tonight Show), the hilarious 

vaudevillian high jinks of Brooklyn’s own Jonathan Burns (The Late Show), the mind-blowing miracles 

of global headliner, Ben Seidman (The Travel Channel's Magic Outlaws), and more!

Presented exclusively at DUMBO’s Galapagos Art Space, WONDERSHOW is an experience like no other – 

and will feature the best in underground sensations as well as international super stars. 

Like the incredible 

Ben Seidman – who is the only person in history to be named resident magician at the Mandalay Bay, Resort & Casino 

in Las Vegas. 

In addition to several thousand performances at numerous luxury hotels around the world, Ben also worked 

as creative consultant for Mindfreak on A&E where he designed the illusions performed by Criss Angel. 

Additionally, the line up will host a special appearance from Brooklyn based charlatan,Vinny DePonto. As well as spellbinding burlesque 

by New York City’s naughtiest ballerina, Aurora Black. 

The supremely salacious David Slone will serve as WONDERSHOW’s distinguished 

Master of Ceremonies chaperoning the night’s spirit of all things astounding and confounding.

Like nothing you expect and everything you imagine, this unique variety experience, promises to be 

one of the city’s most exciting destinations for magic, mischief and mystery.

Tickets $15 in advance, $20 at the door

http://www.galapagosartspace.com/wondershow

Axel Hecklau's EVOLUTION Lecture

Recently, Tannen's had the distinct pleasure of having one of Germany's finest magicians, Axel Hecklau, on hand to give a dynamite lecture.

Axel taught some genuine gems from his repertoire, and had an absolute blast with our intrigued audience! He's a terrific thinker, and his work in the art of magic is most certainly worth a look!

Check him out at AxelHecklau.com!

Some highlights:

Axel shares his remarkable Spoonaround routine.

Guests were treated to Axel's handling and thoughts on the classic Rope Thru Neck illusion.

A clever and ungimmicked approach to a popular card tossing routine was a major hit!

We hope all attendees had a great time learning from Axel, and our deepest thanks to Axel Hecklau himself for joining us and sharing his favorite effects!

Help the World Learn About Mario the Magician

Long time friend of Tannen's Magic, Mario the Magician, has been entertaining children in New York City for years, and he's built some truly beautiful and unique magic items for the magic community that are works of art all on their own.

Mario's story is one the world deserves to know about, and documentary filmmaker Kal is eager to tell it! This is your chance to become a part of bringing Mario's story to life, via the crowdfunding giant, Kickstarter!

As of this writing, there are 20 days left to back the project, which include some really fun perks and rewards at a variety of contribution levels.

Click the photo above or this LINK to be taken to the Kickstarter page to learn more about the project and contribute.

We wish all the best of luck to Kal and Katie in bringing Mario's story to the masses!!!

Magic Camp 2013

Less than 24 hours until the campers converge on campus for another incredible year of learning, friendship, and fun at Tannen's Magic Camp 2013!

We hope all our campers have an incredible time, and we hope you come away from this year with a great wealth of knowledge to astonish and amaze with for the year to come!

And if you are new to the idea of Tannen's Magic Camp, be sure to check out the beautiful documentary about the experience, which is now available for download and on demand services.

Details available at:

www.MagicCampMovie.com

David Roth, Brilliant as Usual!

Recently, Tannen's Magic Shop had the honor of hosting the incredible David Roth for a packed-house lecture! This lecture also marked the first time we've explored using a camera and monitor to get a little closer in on the action, a work-in-progress!

We hope all attendees had an incredible time, and we look very forward to the next one!

Below are a few photo highlights from the evening with David Roth:

David keeping the packed lecture riveted!

David shared brilliant routines & wisdom, along with some wonderful and hilarious stories.

Expertly showing how marvelous, yet accessible, coin magic is!

Clearly, deeply enjoying his work & connection to the crowd

Thanks again, to everyone in attendance!