 Beginning in a remote resort town in northern Michigan as a busker, John Sturk has performed magic in nearly every venue imaginable - from restaurants to birthdays, from the sidewalk to the stage.
John will discuss his magical career and share insights he's learned from 15 years of professional work. He also spent seven years as a project coordinator for Fun, Inc., America's largest magic manufacturer, is a producer for street performance at the Abbott's Get-Together, is past president of Assembly 3, and currently serving S.A.M. Midwest Regional Vice-President. He has won the Abbott's Stage and Close-Up Contests, swept both stage and close-up awards from Michigan Magic Day, and is twice a recipient of the S.A.M. Presidential Citation. Things you can learn in this lecture:
Free to Assembly 3 and CMRT members, $25 for guests.
0 Comments
 Tag, You're it! S.A.M. members, be prepared! Our meeting this month will feature a magician performing ONE magic effect of his choice. Upon his completion, he will randomly select a member in attendance that will be the next magician to perform ONE effect. This will continue until all who care to share have had a chance. "Tag' you're it!"
This is another great meeting idea from Martin Mercy. Martin has literally written the book on running a successful magic club, "Your Magic Club...A Road Map to Success." You can find his book at http://mercymemagic.com/Buy_Magic.html  Worst Case Scenario Magic
Monday, Nov. 19 - 7:30 PM Chicago Magic Lounge 5050 N. Clark, Chicago, IL 60613 Free for Assembly 3 and Chicago Magic Round Table Members, $25 for Guests What to do when you are asked to perform for a group of people, but don't have any of your props with you. This Lecture could save your life (or at least your life of the party reputation). An international award-winning entertainer from Los Angeles, CA, Ice has established a stellar performance reputation with his grand illusions, and spectacular appearances of doves out of thin air. Infusing each illusion with distinct cultural and technical elements, Ice McDonald is the master of captivating excitement. "Ice's magical performance is wonderful and his stagecraft is excellent", said the late Billy McComb, as Vice President of The Magic Castle in Hollywood. Ice has sold out performances at The Magic Castle, and broken attendance and box office records at Monday Night Magic in New York City, James Crown Theatre in Canada, Orpheum Theatre in New Orleans, as well as theatres and venues worldwide. Ice has appeared on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno", and was recently featured on My Network TV's (FOX) "Masters of Illusion". He has been honored with his inclusion in the history book, "Magical Heroes: The Lives and Legends of Great African-American Magicians". Ice has also been featured in the documentary, "The Art and Soul of Magic--The Story of American's Black Magicians". Genii Magazine, in their recent article on Ice, dubbed him The King of Cool. Ice produced and starred in the "African American Masters of Magic" television special, which was featured in The Linking Ring magazine.  Join us Monday, May 7th for our next S.A.M. meeting which will be a MAGIC SWAP MEET!
Please bring a FEW items that have been collecting dust or some books that you want to let go of. Please limit the number of items to what can fit into a banker's box or equivalently sized cardboard box. The great thing about clearing off the shelves is it makes room for new stuff!! We were pleased to have Suzanne lecture for the Assembly on April 2. Her high-impact style of close-up magic was incredibly effective, and after adding her touch of personality and humor to the routines, the audience was enchanted with her from the get-go. Known for her restaurant work in her home state of Minnesota, Suzanne was pleased to share the benefit of her wisdom through years of work in the trenches. This accumulated talent reached an apex when she was the first woman awarded Close-Up Magician of the Year by the Academy of Magical Arts. Suzanne's take on many classic routines, particularly her famed Cups and Balls routine, showed first-hand how to take a routine and make it your own. The capacity crowd at our meeting included several members of the newly established Chicago Magic Round Table, who joined in the conversation and coaxed some very thoughtful responses from Suzanne on the topics of performing, creativity, and "following your bliss." Special thanks to David Linsell for taking the photos during this month's meeting. http://neardeathx.com/
INDYFRINGE THEATRE FESTIVAL AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARD WINNER! Don't miss this interactive and magical theatre experience about life and death ... presented in the historic May Chapel of Rosehill Cemetery. You'll laugh, ponder and wonder. But don't bring the kids. This is grown-up, dead-serious fun. CRITIC'S PICK — Windy City Times  S.A.M. Assembly No. 3 presents the incredible Suzanne for a lecture. Audiences all over the country have been falling in love with Suzanne since 1985. She resides in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota. Her engaging style makes the audience an essential participant in her performance. Other respected professional magicians have called her "flawless" and "amazing". She is a favorite at Hollywood's famous Magic Castle and was awarded Close Up Magician of the Year in 2010.
Attendance is free for S.A.M. Assembly No. 3 members, and for members of the Chicago Magic Round Table. All other guests are $25 at the door. RSVP/Register by clicking here  As seen on Sesame Street and Sprout, Mario the Maker Magician is an award-winning performer known for his signature brand of DIY electronic + robotic magic. In his lecture, he performs several of his signature routines and shows their inner workings and the processes that went into creating them. Based in the NYC area and traveling worldwide, Mario has been performing for family audiences full-time for over a decade. Recently, Mario was selected to join the tight-knit creative team behind David Blaine’s first ever North American tour. Mario has been featured in HuffPost, MAKEzine, the NYPost, BroadwayWorld, and recommended by the NYTimes. He is also the subject of award-winning indie documentary film, Building Magic. When he is not in New York, he is traveling the country, performing and lecturing, alongside his family - his wife and two young children. They document their adventures in a YouTube series called My Magic Family. For more info, please visit mariothemagician.com. Join us @ 7:30pm Pilgrim Congregational Church 460 Lake St. Oak Park, IL 60302  Our September meeting was held on Monday, September 18, outside our usual first Monday meeting day, in order to accommodate our lecturer, Louisville magician David Garrard. David was tapped to fill the lecture tour of TC Tahoe, who had to cancel his tour, but we were very happy that David was able to take his place.
David brought 40 years' experience as a working pro to his lecture, teaching a little something for everyone: close-up, stage, and kids' magic, all while keeping the effects and explanations clear and understandable for magicians of all levels. Most impressive during his lecture was his routine for the Torn-and-Restored Napkin, which culminates in the spectator restoring their own napkin! The lecture was worth it for just that one piece, but David's Sketch-o-Magic, Pop Pop Poof, and his work with appearing canes and candles really made this a lecture for all to enjoy. Our future meetings for the remainder of 2017 include the New Member Initiation and Showcase in October, a lecture from local pro Jamie Sanden in November, and Mario the Magician in December.  Updated Lecture for September 18th, 2017
S.A.M. #3 Presents: David Garrard Free for S.A.M. No. 3 members $30 for guests. David’s lecture features material from his brand-new book, Out of My Hat as well as a variety of other magic that you will want to add to your act! Close-up magic, children's routines (including David's presentation and handling for his trick, Sketch-O-Magic), stage/parlor effects there is something for everybody! Mark your calendars, you don't want to miss this one!! Join us at: Pilgrim Congregational Church 460 Lake Street Oak Park, IL 60302 |
RSS Feed