CAPE TOWN’S only magical arts organisation, the College of Magic, will celebrate its 40th anniversary of sharing wonder with the world with its very first online fundraising show, Stars Of Magic, on Saturday, June 27 at 8pm.
Three of South Africa’s top comedians and proud graduates of the College of Magic, Stuart Taylor, Conrad Koch and Riaad Moosa (pictured above), will host the Stars Of Magic show, presented in association with Web Shows (Pty) Ltd and featuring a star studded line-up of international and local magicians. Audiences will be able to experience the magic virtually via a special streaming link. All proceeds raised from Stars Of Magic will be used for the College of Magic’s various outreach programmes.
Taylor, Koch and Moosa will be hosting live from the College of Magic in Cape Town, South Africa with special guests streaming in from around the globe, including:
David Ben (Canada): A writer and conjuror, Ben has been entertaining people with magic across Canada, the USA, Mexico, England and Japan for more than 40 years. A winner of the Masters Award (2013) from the Milbourne Christopher Foundation of New York, he has also been recognised as a member of the Inner Magic Circle, Gold Star, by the famed London Magic Circle.
Chris Capehart (USA): Chris Capehart is an accomplished master magician who has seen and done it all. With more than 40 years in the magic industry, Capehart has performed on the big stage, lectured to magicians, become a famous, accomplished street performer, created routines and mastered the linking rings. His skill at close-up is no less than astonishing while his quick comeback verbal skills, sharpened on the streets of New York City, have made him an outstanding comedian. Capehart is a magician not to be missed.
Olwethu Dyantyi (South Africa): Hailing from Khayelitsha in Cape Town, Dyantyi has not only performed on stages in South Africa but has taken his passion and talent for magic and captivated audiences in Las Vegas, Italy, the UK and China. He was also one of the top six finalists in SA’s Got Talent in 2013. His proudest achievement, however, was taking top honours at the 2015 South African Magic Championships, where he also clinched the coveted Grand Prix title for his performance results.
Julie Eng (Canada): An award-winning magicienne with more than 30 years of performing beneath her wand, Eng is the executive director of Magicana, a Toronto-based arts organisation dedicated to the study, exploration and advancement of magic.
Guy Hollingworth (UK): Named Magician of the Year by the Academy of Magical Arts in Hollywood in 2009, this elegant card conjuror is a full-time barrister specialising in intellectual property law. Hollingsworth’s previous South African performance was at the 2015 South African Magic Championships gala show.
Larry Soffer (South Africa): One of the country’s foremost experts in the power of the mind, Soffer has performed for royalty, celebrities, politicians and sports stars and is an extremely popular live show and corporate event performer, inspiring his audience to “believe to see” instead of “seeing to believe”.
Ran’D Shine (USA): Over the past few years Ran’D has become one of the most sought-after performers in the industry, because his show is highly entertaining and hilarious. Shine’s magical style draws from his playful interactive relationship with his audience combined with his psychological engaging illusions and sleight of hand. A few of his accomplishments include being a featured performer at the South African National Arts Festival, performing at two presidential inaugurations in Washington, DC and being one of the few magicians to perform on the Guantanamo Bay military base.
R Paul Wilson (UK): Master of deception, Wilson is also an acclaimed filmmaker and author. Star of the BBC’s The Real Hustle and director of the multi-nominated film Isolani (2017), Wilson has been using his vast knowledge of cons and scams to contribute as a guest author on review site Casino.org, as well as working on several film and television projects.
Celebrating four decades of teaching the art of magic and its allied arts, as well as vital life skills to children and adults, the College of Magic, a non-profit organisation and the only one of its kind in the world, opened its doors on 23 February 1980. While it traditionally hosts annual fundraising productions, including Imagine! SA’s Biggest Magic Show at Artscape Theatre in Cape Town, the worldwide pandemic has seen the college adapt its show offering.
“As magicians, we thrive on making the impossible possible. The current health crisis presented us with the unique opportunity to reinvent our 40th anniversary fundraising show and the art of sharing magic with audiences around the world virtually. We’ve been delighted with the response of world class performers and our own successful graduates who have come to our aid and who are generously donating their time to our show. Stars Of Magic is going to be a fantastic event and we cannot wait to share the wonder online with you!” says David Gore, director of the College of Magic.
Tickets are R150 and are vanishing quickly. Book via Quicket. When you have completed your ticket purchase, a unique streaming link will be sent to you and you’ll be whisked away for an unforgettable night of wonder. For more information about the College of Magic, click here.
