Tuesday, August 25, 2015

The Official Houdini Seance 2015 - FULL DETAILS

Magician Robert Strong has released full details of The Official Houdini Seance 2015 to be held at the Brava Theater in San Fransisco. The great news is the seance will be open to the public this year. Tickets are available NOW via the Official Houdini Seance Kickstarter page with special premiums for different ticket levels, including a seat the seance table itself! Below is a video and all the official details.


Have you ever wondered: “Gee, where has the magic gone?” Another evening, and you think: “Dinner, movie. Dinner, TV. Dinner, bedtime.” Yawn.

When was the last time someone danced with danger for your entertainment? On October 31, 2015 we are going to reach out to the dead with a self-described medium, and then with a magical medium.

Tickets are available only on Kickstarter, CLICK HERE. Get yours soon before they, well… Oh, c’mon—it’s a magic show—you know the rest. (POOF!)

The Official Houdini Séance 2015 will be a day of Science, History, Escapes, Magic, and More on Halloween at the historic Brava Theater (where Houdini performed in 1926). This event is being sponsored by Wonderfest, The Bay Area Skeptics, The Bay Area Science Festival, and the 100th Anniversary of the Pan-Pacific International Exposition.

You can watch it in person (only 360 seats), livestream the event, or watch it later online. The line-up is:

• Welcome – Robert Strong, MC/Moderator
• Escape Artist – Brian Brushwood, Scam School Creator
• Background – John Cox, Houdini Historian
• Earnest Séance – Terrie Huberman, Self-Described Medium
• Psychology – Melina Uncapher, UCSF Neuroscientist
• Doubt – Michael Shermer, Skeptics Society Founder
• Panel discussion – Brian, John, Melina, & Michael
• Magical Séance – Paul Draper, Mentalist
And, more to come…

Help us to fund the following three features of the day: 
• NIGHTTIME SEANCE ($9,000 total needed): An evening extravaganza with two séances: one conducted by a self-described medium, the other by a master magician — with insights from a panel of behavioral scientists, neuroscientists, skeptics, and other experts.
• DAYTIME PRESENTATIONS ($9,000 more needed, $18,000 total): An afternoon forum with presentations by magicians, historians, escape artists (re-enacting Houdini's famous jail cell, water-torture cell, and upside-down straightjacket escapes), and leading authorities on: psychology, neuroscience, con-artistry, and technology/innovation. 
• VIDEO DOCUMENTARY ($7,000 more needed, $25,000 total): A professional video — based on highlights of both daytime & nighttime events — exploring the impact of Houdini as seen through the eyes of modern magicians, scientists, skeptics, and historians. Houdini: Then, Now, and Tomorrow!

Funds raised in excess of $25,000 will make the various events even better by bringing in more great talent and experts. The extra funds will also support Wonderfest, the nonprofit Bay Area Beacon of Science, creator of free science education events, both in-person and online.

Sounds like it's going to be a terrific event. I'm very honored to have been asked to participate as a speaker and as one of the "Summoners." Hope to see you there!

To keep up with updates, visit The Official Houdini Seance 2015 website and Like their Facebook page. Again, tickets to the event are available NOW via the Official Houdini Seance Kickstarter page.

Get tickets.

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4 comments:

  1. Robert Strong - San Francisco MagicianAugust 25, 2015 at 3:04 PM

    Thank you posting!!! For facebook updates on The Official Houdini Séance, like our page here: https://www.facebook.com/houdiniseance

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  2. Lisa CousinsAugust 26, 2015 at 11:38 AM

    This is clearly a skeptic/debunking event and should bill itself as such, or at least use the more accurate title of "The Self-Described Official Houdini Seance."

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    1. John CoxAugust 26, 2015 at 12:42 PM

      Well, this is being done with Bill Radner, etc., so it is the "Official Houdini Seance" for this year. But, yeah, it's being supported by SF-based skeptical organizations, so that's a theme this year. I don't yet know the slant of my own presentation at the seance. It will probably be Houdini history as I did in 2012. But if the event is funded enough to be a full day, I will possibly give my Houdini in Hollywood and/or my Houdini Among The Spirits talks. I'm going to bring a lot of Houdini to this. ;)

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    2. John CoxAugust 26, 2015 at 12:57 PM

      And as far as anything claiming to be the "official" or "original" or "official original final" seance, my own feeling is Bessie ended it in 1936, so there really is no official continuation. But those who want to carry on, that's fine. It's all a celebration of Houdini. And Sid got the trademark on the name, so that's why I'm comfortable calling this "The Official Houdini Seance." And they always do a great job honoring Houdini.

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