VH1 has given a big green light to a new TV series, “Celebracadabra”.

Stay tuned to the HOME PAGE of this blog for videos and shocking footage that not even VH1 has. We filmed the celebrities on their own terms doing and saying things you won’t believe…. you FOUND the underground Celebracadabra page. Own it by simply bookmarking it NOW.

Comedians, pop stars, and film actors learn amazing magic from top pros, then perform and shock others in various venues. From street magic, to a children’s birthday parties, to a Vegas stage with showgirls – these celebs now know what “practice” means.

Below, Pussycat Doll Kim Wyatt on location for Celebracadabra wearing an Ellusionist Beanie:

Seven TV, music and film stars study, learn and practice hard so they can battle for the title of “Best Celebrity Magician” and a $100K grand prize when they gather at the famous Magic Castle (the world’s most famous club for magicians) and other venues in Los Angeles and Las Vegas, and attempt to learn and perform magic tricks and illusions normally left to the professionals.

Celebracadabra celebrities are C. Thomas Howell, comedian ANT, Hal Sparks, Chris Reid (Kid from Kid n’ Play), Lisa Ann Walter, Carnie Wilson, Kim Wyatt from The Pussycat Dolls.

Ellusionist sponsors the Series and will provide downloadable magic tricks for people to learn, tie-ins with the VH1 web site, contests, and additional rare pictures, info and footage shot by Ellusionist while on the Celebracadabra set. STAY TUNED TO THIS BLOG, BOOKMARK IT NOW —– NO KIDDING.

Guided by veteran magicians, the competitors face tough crowds and a master panel of judges (including Max Maven, Jeff McBride and Jonathan Levit who also plays host) who determine which celebrities get to advance to the next round and a shot at a $100,000 grand prize provided by the Ellusionist.com Street Magic Training Center.

Executive producers are Michael Hirschorn, Shelly Tatro, Karla Hidalgo and Chris Martin.

Currently, the Series is slated to debut on Sunday April 20 and run 9 weeks. Sunday is VH1′s biggest night of the week… Celebracadabra will be hot, filled with drama, magic, comedy and pretty faces. Check it.

Hal Sparks & C. Thomas Howell on location with Ellusionist:

Has Criss Angel set magic on television back 48 years?

In a recent newspaper interview in the Fresno Bee, pioneering illusionist Mark Wilson stated some strong comments about the current state of magic on television. In 1960, Mark Wilson had a challenge – to get a sponsored magic show on television. All the naysayers told him early on that magic would not work on television because the viewers would think it was TV trickery behind the illusions.

Wilson commented about Criss Angel, “He violates all the rules. Speaking as a professional magician, I will tell you that you cannot levitate from the top of one building to another without using television tricks. My fear is that using these kind of tricks will make it like before I began and people will start thinking that true magic can’t work on television,”

Angel has always denied the accusations of camera tricks and has said that every illusion can be duplicated in a live show.

Back in 1960, when Mark Wilson first started doing magic on TV, the show went out live. In the 70′s Doug Henning’s 1 hour magic specials went out live. How ’bout it Criss? Why not 1 half hour MindFreak done under these conditions:

1) The show goes on the air live
2) Shoot live in front of a studio audience
3) No trick photography or editing and preferably done in a single shot
4) No magic tricks that cannot be performed in a live situation
5) No stooges

It hasn’t been done in 30 years. It would be ground-breaking. It probably can’t be done by Criss Angel.

Welcome to The Next Level. This is a new podcast series from your friends at Ellusionist.

The Next Level is a regular mini-lecture with some of your favorite names in magic. We’re going to talk about a bunch of different subjects, including palming, starting a business, writing patter and storylines and much more. Some of the subjects will be on the beginner side of the scale, some might require some basic knowledge of the Erdnase one-handed shift. Most will be in the intermediate range. You’ll get to know more Ellusionist artists, and even a few of the forum’s Moderators and Elites. And you’re going to hear much more from Brad Christian.

Best of all: You’ll get to have a say in future content. In the podcast forums, you can respond to the current episode, request future topics or ask questions for the next episode.

Actually, this is the best of all: It’s completely free. All it costs you is the time to click on a play button. Or download it to your MP3 player. Do whatever you want. We’re not the boss of you.

This week, in the first edition of The Next Level, Brad Christian talks to us about some of the finer points dealing with performing for complete strangers. You’ll hear where some of the best places to perform are, how to spot the best spectators and what to do when you blow a trick. Plus, you’ll hear about the first time Brad performed for strangers. It’s an epic story.

Future episodes will come out once every two or three weeks. Next time, Aaron Fisher will join us to talk about palming cards.

Bottom line: We’ve always been about helping you improve and grow as a magician. We want you to get the kinds of reactions you see in the trailers for our products. Whether you’re a hobbyist content to perform for friends and family, or someone with aspirations of breaking through to the big-time, these podcasts will help you reach the next level of your performance goals. Enjoy, and be sure to leave your feedback in the Podcast forums.

Download it here.

iTunes subscription link coming soon.

It has recently come to our attention that a magician on a TV show in the Philippines is allegedly revealing magic effects and methods under the banner of Ellusionist — specifically, while wearing a hat bearing the Ellusionist logo.

We have heard reports about a rerun of “Magic’s Biggest Secrets Finally Revealed” dubbed into the Pinoy language. We have also heard reports that magician Bearwin Meily (pictured from one of his previous shows, “Thou Shalt Not Blink”) is involved in similar segments that reveal magic tricks, including some close-up classics. Because he is allegedly wearing the Ellusionist logo, it creates the impression that we endorse or sponsor his efforts.

Ellusionist has yet to see such video, or to hear from Meily himself about the nature of the show. But from the amount of letters and e-mails we’ve received from our Pinoy fans, we feel it’s necessary to make a statement frowning on any such revelation shows.

Ellusionist does not condone, sponsor, endorse or otherwise support any sort of exposure that reveals methods simply for the sake of telling secrets. We do not authorize the use of our logo, training materials or products in such efforts or productions.

Such revelation we consider the highest form of disrespect to the legendary geniuses who created and performed such effects or illusions. Magic has a long history that stretches for centuries. Our current artists build upon the works of those giants even today. While Ellusionist is a company that makes instructional videos, those are produced in cooperation with, or give full credit to, any creators involved. They are produced for the sake of passing on the art of magic to willing students who want to perform and give a sense of awe and mystery to their audiences.

We have been involved in TV shows before, such as VH-1′s “Celebracadabra,” and we know the intense effort it takes to protect magic secrets and methods. Our company or its employees would never agree to any sort of sponsorship or affiliation that exposes magic tricks in such a reckless manner.

Meily has produced and starred in several successful street magic shows, such as “Thou Shalt Not Blink” and “Stealing Minds.” He has had prior friendly relationships with Ellusionist and its staff. So we hope these reports about him exposing magic tricks are simply rumors. We hope that is not what Meily is doing, and we look forward to him setting the record straight with us.

“I don’t care about what I look like at this point.”

“I didn’t get into this art form for money.”

“I don’t care whether I drive a Hyundai with 200,000 miles on it…”

These fascinating facts and more are revealed in a recent interview Criss Angel’s beard had with Robin Leach on his blog Vegas Luxe Life.