Events: Arizona - Phoenix - Scottsdale

You’ll laugh, you’ll cheer, your jaw will hit the floor! It’s the International Brotherhood of Magicians Annual Convention loaded with four evenings of masterful mind-blowing entertainment starting on Wednesday, July 10th through Saturday, July 13th at the Talking Stick Resort & Casino. All showtimes are at 8 p.m.; tickets are just $20!

For those who have a genuine interest in magic, be sure to register for the event’s magic seminars, lectures and workshops. The convention’s emcees are 4-time winner of the Atlanta Magician of the Year Award Ken Scott, and I.B.M. President and the Valley’s ownMichael Finney, who will hand over the reins to Alex Zander, the organization’s youngest incoming elected president.

The I.B.M. convention kicks off on Wednesday, July 10th with a night of comedy magic starring the amazing Paul Kozak direct from Hawaii, and Misty Lee from the Magic Castle in Hollywood. Paul Kozak is known for having one of the most powerful openings in show business - the first five minutes establish him as a world class magician/comedian with an electrifying personality. He has appeared onShowtime, HBO, Comedy Central and The Tonight show with Jay Leno. Misty Lee is the only magician ever admitted into the Institute for Analytic Interviewing. Under the training of “Truth Wizard” J.J.Newbury, and alongside agents from the CIA, ATF, and Scotland Yard, Lee mastered the art of Cognitive Interview techniques, becoming a certified "Human Lie Detector.” She was the subject of Vice/Broadly’s mini documentary A Day With The Magician, and in 2010, Lee became one of only three resident Houdini Séance Mediums at Hollywood's Magic Castle. She is the first female magician in history to hold this position.

The A-list of performers continues Thursday, July 11th with comedy magician Mike Hammer and Bizzaro. Mike Hammer has had a headlining show in Las Vegas for nine years and is known as the Don Rickles of comedy magic. Hammer was most recently seen on CW’s Penn & Teller: Fool Us and has appeared on A&E’s Bad Ink and Barry’d Treasure starring Barry Weiss. Optical IllustionistBizzaro strives to prove that "normal" is just the setting on a dryer! He has appeared on FOX, NBC’s America’s got Talent, CW'sMasters of Illusion, Travel Channel’s Extreme Conventions and Showtime at the Apollo. He also specializes in fabricating magic for other entertainers (including David Copperfield and Gallagher).

Friday, July 12th features the Fantastic Gold Medal Show with funny man MC Robert Baxt, the talented Jessica Jane Peterson andDavid DaVinci Thrillusionist®. Robert Baxt has won both 1st Prize in the National I.B.M. Stage Competition and a FISM trophy for Comedy (world championship of magic). As an actor, he can be seen in the eighth season of the CBS hit TV show How I Met Your Mother playing the lawyer partner to actor Jason Segel. Jessica Jane Peterson recently appeared on CW’s Penn & Teller: Fool Us, was featured on the cover of The Linking Ring, and was named 2017 Magical Entertainer of the Year. She opened her own resident show in Gatlinburg, TN, and has performed two military tours for the men and women serving in the armed forces overseas. David DaVinci Thrillusionist® is not just an illusionist, but a thrill-seeking, mind-bending master of prestidigitation who creates an alternate world of fascination with gravity-defying hair and tight pants (required). Prepare to be mystified.

Saturday, July 13th’s Gala Show closes out festivities in style! This line-up includes award-winning magician and MC Ken Scott, the world-renowned Shawn Farquhar, the hilarious Les Arnold & Dazzle and Vaudeville 3000. Shawn Farquhar’s magic has been seen on TV shows like the X-Files and Highlander, and in films such as Spooky House and the Fly II. Farquhar offers a fast paced, audience participation experience that draws everyone in. He is a recipient of both the I.B.M.’s Stage Magician of the Year and Sleight of Hand Magician of the Year, making him the only magician in history to win both world championships. The Les Arnold & Dazzle act is a satirical look at every "stuffed Shirt" magician you have ever seen, and the assistant that you wished you hadn't. The magic is solid, but the characters are comically unstable, resulting in a funhouse ride of laughs, gasps, and astonishment. Vaudeville 3000 stars Kevin James, Rudy Coby and Les Bubb. Kevin James was one of the Long Beach Mystics, and is known for creating several unique magical effects, such as the "Floating Rose" which is performed by David Copperfield. He gained additional fame with one of the most viewed YouTube clips from NBC’s America’s Got Talent.Rudy Coby is known for delivering eclectic and original comedic performances, of which stage magic plays a large part. He has worked with rock musician and upcoming film director Marilyn Manson. Unique phenomenon Les Bubb has made himself useful on-set of the first three Harry Potter films as a voice artist for real and virtual characters, as well as a physical acting coach. This rubber-band faced man was once described as “a Puppet of God.”

Tickets ($20 for each night) are on sale now at: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/international-brotherhood-of-magicians-22349748716. All shows start at 8 pm and are in Salt River Rooms 4 and 5 at the Talking Stick Resort & Casino, 9800 Talking Stick Way, Scottsdale, AZ 85256. If you’re interested in learning about magic and you missed the online registration deadline of June 30th (https://www.magician.org/convention/online-registration), registration will re-open on July 9th at the registration desk in the convention ballroom lobby at Talking Stick Resort.