News from Mark Mitton

Just one day after flipping a switch to inaugurate the Empire State Building’s new LED lights, native New Yorker Alicia Keys celebrated the release of her new album, Girl on Fire, with a star-studded bash at The Box in downtown Manhattan on Tuesday night. Her husband Swizz Beatz DJ’ed, together with DJ Cassidy. Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake, Babyface, Clive Davis, Maxwell, Tommy Hilfiger, Akon, Geo Bivins and many other prominent guests were on hand to congratulate Alicia and dance the night away. It was a pleasure to do magic for them and be a part of the night.

DJ Cassidy and Swizz Beatz on stage; a glowing Alicia with her ‘cake on fire’:

 
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The Juilliard School is having me help them with some magic consulting on the play ‘The Enchanted’ by Jean Giraudoux, directed by physical theater legend Moni Yakim. The actors are all students in the Drama Department, and it is a pleasure to work with them. Break-a-leg!

A few months ago, I witnessed the amazing theatrical event Sleep No More. Last night I went back to join some friends at the Manderley Bar, which is part of the show at the McKittrick Hotel. There was a fantastic three-person band playing. The lead singer, Mr. Reed, had his own drum kit, and there were extra drums just behind the band. At the very end of the set, just as they were passing off to the disk jockey… a member of the audience suddenly jumped up on stage and joined the band for a jam session. Can you guess who this famous drummer is? (If you listen carefully to the end of the jam, you will hear his name…).

Needless to say, the audience went crazy!

By the way, the very talented Mr. Reed was discovered on the subway by the producers of Sleep No More. Check him out on the L-train platform:

Ponytail Magazine is a unique bi-annual publication featuring fashion, beauty, contemporary art, illustration, music, design and the creative mavericks that shape the world we live in. Danish photographer Jesper Carlsen shot me with these lovely ladies last September, and the magazine just came out in Europe. Look for it here in the States soon.

Click to enlarge:

Click here for some behind-the-scenes shots

With photographer Jesper Carlsen and
art director Dimitri Schleblanov.

The new Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau has arrived! Actress and swimsuit model Molly Sims and Franck Duboeuf (Georges’s son) were on hand at District 36 in New York to receive the first bottle from the hands of an acrobat, while other performers spun, twirled and stilt-walked around, creating a circus atmosphere. I provided a magical touch at the festivities. Guests included prominent food and wine writers, including the James Beard award-winning Karen Page.

Here I am (L) with Molly…and (R) with Baroness Sheri de Borchgrave, Karen Page, and Andrew Dornenburg

  
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There was a magic-themed secret event at The Box tonight — hosted by Jay-Z — to celebrate the signing of hip hop artist Jay Electronica to his Roc Nation label. It was a real honor to perform for Jay Electronica, his mom, Jay-Z, Beyoncé, and all of their friends.

Watch as Jay-Z talks about reintroducing the
magic and wizardry in hip hop:

The documentary The Last Play at Shea was shown on the last night of the Hamptons International Film Festival. Through the prism of Billy Joel’s extraordinary career, the movie chronicles the waning days of Shea Stadium. I entertained at the pre-screening party (hosted by the New York State Film Commission), which was attended by both Billy Joel and Alec Baldwin, the narrator of the film. After the party we all went over to Guild Hall to see the movie and enjoy a Q&A with Alec and Billy.

Alec returned Billy’s wristwatch with panache…

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We just had Fashion Week here in New York. Carolina Herrera was kind enough to invite me to her runway show in Bryant Park to see her beautiful new collection. I also had fun performing for Austrian supermodel Iris Strubegger and Marc Jacobs and his team at the premiere of the new fashion movie La Demimondaine at The Box. This innovative new film was shot on the Red Camera, a camera that is changing the fashion industry because it can shoot digital video, audio and stills at the same time.

Click here to watch the movie (shot at The Box) and here to watch a short clip about the making of the film.

The next part of my trip took me to the lovely town of Ayr in Scotland, where I shared haggis and magic stories with Andrew Galloway, a legendary misdirection expert who studied with the master John Ramsay. We had so much to talk about! Thank you, Andy, for your wonderful hospitality!

I have always wanted to see a pantomime in Scotland, and this year I was lucky enough to catch a performance of Robinson Crusoe and the Caribbean Pirates at the King’s Theatre in Edinburgh. The show did not disappoint… It was filled with topical references and outrageous comedy. Allan Stewart (as Robinson Crusoe’s mother) and Grant Stott (as Blackheart the Pirate) had the audience rolling in the aisles, and one of the highlights was when Stewart did his spot-on impression of ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ superstar Susan Boyle.

(Find out here what happened when the real Ms. Boyle came to the show a week later).

Just managed to get a copy of this picture taken at the Galerie Gmurzynska party in Miami. This is the moment when Sylvester Stallone discovers that the signed and ripped-up photo of Rambo in his hand is now restored and mismatched, like a David Smith sculpture. That’s his lovely wife Jennifer beside him in the black dress. Peter Stevens of the David Smith Estate is looking on in the left of the picture.

Photo by Joe Schildhorn of the Patrick McMullan Company.
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