News from Mark Mitton

I am working as a magic consultant on Cirque du Soleil’s new ‘Vaudeville‘ show. I can’t say too much about it yet - don’t want to spill the beans! - but it is being directed by my friend David Shiner, and will open in a theater in Chicago in the fall, before moving into the Beacon Theater in New York. David directed the very successful show ‘Kooza‘, which is currently touring the US. I have been to Montreal for rehearsals a couple of times, and the new show is starting to look good. It has been a lot of fun to be so closely involved in the production process, working with Cirque’s prop builders, costume designers, etc.

Last night, Susanna and I, together with Nils Norén - Vice President of Culinary Arts at the French Culinary Institute - put on a benefit to raise  money for our friends at the Philoctetes Center. It was a fantastic event! We started off with a tour behind the scenes at the institute, allowing guests to see what goes on in the kitchens and the classrooms. Then Nils and Dave Arnold - the Director of Culinary Technology - demonstrated some high-tech cooking techniques, with hilarious commentary from olfactory neuroscientist Stuart Firestein. Guests were then served a delicious dinner cooked and served by students, and then we sat down for a panel discussion about taste and art with chef Alexandra Guarnaschelli of Butter, artist Philip Pearlstein, and nightlife impresario Serge Becker. Not only was it a fun and tasty evening, it was also a very successful fundraiser, and we were delighted to have raised a significant sum for the Philoctetes Center.