2016 Merlin Award – Best Sleight of Hand Artist
On March 7th, I received the Merlin Award for Best Sleight of Hand Artist for 2016.
The award was presented during the Murray: Celebrity Magician’s show at 4pm inside the Sin City Theater on the mezzanine level of Planet Hollywood. The president of the International Magicians Society, Tony Hassini, presented the award.
The Merlin Award is to magic what the Oscar is to the movies, what the Emmy is for television, and what the Tony is for theater. Some of the past winners of the Merlin Award are David Copperfield, Siegfried & Roy and Penn & Teller.
The Merlin Award is presented to those magicians who have achieved the highest level in their craft, both on the national and international stage. The criteria that the voting members consider are talent, showmanship, originality, skills, and above all the rare ability to entertain under any conditions.
The International Magicians Society (IMS) is the world’s largest magic society as recorded in the Guinness Book or World Records.
This award for Best Sleight of Hand Artist 2016, is special to me as it acknowledges me on stage in the spotlight, doing what I love to do. Having done magic since I was 4 years old, this award shows that hard work, dedication and still practicing everyday, will be rewarded by your peers.
“For the past 5 years I have been very fortunate to be the featured guest act in the MURRAY: Celebrity Magician show. Not only have I been able to showcase my manipulation skill and pure sleight of hand with the audience, but Murray has helped me craft and hone my Lefty character, really making it into a known brand in the Las Vegas entertainment community. For all Murray has done for my career on stage in Las Vegas, I am very thankful.”
Links to articles:
http://www.vegasnews.com/146601/douglas-lefty-leferovich-gets-world-champion-magician-award-for-manipulation-from-international-magicians-society.html
http://news.vegasreportnewswire.com/2016/03/11/lefty-magic/
Douglas has worked on many shows up and down the Las Vegas strip. He has worn many different hats, from being a creative director, lighting designer, set designer, and production / technical director having worked with Wayne Newton, Frank Marino, Human Nature, and Recycled Percussion to name a few.