Peter Reveen
Encyclopedia
Peter J. Reveen is a stage hypnotist
and illusionist who performs mainly in Canada
, and particularly Atlantic Canada
. Originally from Australia
, he first came to North America
in January 1961, landing in Honolulu, Hawaii
. From there, he took an unpleasant boat ride to San Francisco, California and purchased a Greyhound
Bus ticket to Vancouver
, British Columbia
. As both Canada
and Australia
are members of the British Commonwealth, Reveen was granted a six month visitor's visa on 16 March 1961.
Reveen began his career in the town of Chilliwack, BC, booking himself into local community halls and legions, calling himself Reveen, the Impossibilist. To promote his shows, Reveen offered complimentary tickets to all businesses willing to put a poster in their storefront window. In many towns, he also offered local radio stations a percentage of ticket sales in exchange for advertising.
In 1962, The Man They Call Reveen was given the opportunity to perform in a movie house and his career took off. He toured extensively through Canada and the United States for 35 years, eventually performing for over 6,000,000 people.
In September 2007, Reveen came out of retirement with a mini-tour of Atlantic Canada called The Return of Reveen.
Reveen is one of the founding members of the Magic Castle in Los Angeles
, California
and in 1987 wrote the book The Superconscious World. In 2000, he won the DRAGON Award, an annual award given to magicians who excel in Drama, Romance, Artistry, Glamour, Originality and Necromancy.
Reveen is currently married to Coral Reveen and has 4 sons (oldest to youngest): Wayne Reveen, Tyrone Reveen, Calvin Reveen, and Peter Reveen Jr. Peter Jr. is best known as the former guitar player in the now defunct American hard rock
band Salty Dog
.
Reveen is manager to Las Vegas
Illusionist Lance Burton
.
, such as the Lemon Jelly
track Nervous Tension, and Bonobo track Shadowtricks.
Trailer Park Boys
character Ricky is occasionally called "Reveen", much to Ricky's displeasure, due to their vague physical resemblance.
Reveen appears to be the basis for a Saturday Night Live
parody commercial about a hypnotist who gets audience members exiting the theatre to robotically drone "It was much better than CATS
, I would see it again and again." to a reporter.
In an episode of the Canadian sketch comedy program The Holmes Show
, there is a sketch featuring Roman Danylo
as a stage hypnotist named "Crevasse the Impossiblist". A crevasse is similar to a ravine, and is a pun on the name "Reveen".
During his May 2009 Late Show with David Letterman appearance, comedian Norm Macdonald revealed he went to one of Reveen's shows as a teenager.
Stage hypnosis
Stage hypnosis is hypnosis performed in front of an audience for the purposes of entertainment, usually in a theatre or club. Expert opinion is divided over whether participants' responses are best explained as being due to an altered state of consciousness or by a combination of deliberate...
and illusionist who performs mainly in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, and particularly Atlantic Canada
Atlantic Canada
Atlantic Canada is the region of Canada comprising the four provinces located on the Atlantic coast, excluding Quebec: the three Maritime provinces – New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia – and Newfoundland and Labrador...
. Originally from Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, he first came to North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
in January 1961, landing in Honolulu, Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. From there, he took an unpleasant boat ride to San Francisco, California and purchased a Greyhound
Greyhound
The Greyhound is a breed of sighthound that has been primarily bred for coursing game and racing, and the breed has also recently seen a resurgence in its popularity as a pedigree show dog and family pet. It is a gentle and intelligent breed...
Bus ticket to Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
. As both Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
are members of the British Commonwealth, Reveen was granted a six month visitor's visa on 16 March 1961.
Reveen began his career in the town of Chilliwack, BC, booking himself into local community halls and legions, calling himself Reveen, the Impossibilist. To promote his shows, Reveen offered complimentary tickets to all businesses willing to put a poster in their storefront window. In many towns, he also offered local radio stations a percentage of ticket sales in exchange for advertising.
In 1962, The Man They Call Reveen was given the opportunity to perform in a movie house and his career took off. He toured extensively through Canada and the United States for 35 years, eventually performing for over 6,000,000 people.
In September 2007, Reveen came out of retirement with a mini-tour of Atlantic Canada called The Return of Reveen.
Reveen is one of the founding members of the Magic Castle in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and in 1987 wrote the book The Superconscious World. In 2000, he won the DRAGON Award, an annual award given to magicians who excel in Drama, Romance, Artistry, Glamour, Originality and Necromancy.
Reveen is currently married to Coral Reveen and has 4 sons (oldest to youngest): Wayne Reveen, Tyrone Reveen, Calvin Reveen, and Peter Reveen Jr. Peter Jr. is best known as the former guitar player in the now defunct American hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
band Salty Dog
Salty Dog (Band)
Salty Dog was a hard-rock band formed in late 1986 in Los Angeles by Jimmi Bleacher, Scott Lane, Michael Hannon and Khurt Maier. The band released its first and only major-label record in 1990, titled "Every Dog Has Its Day," composed of all original songs except for a cover of Willie Dixon's...
.
Reveen is manager to Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
Illusionist Lance Burton
Lance Burton
Lance Burton is a stage illusionist. He has appeared on numerous television programs, and also performed for Queen Elizabeth and President Ronald Reagan...
.
Cultural references
Samples from his self-hypnosis LPs, including Relax with Reveen, Study and Concentrate with Reveen, and Stop Smoking...Stop Overeating with Reveen, feature on some modern Electronic musicElectronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
, such as the Lemon Jelly
Lemon Jelly
Lemon Jelly is a British electronic music duo from London, formed in 1998. Since their inception, the band's line-up has included Fred Deakin and Nick Franglen. Lemon Jelly has been nominated for the Mercury Music Prize and BRIT Awards....
track Nervous Tension, and Bonobo track Shadowtricks.
Trailer Park Boys
Trailer Park Boys
Trailer Park Boys is a Canadian comedy mockumentary television series created and directed by Mike Clattenburg that focuses on the misadventures of a group of trailer park residents, some of whom are ex-convicts, living in the fictional Sunnyvale Trailer Park in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. The...
character Ricky is occasionally called "Reveen", much to Ricky's displeasure, due to their vague physical resemblance.
Reveen appears to be the basis for a Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
parody commercial about a hypnotist who gets audience members exiting the theatre to robotically drone "It was much better than CATS
Cats (musical)
Cats is a musical composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot...
, I would see it again and again." to a reporter.
In an episode of the Canadian sketch comedy program The Holmes Show
The Holmes Show
The Holmes Show is a Canadian sketch comedy television series that premiered on CTV on September 24, 2002. The 22 episode series stars Jessica Holmes, Roman Danylo and Kurt Smeaton. Filming took place at the CTV studios in June and August 2002. Each scene was shot twice with the second scene...
, there is a sketch featuring Roman Danylo
Roman Danylo
Roman Danylo is a Canadian comedian, improviser and actor based out of Vancouver, British Columbia. He currently stars in the CTV television network show Comedy Inc.-Career:...
as a stage hypnotist named "Crevasse the Impossiblist". A crevasse is similar to a ravine, and is a pun on the name "Reveen".
During his May 2009 Late Show with David Letterman appearance, comedian Norm Macdonald revealed he went to one of Reveen's shows as a teenager.
External links
- http://www.reveen.com
- http://www.unb.ca/web/bruns/9900/issue9/entertainment/raveen.html
- http://www.robertlamar.ca/Reveen.htm
- http://arcmusic.wordpress.com/2007/08/07/don%e2%80%99t-mind-me%e2%80%a6/
- http://blog.wfmu.org/freeform/2007/08/you-are-going-t.html
- Reveen & Sons comics