From the July 22nd Instagram post at CAM:
The 91st Annual Pacific Coast Association of Magicians convention is happening Nov 7-10 2024 in Victoria BC
https://pcammagic.com/2024-convention-2/
26 July 2024
Victoria: Save the date for PCAM #91 [Nov 7 - 10]
25 July 2024
Penticton: Ty Reveen at Peach Fest [Aug 8 - 11]
For more information visit
Peach Fest.
From The March 30th Facebook post by the Penticton Peach Festival:
✨ Get ready to be mesmerized! Reveen The Legend Continues is bringing mind-bending hypnosis to our festival lineup Don't miss out on the mind-bending fun!đThank you to presenting sponsor RPR Heating and Air Conditioning for helping us bring the amazing Reveen to our stage!
24 July 2024
Festival de magie de Québec [Sep 19 - 22]
Talent listed at Festival de Magie includes:
- Luc Langevin
- Philippe Beau
- Alex Boyer
- Alexandra Duvivier
- Markobi
- Topas
- Jimmy Cao
- Jules Caron
- Marc Chabot
- Jean Deshaies
- Jean-Pierre Du Sault
- Fredo
- Mephisto
- Emmanuel Savoie
- Nicolas Tardif
- Philippe Thériault
23 July 2024
Random thoughts about Graemazing Level 7 Wizard at the Hamilton Fringe
Graemazing Level 7 Wizard is playing at the Hamilton Fringe daily until July 28th.
Based on our previous travel experience to Niagara Falls, KOP and I again added an hour to the Google projected travel time, with the hopes we could wander around Hamilton prior to the show. The traffic gods, however, had other plans. Luckily, we arrived with plenty of time to find parking, a rest room, and get checked in at a leisurely pace.
- This was our first time at the Hamilton Fringe!
-
Graeme's show is at the Elaine Mae Theatre adjacent to
The Staircase. (Check their website for instructions on where to find alternate
parking if their lot is full.)
- The Elaine Mae Theatre is a cozy theatre space which comfortably seats approximately 40 people.
- The venue has air conditioning.
- There is a flight of stairs up to the venue. Contact the theatre directly to see if they offer accommodations.
-
If you require a rest room, they will send you over to The Staircase.
(Which has a good number of stairs to get from the sidewalk to the main
floor.)
- Each Fringe attendee is required to purchase (and wear) $4 Hamilton Fringe button. (We confused the volunteer staff outside the venue by trying to pay for the button with cash. We apparently broke some generally known (except to us) norm. We're still not sure what payment methods they prefer, as eventually they let us trade our sheet of plastic and our coins for two buttons.)
-
Fringe volunteers also have tip buckets and Fringe fund raising buckets,
into which they request you donate cash in support of the Fringe. (So
apparently cash isn't taboo for everything.)
- All ticket sale proceeds go to the performers.
On with the show...
- The performance space is intimate, capable of seating approximately 40 people.
- It is general admission seating. If sitting at the front is important to you, arrive early.
-
Unless you are short and there's a tall person sitting in front of you,
there are no bad seats in the house. (The seating is NOT
raked. All the chairs are on the same level. The stage is
raised.)
- The show is highly interactive. There were more than a dozen volunteers and a segment which required the whole audience to participate.
- Only a handful of the volunteers were required to get on stage.
-
Volunteers were treated with dignity and respect.
-
While not crafted as a "children's magic show," the (guardian
accompanied) children in the audience were very engrossed and
entertained!
- The show is targeted as "Parental Guidance (ages 13+)." We feel this has less to do with the content of the show and more to do with young children's abilities to follow instructions and to sit still for the duration of the show (approximately one hour).
- Graeme could have very easily created an entertaining show, performing his selection of magical effects as documented (and performed by countless other magicians).
- With a delightful impact, however, he highly personalizes his conjuring, adding to the entertainment value of each of the sequences by making them unique to his "Graemazing Level 7 Wizard" persona.
- The description for the show "Graemazing is a Level 7 Wizard with a black belt in card magic and a starfish badge in mind reading, totally real" tells you upfront that the show isn't going to take itself overly seriously!
- If you're looking for a show that invokes super heroes, comic books, trading cards, breakfast cereals, John Cena, and movies from the 90s, look no further!
- BONUS POINTS for a wonderful shout out to The Browser's Den of Magic.
-
There were many very strong, almost visceral, audience reactions to his
well-crafted performance.
- Graeme's improvisation expertise, combined with his re-imagining of classic effects, elevates his more than capable wizardry, and creates an engaging show unique to every audience!
The experience was unquestionably, Graemazing!
Disclosure: KOP and I were guests at this show. The opinions expressed above are entirely our own. We did not receive compensation for the writing or the publishing of this article.
22 July 2024
Julie Eng, Executive Director of Genii
Congratulations Julie! Looking forward to seeing what you have up your
sleeve!
From the July 20th Facebook post by Julie Eng:
Friends: Some exciting news to share!
After twenty years of working with Magicana, I will be leaving my role as executive director at the end of July. It’s been an incredible tenure: I’ve met so many fascinating characters; I’ve worked with devoted and passionate people; I’ve been privileged to be part of extraordinary projects. I am also very proud of the body of work that has become part of Magicana’s legacy. It has been an honour to work with such a visionary and unique charity driven by the mandate of elevating our art—and a charity that has been led by an exceptional board of directors and artistic director David Ben. We were a lean team, but we got things done!
But I’m not going far! I’m staying firmly within the magic world, joining Genii Enterprises as its new executive director! The owners of Genii—Randy and Kristy Pitchford—have set forth a new and exciting vision to expand the Genii universe, and it will be my job to steer Genii to that new direction. There are so many new and exciting areas opening up, and I’ll be sharing more and more as we move toward 2025.
So, for now, that is what’s happening. It’s a lot. But it is so exciting to see this organic development unfold! Lots more to share! Soon!
Details about changes at Magicana can be found on the Sharing Wonder blog:
https://www.magicana.com/news/blog/remembering-future
From the July 20th post "Remembering the Future" by David Ben at Magicana:
I’ll start with a big one: On July 31, Julie Eng will be moving on from Magicana to take on a new role as the Executive Director of Genii. Given Randy and Kristy Pitchford’s vision and philanthropic nature, and Julie’s indefatigable energy and creative flair, I predict that wonders will never cease. Everyone involved with Magicana, and I in particular, are very proud of Julie. She has been part of Magicana since 2004; we are delighted to see her take on this new and exciting role as she continues her journey in magic.
Although I do not know exactly what they have up their sleeves, I do know one or two things. The primary one from our perspective is that Magicana will be migrating, among other things, its online content—including The Screening Room and all the current online exhibitions—to Genii! This will take some time, and Magicana’s site will remain as is until the migration is completed. All of the resources that you have come to love and explore will remain available not just in the present, but also in the future.
Shawn Farquhar on the cover of Genii
From the July 20th Facebook post by Shawn Farquhar:
A childhood dream came true today.
Thank you to the amazing team at Genii Magazine, and especially to Dustin Stinett, Elizabeth Kaufman, Peggy Donmoyer, and Richard Kaufman.
19 July 2024
18 July 2024
Lindsay: Lucy Darling, the Mistress of Magic [Jul 18]
From the July 17th Facebook post by Carisa Hendrix:
Come join me! Lucy Darling, the Mistress of Magic this Thursday July 18th at 7:30pm at the Flato Academy Theatre in Lindsay Ontario! @lindsayacademytheatre Always delighted to be back in #canada #ontario #lindsey #flato #lucydarling #magic #drag
17 July 2024
Random thoughts about Piff the Magic Dragon in Niagara Falls
Catch Piff the Magic Dragon in Calgary Aug 8th & 9th. Tickets at The Laugh Shop.
We're playing a little bit of catch-up at the blog. These random
thoughts are from the show we saw on Mother's Day weekend. (Is there a
better way to celebrate Mother's Day than going to see a magic dragon?)
Based on our previous travel experience to Niagara Falls, after consulting Google we added an hour to the longest estimated time in an attempt to get us to the theatre by 3pm. Surely leaving at noon would give us a chance to wander around and take in The Falls prior to the show!
Wouldn't you know there were phantom traffic jams aplenty. KOP and I rolled into town at 2:40pm, scrambled for parking, and made our way to the theatre. Sadly there was no time to see The Falls.
Thankfully, we made it to the Avalon Theatre (at Fallsview Casino Resort) with a few minutes to spare!
- This was our first experience at this venue.
- The box office staff and lobby staff were super friendly and helpful!
- It's a nice sized theatre with a capacity of about 1500.
-
The theatre website states "You are never more than 100 feet away [30.48 m]
from an amazing performance by your favourite artist."
On with the show...
- The show is highly interactive. (There were at least a dozen volunteers in addition to a whole audience game of HoT with a kicker ending!)
- Francis is a squire of many talents! Including (but not limited to) playing the tin whistle, videography, rapping, dancing, and urm, choreography.
-
Jade is just as charming and wonderful as you'd expect from listening to her
on
The Piff Pod
back in the day, or seeing her on Piff's television appearances.
- We loved that Jade spent some time in the audience chatting up the littles while the adults were being told the rules for the HoT experience.
-
As expected, Mr. Piffles was an absolute crowd favourite! He is a very
accommodating and adorable magic dog.
- As a companion to the expertly executed comedy magic, there was a significant amount of legit stand-up comedy. Delivered in a way that only Piff can! (As with a regular stand-up comedy show, don't sit up front if you don't want to be part of the show!)
- There was much amazement in the audience. And laughter. So much laughter!
- For us, the piÚce de résistance was the sandwich effect Piff showcased on the 2024 AGT Fantasy League. Complete with a callback to audience volunteer Princess Kat from earlier in the show.
- In the stage show, Piff explained how certain AGT edits detracted from the entertainment value of the routine.
-
He was right. The effect was super strong live, in person, and
without edits!
-
After the show there was a Meet and Greet in the lobby with Jade, Mr.
Piffles, and the magic dragon himself, Piff. They were very friendly, signed
autographs, and didn't rush. (We were the last in line from our show,
and even though we knew we were the last thing standing in the way from them being
able to change / eat / relax, they were very friendly and sociable!)
Definitely the funniest and most magical dragon you'll ever see!
Catch Piff the Magic Dragon in Calgary Aug 8th & 9th. Tickets at The Laugh Shop.
When he's not on tour, you can see Piff in
Las Vegas at the Flamingo!
Disclosure: KOP and I were guests at this show. The opinions expressed above are entirely our own. We did not receive compensation for the writing or the publishing of this article.
16 July 2024
Niagara Falls: Ryan David (Joyce) at the Greg Frewin Theatre
Select dates in July and August.
From the July 4th Instagram post by the Greg Frewin Theatre:
đ Get ready for a side-splitting, mind-blowing night! đ Join us at the Greg Frewin Theatrical Centre for "RYAN DAVID - HILARIOUSLY HYPNOTIC" – a brand new late-night show! đ€Ł✨
Watch as willing audience members become hilarious superstars, all thanks to the mesmerizing power of hypnosis! đ Having toured the world, stage hypnotist Ryan David @ryanjoycemagic brings a unique blend of hypnosis and humor that will leave you breathless with laughter. đ
If you're ready for a night where anything is possible (and unbelievably funny!), this is the show you won't want to miss! đ« Book online at gregfrewintheatre.com or call our Box Office at 905-356-0777.
15 July 2024
Hamilton: Nick Wallace's Spookshow [Jul 18 - 26]
From the July 4th Instagram post by Nick Wallace:
It was a busy morning over at @chch_morninglive promoting the new show. Big thanks to @emilykvukovic for the hospitality. And an extra special thanks to the extra special backstage support. SPOOKSHOW runs at @thestaircase July 18-26th đđ°
12 July 2024
#BrowsersBash 2024 social media
Saturday is the "Browser's Bash,"
an all day convention hosted by the
Browser's Den of Magic!
As with Bash V, and technology willing, we will be live-reporting the event. Apologies in advance for clogging your feeds. This
year the primary platform will be Facebook. To follow our Facebook feed,
you can
use the web
or use the Facebook widget further down in this post. We also
plan to update our
Instagram stories
as time permits!
If you're at the event and using social media, we encourage you to add the
hashtag "#BrowsersBash" to your posts. From a web browser you can have a look at this link, at all
Facebook posts containing #BrowsersBash.
We look forward to seeing many of you on Saturday!
Follow the Canada's Magic Facebook feed:
11 July 2024
Thank you to our personal sponsors for July 2024!
A quick reminder of our earlier Mail as Medicine request for Katie Hunt. If you have the time, Katie and Doug would both benefit from hearing from their friends!
--
Thank you to John Harrison, Richard Lyn, Joan Caesar, Ian Crawford, Matt DiSero, Doug Hunt, John Smithman, Robin Dawes, Loran, Peter Mennie, George Blott, Noah Nogueira, Aaron Matthews, Cam Dix, Ian Batterbury, and Eric Bedard for being Friends of Canada's Magic!
It's good to have friends like you.
You too can Be Our Friend for only $20 per year!
Donations of any size are always welcome.
or
10 July 2024
Waterloo: Balloon Twister Train [Jul 11]
From the July 3rd Instagram post by JP Magic:
đ©✨ Join us on July 11 for a magical experience with JP Magic aboard the train! đđ
Watch in awe as @jpmagic dazzles with incredible balloon twisting, creating amazing shapes and characters right before your eyes!
Kids will even have a chance to get a free twisted balloon! Perfect for families and kids of all ages, this unique event combines the nostalgia of a heritage train ride with the wonder of live magic. Don't miss this enchanting journey—reserve your July 11, 12pm seats now and get ready for an unforgettable adventure!
đ waterloocentral.ca (link in bio)
>
09 July 2024
08 July 2024
[Guest post] Peculiar Curt Spotted Busking in Vancouver
The following is a guest post from an author who wishes to be known as The Magic Demon.
--
SPOTLIGHT ON UP & COMING TALENT
Peculiar Curt Spotted Busking in Vancouver This Summer
Exclusive to Canada’s Magic
One of the friendliest magicians busking this summer in Vancouver calls himself Peculiar Curt.
But Curt isn’t really all that peculiar at all.
He’s a fine magician, musician, teacher and family man who’s spending more and more time out and about again this summer busking in Vancouver.
Curt does low-key fun routines with regular cards, coins and (especially for the kids) an original specialty utilizing Pokeman cards.
Curt told this reporter the invaluable experience he’s gaining by expanding his busking chops again this summer should greatly enhance his magic repertoire which already includes performances at kids’ parties and all kinds of social events.
So far this summer Curt has been spotted busking near or around the always popular Science World on False Creek.
If you ever should see him, go up and say hi to one of the nicest magicians you will ever meet. Enjoy Curt’s set and, hey, share the wealth if you can.
For more information, check Curt’s website: www.peculiarcurt.ca
— The Magic Demon (with thanks to S & D who met Curt first!)
Thank you The Magic Demon for guest posting at Canada's Magic!
05 July 2024
Thank you to our July 2024 sponsors!
Thank you to our sponsors for their generous support.
This site would not be possible without their backing.
We're grateful to have the support of:
- Clive Court - Life Member, Canadian Public Relations Society,
- Jeff Pinsky, owner of The Browser's Den of Magic,
- Michael Close, author of the new Paradigm Shift ebooks, the Workers series and others,
- Toronto's IBM Ring 17, the Sid Lorraine Hat & Rabbit Club, and
- The Hermit Magazine by Scott Baird!
The next time you see them, let them know you saw their sponsorship here!
For more information about purchasing Sponsored Posts or about our Platinum, Gold, or Silver level sponsorships, please visit our Sponsorship page.
Or you can Be Our Friend for only $20 per year!
Donations of any size are always welcome.
Or you can Be Our Friend for only $20 per year!
Donations of any size are always welcome.
or
04 July 2024
Saskatoon: Double Vision at the Saskatoon Ex [Aug 6 - 11]
From the July 3rd Facebook post by Double Vision:
Excited to announce we will be at Saskatoon EX this year. Shows at 4:30, 6:30pm, 8:30pm daily - Ruth Street Stage. Hope to see you all there. Aug 6-11.
03 July 2024
ICYMI: Eric Leclerc is Faces Magazine's 2024 Comedian of the Year
Congratulations Eric!
From the June 17th Instagram post by Eric Leclerc:
This baby just came in the mail!!! I feel honoured and appreciative to have won Faces Magazine’s comedian of the year 2024. As magicians, we always get a bad rap from comedians because of our use of props on stage. I always thought it was such a silly metric to judge one’s level of funniness. A laugh is a laugh is it not? Well who’s laughing now?! đ Thanks to everyone who voted and has come to see my comedy magic show SMOKUS POCUS in the last 2 years. It’s because of you. Merci! đŽ
02 July 2024
Toronto: 'Magic Show & Tell' at Browser's Den
From the Browser's Den of Magic:
Magic Show & Tell at Browser's Den
FREE EVENTS COMING UP!
SAVE THE DATES!
Saturday, July 20, 2pm to 3:30pm - David Barrett
Saturday, August 10, 2pm to 3:30pm - James Alan
Saturday, August 31, 2pm to 3:30pm - Andrew Woo
Saturday, September 14, 2pm to 3:30pm - Dr. Sammy
Saturday, October 5, 2pm to 3:30pm - Ryan Murray
Saturday, October 26, 2pm to 3:30pm - David Peck
01 July 2024
Winnipeg: Magic at the Fringe with Brian Archer and Greg Wood
From the June 25th Facebook post by Mindshocker Entertainment:
Excited for my new Fringe show starting July 17th. Advance tickets are on sale now at www.winnipegfringe.com or by visiting my website directly at www.mindshocker.ca
Prepare to be #mindshocked.
From the June 25th Facebook post by Greg Wood:
https://comedyillusions.com/fringe/
30 June 2024
Broken wand: John Buitendyk (Arkello the Magician)
Our sincere condolences to John's wife Johanna, his family, and his friends at this difficult
time.
From the Wall-Custance Funeral Home:
Buitendyk, Johannes (John)
With many interests, his longest and deepest interest was magic. For many years, as a side hobby, John performed as “Arkello” the Magician, for kids birthday parties, Corporate family events, at Magic conventions, and as a Guelph Shriner in his earlier years he performed magic and as a clown making balloon animals. John was a longstanding member of the International Brotherhood of Magicians for over 40 years, and as a member of the Guelph Masonic Lodge and the Kitchener and Hamilton Magic Clubs.
Thank you to the support and efforts of Dr. Madani, Dr. Glick, Dr. Molckovsky and all the support staff and nurses at Grand River Cancer Center, St. Mary’s and Guelph General Hospitals.
Forever in our hearts, he will be dearly missed.
Cremation has taken place, with a memorial service being held on Friday, July 26, 2024
29 June 2024
Top 5 posts in June 2024
There were 16 posts at Canada's Magic this
month. Here are the five most viewed posts in the past 30
days:
5. Browser's Bash: Getting to know Ben Train - What questions will you ask Ben when you see him at the Bash?
4. Broken wand: David Johnson - Our sincere condolences to David's family and friends.
3. CAM Members: Save on performer's liability insurance - Great deal for members of CAM!
2. Browser's Bash: Getting to know Jeff Hinchliffe - Looking forward to this year's Bash!
and the most viewed posts this month ...
1. Canada's Got Talent: Getting to know Mark Lewis - Mark got a nice mention in the June Genii!
ICYMI: David Ben awarded Order of Canada
From the June 27th article "Appointment to the Order of Canada -- David Ben" at Magicana:
Congratulations to Magicana’s founder and artistic director, David Ben, on his appointment to the Order of Canada!
The Order of Canada recognizes individuals—trailblazers—who have enriched the lives of others; who have made a difference to Canada.
David Ben is one of those special individuals.
David is a unique individual who has made significant and lasting contributions to the Canadian arts community, specifically in performance art. As a leading figure in the world of magic, David Ben has spent forty-five years exploring, developing, performing, preserving and sharing magic—its repertoire, technique and history—across Canada, and internationally.
28 June 2024
ON & QC: Aaron Matthews, Dogs Do Magic, and the Canine Circus [Jul]
From the June 21st Instagram post by Aaron Matthews:
It’s my favorite time of the year, Summer is here☀️đ
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