Remembering those who have passed this year. Through your passion and
spirit you have helped shape the magic community in Canada and around the
world. Thank you.
We recently reported our random thoughts about "Champions of Magic -- Holiday Spectacular" in Toronto. Frances Morgan, whose official role in the production is "Magic and
Props Assistant," kindly agreed to do an interview with us.
Based in Spokane, Frances:
performed as a Magician’s Assistant at Silverwood Theme Park in 2022 Read more (click to show | hide)At the theme park we did grand scale illusions as well as a few smaller
illusions and routines. My favorite was our opening act that the
magician and I created together (about a week before opening day!) I got
hired quite unexpectedly, and had to jump in quickly. I was hired at the
end of May and the full season started the first week in June. Before
that, I had never been involved in a magic show in any capacity. So it
was quite the adventure having to learn everything in such a short
amount of time. That lasted a season before I moved on to starting my
own show and forming my company, Inland Northwest Magic [INWmagic.com].
debuted her first show as a magician in 2023,
won First Place in the Spokane Magic Club's Close-Up competition, Read more (click to show | hide)
For my first local competition, I did some simple card routines, but
what I have always stood behind is even the most simple magic can be
amazing with the right presentation. I had music playing in the background, chose my setup carefully and rehearsed until the last moment
to make sure it was ready. It was my first competition and I had just
debuted my first solo show a few weeks prior, so that October was a fun
and busy month! Some of the card moves in the routine I performed were taught to me by the magicians I met through the magic club
and competed in the 2024 IBM Stage Competition.
Read more (click to show | hide)At the annual IBM International Championship, I competed in the
Stage Magic category. I had just joined the IBM as I had been
elected Vice President of my local magic club and needed to join
the IBM in order to do so. When I joined, I saw they had a convention
coming a few hours away from me in Washington and knew I had
to go. Magic conventions rarely, if ever, come to Washington
or Idaho so I took hold of the opportunity and it was one of the best
decisions I have ever made. When I joined, I saw they also
had a competition and figured I had nothing to lose so I sent
in a video on the last day available for submissions. I had only been
performing as a magician for a short while, so I looked at
the show I had, took the routines I got the best reactions
from and created a new sequence to make a roughly 8 minute routine. I
went to a local park with my friend, we filmed it, went to a
restaurant and uploaded it.
I never actually expected
to hear anything back, but about a month later, I saw an email in
my inbox from IBM. The headline was simple “I.B.M. Contest”;
the opening, polite “Thank you for sending your submission
for the 2024 Tacoma I.B.M. Convention Competition.” Reading this,
I fully expected it to be a polite ‘thanks but try again
later’ kind of email, but to my surprise I read and re-read
and for good measure read again the next line. “Congratulations, we are
pleased to inform you that you have earned a spot in the
finals of the Gold Medal Competition and will appear on the
International Stage Championship”. I began to jump and run around the
house in complete shock and happiness. That competition was
my turning point as a magician.
Competing at IBM, I
truly felt like I was a magician. This was not just friends and family,
this was a panel of judges who looked at my performance and
said ‘yes, she can compete at this convention’. It
truly is and was an honor to be there.
I did a linking ring
routine (which I started to perform at the request of my mom who has
always loved the linking rings and which has since become a
staple in my shows), a dream bag production, where I make
flower boxes appeared; and a torn and transformed paper to
kabuki effect.
What is your first memory of magic?
When I was about 3 I went to a theme park and there, I experienced my first
magic show. My favorite routine was when the magician made a table
float on stage and to my astonishment, proceeded to walk down the
stairs into the audience with the table! Ever since then, the
floating table has been one of my favorite illusions to perform.
When I went to my first magic convention, I had the honor to meet
the builder of the illusion, and have been performing it ever
since.
What genre of magic has your focus currently?
Everything! Different circumstances allow for different magic. My love of
magic stems from my love of connecting people and bringing stories
to life. I am working on a Valentine's theme show using both stage
and close-up magic. The theme is a love letter to magic and wonder, and
will be performed in a movie [theatre] that was first owned by a
magician. I have the honor of being the first magician to perform magic there
since him in the past 50 years! A show that gets to play with a history
like that is such a thrill and an honor.
I love the theatrics
of stage magic and helping the audience get lost in the wonder and story
of it. Theatre is my first love, having grown up performing since I
was about 3 years old. Close-up magic is a new adventure and for
me, the appeal lies in connecting with the audience in an up close
manner. Having magic happen in your hands as an audience member is one of the
most amazing things you can experience. I also love doing
walk-around magic for events. I usually start with just conversing
with people. Many people have at least some small connection with magic,
and often I can utilize that when I perform magic for them. I get to have fun
weaving their stories into the magic to create something personal
for them and unique for me.
Why did you want to become part of the Champions of Magic behind-the-scenes
family?
I saw Champions for the first time in 2022. It was my first time seeing a
magic show of that magnitude and I absolutely fell in love with it!
My favorite part was the ensemble aspect of it. Magic usually
features the solo magician but growing up in theatre, nearly every show I saw
had an ensemble of actors working together to build a story. The
ensemble aspect of Champions felt more natural and exciting to me.
One of my favorite parts of theatre is getting to play off the other
actors in a scene, and I got to see that same playful creativity with
Champions.
Magic has this amazing ability to bring the
audience into its space. Unlike other forms of theatre, magic
breaks the 4th wall and gets to incorporate the audience unlike anything else.
Magic has all the wonderful qualities that I love about theatre and
then some. It is more spontaneous and can connect with an audience
in a unique way; Champions shows that in a wonderful and grand display.
What are your roles on this tour?
I get to do a little bit of everything! My official title is Magic and Props
Assistant. I work primarily with the props team and between the
three of us we take care of over 200 props in the show, from sunglasses to a
sparkly, metal moon. We build, repair, improve, set, strike and pack all the
props every new show day. I also get the chance to be onstage as an Assistant
for a few of the acts. For one routine, I get to wear the dress I wore as an
Assistant in the theme park, so a fun personal call back, and I also wear a
necklace of a snowflake that my family gave me for Christmas a few years ago.
For me, it is a way to bridge my past experiences with this new
chapter.
What surprised you most about touring with this ensemble of magicians?
This is my first tour and I have an immense amount of respect for the stamina
of this group! Especially the crew and the producer. Every person
works incredibly hard and will jump in to help when needed. If one
of us is sick or injured, or simply let something slip in the rush of
the moment, we all try to pull together to help one another and
give the best experience possible to the audience, while supporting
each other as a team.
Tell us about a highlight from this tour.
One highlight was at one of the shows, we invited a kid onstage and he had
the best time! I got to interact with him and his mom off stage
and his whole face lit up at being a part of the show. Getting to
inspire people of all ages is just spectacular!
What compelling reasons are there to come see "Champions of Magic:
Holiday Spectacular"?
Theatre is magic when seen live, and a live magic show is theatre on another
level. This show has something for everyone of all ages. One of
my favorite aspects is the different genres that come into
play.
Some examples: we have a callback to old Hollywood detective mysteries, a
sit-com holiday party, and a tribute to grand scale Las Vegas magic
shows. We also get to bring a few people up on stage to
witness the magic up close!
Is there anything else you’d like to share with the readers of Canada’s
Magic?
Happiness is magic. Keep sharing the magic. Join the email
list of Champions of Magic and come follow along on
the adventure!
Thank you Frances, for making the time to answer our questions and congratulations on your recent achievements!
Learn more about Frances at her website INWmagic.com and sign-up to her
email list.
At 14, you became one of the youngest performers to execute Houdini’s suspended straitjacket escape. What do you remember most vividly from that moment?
The straitjacket escape was my first career “child.” It was something I decided I wanted to do when I was around 13 years old. Not one person in the industry wanted to help. I was encouraged to stay “young and cute” and focus on smaller things – but it didn’t matter.
This was one of the first times in my life that I learned to put blinders on and not care about the background noise. It taught me that success comes from a balance of caring deeply and not caring at all.
Written and performed by Carisa HendrixCo-staring Miranda Allen and Richard Lee Special thanks to Jim Millan Dedicated to the memory of Martin Gardner Custom Music by Esin Aydingoz & Adam Traister
As performed by by Bernard & Elizabeth at the December 13, 2024 Magic Circle
of Saint John Christmas party.
Reprinted with permission.
Magical Bells (To the tune of “Jingle Bells”)
🎵 Chorus: Magic spells, magic spells, tricks are on display, Oh,
what fun it is to cast illusions all the way, hey! Magic spells, magic
spells, rabbits jump away, Abracadabra! Cards appear, the crowd shouts
out, “Hooray!” 🎵
Verse 1: Dashing through the stage, With
wands held high in hand, Conjuring amaze, A show that’s truly
grand! Top hats full of cheer, With scarves that never end, The
crowd is full of wonder here, And laughter we will send!
🎵
Chorus
Verse 2: Pulling coins from air, And flowers
from a hat, Rings that float and fly, Imagine all of that! The
deck begins to move, Your card is guessed just right, A little
wave, a little smile, And magic fills the night!
Read the October 20th article "The Professor and His Student" by Shawn McMaster at Genii. (Excerpt available for free, full article for Genii subscribers.)
This concludes the 2025 Inspirational Canadian Magician Showcase
(ICMS)!
We hope you enjoyed reading about many of the talented magicians across the
country. Thank you for joining us on the journey.
A huge
shout out to everyone who submitted names and supporting text to us last
month. Thank you for generously making the time to celebrate your peers!
Thank you for the thought and time involved in sending us your
submissions.
Congratulations again to everyone featured. Keep up the
great work!
Be sure to click on the links below to find out what makes each magician
inspirational in their own right. The story isn't just about
who was selected. Of equal, or perhaps greater importance, is
why they were selected!
Looking forward sharing my exclusive working routines from my four-year
residency at the Casa Monica Resort & Spa at this lecture on Wednesday
January 7th. Call The Magic Apple (818) 508-9921 to reserve.
To celebrate the New Year, in collaboration with le Club de magie de Montréal,
we're hosting a gathering that includes a number of mini-lectures from special
guests AND great company. Speakers include Rico Weeland from the Netherlands,
our very own Slim Card, and many more. Read more and buy tickets.
Winnipeg! It’s finally happening. I’m coming home for one epic night: October
24th, 2026 at the Centennial Concert Hall and I’m bringing out all the
bells and whistles for this one!
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!