Read our interview, Canada's Got Talent: Getting to know Ben Kahan.
From the April 6th upload "Magician Ben Kahan Blows Our Mind With Crazy Technology" at the
Canada's Got Talent YouTube channel:
Showing posts with label ~Canada's Got Talent. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ~Canada's Got Talent. Show all posts
09 April 2025
ICYMI: Ben Kahan's Canada's Got Talent audition
07 April 2025
Canada's Got Talent: Getting to know Ben Kahan
On March 4th we shared with you
that this season of
Canada's Got Talent
has quite a few Canadian magic acts.
Next in our series of short interviews with some
of the magical acts is Ben Kahan!
We're very pleased that Ben made time to answer our questions ahead of his appearance on the April 8th episode of Canada's Got Talent!
Who inspires you that is not a magician?
I love when artists do something completely new, and I'm also a film fan, so I have to say Charlie Kaufman. He's a brilliant writer who knows when to exposit and when to let visuals do the talking, which is the hallmark of a great storyteller. His movies are always offbeat and often unfold in unexpected, passionate ways. As artists, we can learn a lot by studying how he builds his stories.
I love when artists do something completely new, and I'm also a film fan, so I have to say Charlie Kaufman. He's a brilliant writer who knows when to exposit and when to let visuals do the talking, which is the hallmark of a great storyteller. His movies are always offbeat and often unfold in unexpected, passionate ways. As artists, we can learn a lot by studying how he builds his stories.
What is your first memory of magic?
I grew up in the UK at a time when David Blaine was hitting TV and making magic "cool." For a few years, magic sets were a common present for young boys (like me). Unlike my other friends, I just never grew out of it. My first memory was receiving a Marvin's Magic set, which had one of my all-time favourite effects, the Dynamic Coins. Seeing those coins appear and disappear for the first time felt like witnessing real magic.
Who from the magic community inspires you?
Mentalist Derren Brown was a huge influence on me growing up. His approach and presentation are timeless. He not only develops head-scratching effects that stump other magicians, but he also performs in a way that's completely accessible to lay audiences - often hiding his methods behind psychology and hypnosis. It's a fantastic example of how to make magic approachable and impactful, while totally misdirecting your audience about your methods.
Was there anyone or anything instrumental to you becoming a magician?
Another magician introduced me to The Young Magician's Club, which is the youth initiative of London's Magic Circle. At their famous headquarters, I spent one Sunday each month surrounded by other talented young performers. We were mentored by some of the greats in British magic and learned from workshops and seminars led by Ali Bongo, Paul Daniels, David and Marvin Berglas, and Fay Presto, and many others. It was inspiring and opened my eyes to the entire magic world.
Ben Kahan
📸 : CGT
Did you ever get discouraged and think about quitting
magic?
I did quit magic - for 6 years! I was working tables at events in London, but grew jaded, finding myself on autopilot and no longer having fun with it. After moving to Toronto in 2018, I lost touch with my magic community. Over time, I realized how much I missed it, so I joined Toronto’s Hat and Rabbit Club. I’ve re-found my people, and in the process, rediscovered my joy in performing magic.
I did quit magic - for 6 years! I was working tables at events in London, but grew jaded, finding myself on autopilot and no longer having fun with it. After moving to Toronto in 2018, I lost touch with my magic community. Over time, I realized how much I missed it, so I joined Toronto’s Hat and Rabbit Club. I’ve re-found my people, and in the process, rediscovered my joy in performing magic.
Do you have any tour or pre-show rituals you’d be willing to share
with our readers?
Before performing, I put myself in my audience’s shoes, remembering they’re about to see something impossible that they’ve never witnessed before. When I focus on how lucky I am to provide that experience - no matter how nervous I am - it fills me with energy and excitement that overcomes everything else.
After returning to performing for the first time in over six years, I want to prove to myself that I’ve still got what it takes to create something new - and actually perform it. Doing it on the biggest stage in Canada would be an incredible opportunity to share my passion with an even wider audience.
With how quickly technology is evolving, there’s no denying it’s transforming the way magicians approach magic. It’s a shame that for all the brilliant coin routines out there, hardly anyone carries coins these days. But technology has always driven innovation in magic, just as it has in any other art form. It’s exciting to imagine how today’s young magicians will harness tomorrow’s tools to create miracles.
Thank you Ben, for making the time to answer our
questions! Break a leg on CGT!
Don't blink or you'll miss it! Catch a sneak peek here in the April 5th Instagram post by
Canada's Got Talent:
04 April 2025
ICYMI: Carson & Taylor's Canada's Got Talent audition
Disappearing the moon before David Copperfield could!
Watch Carson and Taylor make Sarnia proud by invoking a Canadian treasure!
From the April 4th upload "Magicians Carson & Taylor Return To CGT With SURPRISE Guest" at the Canada's Got Talent YouTube channel:
Sarnia magicians Carson & Taylor are BACK on CGT - and this time, with more surprises up their sleeves!
26 March 2025
ICYMI: The Montreal Trio's Canada's Got Talent audition
Read our interview, Canada's Got Talent: Getting to know the Montreal Trio.
From the March 25th upload "Montreal Trio’s Level Of Talent Is Far From An Illusion" at the Canada's Got Talent YouTube channel:
Get ready to be WOW’d with Montreal Trio’s awe-inspiring performance!
24 March 2025
Canada's Got Talent: Getting to know the Montreal Trio
On March 4th we shared with you
that this season of
Canada's Got Talent
has quite a few Canadian magic acts.
We are delighted to have the opportunity to do short interviews with some
of the acts again this year. Kicking off the series is the Montreal
Trio!
You may already know that:
- the Montreal Trio includes Yannick Lacroix, Marc Trudel, and Michel Huot
- Marc performed close-up, a stage show, and lectured at the 2024 Browser's Bash
-
Michel performed a
stage show, and
lectured
at the 2024 Browser's Bash
- Michel lectured for the Sid Lorraine Hat and Rabbit Club (IBM Ring 17) last fall
- in 2024 the Montreal Trio performed at Blackpool and Magifest (please, no spoilers!)
-
in 2023 they appeared on European television (again, please, no spoilers!)
We're very pleased that Yannick, Marc, and Michel made time to answer our questions ahead of their appearance on the March 25th episode of Canada's Got Talent!
Who inspires you that is not a magician?
Yannick: My spouse whom I adore, who accompanies me and supports me in all my magical projects.
Marc: I love getting inspiration from other fields. I visit museums, listen to music and podcasts, read books from all genres, watch masterclasses, and more.
Michel: Charlie Chaplin, Brian Tracy, Gary Larson and my girlfriend who runs 2 businesses with 30 or so employees alone
Yannick: My spouse whom I adore, who accompanies me and supports me in all my magical projects.
Marc: I love getting inspiration from other fields. I visit museums, listen to music and podcasts, read books from all genres, watch masterclasses, and more.
Michel: Charlie Chaplin, Brian Tracy, Gary Larson and my girlfriend who runs 2 businesses with 30 or so employees alone
What is your first memory of magic?
Yannick: I attended a superb stage magic show by the magician
Reveen in Montreal. I was sitting in the front row and I was 8 years old. It
was amazing!
Marc: I remember watching David Copperfield on television and playing with a magic kit when I was a child. I was probably 7 or 8.
Michel: Well the first time, I was 10 years old and it was Mehdi who pulled a gum of my ear but THE moment was when I was 23 and André Bouchard was performing close-up magic...it changed my life.
Marc: I remember watching David Copperfield on television and playing with a magic kit when I was a child. I was probably 7 or 8.
Michel: Well the first time, I was 10 years old and it was Mehdi who pulled a gum of my ear but THE moment was when I was 23 and André Bouchard was performing close-up magic...it changed my life.
Who from the magic community inspires you?
Yannick: First, my 2 magician friends: Michel Huot and Marc
Trudel who are part of the Montreal Trio. But Gary Kurtz (Canadian magician)
has always been a great inspiration and he has made me the magician I am
today.
Marc: Too many to name, but a lot of my inspiration comes from reading books. Books not only provide knowledge but also force you to imagine the routines in your own unique way.
Marc: Too many to name, but a lot of my inspiration comes from reading books. Books not only provide knowledge but also force you to imagine the routines in your own unique way.
Michel: Lately, someone i am touring with at the moment inspires me...Raymond Crowe! All the small details. Others include David Acer, Mac King and David Williamson.
Was there anyone or anything instrumental to you becoming a magician?
Yannick: The Magie-Marcis school with my teacher Maurice
Choquette taught me magic in the mid-80s. I then started teaching with him.
Following his death, he bequeathed me his school which became mine:
MagieStrale.
Marc: Probably Juan Tamariz, for the way he studies audience energy. I have also been working with Stéphane Bourgoin, who has been a great mentor to me. Stéphane is probably one of the most creative minds in magic, yet he remains a well-kept secret among the magicians lucky enough to work with him.
Marc: Probably Juan Tamariz, for the way he studies audience energy. I have also been working with Stéphane Bourgoin, who has been a great mentor to me. Stéphane is probably one of the most creative minds in magic, yet he remains a well-kept secret among the magicians lucky enough to work with him.
Michel: The booklet Leading with your head by G. Kurtz still has a great impact on me as well as the book by Eberhard Riese called Foundations. I have always been amazed also by people who can really drive a crowd. Do lots with less (Colombini, Doc Eason, Bob Sheets, Eric Leclerc). At the beginning of my magic adventures, my pal Yannick also sparked a flame.
Yannick Lacroix, Michel Huot, and Marc Trudel
📸 : CGT
Did you ever get discouraged and think about quitting
magic?
Yannick: No, I've always been passionate about magic since I was a kid and I've never stopped.
Marc: Not really. I’ve always been fortunate to find new projects that keep me engaged.
Michel: Only once; September 11th 2001. I felt useless 'finding their cards'. But the next day a spectator told me that I just made him forget about what was going on for 15 minutes. That was it. Oddly enough, our job is to make them forget!
Yannick: No, I've always been passionate about magic since I was a kid and I've never stopped.
Marc: Not really. I’ve always been fortunate to find new projects that keep me engaged.
Michel: Only once; September 11th 2001. I felt useless 'finding their cards'. But the next day a spectator told me that I just made him forget about what was going on for 15 minutes. That was it. Oddly enough, our job is to make them forget!
Do you have any tour or pre-show rituals you’d be willing to share
with our readers?
Yannick: Michel, Marc and I have a little ritual before
presenting our act. We walk as if nothing had happened around a magic
accessory and suddenly we start dancing around it, each improvising our
own choreography. We really look crazy, but that's us!
Marc: We have lots of crazy patterns and rituals, but one of them is “fighting” a playing card using invisible karate. You get the idea…
Marc: We have lots of crazy patterns and rituals, but one of them is “fighting” a playing card using invisible karate. You get the idea…
Michel: Oh yes. I have on with the boys that they already explained. On my own, I do a breathing technique in the dark in my dressing room (called Prana Yama).
How did the three of you meet?
Yannick: I have owned a magic school (MagieStrale) in
Montreal since 1992 and Michel and Marc were my students in the
mid-90s.
Michel: Taking a pause now, go see Yannick's answer haha!
How did the three of you come to work together?
Marc: Over the years, we became friends and started
collaborating on shows, lectures for magicians, and more. Eventually,
the Montreal Trio was born!
Yannick: We created this issue in 2013 to present it at a prestigious FFFF magic congress in the USA. And since then, we have presented it for magicians and the general public in Quebec, Canada, the USA, England, and very soon in Europe.
Michel: I first pitched an indea to Yannick many many moons ago. We did an act called The Human Deck of Cards. Then, many years later, another idea popped and we figured we had to be three. Marc was an obvious choice.
Why is now the right time for you to be a part of
Canada's Got Talent?Yannick: We created this issue in 2013 to present it at a prestigious FFFF magic congress in the USA. And since then, we have presented it for magicians and the general public in Quebec, Canada, the USA, England, and very soon in Europe.
Michel: I first pitched an indea to Yannick many many moons ago. We did an act called The Human Deck of Cards. Then, many years later, another idea popped and we figured we had to be three. Marc was an obvious choice.
Yannick: We were invited to participate in CGT and we thought
what a chance to show our act on Canadian television on the biggest stage
in Canada!
Marc: Our individual schedules are always a little crazy, so whenever we get the chance to work together, we take the opportunity. For CGT, the stars aligned!
Marc: Our individual schedules are always a little crazy, so whenever we get the chance to work together, we take the opportunity. For CGT, the stars aligned!
Michel: See above!
Yannick: The Montreal Trio is not limited to this issue, we
hope to be able to show you all our creativity, sometimes a little crazy, in
the near future!
Marc: Simply that there is a lot of great magic happening in Canada right now—not just with our trio. Magicians should be more curious about it!
Michel: Just shut up and do it!
Marc: Simply that there is a lot of great magic happening in Canada right now—not just with our trio. Magicians should be more curious about it!
Michel: Just shut up and do it!
Thank you Yannick, Marc, and Michel for making the time to answer our
questions! Break a leg on CGT!
Learn more about Yannick Lacroix at his website MagieStrale.com, and follow him on Facebook.
Learn more about Marc Trudel at his website
MarcTrudelMagicien.com
and follow him on
Facebook, and
Instagram.
Learn more about Michel Huot at his website MichelHuotMagic.com and follow him on Facebook, and Instagram.
Learn more about Michel Huot at his website MichelHuotMagic.com and follow him on Facebook, and Instagram.
Don't blink or you'll miss it! Catch a sneak peek here in the March
22nd Instagram post by
Canada's Got Talent:
11 March 2025
Blake Aleong on CBC Radio
From the March 10 episode of "BC Today with Michelle Eliot" on CBC Radio:
Ahead of competing on Canada's Got Talent, teen magician Blake Aleong shows off his routine.
[With thanks to The Magic Demon for passing this along!]
04 March 2025
Magicians on Canada's Got Talent [Mar 18 premiere]
Good luck to all facing this year's CGT judges: Howie Mandel, Shania Twain, Katherine Ryan, and Kardinal Offishall!
Who'd we miss?
(Our sources tell us that not all of the acts listed below will make it to air.)
From the March 4th
media release:
BRITISH COLUMBIA
- BLAKE ALEONG – Burnaby
ONTARIO
- BEN KAHAN – Toronto
- CARSON AND TAYLOR – Toronto
- THE SECRET – Toronto
QUEBEC
- ALEX BOYER – Montréal
- LUC LANGEVIN – Montréal
- MONTREAL TRIO – Montréal
- NICOLAS TARDIF – Trois-Riviéres
ALBERTA
- LUCY DARLING – Calgary
ABROAD
- STEFANO BRONZATO – Magic, Italy
14 May 2024
Watch party and how to vote for Mark Clearview during tonight's Canada's Got Talent finale
Read our March interview with Mark,
Canada's Got Talent: Getting to know Mark Clearview.
From the May 13th Instagram post by Mark Clearview:
I will Live Stream the entire live process of being in the Canada's Got Talent Finale 🇨🇦🙏🍾 the goal is to have watch parties around the world come together to #VOTEFORCLEARVIEW and secure the One Million Dollar grand prize 💵🏆
So arrange a watch party and post a "clear view" of your television or laptop so I can repost your watch party!!!
I love you all let's do this thing!
#cgt @cangottalent @city_tv
From the May 12th Facebook post by Mark Clearview:
Please share. Please vote.
citytv.com/vote
Voting opens from 8pm-9:30pm EST on May 14th and you get 3 votes per email address.
This will change my life ❤
10 May 2024
ICYMI: Mark Clearview on the Canada's Got Talent semi-finals, BTS, and a message from Mark
But not in that order. First up, a message from Mark.
From the May 8th Facebook post by Mark Clearview:
I want to thank my dad. I want to thank all of you...
Last night I made history and got a Golden Buzzer in the elimination round from Howie Mandel himself (an inspiration to this Canadian boy). I'm moving on to the finals of Canada's Got Talent.
Simply put: I'd like to take home the win for my father.
Please help me do that by sharing this to directly to 3-5 people and asking them to vote for me. YOU CAN VOTE ON MAY 14TH BETWEEN 8:00PM EST - 9:30PM EST while the episode airs. YOU GET 3 VOTES PER EMAIL ACCOUNT and you can do so here:
HTTPS://CGTVOTE.VOTENOW.TV/VOTE
More to come on May 14th... Your support means the world.
From the May 4th upload "This Has NEVER Happened Before | Howie BREAKS THE GOLDEN RULES for Mark Clearview" at the Canada's Got Talent YouTube channel:
Howie breaks all the rules for Mark Clearview! Sending him straight through to the Finale with a Golden Buzzer + $25,000 from CIBC!
From the May 7th Facebook post by Canada's Got Talent:
DOUBLE PLOT TWIST! Howie went rogue and provided a second Golden Buzzer Eliminations surprise! Catch up with a stunned Mark Clearview and Howie Mandel backstage in Golden Moments brought to you by CIBC!
ICYMI: Mark Lewis on the Canada's Got Talent semi-finals
Happy birthday Mark!
From the May 7th upload "79 Year-Old Mark Lewis' Latest Trick is Pure Magic 🃏" at the Canada's Got Talent YouTube channel:
07 May 2024
Cheer on Mark (Clearview and Lewis) on Canada's Got Talent tonight!
From the May 6th Instagram post by Canada's Got Talent:
It’s about to get real😨…the best compete for their spot in the #CGT finale. Plus, YOU get to vote for the acts going through to the public vote. Don’t miss it.
#CanadasGotTalent THE ELIMINATIONS - two-hour event, Tuesday at 8/7c on @city_tv or stream it on Citytv+
From the May 5th Instagram post by Canada's Got Talent:
#Toronto’s @markclearview takes the stage THIS Tuesday for our first-ever Eliminations round!
Don’t miss the biggest twist in Got Talent history! Watch #CanadasGotTalent: The ELIMINATIONS, TUESDAY at 8/7c on @city_tv!
From the May 4th
Instagram post by Canada's Got Talent:
We still don’t know how Mark Lewis did this 🤯
Catch up now on demand or stream it on Citytv+ ✨
Don’t miss the biggest twist in Got Talent history! Watch #CanadasGotTalent: The ELIMINATIONS, TUESDAY at 8/7c on @city_tv!
01 May 2024
Marks (Clearview and Lewis) moving on to the next round of Canada's Got Talent
Break a leg, Marks!
Read our interviews:
- Canada's Got Talent: Getting to know Mark Clearview, and
- Canada's Got Talent: Getting to know Mark Lewis.
Watch their first auditions:
- ICYMI: Mark Clearview's Canada's Got Talent audition,
- ICYMI: Mark Lewis' Canada's Got Talent audition, and
From the April 30th upload "Meet the top 14 acts" at the Canada's Got Talent YouTube channel
Next Tuesday🌟 The competition is about to change like never before 🤯 You'll NEVER expect what's coming. Stay tuned…
#CanadasGotTalent THE ELIMINATIONS, next Tuesday at 8/7c on Citytv or stream it on Citytv+
20 April 2024
ICYMI: Alexandra Burgio's Canada's Got Talent audition
Read our interview, Canada's Got Talent: Getting to know Alexandra Burgio.
From the April 12th upload "How Did She Do That?!?! 🤯 Magician Alexandra Burgio SHOCKS Everyone!" at the Canada's Got Talent YouTube channel:
Alexandra is a 33-year-old magician from Niagara Falls, Ontario. After working as a magician’s assistant for many years, Alexandra is finally ready to take the CGT stage as the main attraction.
15 April 2024
Canada's Got Talent: Getting to know Alexandra Burgio
Last in our series of short interviews with some
of the magic acts listed in the March 5th
Canada's Got Talent media release is Alexandra Burgio!
You may already know that Alexandra:
- fooled Penn and Teller last November, and
- is starring in the show Evolution at The Greg Frewin Theatrical Centre.
We're delighted that Alexandra made time to answer our questions ahead of her April 16th appearance on Canada's Got Talent!
Who inspires you that is not a magician?
Being a female of the millennial generation - I grew up admiring all the pop stars of the 1990s and 2000s. The command they evoked on stage lent inspiration to how I carry myself when I’m in front of the crowd.
Being a female of the millennial generation - I grew up admiring all the pop stars of the 1990s and 2000s. The command they evoked on stage lent inspiration to how I carry myself when I’m in front of the crowd.
What is your first memory of magic?
My first memory of magic would be watching World’s Greatest Magic on TV in the 90’s when I as a child. Initially being drawn to the glamour of the stage spectacle, I was intrigued by the sly cunningness of the performers, namely the deception the magicians assistants added.
Who from the magic community inspires you?
I would be foolish to say Greg Frewin hasn’t been my number one inspiration in magic. From creativity in his workshop and nostalgia from his younger years, to his current on stage demeanour - I draw inspiration from what he continues to provide to the industry.
Was there anyone or anything instrumental to you becoming a magician?
When I first started in magic as an assistant, my mentor allowed me to borrow a set of hard drives consisting of virtually any and all magic acts ever captured on film from all the way from the 1960s /1970s to current time! Very educational and very top secret - if you know, you know! ;)
📸 : CGT
Did you ever get discouraged and think about quitting
magic?
Through hardships and learning challenges, I am proud to say I was never discouraged enough to think about quitting magic - and of course, fooling Penn and Teller helped with the encouragement!
Through hardships and learning challenges, I am proud to say I was never discouraged enough to think about quitting magic - and of course, fooling Penn and Teller helped with the encouragement!
Do you have any tour or pre-show rituals you’d be willing to share
with our readers?
Espresso, baby!.. And of course the right playlist to get pumped up to!
I believe the time was right for me to participate in Canada's Got Talent to showcase another discipline of my magic. The piece performed in the competition was something contrasted to the last performance I showcased on television.
Shout out to all the ladies in magic - keep doing your thing!
xo
xo
Thank you Alexandra, for making the time to answer our questions!
Break a leg on CGT!
Learn more about Alexandra at the Greg Frewin Theatre website and follow her on Instagram and TikTok.
04 April 2024
ICYMI: Mitchell Hrycan's Canada's Got Talent audition
Read our interview, Canada's Got Talent: Getting to know Mitchell Hrycan.
From the April 2nd upload "Mitchell Hrycan's Magic Act is Double the Fun!" at the Canada's Got Talent YouTube channel:
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan’s Mitchell Hrycan's act has the judges seeing double!
ICYMI: Mark Lewis' Canada's Got Talent audition
Read our interview, Canada's Got Talent: Getting to know Mark Lewis.
From the April 2nd upload "GOLDEN BUZZER | Mark Lewis Receives Surprise Golden Buzzer!" at the Canada's Got Talent YouTube channel:
Quirky 79-year-old, Mark Lewis, performs a card trick that captivates audience and judges, earning him the group Golden Buzzer!
From the April 2nd Instagram post by Canada's Got Talent:
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