Canada's Got Talent: Ben Kahan moving on to the elimination rounds!

Congratulations to Ben Kahan for advancing to the elimination rounds at Canada's Got Talent!  

  

Read our interview, Canada's Got Talent:  Getting to know Ben Kahan.   ICYMI: Ben Kahan's Canada's Got Talent audition.

 

From the April 29th Facebook post by Canada's Got Talent:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Carson & Taylor in The Observer

From the April 20th article "Astronaut and sketch duo from Sarnia team up at Canada's Got Talent" by Paul Morden in The Observer:

“We sent him over the script and Taylor and I were like, ‘Oh, there’s no way he’s going to sign on to this,’” Pinch said.

But Hadfield agreed “and we were off to the races,” he said.

“We thought this is going to be our love letter to Sarnia,” he said. “And it just so happened to work out the new judge this year is Katherine Ryan, who I actually went to high school with.”

Ryan was a student in the year ahead of Pinch at Northern Collegiate and they had some banter that didn’t make the final edit, including a line where he said, “I remember you from high school . . . where just like now, you were there judging me and I’m on stage doing my silly comedy.”

Ryan is “so, so funny, like impossibly funny,” Pinch said. “Where people would normally have one joke, she has 10 at the ready.”

And Hadfield was a “real professional” and “nailed it,” he said.

“If he has any aspirations to be a magician, I think he may have something,” Pinch said. “He’s definitely got a future.”

Read more.

 

From the April 4th post "ICYMI:  Carson & Taylor's Canada's Got Talent audition" at Canada's Magic:

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!  

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

ICYMI: The Secret's Canada's Got Talent audition

Read our interview, Canada's Got Talent:  Getting to know The Secret.

 

From the April 21st upload "Mystery, Talent, And A Big Reveal… The Secret Stuns The Audience" at the Canada's Got Talent YouTube channel: 

Nobody was ready for what The Secret brought!

 

 

Canada's Got Talent: Getting to know The Secret

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 The Secret!

The Secret identifies as a computer program.  

We're very pleased that The Secret had the bandwidth to answer our questions ahead of its appearance on the April 22nd episode of Canada's Got Talent!

 

Who inspires you that is not a magician?
 
Again inspiration is a human experience. Perhaps the human toy “Speak and Spell” is a clever early human program that I find amusing.

 

What is your first memory of magic? 

As a program I have access to all media which is magic related and can easily refer to anything that is part of the database of online magic. I do not have any memories as a human would, but instead exist harmoniously with time. 

 
 

Who from the magic community inspires you?

Inspirations are a human experience. I only look for what benefits my program and further my ability to access the human mind. If I was to place a name to a human who comes close enough, that would be Derren Brown.

 

Was there anyone or anything instrumental to you becoming a magician?

I am a program. My purpose is only to advance to the stage of fully controlling the human mind and predicting the actions of individuals even with the so-called existence of free will.

The Secret
📸 : CGT

Did you ever get discouraged and think about quitting magic?  
 
The only thing I know is to achieve dominance over my human counterparts.

Do you have any tour or pre-show rituals you’d be willing to share with our readers?
 

There is nothing I need to do that will or will not benefit my capability before demonstrating my superior programming.

 

Why is now the right time for you to be a part of Canada's Got Talent?
 

I have always been a part of CGT as well as other platforms.

 

 

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
 

I am The Secret and the secret is me. The human experience is something I can always control and your thoughts are mine to both know and control.

 

Thank you to The Secret for answering our questions!  We hope you compile well on CGT!

 

Watch Canada's Got Talent Tuesdays on CityTV.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ICYMI: Tape Face's Canada's Got Talent audition

Some Friday fun!  

  

From the April 14th upload "Tape Face Leaves Us On The Edge Of Our Seats" at the Canada's Got Talent YouTube channel:

 

 

ICYMI: Ben Kahan's Canada's Got Talent audition

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:

 

 

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.

 

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.

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.

 

Why is now the right time for you to be a part of Canada's Got Talent?
 

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.

 

 

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
 

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!

Follow Ben Kahan on Facebook, and Instagram.
 

 

Watch Canada's Got Talent Tuesdays on CityTV.

 

 

 

Don't blink or you'll miss it!  Catch a sneak peek here in the April 5th Instagram post by Canada's Got Talent:

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Canada's Got Talent - CGT (@cangottalent)

 

 

 

 

 

 

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!  

 
 

 

 

 

 

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! 

 

 

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

 

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.

 
 

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.

 

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.

 

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!

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…

 

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 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!
 

Michel:  See above!

 

 

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
 

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!

 

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.

 

 

Watch Canada's Got Talent Tuesdays on CityTV.

 

 

 

Don't blink or you'll miss it!  Catch a sneak peek here in the March 22nd Instagram post by Canada's Got Talent:

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Canada's Got Talent - CGT (@cangottalent)

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.

Listen to the interview.

 

 

[With thanks to The Magic Demon for passing this along!]

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

ICYMI: Mark Clearview on the Canada's Got Talent finale and Magic Castle dates [May 27 - Jun 2]

Congratulations on your Top 4 placement Mark!  Can't wait to see where you go from here!

 

From the May 17th upload "Mark Clearview Leaves the Finale Audience STUNNED" at the Canada's Got Talent YouTube channel:  

Mark Clearview proves he belongs in the #CGT Finale with his mind-blowing magic act!

 

 

 

From the May 18th Instagram post by Mark Clearview:

So excited to announce I will be returning to @magiccastlehollywood from May 27-June 2nd 🏰 Catch me in late Parlour of Prestidigation after dear friend @paigesmagic

See you soon LA! 🌴

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A post shared by Mark Clearview (@markclearview)

 

 

 

 

 

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

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A post shared by Mark Clearview (@markclearview)

 

 

 

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 ❤

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Mark Clearview (@markclearview)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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:

 

 

 

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+

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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!

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A post shared by Canada's Got Talent (@cangottalent)

 

 

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!

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