This Saturday, Dec 28th in Calgary! Comedian Ben Cannon joins me as the special guest star at Wit & Wizardry - Comedy Magic Cabaret.
A performer with a knack for blending self-deprecating wit with keen observational humor, Ben has graced stages at prestigious events like the YYComedy Festival. He also produces Ducking Comedy at Ducky’s, a local favorite that showcases some of Calgary’s top comedic talent. Whether he’s headlining shows or producing his own, Ben’s commitment to uplifting the local comedy scene is undeniable.
Ben’s material often reflects his Métis heritage, Calgary roots, and the hilarious awkwardness of navigating life’s twists and turns. With an easygoing charm and a genuine connection to his audience, he’s a comedian who leaves every crowd both entertained and wanting more.
It will truly be an evening featuring both Wit annnnd Wizardry, as I'll be hosting the show and bringing a few minor miracles to warm your winter. See you there!
Tickets at High Performance Rodeo. (Side note: Mump & Smoot are also part of next year's rodeo! We had a great experience taking clowning classes with Michael Kennard. Great line up for 2025!)
(Keep your ears to the ground Calgary. Rumour mill has it, that there's a possibility of maybe a Carisa Hendrix lecture or talk too)
🎉 Saddle up for some big news! We’re thrilled to reveal the three headliners
lighting up the stage at the 39th Annual High Performance Rodeo in 2025! You
won’t want to miss these must-see acts. 🤩✨
My first memory of magic is on my fifth birthday, at the Magic Castle, on
stage with the one and only – Ireland’s Largest Leprechaun, Mister Billy
McComb. I believe he did the vanishing birdcage that day. He eventually got
me on stage as a volunteer and I was in heaven. I thought he was the bees
knees. And as I got older, he just got funnier and funnier. One of my
favorites ever. Rest in peace, Billy.
Other than your family, who were the first professional magicians you
remember seeing?
I was lucky enough to see the Siegfried and Roy show as a young kid,
and that show was truly mesmerizing, larger than life. It felt like being
in another world. I remember the electricity in the room. It was thrilling
and kinetic, and they were so graceful. They seemed to have walked onto
the stage from the clouds.
By what mechanisms did you begin learning magic?
I learned magic at Magic Camp as a kid (that’s right, folks!) in Idyllwild,
California. I also learned from dear family friends, and from books.
Liberty Larsen
Who inspires you that is not a magician?
Outside of
magic, I’m inspired by Joanna Newsom, Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen (two
very special Canadians who almost dated!), Jesca Hoop, Martha Graham,
Charlie Kaufman, Michel Gondry, Peter Brook, Carmen Amaya, Kate Bush,
Harry Nilsson, Tom Waits, Remedios Varo, Robert Moss, on and on… I love
people who make worlds out of their dreams and stubbornly insist on living
inside them.
Who inspires you magically?
I’m inspired by Rob Zabrecky, Michael Carbonaro, Jared Kopf,
Voronin, The Swedish Monkey Opera, René Lavand (rest in peace) and many
other gems.
In addition to performing magic, we understand that you are also a
musician. Have you studied anything else magic-adjacent? How have these
studies informed your magic performance?
Though I can’t say I’ve officially studied art, film or photography, I’ve
definitely been influenced by my own rogue education in all of those realms.
Everything that inspires, everything that lights up the circuitry,
everything that gives goosebumps, can translate into magic, I think.
I
draw from music more than anything else, because I look to magic to create
strong feelings. I’m not really drawn to cerebral stuff, or puzzles, it’s
not how my mind is wired. I can appreciate them but they don’t motivate me
to get on stage.
On stage, I don’t want to be clever. I want to
feel connected to people When I’m in an audience, I want to feel like the
performer is cracking my heart open like a walnut, and melting me. So, I
look to music for how to do that, because that’s how I’m wired. So I often
sing, because it’s a quick cheat to shift things from intellect into
feeling. But even when I’m not singing, the same elements of music – rhythm
and pacing, tone and resonance, harmonics and dissonance, dynamics and flow
– all these things go into good theater, and satisfying magic.
What, if anything, makes you nervous about joining the Champions
family?
Giant theaters! Exciting, but not something I’m used to. I’ve
performed in a lot of very small, cabaret style venues. This is a whole
different ball of wax.
What are you most looking forward to about joining the Champions of
Magic family?
The adventure of it! I love the electrical current that’s running
through this project. It’s got a strong pulse. It seems like I’m hopping
on a train that’s changing platforms and going to a whole new dimension.
This is such a fantastic group of people, and it’s an ambitious risk we’re
all taking together, which is a truly exciting challenge.
If you could go back in time to study (magic or otherwise) under
anybody, who would you choose to be your mentor?
I think I would go back in time and study dance with Martha Graham. I devoured
her autobiography and am so inspired by the way she lived her life. She was a
genuinely magical person, and a profound teacher. I feel like what she taught
could translate beyond dance into just about anything. She taught people how
to be deeply in their bodies, truly themselves and radically open to their own
source of inspiration.
Liberty Larsen
If you could prevent other performers performing an effect forever, what
would it be?
I read a truly terrible “gag” in an antique magic book about having
your Thanksgiving turkey get up and walk off the table. It involved using a
real chicken, plucked, and doing some terrible things to force it to be
still, and painting it brown as if it was roasted. I would outlaw that
turkey trick, punishable by tarring and feathering.
If you could only perform one effect for the rest of your life, what
would it be?
I am not sure I could ever be up to that challenge. But if I could
shapeshift into a bird while singing, and land one someone’s shoulder,
maybe deliver a secret message that only they would understand and that
would inspire a huge gasp, it would be that.
What’s your go-to Karaoke song?
“Get it While You Can” by Janis Joplin. Not because of the lyrics,
necessarily, but because her emotional range is just so great to sing.
What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think about
performing in Canada?
From the October 31st Instagram post by Young Hollywood, Liberty Larsen, and Fernando Velasco (one of her Champions of Magic co-stars) are interviewed about the Magic Castle:
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
I just learned that, “The first reference to throwing rotten
vegetables at bad stage acts came in an 1883 New York Times article after
John Ritchie was hit with a barrage of tomatoes and rotten eggs by an
unpleasant audience in New York. A large tomato thrown from the gallery
struck him square between the eyes and he fell t the floor just as several
bad eggs dropped upon his head.” The more you know…!
Thank you Liberty, for making the time to answer our questions!
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT! On Tuesday, November 19 at the Grindstone Theatre legendary magician Dale Harney will be presenting his exclusive lecture for the Edmonton Magic Club.
His incredible career spans over 40 years and his breadth of knowledge about the art and business of magic is unprecedented.
He was a cabaret magician in the dance clubs of Edmonton, a television star, a touring magician with the Shrine Circus, a trade show and corporate performer, a fixture at Agricultural fairs across Canada and the creator of the iconic Magic Palace television show, Dale has done it all.
He will be discussing his career and how to navigate the professional world of magic, as well as sharing a few magical secrets. This is a very unique opportunity to learn from one of the best in the business.
The lecture will take place at the Grindstone Theatre. Tickets are $20 at the door
Wit & Wizardry - Comedy Magic Cabaret is kicking off season two with special guest Malcolm Russell - magician. YOU WILL BE CHARMED AND AMUSED OR FACE THE CONSEQUENCES!
Calgary's only monthly amazing magic show is ready to chop... er... knock your socks off with jaw-dropping tricks, stunts, and laughs.
Watch Edmonton’s BEST magicians perform their favourite tricks.
Spend
an evening with the Edmonton Magic Club’s esteemed members, armed with their
latest illusions. These performers present their one-of-a-kind personalities
to provide a family-friendly night of entertainment.
Open to all
curiosity-seekers, four times a year at the Grindstone Theatre.
Grindstone
Theatre, 10019 81 Ave NW June 21st, 2024
This edition of
Magic Mania features the talents of:
Gary Charm – Mystical manipulations to fill your mind with awe
Nathanael Berg – A comedy and magic wunderkind, hold on to your sides!
Rob Dante – Sideshow and Mentalist, sure to grip you to the edge of your
seat
Hosted by Jordan Sabo, local actor and acting Treasurer to your magic
club.
On April 27 at the Red Deer Museum and Art Gallery, Key will be teaching magic tricks to anyone who registers (ages 5 and up). The two workshops, each an hour long, are designed to “unlock magical potential,” not only by teaching these skills, but by using the lessons to build self-confidence, public speaking and fine motor skills.
“Magic is a great mechanism to improve your core competency,”says Key. He feels it’s one thing to show somebody a trick, it’s another to present it with the flair of a street performer, while telling a story to build interest.
His fascination with “magic” began at age five, after he got a Halloween-themed kit for his birthday.
The cat's out of the bag. 
