Richmond Hill: The Magic of the Holidays [Dec 13]

Tickets at Jokers Comedy Club.  Proceeds from the show will go to Crafting for a Cure, a registered charity benefiting children who have to go to the hospital.

Performers rumoured to include:  Rob Driscoll, Ken Pham, Ian Crawford, Phil Pivnick, Aaron Matthews, and Donald Sutherland.

 

From the December 13th Facebook Event by Sin City Illusions:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Barrie: Dear Santa, I can explain... [Dec 28]

From the November 22nd Instagram post by DaCosta Magic:

Preparations for our holiday show on December 28th are well underway. We can't wait to see you at the show. Do you have your tickets? Head on over to www.dacostamagic.com and grab em! 

 

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A post shared by DaCosta Magic Ent./ Phil DaCosta (@dacostamagic)

 

 

 

 

 

Toronto: Holiday Magic Live! [Dec 22]

Tickets.

There is speculation that the guest magicians may include Ian Batterbury and Rob Fishbaum.

 

From the November 21st Instagram post by Mikey Valladares:

🎩✨ Holiday Magic Live! 🎄❄️

Get ready for a night of wonder and amazement as Holiday Magic Live! brings together Canada’s best magicians for a festive showcase like no other! 🌟 From jaw-dropping illusions to mind-bending sleight of hand, this magical extravaganza is the perfect way to celebrate the holiday season. 🎁✨ Whether you’re with family, friends, or flying solo, prepare to be dazzled and delighted in an unforgettable evening of holiday cheer and spellbinding magic! 🎩🎅

🍽️ Dinner packages available! 

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Mikey Valladares (@eyedoomagk)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ON, QC, NB, NS, BC, &AB: Champions of Magic "Chasing the Unbelievable" [2024 - 2025]

The 2024 - 2025 Canadian tour dates for Champions of Magic "Chasing the Unbelievable":

 

 

 

 

• Nov 13 - 16:  National Arts Centre, Ottawa ON
  
• Dec 4 - 6:  Thunder Bay Community Auditorium, Thunder Bay ON
  
• Dec 8:  Sudbury Community Arena, Sudbury ON
  
• Mar 19:  Slush Puppie Place, Kingston ON
  
• Mar 20:  Place des Arts, Montreal  QC
  
• Mar 22:  Avenir Centre, Moncton NB 
• Mar 23:  Scotiabank Centre, Halifax NS
  
• Mar 25:  FirstOntario Concert Hall, Hamilton ON 
• Mar 26:  Performance Stage at Canada Life Place, London ON 
• Mar 27-28:  Pickering Casino, Pickering ON 
• May 8-9:  Royal Theatre, Victoria BC
  
• May 11:  Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium, Calgary AB
  
• May 20-22:  Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Vancouver BC

Check the Champions of Magic website for updates and more information.

 

 

Read our thoughts about the 2023 Champions of Magic show in Toronto:

TLDR: So. Much. Fun!

Random thoughts about Champions of Magic 

 

 

Read our interviews with the cast:

Liberty Larsen 
Michelle Mazzarella
Sam Strange 
Fernando Velasco 

and
Richard Young   

 
Learn more about Champions of Magic at ChampionsOfMagic.co.uk and follow them on Facebook, and Instagram.  

 

 

 

 

Toronto: Lost in the Shuffle at the Sid Lorraine Hat and Rabbit Club [Nov 21]

From the November 9th Instagram post by CAM:

Hosted by The Hat & Rabbit Club: Movie Night! LOST IN THE SHUFFLE

When: Thursday November 21, 7:30pm (Doors open 7:00pm)
Where: Agricola Lutheran Church, 25 Old York Mills Rd, North York
Admission: FREE for members and $20 for non-members

Trailer: https://youtu.be/HrOOw8B5yMI

Popcorn and Magic! This month our Event is a screening of the documentary Lost in the Shuffle featuring a post screening Q&A with Director Jon Ornery.

Seen through the eyes of some of the world’s best sleight-of-hand artists, including Shawn Farquhar, Juan Tamariz, Alexandra Duvivier, Richard Turner and Michale Vincent, Lost in the Shuffle is a multi-faceted look at this remarkable 400-year relationship that’s seen these simple playthings provide an endless source of miraculous inspiration for magicians throughout time. After a trip to France Shawn Farquhar wondered why the court cards look the way they do. Of particular interest was the King of Hearts, also known as the “Suicide King” because he appears to be stabbing himself in the head.

Shawn believes there is a much more sinister story, that an actual medieval French king was assassinated at the hand of his own wife. Now Shawn is out to see if his theory’s true - will the greatest illusion of all prove to be that an ancient cold-case murder has been hiding under our noses all this time?

 

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A post shared by CAM 2.0 (@cammagicorg)

 

 

 

A peek behind the curtain with Liberty Larsen

The cat's out of the bag.  Champions of Magic welcomes Liberty Larsen to its cast!

We're delighted to interview Liberty leading up to the Champions of Magic "Chasing the Unbelievable" tour dates in Canada:

• Nov 13 - 16:  National Arts Centre, Ottawa ON
  
• Dec 4 - 6:  Thunder Bay Community Auditorium, Thunder Bay ON
  
• Dec 8:  Sudbury Community Arena, Sudbury ON
  
• Mar 19:  Slush Puppie Place, Kingston ON
  
• Mar 20:  Place des Arts, Montreal  QC
  
• Mar 22:  Avenir Centre, Moncton NB 
• Mar 23:  Scotiabank Centre, Halifax NS
  
• Mar 25:  FirstOntario Concert Hall, Hamilton ON 
• Mar 26:  Performance Stage at Canada Life Place, London ON 
• Mar 27-28:  Pickering Casino, Pickering ON 
• May 8-9:  Royal Theatre, Victoria BC
  
• May 11:  Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium, Calgary AB
  
• May 20-22:  Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Vancouver BC

Check the Champions of Magic website for updates and more information.

 

Read our thoughts about the 2023 Champions of Magic show in Toronto:

TLDR: So. Much. Fun!

Random thoughts about Champions of Magic 

 

 

You may already know Liberty: 

• is a fourth-generation magician,
  
• is from the family that founded The Magic Castle, Genii Magazine, and the Academy of Magical Arts,
  
• is a singer,
  
• combines theatrical magic with original musical compositions, and
  
• was on Penn and Teller's Fool Us S04E04
  

What is your first memory of magic?

 

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.

 

On "Penn and Teller’s Fool Us" you mentioned that you 'resisted' the call to magic in your early years.  Do you remember the specific moment when you knew you could or wanted to perform magic full-time?

Well, I always loved to perform, since I was very young. But I think everyone goes through a phase where they want nothing to do with what their parents (or grandparents, or great-grandparents!) want them to do. My family didn’t push for magic too hard, but I still rebelled against it on sheer principle. I can’t say that the decision to “give in” happened in a single moment. It was more gradual – the result of seeing some truly amazing performers who were really coming on the scene with a very different approach to magic. That was very inspiring, because it showed me that magic is more versatile than I may have imagined. But more than anything, I really came to appreciate the gift magic gives people – the feelings it produces – and I realized I wanted to continue in the legacy and be a conduit for those feelings, because they’re so wonderful.

 

 

 

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

Many magicians have a Canadian connection to magic.  Tell us about your Canadian magic connection(s).

Dai Vernon and Doug Henning are masters in their own right, but I didn’t have any direct connection with either of them. So, I would say my first Canadian magic connection in this life is one Mister Christopher Hart. I saw his act many, many times growing up, and it was striking for a young imagination to watch. I love Christopher. He also played “Thing” in the (more recent) Addams Family movies. Go Canada!

 

 

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?

The Louise Bourgeois spider sculpture.

Just the fist thing that came into my mind…  

[Editor's note: "Maman" by Louise Bourgeois can be seen at the National Gallery of 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:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by YOUNG HOLLYWOOD (@younghollywood)

 

 

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!

Learn more about Liberty by visiting her website LibertyLarsen.com, and follow her on Facebook and Instagram.

 

  Champions of Magic  

Catch Liberty in Champions of Magic touring in Canada 2024-2025:

• Nov 13 - 16:  National Arts Centre, Ottawa ON
  
• Dec 4 - 6:  Thunder Bay Community Auditorium, Thunder Bay ON
  
• Dec 8:  Sudbury Community Arena, Sudbury ON
  
• Mar 19:  Slush Puppie Place, Kingston ON
  
• Mar 20:  Place des Arts, Montreal  QC
  
• Mar 22:  Avenir Centre, Moncton NB 
• Mar 23:  Scotiabank Centre, Halifax NS
  
• Mar 25:  FirstOntario Concert Hall, Hamilton ON 
• Mar 26:  Performance Stage at Canada Life Place, London ON 
• Mar 27-28:  Pickering Casino, Pickering ON 
• May 8-9:  Royal Theatre, Victoria BC
  
• May 11:  Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium, Calgary AB
  
• May 20-22:  Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Vancouver BC
  

    Check the Champions of Magic website for updates and more information.

 

Read our 2023 interviews with the rest of the cast:

• Michelle Mazzarella
• Sam Strange 
  
• Fernando Velasco and
• Richard Young   
  

 
Learn more about Champions of Magic at ChampionsOfMagic.co.uk and follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. 

 

 

 

Random thoughts about Outerbridge Magic -- Mysteries of the Keyhole House

  Catch "Mysteries of the Keyhole House" in Ontario:  

• November 8, 2024 - River Run Centre, Guelph, ON
• December 31, 2024 - Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts, Oakville
• January 2-5, 2025 - Ottawa Little Theatre, Ottawa
• February 22, 2025 – Showplace Peterborough, Peterborough
• March 9, 10, 2025 - The Burlington Performing Arts Centre, Burlington
• March 15, 2025 - New Roads Performing Arts Centre, Newmarket

 

KOP and I had the pleasure of seeing Marion and Ted Outerbridge perform their show "Mysteries of the Keyhole House" at the Milton Centre for the Arts.

[As an aside, we encourage you to go and see a show at this fabulous 500 seat theatre.  It's approximately 25 minutes west of Toronto's western border.  The facilities are modern and spacious.  On the lower level, it appears that all seats have amazing sight lines.  (We didn't venture up to the balcony.)  The seats are a little bit wider than standard theatre seats, which makes them very comfortable!  Parking is free and plentiful.]

[Additionally, this is the first magic show we've been to where there's been an ASL interpreter available.  The interpreter was easily seen and unobtrusive.  They did not distract from the show.  There appeared to be quite a few folks in the audience fluent in sign language.  I'm sure the service was well appreciated!]

 

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A post shared by Canadas Magic (@canadasmagicdotcom)

 

 

Here are some random thoughts that came to mind while watching Ted and Marion share some fascinating stories about their current home and the individuals who had previously lived there:

• The tone of the show was nicely set with a carefully curated period piece soundtrack which included "All That Jazz," "It Don't Mean a Thing," and Glenn Miller ("In the Mood" we think.)
• The show was a BRAND NEW SHOW with very little overlap with their previous show "Outerbridge Clockwork Mysteries."  (Sadly there was no way to work the disco ball jacket that Marion painstakingly created for Ted, into the new show.)
• We were tremendously lucky to be at a show where illusionist technician Shenna Dunn came out of retirement!  Her grace and talent at the beginning of the show made for a delightful opener!
  
• This show is extraordinarily creatively satisfying.  It is very clear that a lot of time and thought has been put into tying all of the visuals into the theme of the show.  Just about every item on stage looked like it was part of an historical play.  The smallest details were considered; from the shape of the centre spot, to the use of golf clubs in lieu of a typically used magic prop, and of course the fabulous costumes created by Marion.  Well done Ted and Marion!

 

This show is a masterclass in organically driven story telling. The premise of the show is based on historical events. The compelling narrative is highlighted with creatively re-imagined, and expertly executed magical effects.

 

• All illusions, big and small, were masterfully performed.
• The story telling is equally as important and entertaining as the magic and illusions.
  
• There is a nice ratio of grand illusion, intimate magic, and mentalism.
• Marion has upped her game with fantastically executed magic!  (On top of sharing her superb dance and quick change talents.)

 

Kudos to Ted and Marion for going out of their way to right some wrongs for previous owners of the Keyhole house!

 

• We counted 14 volunteers.  Sitting at the back of the theatre provides little to no protection from being selected as a volunteer!
  
• While this is certainly a family-friendly show, this is NOT a show aimed at children.  There are some mature themes involved.  And the wee one behind us found the "séance" portion of the show a little bit frightening.
• The evening was a marvelous blend of historical story telling, mixed with masterful performances!
  

 

Possibly the only magic show based entirely on a slice of Canadian history.

 

We think you'll enjoy "Mysteries of the Keyhole House" as much as we did!

  Catch "Mysteries of the Keyhole House" in Ontario:  

• November 8, 2024 - River Run Centre, Guelph, ON
• December 31, 2024 - Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts, Oakville
• January 2-5, 2025 - Ottawa Little Theatre, Ottawa
• February 22, 2025 – Showplace Peterborough, Peterborough
• March 9, 10, 2025 - The Burlington Performing Arts Centre, Burlington
• March 15, 2025 - New Roads Performing Arts Centre, Newmarket

To learn more about this fabulous duo, listen to the Scott Wells' podcast 278: The Inner Secrets of the Outerbridges, visit their website at OuterbridgeMagic.com and follow them on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.  To learn more about The Keyhole House, follow its Instagram and Twitter accounts!

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.

 

From the October 28th Facebook post by the FirstOntario Peforming Arts Centre - St. Catharines:

Ted and Marion Outerbridge brought an outstanding and engaging magic show to Partridge Hall last week!

Mysteries of the Keyhole House was a show we'll never forget!

All photos by Joel Naphin / Music Life Magazine www.musiclifemagazine.net

 

 

 

Barrie: Enchanted Wonders holiday magic show [Dec 6 & 7]

From the October 31st Instagram post by Enchanted Wonders:

🎩✨ Experience holiday magic with the Enchanted Wonders Magic Show on December 6 at Barrie’s Georgian Theatre! Join Canada’s top magicians for an unforgettable, family-friendly evening filled with jaw-dropping illusions and holiday cheer. 🎄✨

 

 

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A post shared by Enchanted Wonders (@enchantedwondersmagic)

 

 

 

 

 

Toronto: Tricks and Treats by the Toronto Magic Company [Oct 30]

Tickets at Eventbrite.

 

From the October 22nd Instagram post by the Toronto Magic Company:

Looking for something fun to do with the family this Halloween?

We’ve got the perfect thing:

Balloon animals and delicious treats for the kids!
A costume contest (with prizes for everyone)!
And of course a mind-blowing family-friendly magic show!

Best of all it’s happening the night BEFORE Halloween - so you can still go trick or treating the next day!

HERE’S THE CATCH: the last two times we hosted a family Halloween show we had to turn people away because we ran out of seats! Don’t let that happen to you!

Get your tickets TODAY before they sell out!

 

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A post shared by Toronto Magic Company (@torontomagiccompany)