I've been involved in magic for nearly 30 years, and yet in those 3 decades I had never put together a complete show. In the summer of 2024 that finally changed. With the encouragement of our own Mahdi Gilbert, I set out to create my first show. A show about how and why I became a magician.
In my lecture this month I'm going to dissect my show for you.
This was our first trip to FirstOntario Concert Hall.
It is a lovely theatre with 2 levels of balconies and a seating capacity of
just over 2000.
There is a 6 level parking garage across from the theatre (be prepared to
pay event pricing!) and quite a few surface lots within easy walking
distance.
The theatre staff were super helpful, professional, and generally
fabulous!
The show is about approximately 2 hours in length, including a 15 minute
intermission.
As always with this show we are genuinely afraid of posting spoilers.
The less you know going in, the more you'll enjoy it!
FirstOntario Concert Hall, Hamilton ON
On with the show...
Note to parents of young children: The music can be very loud
at times throughout the show. There are also smoke and fog machines
involved. Forewarned is forearmed.
There's a videographer on hand
to capture close-up miracles and project them on a big screen so everyone
can see!
It is always a treat to see Champions of Magic!
Pre-show vibes
There were plenty of children in the audience. Many people in the
audience had seen the show at least once before. Some of the
children brought their own RL/GL props! (IYKYK.)
They've added spectacular lightwalls upstage which add to the ambience of
the set.
The show is very different from the ones we've seen previously*. There
are significant changes in both the cast, and the structure of the
production. *Toronto
2018,
Oshawa
2019, Kitchener 2022, and Toronto 2023
For those who have enjoyed the shows they've presented in the past, not to
worry! They have retained some of their cornerstone
crowd-pleasers!
Some of the new segments are bound be become future cornerstone
crowd-pleasers!
Significant parts of the show consist of imaginative narrative brought to
life through full ensemble numbers.
There are also plenty of moments for each of the acts to shine as solo
performers.
There was LOTS audience participation with both children and adults!
By our count, 13 volunteers were involved. Many of the volunteers were
able to do so from the comfort of their seats. A lucky few were
brought on stage for a fully immersive show experience!
Some notes on volunteer handling. (Regular readers will recall that
we pay close attention to the
treatment
of
audience volunteers.) We were particularly impressed when:
- Velasco went searching for a child to bring on stage. The first
kid he asked, declined. Velasco didn't miss a beat and quickly found
someone else. Additionally, Velasco informed the selected volunteer
in advance what was going to happen, and then asked for her consent to
continue.
We think more kids were interested in helping out after that.
They got the sense that they weren't going to be pressured into doing
something they didn't want to do.
- At one point Young and Strange also required two children to
volunteer. These kids were also treated with respect and weren't
talked down to in any way. In fact, Strange broke character for a
brief moment and instantly put the boys at ease. It was as if he
manifested the same child wrangling superpowers gifted to elementary
school teachers, and parents of young children. This
segment of the the show
ends with the volunteers receiving tremendous audience applause!
Well
done team!
The show was visually stunning!
Whether you're new to magic or are a professional magician, there's
something for everyone!
Larsen showcased talents we'd not previously seen in a Champions of Magic
show. She has a very creative style that delivers personal and
refreshing takes on some classics of magic. As an added bonus for
magicians, she spent a little bit of time talking about her magical
family. This provided a springboard for captivating and organic
storytelling, punctuated with magical effects.
Velasco succeeded in breathtaking, heart-stopping stunts both large and
small. In addition to having the audience on the edge if their seats,
he also performed some head-scratching miracles at a smaller scale. It
will surprise you not, that one of this escape artist's effects conjures the
name Harry Houdini.
Young and Strange are always delightful! Even when (and in some cases especially when) they
are bickering, they are very compelling. One can't help but get caught
up in the fun they are having! Both individually, and together as a
double act, they consistently deliver impressive sleight of hand, laugh out
loud comedy, and a truly exhilarating exhibition of grand illusion.
Since we last saw them in 2023 they've introduced some pieces of magic that
were both very impressive and thoroughly entertaining. They get bonus
points for mentioning Canadian born magician Dai Vernon. Additionally
we were treated to video clips featuring Siegfried & Roy, and
David Copperfield. (It goes without saying that Young's
homage to David Copperfield Easter egg is still in the show.)
The magic is excellent. Most importantly, the show is wonderfully entertaining.
The acts and the scripts are a work in progress and continue to be
thoughtfully curated, updated, and revised. (Bonus points for
inserting both current affairs and localized content!)
This was our fifth time seeing Champions of Magic and we enjoyed it every
bit as much as the previous incarnations.
We highly recommend it! (Even if you've seen it before.)
Final bows with Sam Strange, Liberty Larsen, Fernando Velasco, and Richard
Young
Post-show vibes
Disclosure: We 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.
With thanks to Champions of Magic for the tickets.
Experience spectacular magic shows, hands-on workshops, fun science
experiments, and a lively market with 20+ stalls! A perfect event for families
and magic lovers! 👨👩👧👦✨
MISDIRECTION – An Unbelievable Night of Comedy & Magic! Grab your tickets now!! Get ready for a mind-bending night of magic, mentalism, and laughter with MISDIRECTION—a show where reality bends, thoughts are stolen, and the impossible becomes possible! This 19+ event, produced by FunnyPeople.ca, brings together two of Canada’s most mesmerizing and hilarious performers for an unforgettable evening that will leave you amazed, entertained, and questioning everything you thought you knew.
Featuring the magic and mentalism of:
Canada's top Mentalist, Ryan Edwards @mentalism.ca
This brand new event combines 12 of the greatest magicians from 6 different
countries along with professional comedians, actors, and improv specialists
chosen as our guides to help you navigate the secrets of Uptown Waterloo.
In
conjunction with the limited ticketed tours, you can come and find the best
outdoor street magicians, characters and other interactive shenanigans, all
free to the public.
Mike D’Urzo brings magic, mentalism, and illusion to the stage in a way you've never seen before! Prepare to enter the depths of your subconscious as Mike bends reality, defies logic, and leaves you questioning everything you thought was possible.
Prepare for an unforgettable experience that will leave you saying, “How did he do that?”
Don't miss the mind-bending show of a lifetime! Purchase tickets now: https://bit.ly/3C6lJm7
I’m excited to headline this show happening February 21st at 7:30pm! I’ve been
developing a full 1hr stand up magic show and will be performing a small piece
of it here. Get a sneak peek into my chaotic magic mind, it will be a night
you won’t forget!
Join us for this inspiring talk by our guest Doug Hunt… High Hopes: The Ups and Downs of Breaking a Guinness World Record. Doug shares his 27-year journey toward international recognition for his stilt walking accomplishments and achieving your dreams.
Rob Fishbaum: “Fish the Magish” is known for his witty magic style, resembling that of Las Vegas magician Mac King. His act is full of laughs, audience participation, and absolutely amazing magic tricks. His sold-out show was an absolute hit at the Toronto Fringe this past year, so here is your chance to see him!
Ken Pham: He is a viral social media magician who has taken his act from behing the screen to the live stage. He’s performed all over Canada, and even in Las Vegas! His show is full of illusions, mind reading, and a whole lot of laughter!
💌 You’re invited to a very special Valentine’s Cabaret! Join us for an
unforgettable evening filled with a variety of live performances, from magic
to burlesque.
With two seating times, you can choose the perfect
time to enjoy the show.
Chung has been a magician for over two decades with a love for close-up and cards. Though he's mostly stayed out of the spotlight, he has played a big part in crafting the Montreal magic scene into what it is today.
...
Slim is the founder of the Slim Card Co. In 2012, after meeting with a retired Las Vegas hustler who showed him the works on card trimming, he started making gaff playing cards and dice for magicians who needed that little extra special for their performances.
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Their work has appeared in the UK magazine Operandi, and they were both featured in Issue 1 of Conundrum.
You won't want to miss this one. As we were organizing this event, Chung said to us recently, “I don't want to give full details because like a magic show, we like to build a little mystery into the thing.” Shhhhhhhh!
