Toronto: Darcy Oake

From the Sony Centre For The Performing Arts:

Canadian master illusionist and sleight of hand artist Darcy Oake, makes his highly anticipated return to Canada this November and December with his acclaimed Edge of Reality tour following UK dates that wrap up in London’s prestigious Hammersmith Apollo. The Canadian tour includes appearances in Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver, and takes the award-winning illusionist back to his hometown of Winnipeg, MB on December 4 at the MTS Centre.

Darcy Oake has become a global sensation since his 2014 appearances on UK’s hugely successful television competition Britain’s Got Talent where he surpassed thousands of contestants to land among the show’s top ten finalists and win over 200 million viewers of the program worldwide. A YouTube clip showing Oake making doves seemingly appear out of nowhere, has garnered more than 52.5 million views alone. Watch the video HERE.

  

Darcy Oake, like his contemporaries David Blaine and Criss Angel, brings a fresh approach to a mysterious and ancient craft. With the Edge of Reality tour, Oake delivers an exhilarating, logic-bending, and contemporary adaptation of an art form that has puzzled and entertained for centuries.

Oake is the winner of multiple awards, including the coveted People’s Choice Gold Medal, which he received from the Pacific Coast Association of Magicians. Managed by Paquin Entertainment, he has since gone on to become an international magic champion and headlined at the iconic Magic Castle in Hollywood, made numerous international television appearances, including his own 1-hour Edge of Reality special on UK’s ITV, toured the globe and this Fall shares his passion for illusion in a new book Behind the Illusion, where he delves into secrets and history of classic illusions.

Sony Centre For The Performing Arts presents

DARCY OAKE EDGE OF REALITY WORLD TOUR

Saturday, November 14, 2015 @ 7:30PM

Sony Centre For The Performing Arts, 1 Front Street East, Toronto

Darcy Oake in Business Review Canada

You may remember the May post with the commercial in question.  Do you also remember that last year Wendy's did a magical ad campaign? 

From Business Review Canada:

In an attempt to get their new frozen chocolate drink noticed, the fast food company has decided to take part in a new marketing technique—a prank ad campaign. In short, Tim Hortons has implemented the act of levitation in attempt to get consumer’s attention.

The franchise’s new chocolate drink—which has arrived just in time for summer—can be seen alongside Canadian magician Darcy Oake and two local actors.

Read more.

Darcy Oake in the Nottingham Post

From the Nottingham Post:

As the latest series of Britain’s Got Talent draws to a close, Canadian magician is another contestant proving that you don’t need to win it for the show to kickstart your career. Kevin Cooper spoke to him ahead of a UK tour that includes his first date in Nottingham

It was a card trick his dad showed him when he was eight years old that set Darcy Oake on his journey into the world of magic and illusion.

Over here, we’d never heard of the Canadian until he appeared on last year’s Britain’s Got Talent but by that time he was already an international magic champion. At 16, he beat seasoned professionals at various events and ended up winning the coveted People’s Choice Gold Medal in Seattle.

Read more.

Canadian magic in The Globe and Mail

It's nice to see mentions of Brent Smith (Vanishing Rabbit), Zack Mirza (Illusions of Grandeur), Darcy Oake, Ron Keller, Shawn Farquhar, and Jeff Pinsky (The Browser's Den of Magic).

From The Globe and Mail:

As curio shops go, Brent Smith’s Vanishing Rabbit is all things magical. Attached to the ceiling is a series of old billboards advertising the greats through the ages – Houdini, Sorcar, Mandrake and a young Doug Henning as Chou Chou (pronounced Shoe Shoe), the clown who actually sold shoes for a living.

Inside Mr. Smith’s store, a creepy-looking Charlie McCarthy puppet sits above display cases filled with easy-to-perform tricks and novelties, including the ever-popular Fart Extinguisher.

“It’s a big hit with the kids,” Mr. Smith says as he emerges from behind a counter holding a deck of Svengali playing cards. “I sell a lot of cards, too. Magic is really hot right now.”

Read more.

Darcy Oake's Tim Hortons commercial

From Tim Hortons YouTube channel:

Darcy Oake passes through a bus wall

From Darcy Oake's YouTube channel:

Darcy Oake's Prairie tour

From Clive Court's Facebook page:

Post by Clive Court.

Darcy Oake's goal: to get Edge of Reality to air in other parts of the world

From the CBC:

A Winnipeg magician who rose to fame this spring is getting a lot of attention overseas again.      

Darcy Oake, who got his start on the stages of Britain’s Got Talent in April, premiered his first-ever television special this weekend.

Edge of Reality aired in the UK this weekend.

Oake said watching the special was surreal and rewarding.

“You get so close to your material that it's kind of hard to look at it as an outsider looking in, seeing it for the first time, but I was really happy with it,” said Oake. “I was really happy with how it turned out and it seemed to be well received, so it was all positive.”

Read more.

Darcy Oake: Edge of Reality Live Tour Trailer 2015

From Clive Court's Facebook page:

Post by Clive Court.

Update from Clive Court about the Darcy Oake ITV Christmas special

From Clive Court's Facebook page:

Post by Clive Court.

Darcy Oake touring in Canada

From Clive Court's Facebook page:

Post by Clive Court.

Also from Clive:

Post by Clive Court.

Darcy Oake: Edge of Reality

From the Blackpool Gazette:

After wowing the nation in this year’s Britain’s Got Talent – making it all the way to the final – illusionist Darcy Oake is back on our TV screens later this month with his very own one hour magic special filmed in Blackpool. 

Darcy Oake: Edge of Reality is hosted by Christine Bleakley and shot on stage at the historic Opera House.

The Canadian took to the stage on Saturday night to thrill the crowd as he performed some jaw-dropping illusions.

Billed as an “evening of breath-taking, logic-bending illusions in the grand old tradition of stage magic fused with Darcy’s modern twist”, it certainly did not disappoint.

Read more.

From Clive Court's Facebook page:

Post by Clive Court.


Also from Clive Court's Facebook page:

Post by Clive Court.


More from Clive Court's Facebook page:

Post by Clive Court.

From Clive Court's Facebook page:

Post by Clive Court.

Darcy Oake shocks audience!

From Metro: 

Magician Darcy Oake certainly doesn’t do things by halves. The daredevil Canadian is so determined to win Britain’s Got Talent that he put his own life at risk during the live show.

After being securely strapped in to a straight jacket, he was then suspended upside down above the stage in an open bear trap with just 53 seconds in which to escape. Oh, did we mention that rope holding the bear trap was on fire? 

Read more and watch video.

From CTV News:

WINNIPEG -- As Winnipeg magician Darcy Oake dangled upside-down and wriggled to escape a hinged trap with spikes that threatened to impale him, the audience members and judges of Saturday's finale of "Britain's Got Talent" were on the edge of their seats.

Oake, 26, debuted on the variety show contest with a dazzling display of slight-of-hand [sic] tricks with doves, which wowed even notoriously blunt judge Simon Cowell.

Read more. 

Victoria Ahearn on Darcy Oake

Victoria Ahearn of The Canadian Press has a piece run in The Toronto Star, the National Post and on CTV News.

From The Toronto Star:

Winnipeg magician Darcy Oake says he’s planning “a very dangerous piece” for Saturday’s finale of Britain’s Got Talent as he competes for the top prize.

“The way we’re doing it, it’s risky — big time,” the 26-year-old said this week in a telephone interview from London. “But I feel like each piece needs to be bigger than the last one, and this is kind of the only way to close out the show for me.”

Read more.

Darcy Oake through to the BGT Final

From Clive Court's Facebook page:

Post by Clive Court.

Darcy Oake on foreign acts

From the Daily Mail:

But as he prepares to perform live tonight, the 26-year-old said he could accept the point of view that only Britons should be allowed to compete. 

[Darcy] Oake said: 'I totally understand and get that viewpoint. For me, Britain's got talent is literally the biggest talent show in the world. 

Read more.

From Clive Court's Facebook page:

Post by Clive Court.



Best wishes Darcy!

Darcy Oake makes second BGT appearance tonight

From Clive Court's Facebook page:

Post by Clive Court.

Darcy Oake says thanks!

Watch a YouTube video of Darcy Oake thanking his Britain's Got Talent fans for their support:



[via iTricks]

Darcy Oake at Got Talent

Updated April 20th to add:

• Britain’s Got Talent magician Darcy Oake frustrates David Walliams with brilliant illusions!
• GORGEOUS Darcy Oake the BEST Britain’s Got Talent magician yet!
• Watch his performance on YouTube:

From Telly Mix:

Darcy Oake performs an impossible trick on Britain’s Got Talent 2014 tonight… winning over Simon Cowell.

The magician – from Canada – goes on stage with an impressive a sleight of hand illusion with doves, a bird cage and a finale at the end where a woman appears from nowhere. 

He leaves the audience, the judges and Ant and Dec speechless, with David Walliams gushing: “I think you’re the best magician I’ve seen on the show.”

Amanda Holden adds: “The most important thing about magic is making us believe the impossible is possible and you just did that.”

Finally, even Simon is won over as he says: “You are without question the best magician we’ve had on the show.”

Read more.

Darcy Oake at the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre

From the Winnipeg Free Press:

For the first time in his 15-year-career, Winnipeg illusionist Darcy Oake will literally be playing with reality.

He'll hang by his ankles five metres above the ground, bound by a straitjacket. Reality will be waiting -- with giant metal jaws held open by a piece of burning rope -- to devour him if he doesn't get out in time.

"It's a race-against-time type of effect," says Oake, 24, who will perform the stunt at three shows at the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre this Thursday and Friday.

Escaping Reality is his first full-scale solo show in his hometown. It's also a benefit to raise money and awareness for the Bruce Oake Memorial Fund. 

Read more.