Showing posts with label Fernando Velasco. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fernando Velasco. Show all posts

08 November 2025

Toronto: Champions of Magic -- Holiday Spectacular [Dec 27 - 28]

Tickets at Starvox Entertainment. 

 

From the November 6th Facebook post by Starvox Entertainment: 

✨ They’re back, Toronto! ✨
Get ready for Champions Of Magic: Holiday Spectacular - in Toronto for 2 nights only at the Bluma Appel Theatre, December 27 & 28! 🎩🎄 

 

Previously shared on Facebook November 6. 

 

Read our thoughts about the 2025 Champions of Magic show "Chasing the Unbelievable" in Hamilton:

It is always a treat to see
Champions of Magic!


Random thoughts about Champions of Magic 

 

 

Read our interviews with the cast:

Liberty Larsen  (2024)
Sam Strange  (2023)
Fernando Velasco  (2023)
and
Richard Young   (2024)

 
Learn more about Champions of Magic at ChampionsOfMagicTour.com and follow them on Facebook, and Instagram.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted by Canada's Magic at 12:05 AM 0 comments
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05 April 2025

Random thoughts about "Champions of Magic -- Chasing the Unbelievable" 2025

Western Canada, don't miss your chance to catch Champions of Magic -- Chasing the Unbelievable in May!
 

  Remaining Canadian dates:  


 

Last week, we made the trek to the FirstOntario Concert Hall in Hamilton.

  • 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.

  • Liberty Larsen, Fernando Velasco, Richard Young and Sam Strange all do what they do very well! 

  • 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.

 

 

  Remaining Canadian Dates 

 

Read our interviews with the cast:

 
Learn more about Champions of Magic at ChampionsOfMagicTour.com and follow them on Facebook, and Instagram. 



Champions of Magic 'Chasing the Unbelievable' tour


 

 

Don't take our word for it, see what others are saying in the April 3rd Instagram post by Champions of Magic:

 

 

 

 

 

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23 November 2024

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":

 

Champions of Magic 'Chasing the Unbelievable' tour 
 
 

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.  

 


Champions of Magic 'Chasing the Unbelievable' tour


 

 

 


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18 October 2024

Ottawa: Champions of Magic [Nov 13 - 16]

Rumoured additional 2024 - 2025 dates in Victoria, Vancouver, Calgary, Hamilton, Kingston, Halifax, Moncton, Pickering, Thunder Bay, Sudbury, London, and Montreal!  

Keep an eye on ChampionsOfMagic.co.uk for the most up to date information.

 

Read our thoughts about
their 2023 show in Toronto:

TLDR: So. Much. Fun!

Random thoughts about
"Champions of Magic"

 

From the October 12th Instagram post by Champions of Magic:

We're back on the road in just over 4 weeks, with a LOT of new magic! As in... basically a whole new show. So anything can happen. But in the immortal words of Harry Houdini "If at first you don't succeed, try it three nights later in Ottawa".

 

 

 

 

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29 December 2023

Random thoughts about "Champions of Magic" 2023

Catch Champions of Magic in Toronto, until December 31st.  Tickets at Ticketmaster.  

  Additional Canadian dates:  
Check the Champions of Magic website for updates.


 

Yesterday afternoon, KOP and I made the trek to Toronto's Meridian Hall.  

  • The last time we were at Meridian Hall it was called the Sony Centre and it was to see Darcy Oake's show "Edge of Reality" in 2015.  (Although we're still likely to refer to it as the O'Keefe Centre or possibly even the Hummingbird Centre.)
  • All of the theatre staff were super helpful, professional, and generally fabulous! 
  • While not mandatory, a good number of the patrons and ushers were masked.
  • The show is about an hour for the first half, with a 16 minute intermission, and about an hour in the second half.
  • As always with this show I am genuinely afraid of posting spoilers.  The less you know going in, the more you'll enjoy it.

 

 

On with the show...

Note to parents of young children:  The music can be very loud at times throughout the show.  There's also a smoke machine involved.  Forewarned is forearmed.

There's a videographer on hand to capture close-up miracles and project them nice and big on a screen so everyone can see!

(In yesterday's show, there were three screens in play.  One on the main stage and one each to the left and right of the stage.)

 

 

Regular readers of the blog have probably guessed that this would be our summary of the show:

So. Much. Fun!


  • The audience arrived ready for a fun time.  There were plenty of children in the audience and some families came in from as far as Bomanville to catch the show!  They were rooting for the performers from the get-go and the cast had the crowd eating out of their hands by the end of the show!
     
  • It felt like there was an exponential increase in production values for this run, in comparison to the shows we've seen previously.  There were more lights, the lights did fancier things, and there were additions to the sound track that really enhanced the visuals.  (And for those in the know, yes, the fun extra bits are still there too.)

  • There was a unexpected change in cast.  We were crushed when we learned that Alex McAleer was unable to do the show.  We were really looking forward to getting another look at his beautifully constructed homage to Keller that we first saw in Kitchener last year. 
     
  • Stepping in for McAleer was Kent Axell.  This was our first time seeing Axell and we were very impressed!

  • Hollie England, Kent Axell, Fernando Velasco, Richard Young and Sam Strange all do what they do very well! 

If memory serves, there are no standard card tricks in the show!
  • This show is very different from the one presented in Oshawa in 2019, and significantly different than the one mounted in Toronto in 2018.  Much of the content is similar to the 2022 show we saw in Kitchener, with the added bonus that with every passing year, the cast are more authentic and the show feels more organic.  Which translates to a demonstrable increase in entertainment value!
     
  • There are several whole cast moments, which make the show less of a patchwork piece and more of a thoughtfully woven production.

  • There's LOTS audience participation with both children and adults!  By our count, 16 volunteers were involved.

  • The show is absolutely visually stunning!

Whether you're new to magic or are a professional magician, there's something for everyone!
  • Axell demonstrated some baffling mentalism and his 9 year old volunteer James was an absolute star!

  • England showcased a strong skill set and talent that is intensely theatrical!  She really brought the heat (through fire!) in her set and I'll never look at a cup of tea the same way again.
     
  • For those who have seen the show already, not to worry!  The cornerstone crowd-pleasers are still in the show, tweaked and refined!

  • Aerialist Michelle Mazzarella amazed and dazzled from above.

  • Velasco succeeded in breathtaking, heart-stopping escapes and then some.  Even though I've seen him do many of these things before, everything he does makes me nervous!

  • Young and Strange have carefully pruned their wonderful grand illusions and introduced some new things in their place.  Even after having seen them perform a similar set thrice before, Young and Strange are remarkably entertaining to watch.  One can't help but get caught up in the fun they are having on stage!  Their collaborative piece with Velasco  has a very strong audience reaction.  As a bonus, they were able to stage a couple of effects we'd read about on social media but had never seen them perform live.  It was well worth the wait to see it live on stage!


While excellent magic is at the core of this experience, it's clear that the focus is providing a fabulously entertaining evening.

They definitely hit their mark!


  • This was the fourth time seeing the show in the last 5 years and we were thoroughly entertained!  There are so many moments of joyous laughter, and periods of being completely enthralled in the spectacle.

  • It is clear that the acts and the scripts are a work in progress and continue to be thoughtfully curated, updated, and revised.  It gets better every time!
      
We highly recommend it!
(Even if you've seen it before.)

 

 

 

Disclosure:  KOP and I were guests at this show. The opinions expressed above are entirely my own. I did not receive compensation for the writing or the publishing of this article.

With thanks to Starvox Entertainment for the tickets.

 

 

  Champions of Magic  

Champions of Magic is touring across Canada in 2023 - 2024:

Check the Champions of Magic website for updates.

 

Read our 2023 interviews with:

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



Champions of Magic Worldwide Wonders Tour


 

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23 December 2023

Toronto: American Sign Language interpreted magic show [Dec 28]

They first offered this for their show in 2018.  Nice to see it available again!

 

From the December 18th Facebook post by Starvox Entertainment:

Champions Of Magic in Toronto will have an ASL interpreted performance on Thursday, December 28 at 8:00pm!

TO Live and Starvox Entertainment are happy to offer the following access measures:
ASL interpreted performance: Thursday, December 28 at 8:00pm.

The performance will be ASL interpreted by Amanda Hyde and David Bell-Patterson.

Please contact the TO Live box office by phone at 416-366-7723 or 1-800-708-6754, or by email at boxoffice@tolive.com to book tickets with an optimal view of the ASL interpreters.
🎟️ bit.ly/3teaOSZ
👉 Champions Of Magic Access Guide
👉 Champions Of Magic Pre-Show Audio Notes
👉 Email boxoffice@tolive.com to book tickets with an optimal view of the ASL interpreters

 

 

 

  Champions of Magic  

Catch Champions of Magic touring across Canada in 2023 - 2024:

Check the Champions of Magic website for updates.

 

Read our 2023 interviews with:


 

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



Champions of Magic Worldwide Wonders Tour


 

 

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13 December 2023

Toronto: Win tickets to see "Champions of Magic" on December 30th, 2023

Great news folks! We have been offered tickets to give away to our readers, for Champions of Magic in Toronto, Canada.


Champions of Magic in Toronto


Prepare to be enchanted this holiday season with Champions of Magic. Brace yourself, for a heart-pounding escape from Houdini's legendary water torture cell, predictions that will leave you questioning reality itself, and gravity-defying levitation acts that will have you floating high above the stage in pure amazement. And when you think you've seen it all, the grand finale will defy explanation leaving you in sheer disbelief!

Toronto don't miss this chance to witness the extraordinary and become part of the magic phenomenon as of December 27!



Read our 2023 interviews with:

 

Their run starts on December 27th and has just been extended to the 31st.  If you don't want to leave your tickets to chance, you can purchase them directly at TicketMaster.


There will be a random draw for one (1) family pack of tickets for the show on December 30th at noon, 2023.  

  • There will be one (1) winner.
  • The prize consists of a family pack of four (4) tickets. (Approximate retail value of $250.)  
  • The draw results will be posted by Saturday, December 23rd.



To enter:

  1. Log into the RaffleCopter widget at the bottom of this post, using a valid email address.
     
  2. Mandatory: Leave a comment in the widget, telling us:
    a) what trick or illusion you enjoy doing so much you'd be happy to perform it every day for a year, and
    b) for how many years you've been performing it.
     
  3. If you win, you must be willing to provide your name, email address, and phone number, so that a representative from Champions of Magic can coordinate the prize with Lighthouse Immersive box office.

  4. Winners will be notified by email.  You will have 24 hours to claim your prize.  If we have not heard back from you within 24 hours, your entry will be disqualified and we will draw an additional name.



The fine print:
  • To participate in the contest, you must be 18 years of age or older.

  • One entry per person.

  • This giveaway is open to Canadian residents, excluding residents of Quebec. (Je m'excuse!)

  • This giveaway is void where prohibited by law.

  • This giveaway may be terminated or withdrawn at any time.

  • Entries may be disqualified at any time (reasons for disqualification include but are not limited to the provision of information that is untruthful, inaccurate, incomplete, or suspected fraudulent behaviour).

  • You must be able to use the tickets as offered.  (No cash value will be offered if you cannot use the tickets.)

  • Transportation to/from Toronto will not be provided.

  • Accommodations will not be provided.

  • Photo ID will be required to claim the tickets at the the Meridian Hall box office prior to the show on your way into the theatre.

  • The odds of winning depend on how many people enter the contest.

  • Contest closes on Wednesday December the 20th, 2023 at 11:59pm ET.  Entries received after this time will be disqualified.


 

With thanks to Starvox Entertainment for generously making these tickets available to you!

 






 




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02 December 2023

A peek behind the curtain with Fernando Velasco [2023]

This is the fifth in a series of interviews leading up to the Champions of Magic Worldwide Wonder Tour Canadian dates in:

Additional rumoured locations include cities in BC and NS!  Check the Champions of Magic website for updates.

Read our thoughts about their 2022 show:

TLDR: So. Much. Fun!

Random thoughts about "Champions of Magic" 

 

You may also know Fernando Velasco as the winner of the 2018 Junior Achievement Award at The Magic Castle.



We're delighted to interview Fernando ahead of his Canadian Champions of Magic Worldwide Wonder Tour dates!


A peek behind the curtain with Fernando Velasco


 
We were fortunate to see Champions of Magic in three times in the past five years.  Your part in the show changed significantly from year to year.  In fact the 2022 experience was very different from the first time we saw you in Toronto in 2018. 

When you have an audience tested, well-received show, what drives you to modify and advance your act?

I’m not sure what the motivation  factor is; I love entertaining, I love making changes to try and find the best possible version of the acts to share with audiences, It’s also a way to keep it fresh, even if its just little changes to the script that’s enough to keep us engaged and in search for the perfect/most genuine presentation.
 



Have you studied any magic-adjacent disciplines? 

Recently I’ve been studying writing and storytelling, I think it’s definitely helped me give my magic some meaning. Hopefully sharing stories that might mean something to people and might make them FEEL something… A feeling is what I’m currently after.
 
I also spend a lot of time analyzing other artists from a variety of different disciplines just trying to learn anything I can from them; Michael Jackson, Tom Cruise, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Robbie Williams, Andrew Lloyd Webber, and Pixar.
 


Cutting it close!

Cutting it close!
 
 
 
 
Do you remember the specific moment when you knew you could or wanted to perform magic full time?

YES, the moment I joined The Magic Castle Junior Society and debuted at 14 years old during Future Stars of Magic Week in 2012 -- that was the moment I knew I had found my entertaining vehicle. There was no looking back.
 

 
 
What is your most memorable performance misadventure? 

Hahahah might be too soon...  (Darkest day of my career.)

Once upon a time in Houston, Texas, (Richard) Young, (Sam) Strange, and myself had a catastrophic prop malfunction in a part of the show we do together.

I wish I could tell you that we played it off and walked off stage like heroes, but we did not.

First, we were exposed to 1/3 of the audience (being generous with ourselves), then Young fled the scene leaving me and Strange alone on stage to finish the act... to which the act finale also failed.

In other words, NOTHING worked… it was like a scene out of Magic Gone Wrong.  
 


 
What sets Champions of Magic apart from other touring ensemble magic shows?

First the insane production level, it blows any other touring magic show in North America out of the water.

Second, our interactions with each other, the way the show intertwines with all of us and our collaborative routines.

We are a cast rather than four ensemble acts, that’s really unique.    



After a quick dip in the water tank.

After a quick dip in the water tank.

 



Do you have any guilty pleasures while on tour?

My biggest guilty pleasure is food, I love food, and I'm lucky to  share this pleasure  with my great friend Richie (Young). Sharing meals together tends to be a highlight of the day haha. As well as riding Birdies (electric scooters) around cities.
One imagines that it’s sometimes hard to leave the comforts of your home for a lengthy tour.  Do you bring a special something from home with you? 

I really love touring, it's our life.

But touring can be hard, it can get lonely. You are in a bubble for months in which nothing enters or leaves, it's like we are isolated from the real world…

I wear bracelets that friends and family give me, I wear them all the time, it's my way of keeping a part of loved ones near all the time.

 

 

Is there anything else you’d like to share with the readers of Canada’s Magic?

Best version of Champions of Magic is on its way. We hope you come to the shows and enjoy them as much as we do.  





Thank you Fernando, for making the time to answer our questions!

 

Learn more about Fernando at FernandoV.net and follow him on Facebook, and Instagram. 

 

  Champions of Magic  

Catch Fernando in Champions of Magic touring across Canada in 2023 - 2024:

Additional rumoured locations include cities in BC and NS!  Check the Champions of Magic website for updates.

 

Read our 2023 interviews with:




Read our 2022 interviews with the cast:

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



Champions of Magic Worldwide Wonders Tour


 

 

 
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