From the September 2nd Instagram post by AGT Auditions:
KAMERON MARSHALL is heading to the semifinals!
From the September 12th Facebook post by friends of the blog, Young & Strange:
Catch us LIVE next week on the Semi-Finals of @agt
Be ready to vote!!
Updated August 30th to add:
A Week in the Life of Champions (of Magic) -- part 3 of 3
Behind the Scenes (Toronto, Dec 2025)
Every company member maintained hyper-focus during performances. The cast and stagehands, for obvious reasons. Technicians made real-time updates to the video based on volunteer input. In addition to being responsible for the atmosphere of the show, Sound, Lighting, and Automation, were also integral to making the magic happen. Losing focus is not an option. Twice I observed the crews’ hypervigilance come to the rescue.
Continue reading this password protected (clue below*) article.
* Password clue:
- Canadian magician who appeared on The Muppet Show
- Additional clue for our UK readers, this magician also ran as a candidate for the Natural Law Party in England in the early 90s.
- Format: Firstname_Lastname
Need a refresher on the earlier parts? Have a look at part 1 and part 2 (password protected with the same password).
For tickets and more information, visit ChampionsOfMagicTour.com
Keep an eye out for Young & Strange this Fall on the AGT Quarter Finals!
From the July 24th Instagram post by Champions of Magic:
Champions Of Magic now runs through September 2 — but that's it! There just isn't enough confetti left in the Midwest for the show to run any longer than that.
An abridged version of this article first appeared in VANISH Magic Magazine. Republished with permission.
Updated July 10th to add:
--
Continued from Part 1 where we learned about Load-In, the Technical Run, The Run, and Pre-show activities.
A Week in the Life of Champions (of Magic) -- part 2 of 3
The Show - Champions of Magic: Holiday Spectacular (Toronto, Dec 2025)
I have seen five iterations of Champions of Magic including their 2018 Toronto debut. Fernando Velasco, Richard Young and Sam Strange (as Young & Strange) were part of the 2018 cast. Only three carryovers from that show remain.
Continue reading this password protected (clue below*) article.
* Password clue:
- Canadian magician who appeared on The Muppet Show
- Additional clue for our UK readers, this magician also ran as a candidate for the Natural Law Party in England in the early 90s.
- Format: Firstname_Lastname
For tickets and more information, visit ChampionsOfMagicTour.com
An abridged version of this article first appeared in VANISH Magic Magazine. Republished with permission.
From the May 30th Instagram post by Champions of Magic:
Updated June 26th to add:
--
Wherein we share some trivia about a cast member, take a good look at the behind the scenes effort involved in putting on the show, and take a bit of a tangent in order to drop Alan Hudson's name.
A Week in the Life of Champions (of Magic) -- part 1 of 3
On a cold and grey December day, I met up with the Champions of Magic crew at the Bluma Appel Theatre in downtown Toronto.
My mission: to shadow the company from load-in to load-out, for their 13 day Toronto stay.
I was unable to attend two of the days and four of the days were statutory holidays. Allow me to take some liberties with the timeline and present to you what I learned spending A Week in the Life of Champions (of Magic).
Continue reading this password protected (clue below*) article.
* Password clue:
- Canadian magician who appeared on The Muppet Show
- Additional clue for our UK readers, this magician also ran as a candidate for the Natural Law Party in England in the early 90s.
- Format: Firstname_Lastname
For tickets and more information, visit ChampionsOfMagicTour.com
An abridged version of this article first appeared in last month's issue of VANISH Magic Magazine (May 2026 #142, pgs 48 - 53). Republished with permission.
Read Part 2 in this month's issue of
VANISH (June 2026 #143, pgs 48 - 53)
From the May 30th Instagram post by Champions of Magic:
Catch them in Toronto until January 4. Tickets at Ticketmaster.ca
Yesterday, we made the trek to the Bluma Appel Theatre in Toronto.
Bluma Appel Theatre at the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts
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!
They made some bold choices, that served them well!
Whether you're new to magic or are a professional magician, there's something for everyone!
Larsen and Strange each did a particularly good job of staying in the moment and working with the unique 'gifts' this audience provided.
We highly recommend it!
(Even if you've seen it before.)
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.
Updated December 9th to add:
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.
Learn more about Champions of Magic at ChampionsOfMagicTour.com and follow them on
Facebook, and
Instagram.
Listen to Richard Young and Alan Hudson interview Shawn Farquhar on the What's Going On? channel of the Magicians' Podcast Network (also available on Apple Podcasts (listen for free on a 3 day trial)).
From the October 17th Facebook post by Shawn Farquhar:
Such a fun afternoon hanging out and chatting with Richard Young and Alan Hudson.
From the October 24th Instagram post by The Magicians' Podcast Network:
OUT NOW! The 2009 FISM Grand Prix Champion for Close-Up Magic Shawn Farquhar (@magichampion) joins Young & Hudson today.
Topics discussed:
His incredible 32 year long run as a cruise ship magician
How and why he transitioned from Cruise ships to his own theatre Hidden Wonders.
the harsh realities of running your own theatre.
The opportunities that came from winning FISM.
His thoughts on originality and theft of material.
Also Shawn answers 20 Magic Questions.
Listen to Richard Young and Alan Hudson interview Gabriella Lester on the What's Going On? channel of the Magicians' Podcast Network (also available on Apple Podcasts (listen for free on a 3 day trial)).
From the September 26th Instagram post by The Magicians' Podcast Network:
OUT NOW! Joining Young & Hudson today is Canada’s Gabriella Lester, the insanely talented 21 year old already carving a path for herself on the highest level.
Topics Discussed:
- Gabriella talks about how she landed the job of associate producer on Fool Us.
- She also talks about her latest role in the upcoming Now You See Me Live show.
- And the hosts discuss Penn & Teller finally being allowed into the Magic Circle.
PLUS: Gabriella answers 20 Magic Questions.
Previously shared on Facebook August 25th.
From the August 25th Instagram post by Gabriella Lester:
Sophie Lloyd
You may remember that almost 5 years ago on May 27, 2020 the CBC radio show
As It Happens discussed some earlier goings on at The Magic
Circle.
From the Jenny Winstanley interview at As it Happens transcripts:
It was a major to-do about a major ta-dah. In 1991, The Magic Circle — the prestigious British organization of illusionists -- voted to allow women to become members. At which point one of its members — Raymond Lloyd — revealed he had something up his sleeve. A woman's arm. Raymond Lloyd was, in fact, Sophie Lloyd. For two years, she had pretended to be a young male magician. No one noticed. Unfortunately, illusionists apparently don't like to have their illusions shattered. So when Raymond announced he was actually Sophie, she was booted out of the Magic Circle — despite its new policy allowing women. Still, it was a triumph. Not just for Ms. Lloyd, who was just pretending to be a magician. But also for Jenny Winstanley, who actually was a magician. And had taught Sophie Lloyd everything she knew, so they could pull off the remarkable trick. In 1991, As It Happens reached the women at a party celebrating their magic moment. Here's Michael Enright, speaking, first, with Jenny Winstanley.
Read more.
We're delighted to read today at the BBC, that Sophie Lloyd has been granted membership into The Magic Circle.
From the April 24th article "Woman who tricked her way into men-only Magic Circle finally allowed in" by Grace Dean at
BBC News:
A magician who tricked her way into the Magic Circle is finally being granted membership - 34 years after she was kicked out.
Sophie Lloyd says she disguised herself as a man to fool examiners into letting her join the elite society in 1991, at a time female magicians were not allowed to be members.
When the Circle announced it was permitting women to join later that year, Ms Lloyd revealed her deception, prompting the society to expel her at the very same meeting it admitted its first female magicians.
Doug Henning at The Fabulous Fox Theater in St. Louis.
From the April 24th Facebook post at Canada's Magic:
A gift from our friends at Champions of Magic!
This photo was taken from the backstage wall at the The Fabulous Fox Theater in St. Louis.
Neil McNally at The Doug Henning Project, has a photo of Doug performing at this theatre circa 1985:
https://doughenningproject.com/2021/04/14/1985-fox-theater-st-louis-dancing-handkerchief-photo/
Neil has also posted this photo, but does not have information about the year it was created, or the tour to which it belongs.
https://doughenningproject.com/2017/07/07/backstage-pass/
📸 : Richard Young
(Young & Strange | The Magicians' Podcast Network)
You can catch Richard Young as part of Young & Strange in Champions Of Magic in Canada:
- May 7-9: Victoria BC, Royal Theatre
- May 11-12: Calgary AB, Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium,
- May 20-22: Vancouver BC, Queen Elizabeth Theatre
with a rumoured December booking in Kingston!
- Dec 14: Kingston ON, Slush Puppie Place
Check ChampionsofMagicTour.com for updates.
Thanks for sending this along to us Richard Young!
Have a listen this excerpt from most recent episode of the What's Going On? podcast which is part of the Magicians' Podcast Network (spotify link) (Apple Podcasts link), where nice things are said about Alexandra Burgio's performance on Britain's Got Talent!
Congratulations Alexandra!
From the April 18th Instagram reel on The Magicians' Podcast Network:
Alexandra Burgio’s huge BGT YouTube numbers.
Western Canada, don't miss your chance to catch
Champions of Magic -- Chasing the Unbelievable
in May!
Last week, we made the trek to the FirstOntario Concert Hall in Hamilton.
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!
Whether you're new to magic or are a professional magician, there's something for everyone!
The magic is excellent.
Most importantly, the show is wonderfully entertaining.
We highly recommend it!
(Even if you've seen it before.)
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.
Don't take our word for it, see what others are saying in the April 3rd
Instagram post by Champions of Magic:
