Canada's Magic: Steve Valentine

Showing posts with label Steve Valentine. Show all posts

30 June 2022

Jokers is serious about comedy

Random thoughts about Jokers Comedy Club.

Located in Richmond Hill Jokers Comedy Club is the 905's only permanent comedy club and the GTA's newest. They will feature not only stand-up comedy, but also magic, tribute concerts, live-band karaoke, jazz, drag, and much more variety. Jokers is owned by Dave Curran and Steve Esfandiar Kalantar (from Yuk Yuks).

Thursday night, KOP and I had the pleasure of attending the fantastic soft open of Jokers. Congratulations Dave and Steve!

Here are some random thoughts about our evening:

Capacity:
The venue currently seats 180 and will soon have a capacity of 220.

Food and drinks:
Food and bar service is available throughout all shows. Have a look at their menu.

Le petit chef:
This needs to be experienced to be believed!

(from the Jokers website)
"An exquisite 5-course dinner crafted by our Chef Andrew Tarnowski and Le Petit Chef comes to life through a fun and engaging 3D animation on your dining table."

Washrooms:
Washrooms are single occupancy, "all gender" rooms on the main floor. (No stairs to climb!) As an added bonus, you can hear the show inside them.

Accessibility:
Once you've made it up the concrete curb from the pavement to the sidewalk the venue is wheelchair accessible.

It is a cozy theatre, spacious enough to seat close to 200 people without feeling crammed.
Take a peek inside.
All the seats provide an excellent view of the stage. (There are video monitors on either side of the stage which could presumably used to display a live close-up camera feed if required.)
It was the first night for the servers / bar / kitchen staff to run through their systems. We experienced a few hiccoughs but are confident they'll be ironed out in no time.
The evening's entertainment was provided by:

Steve Valentine
Ryan Hillis
Angela Maiorano-Thurston
Kevin Christopher
Jonah Babins
Ben Train
Bryan Hatt and
Jeff Paul (our emcee for the evening)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Canadas Magic (@canadasmagicdotcom)

Jokers promises to be a hotbed of talent and an excellent destination for a night of live entertainment!

Tentative programming

Wed: Karaoke
Thurs: Magic*
Fri / Sat: Comedy
Fri / Sat: Steve Valentine**
"Mr. Valentine Blows Your Mind"
*(starting August 18th and booked
through the Toronto Magic Company)
**(schedule permitting)

details at Jokers.ca

Don't just take our word for it. Here's what others have to say:

A new venue is opening in #ontario for comedy and #magicians. Jokers Theatre & Comedy Club in #RichmondHill! Last night's VIP preview launch was magical, we got a sneak peek:https://t.co/OEDE7bA22L @jokers905club #magicshows #ontario #magician @canadasmagic @ryanjoycemagic
— OWOW Magic Festival (@OWOWMagicFest) June 30, 2022

You can learn more about Jokers at their website, or follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Thank you Jokers, for a fabulous night out!

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.

29 April 2021

Steve Valentine's offering free Magic On The Go content!

From the April 27th Facebook post by Steve Valentine:

Hi all, so proud to have hit this milestone, so I’m doing a freebie. If you love magic or know someone who does, this might be for you 🙂

Here’s the blurb!

LOVE MAGIC? Steve Valentine is giving it all away!

Actor and multi-award winning magician Steve Valentine is celebrating adding the 600th VIDEO to his incredible online magic site, MAGIC ON THE GO, and Steve wants to share some of the videos WITH YOU, for FREE.

Just go to this link stevevalentine.com/magic and sign up for ACCESS to FREE Magic On The Go content. You’ll be happy you did 🙂

Cheers!

08 March 2021

You're invited to a CAM JAM with Steve Valentine

From the Canadian Association of Magicians:

Wed., Mar. 10 | Join us in ZOOM
We're excited to announce CAM JAM on MARCH 10 at 8 pm EST features the incredible, Steve Valentine! You don't want to miss this! Add the event to your calendar here. This is open to all magicians, membership is not required. French-speaking guests join us 30 minutes early (at 7:30 pm EST)
Read more and RSVP.

11 February 2021

Steve Valentine in the Seasons of Love Virtual Gala

From the February 6th Instagram post by Steve Valentine:

Hey there... you’re probably NOT going out next weekend right?

You’ve probably finished Netflix AND Amazon Prime, right?

You’ve probably realized that it’ll be a year before a new season of The Crown.. so..

So... I’ll see you NEXT SATURDAY FEBRUARY 13th at this amazing event for Inclusion Matters by Shane’s Inspiration, RIGHT?

I may even have a surprise for you ...

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Steve Valentine (@stevevalentine)

07 January 2021

Discourse in Magic roundup

Jonah Babins has also been busy. Have a look and a listen to some of his wonderful recent podcasts! (And if Jonah tricked you with an April Fools' podcast a number of years ago, have a look at the second last episode on this list. That's your reward!)

13 April 2020

International Stars of Magic show livestream April 15

Keep your eyes on the Greg Frewin Theatre's YouTube channel. There's a very good chance this won't be the last spectacular livestream lineup!

(As an added bonus watch new episodes of PiffTV uploaded M-F at 10am and 5pm PST.)

From Greg Frewin's Facebook post:

Join us for #2 International Stars of Magic show livestream April 15 @7PM EST.

For the Niagara SPCA Humane Society.

https://youtu.be/6moYdHS8TYc

An amazing 2nd show with amazing stars for a good cause.

16 December 2019

Steve Valentine in the MD Theatre Guide

A reminder that the "The Illusionists - Magic of the Holidays" plays at Meridian Hall from January 1 to January 5, 2020. Get your tickets at through Tickemaster.

From the December 4th article "Theatre Review: ‘The Illusionists Magic of the Holidays’ at National Theater" by Michael Garvey in the MD Theatre Guide:

Steve stole the show and had a shining moment with his personal story of how he told and showed his daughter all about snow, as they were moving from California to Canada. He got a girl of 9 to join him on stage as he made it snow from his hands from water and literally nothing and then the snow engulfed the entire stage to create a shining, spectacular white Christmas illusion. If you are in town, this show is a must, and well worth the price of admission. The performances will leave you inspired and feeling all the magic of the holidays.

Read more.

21 November 2019

Toronto: Steve Valentine with The Illusionists Magic of the Holidays

From TicketMaster:

Toronto: January 1-5

Celebrate the holidays with the entire family at The Illusionists - Magic of the Holidays, a mind-blowing showcase featuring jaw-dropping talents of the most incredible illusionists on earth. The Illusionists has shattered box office records across the globe and dazzles audiences of all ages with a powerful mix of the most outrageous and astonishing acts ever seen on stage. This non-stop show is packed with thrilling and sophisticated magic of unprecedented proportions.

Read more and buy tickets.

From Steve Valentine's Instagram:

View this post on Instagram

Happy to announce that I’ll be doing something completely different over the holidays and heading out on tour with this incredible production.. come say hi and get your mind blown! #liveentertainment #magic #actor #miracles #northamericantour2019

A post shared by Steve Valentine (@stevevalentine) on Nov 17, 2019 at 7:56pm PST

26 March 2018

Go-Fund Me campaign in support of Dan Goldberg

Steve Valentine has set up a Go-Fund Me campaign in support of 30 year old Dan Goldberg. Dan is a former member of Ring 17, and is currently going through treatment for Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma.

Read more about the situation at Go-Fund Me.

From Facebook:

14 April 2015

Thirty seconds with Steve Valentine

This is the last in my baker's dozen of "Thirty seconds with ..." interviews, so called because I approached the interviewees at Sorcerers Safari Magic and Performance Arts Camp last summer with the idea that I would interview them for 30 seconds. It didn't always work that way.

Professional actor and magician Steve Valentine was born in Scotland and currently resides in LA. Love and happiness are the things that come to his mind when he thinks of Canada; his wife, Inna, is originally from Toronto. Steve met Magic Mike Segal at a chance encounter at The Browser's Den of Magic. After hearing Mike talk about Sorcerers Safari Magic Camp, Steve said that he'd "like to help out if he could in anyway." And so, Steve attended magic camp last summer.

FUN FACT:
Steve would rather watch Dr. Who than either Star Wars or Star Trek.

DID YOU KNOW?
- Steve's life motto: "Always do everything you want and love to do, to live a fulfilling life. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."
- Steve was named the Magic Castle's Close-up Magician of the Year two years in a row.
- You may have seen Steve in on TV on shows such as Crossing Jordan, House, NCIS, and The Big Bang Theory.

Here's what Steve had to say about Sorcerers Safari: "It's fun! It's a bunch of magic nerds getting together." He also expressed a little bit of jealousy. Like many of the adults who have been to magic camp, Steve wishes something like this was available to him in his youth.

Steve's first memory of magic has him at six years of age in a playground in England and involves a vanishing knot. It was around that time that he also learned an important show business reality – if there's no publicity, no one will show up.

It's Steve's observation that the kids today are learning at an exponential rate given the easy availability of magic videos to consume. He hopes these kids will also make a point of exposing themselves to more of the history of the craft and rounding themselves out as individuals. Steve thinks that we're at a great place in magic, in that there's a new generation of audiences available who are not jaded by the "old shtick." He's especially happy that audiences are really accepting and enjoying close-up magic. Steve's advice for aspiring magicians: "Learn and read as much as you can – old books especially (fewer people know about this stuff)."

When Steve's not being magical, he loves being an awesome dad to his beautiful daughter, Evie. (Evie is a celebrity in her own right at magic camp. As near as anyone can tell, she never had to stand on her own because all of the campers were lined up to carry her!)

Visit Steve's website at: SteveValentine.com

From the Fireside Productions Facebook page:

Steve Valentine kills ...
Posted by Fireside Productions on Friday, 5 September 2014

Previously published "Thirty seconds with ..." interviews:

From the Sorcerers Safari Twitter feed:

Guarantee your spot at #MagicCamp Aug.15-19 2015. Tell your parents registration is on your wish list - it's now open at sorcererssafari.ca
— Sorcerers Safari (@SorcerersSafari) December 22, 2014

14 August 2014

Toronto: Getting together with Steve Valentine

From the Browser's Den of Magic:

WHAT: Steve Valentine Get-Together
WHERE: Browser's Den
WHEN: Saturday August 23rd, 2014
COST: FREE

For those interested enough to attend this event, Steve Valentine promises to perform some of his best-selling routines which won him prestigious back-to-back Magic Castle awards. He'll also share a few of the secrets that made him a great magician. Witness powerful effects using objects like: Playing Cards, Coins, and cloth (You must see this one, to believe it!)

Fresh from his recent appearance playing four completely different villains in Disney flicks, Steve Valentine visits Toronto for a free special Get-Together spending time with all the Toronto magicians after heading up to Sorcerers Safari Magic Camp.

And...

Read more.

01 August 2014

Steve Valentine surprise special guest at Sorcerers Safari

How exciting for this year's campers! Among many other notables, Steve Valentine was the 2013 Magic Castle Lecturer of the Year!

From the Sorcerers Safari Facebook group:

Well we can finally let the cat out of the bag.....our surprise special guest this year, along with Asi Wind, will be Magic Castle's lecturer of the year....Steve Valentine!!

So excited to have these guys up at Sorcerers! Along with our awesome 'regulars' Lee Asher , Aaron Fisher, Eric Leclerc, Steven Kline and so many others, It's really going to be the BEST SUMMER YET!! Hope you can join us Aug. 15-20. See you there!