Additional rumoured locations include cities in BC and NS! Check the
Champions of Magicwebsite
for updates.
We're delighted to interview aerialist, and serial big box illusion victim, Michelle Mazzarella ahead of her Canadian
Champions of Magic Worldwide Wonder Tour dates!
What is your first memory of magic?
Growing up, my father was a Magician Member at the Magic Castle in Los Angeles, so we would occasionally head there for Sunday brunch and a show. While I was really young at the time, I still remember details like the secret bookcase entrance, the portraits whose eyes would follow you, the iconic owls, the red velvet showroom curtain, and of course, all the stairs.
What surprised you most about touring with magicians?
This one’s hard for me! Alex, Young, and Strange did a really great job of managing my expectations before I joined the tour. I knew that every day was going to be so wildly different from the next, and I really appreciated their transparency. It helped me figure out that I really wanted the job, and it has been quite an adventure!
Michelle on the Silks
What is the most annoying thing about touring with magicians?
I would call it more fascinating than annoying, but everyone talks about magic… a lot. Coming from a non-magic background, I often have no clue what they’re talking about, but I’ve been enjoying piecing things together over the months, and I’m learning a ton.
Have you learned how to do any magic since you joined Champions of Magic?
Ha, yes, but only the basics… I actually have a silly secret goal of learning at least one trick per tour leg, and all my friends at home are enjoying the results.
How do you keep your skills fresh and performance ready?
In every new city, if time allows, I make an effort to connect with the local circus community. Sometimes they have open gyms, or I’ll even teach workshops. When we’re in hotels, I try to take advantage of their Fitness Rooms, or I’ll do a little workout on a yoga mat in my dressing room. Unfortunately, it’s hard to train Silks without actually being on a Silk, so the skills do ebb and flow a little bit, but they always come back.
Michelle preparing to descend
Do you have any guilty pleasures while on tour?
I actually went to boarding school in British Columbia, and I really miss some of the old snacks I had, like poutine, Aero Bars, Sour Jubes, and Beaver Tails. I try to grab some whenever I can, but really any delicious food will do it for me.
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 actually had a friend attend one of my first shows with Champions of Magic. She asked me the night before what my favorite colors were, and she crocheted me a little jellyfish! I named him Squort and he has stayed in my crate ever since, often hanging on my dressing room lights or sitting nearby.
Michelle and Squort
Is there anything else you’d like to share with the readers of Canada’s
Magic?
Thanks for reading, and I hope to see you at a show!
Thank you Michelle, for making the time to answer our questions!
his mentalism offerings (under the name Alexander Marsh and available at
The 1914
as well as other magic shops including
The Browser's Den of Magic), or
We're delighted to interview Alex ahead of his Canadian
Champions of Magic Worldwide Wonder Tour dates!
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 almost completely 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?
It’s very tempting to just do the tricks and lines you’ve been doing for
years, and the temptation is even greater when you’re waiting in the wings
about to go on stage and do a new routine. It’s very rewarding however to keep
things fresh, in my own act there are sections that are brand new every night
so I have to think on my feet.
I think what drives me to make changes is not wanting things to
become stale, and it’s always fun to tinker and improve each performance of a
new routine.
Have you studied any magic-adjacent disciplines?
I’ve studied various other skills that have all informed my performances.
Theatre work when I was younger and performing in plays, readings, even
panto! I’ve also studied a bit of comedy writing and physical comedy. I also
went to Art School so that's given me an interest in aesthetics.
Alex on stage with an audience member keeping Alex's eyes shut
Do you remember the specific moment when you knew you could or wanted
to perform magic full time?
I think it was probably after my first “show” - I did a twenty minute show
on stage in between some one-act plays in my hometown. The show I did was
dreadful in hindsight but the audience really responded to it; this shy
young man they all knew could now apparently read minds and hold a room’s
attention.
What is your most memorable performance misadventure?
Probably when a prop we were using in Champions malfunctioned and the
‘big prediction moment’ I had been teasing throughout the show just didn’t
happen. Foolishly, there was no out. I just had to move onto the next, much
smaller and less significant, part of the prediction.
What sets Champions of Magic apart from other touring ensemble magic
shows?
I think it’s probably that you’re seeing a full show, not just a series of
different acts doing their own thing. There are multiple moments when we are
all working together on stage, or involved in another performer's act.
Alex on stage
Do you have any guilty pleasures while on tour?
Vegan junk food. Vegan Poutine is always a highlight for a trip
to the true north.
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?
As silly as it may sound but having a VPN on my iPad means I can enjoy the
comforts of UK television.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with the readers of Canada’s
Magic?
Can't make it to see them in Toronto [Dec 27 - 31] or Edmonton [Mar 22 - Apr 6]? Keep your eyes on ChampionsOfMagic.co.uk/tour.html for updates to the tour schedule. A little bird told me they'll have dates in Regina as part of their 2023 - 2024 tour. Additional rumoured locations include cities in BC, SK, and NS!
Break away from the screen and experience live entertainment like never before with Champions Of Magic - an evening of impossible illusions and spectacular special effects. Described by the press as ‘The Avengers of magic’ catch the only team of magicians in the world as they present their original, phenomenal ensemble illusions.
The Champions Of Magic cast present incredible interactive magic, a daring escape from Houdini’s water torture cell, a mind-blowing prediction that has to be seen to be believed, levitation high above the stage and a finale beyond explanation. The show happens all around the theatre and features spectacular illusions that can’t be seen anywhere else.
The 42nd annual Edmonton Fringe Theatre is happening August 17 - 27. Tickets go on sale Wednesday, August 9th at NOON! Absolute Magic plays La Cité Auditorium over in the French Quarter.
Aytahn Ross The Great Balanzo turns the everyday into an adventure with circus & comedy for all ages. A modern show with a classic feel that’s full of circus tricks, vaudeville classics, a touch of magic, all wrapped up in a silly elegance! Balanzo is played by physical actor and circus artist, Aytahn Ross, who’s been seen live by over a million people in 13 countries around the world. He’s had repeat invitations to Just for Laughs, performed solo for the Governor General of Canada, and performed with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra.
The Cristal Palace Spiegeltent Come one, come all. Join Firefly Theatre & Circus in the timeless, evocative, eclectic world inside the Cristal Palace—YEG's first Spiegeltent. Have a pre-show tipple in the Spiegel Garden, and stay a while. The Spiegeltroupe will entertain, thrill, and make you smile.
This homegrown cast of veteran cabaret and circus all-stars have joined forces to astound and amaze. Aerial artists swirl overhead, jokesters joke, burlesque dancers shimmy, contortionists twist, a magician enchants, and drag queens slay.
It's not often Canada gets Variety/Cabaret or Culture especially in the form of a Spiegeltent. For 10 shows only come see the Great Great Spiegel Spectacular at K-Days Edmonton. I've flown in just for this because Firefly Theatre and Circus rocks and I love working with them!
Use code 20OFF-USPM7M to get a 20% discount on All K-days tickets and Spiegel shows.
Here are all the public events will be working in June, so far I know so many of you miss seeing me up close and personal, so here's your chance! 💖 Each event is family friendly unless otherwise mentioned, so I'm hoping I get to see all of you!
This is a one-of-a-kind act. Gimmi, who hails from Italy, will transform magic and Illusions in the blink of an eye as the Phantom. He has performed with many renowned shows throughout the world including Cirque Italia. Erika Zerbini hails from the famed Zerbini circus family and is a 10th generation performer. The Fornaciari-Zerbini duo’s unique performance is absolutely “magnifico” !
Ben and Jonah are two of Toronto’s busiest magicians. They’ve sold out shows at comedy clubs and theaters across Canada, amazed Penn and Teller on their hit tv show, Fool Us, and created mind-blowing magic that’s used by magicians all over the world.
Now they’re taking their show on the road (literally!) and bringing the magic and fun across Canada!
Jam-packed with laughs and audience interaction, this show is perfect for families and adults alike. Join Ben and Jonah as they read minds, predict the future, and astound you with world-class sleight-of-hand that looks like real-life CGI!
The Rec Room Presents: Magic & Madness with Chris Gowen
Fri. Feb 03
Fri. Feb 10
Tue. Feb 14
Fri. Feb 17
Fri. Feb 24
Chris Gowen is an award-winning Magician, Comedian & “Master of sleight-of-hand”
Don’t miss Alberta’s first intimate magic experience and be astounded by magic unlike anything you’ve seen or can imagine, inches and feet away from where you are sitting, in an intimate setting designed for only 40 people in The Library at The Rec Room South Common by one of Canada’s best Magicians.
Chris Gowen has been performing for the top companies, universities, foundations, and at private parties in Alberta for over a decade to the highest accolades and reviews.