Showing posts with label _Peterborough. Show all posts
Showing posts with label _Peterborough. Show all posts

23 February 2024

Ottawa, Port Colborne, & Peterborough: Enchanted Wonders [Apr 12 - 14]

Tickets at EnchantedWondersMagic.com

 

From the February 6th Instagram post by Enchanted Wonders Magic:

Get ready to be spellbound! 🎩✨ Enchanted Wonders, featuring four of the nation’s top family magicians, is about to captivate audiences at Roselawn Centre in Port Colborne! Today’s the day tickets become available – don’t miss out on securing your seat for an evening filled with unforgettable magic and excitement!

 

 

 

 

25 September 2023

Hamilton, Peterborough, and Cobourg: Canadian Masters of Magic [Dec 12 - 14]

Featuring Ryan Joyce, Nathaniel Rankin, and guests TBA!

 

Tickets:

 

From the Facebook event:

Get ready to be amazed by the Canadian Masters of Magic, produced by the Ontario OWOW Magic Festival. This incredible show features the best of the best in Canadian magic, including magicians who have wowed audiences and judges on popular shows like Penn & Teller's Fool Us and Canada's Got Talent.

Be prepared to have your mind blown as these masters of magic perform unbelievable illusions and impressive feats of mentalism and sleight of hand. Don't miss this evening of magic and mystery that will captivate your imagination and leave you in awe.
Canadian Masters of Magic - where the extraordinary is the ordinary!

IN SUPPORT OF MAKE-A-WISH CANADA
Tuesday, December 12, 2023
McIntyre Performing Arts Centre


 

 

From the Facebook event:  

Get ready to be amazed by the Canadian Masters of Magic, produced by the Ontario OWOW Magic Festival. This incredible show features Ryan Joyce and Nathaniel Rankin showcasing the best of the best in Canadian magic. A Vegas-style show, our magicians have wowed audiences and judges on popular shows like Penn & Teller's Fool Us and Canada's Got Talent.

Be prepared to have your mind blown as these masters of magic perform unbelievable illusions and impressive feats of mentalism and sleight of hand. Don't miss this evening of magic and mystery that will captivate your imagination and leave you in awe.

Canadian Masters of Magic - where the extraordinary is the ordinary!
IN SUPPORT OF CRIME STOPPERS PETERBOROUGH-NORTHUMBERLAND.
Wednesday, December 13, 2023
Showplace Performance Centre


 

 

From the Facebook event:  

Get ready to be amazed by the Canadian Masters of Magic, produced by the Ontario OWOW Magic Festival. This incredible show features Ryan Joyce and Nathaniel Rankin showcasing the best of the best in Canadian magic. A Vegas style show, our magicians have wowed audiences and judges on popular shows like Penn & Teller's Fool Us and Canada's Got Talent.

Be prepared to have your mind blown as these masters of magic perform unbelievable illusions and impressive feats of mentalism and sleight of hand. Don't miss this evening of magic and mystery that will captivate your imagination and leave you in awe.

Canadian Masters of Magic - where the extraordinary is the ordinary!
PROUDLY IN SUPPORT OF CRIME STOPPERS PETERBOROUGH-NORTHUMBERLAND.

Event Tickets & Info Line: 1-800-516-5810

 

 

 

18 April 2023

Kelowna and Ontario: Sean Watson and Chanelle Munroe [Apr 21, 27 - 30]

Catch Sean Watson and Chanelle Munroe in Magician and the Muse with special guests Aaron Matthews, Caroline Matthews, and Ken Pham!

  • April 21 - Kelowna
  • April 27 - Peterborough
  • April 28 - Cornwall
  • April 29 - Toronto
  • April 30 - Hamilton


From the April 17th Instagram post by Sean Watson:

Here is our April theatre tour schedule. With special guest performers @aaronmatthewsmagic @carolinematthewsmagic @sincityillusions We hope to see you there! @chanelle_munroe 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

30 March 2023

Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, & Peterborough: Ben and Jonah's Magic Road Trip [Apr 23, 29, 30, May 12]

From the March 25th Instagram post by The Toronto Magic Company

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!

 

 

 

 

09 March 2023

Ontario: The Canine Circus [Mar 15 - Jun 3]

From the February 28th Instagram post by The Canine Circus:

This show features two of our star performers! The show is really focused on each individual dog & what makes them special! Stick around afterwards for an interactive meet & greet following each performance! 🐶🎪

 

 

From the March 8th Instagram post by The Canine Circus:

Tickets on sale now for April 2, May 13 & 14! Tickets for April 16th go on sale this upcoming Wednesday! 🎟️🎉

We're taking the circus for a walk! Witness the world-renowned furry four-legged cast members performing tail-wagging feats of courage, bone-dropping grand illusions and Labrador-able stunts!

 

 

 

 

20 February 2023

07 February 2023

Ontario: The Canine Circus [Apr - Jun]

From the January 30th Instagram post by The Canine Circus:

We’re talking the circus for a walk! Witness our world-renown furry four legged cast performing tail wagging feats, bone dropping grand illusions & labrador-able stunts!
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TICKETS ON SALE SOON! KEEP AN EYE ON OUR PAGE!
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Brought to you by @thecaninecircus @aaronmatthewsmagic & @sincityillusions 🎪🐶

 

 

 

05 December 2022

Random thoughts about "Champions of Magic" 2022

Last chance to catch Champions of Magic in Canada this year is in Peterborough on December 9th.

 

On Saturday Kidlet, and I made the trek to Kitchener's Circle In The Square.  

  • The last time I was at CITS was for one of the very first convention hosted by the Canadian Association of Magicians.
  • 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.

 

 

 

We teased a few years back about a Champions of Magic Concert Album.  The show has matured to the point where it has a wonderful toe tapping soundtrack!  Going back to the 1930s with "Sing, Sing, Sing," to the 1960s with "The Girl from Ipanema," to the 1970s with "Live and Let Die" and of course the 80's hits transporting you back to 1989  Las Vegas!

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!

 

 

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

So. Much. Fun!


It's possible that between one half to two thirds of this show is new compared with their 2019 presentation.
If memory serves, there are no standard card tricks in the show!
  • As Strange, Velasco, and Young all indicated in their interviews, this show is very different from the one presented in Oshawa in 2019, and significantly different than the one mounted in Toronto in 2018.
     
  • There are more whole cast moments, making the show less of a patchwork piece and more of a thoughtfully woven production.

  • There's LOTS audience participation with both children and adults!

  • Visually stunning!

Whether you're new to magic or are a professional magician, there's something for everyone!

  • McAleer's material has undergone a significant change and he's introduced two new very strong pieces.  The first, a very visual effect with a young mentalist in training.  And the second a beautifully constructed homage to Keller.

  • England is net new to the show from it's 2019 iteration.  She showcases a strong skill set and talent that is intensely theatrical!  (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 dazzled from above.

  • Velasco succeeds 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 twice 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!  They've introduced a collaborative piece with Velasco that has a very strong audience reaction.


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 third time seeing the show 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:  Kidlet 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.

 

05 November 2022

A peek behind the curtain with Sam Strange [2022]


A peek behind the curtain with Sam Strange border= 


This is the last of a series of interviews leading up to the Champions of Magic Worldwide Wonder Tour shows in Markham [Nov 30 - Dec 1], Kitchener [Dec 2 - 3], and Peterborough [Dec 9].     

Canadian tour to start April 2023!


Read our 2019 interview where Sam shares:
 
- his interests outside of magic
- about pre-show rituals
- keeping performances fresh
- and his Broadway role of choice
 
What is your favourite thing about going on tour with Champions of Magic?

Champions of Magic is now a bigger show in scale, production and crew numbers than ever before.  Because of that, it is such a vibrant circus to be a part of. Even on the days off, or travel days between shows, there is always a good-spirited atmosphere with lots happening. Travelling in a large group with a shared passion for the show unifies everyone too. Needless to say that performing the actual show is an amazing buzz in itself, so that is a tempting first answer to give.

 

 

 
 
What is your most important self-care practice while on tour?
 
The most important thing for my own mental health and self care is to ensure Young and I get the biggest cheer and reaction during the final curtain call. As we are unlikely to receive that through our own ability as performers, we have to lower the standard of the other acts. Sabotaging props and playing complex mind games backstage often lowers their personal contribution to the show, therefore peacocking Young and I into a stronger position. Failing that we just pay off the sound technician to pipe in extra applause through the speakers.


What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think about performing in Canada?
 
We once did a show in Saskatoon in January and by the time the trucks had made it over to the venue, everything inside was frozen. The extreme temperature over a prolonged trucking time had caused mayhem with so many of the illusions! Bolts wouldn’t move, batteries had failed and the technical crew setting up the lights, pyro etc were encountering countless problems. It really was a period of extreme whether and something I had never experienced before.

[Editor's note:  They say you haven't truly toured Canada unless you've had your equipment wheels freeze making load in, urm, challenging.]

In 2018 we managed to get a spot performing our illusions at the Toronto New Year's Eve celebrations at Nathan Phillips Square. We had been booked to perform at 11.40pm on the main stage. It was windy, raining and the DJ had to stop his set for us to do our introduction. Almost everything went wrong in that performance and it really wasn’t what 10s of thousands of people in the square wanted to see! We did our time but were rightly heckled throughout for killing the vibe in the lead up to midnight. We have never spoken of that night again...

I do genuinely love Canada and the Canadian people so I’m really sorry that both things that spring to mind were performances with a lot of stress and uncertainty.

[Editor's note:  Oh my!  Those are definitely memorable experiences, and not the good kind.  You need to tour here in the warmer weather.  You'll like your visits better, we're sure of it!]
What is your favourite part of the 2022 Champions of Magic show to perform?
 
I find this a tough question to answer. The reason for that is that we are continuing to work in new material and when that succeeds that feeling is difficult to compete with. It’s such a buzz. However, if pushed I’d have to say the finale which is a collaborative effort from the cast and crew; it has the vibrancy, energy, humour and production level to match my childhood dreams of becoming a stage illusionist. 

 
 
What is your favourite part of the 2022 Champions of Magic show to watch?  
 
Without doubt one of the best moments of the show to watch is when a new routine goes into the show. We always refer to it as a ‘sell out in the wings’. A new routine inevitably evolves quickly but that first night when scripted jokes are untested, magic techniques are a little shaky and you can see the subtle fear in the performers eyes, really make you appreciate live theatre. If it happens to be your own new routine or material in the show that night then it’s terrifying!  





 
 
 
 
 
 
What about the 2022 show would "2012 you" find unbelievable to imagine as your current reality?
 
That gratitude for the show we are in and those moments of reflection really are important.  In 2012 we had performed very little onstage and I think the biggest theatre we had played at that time was the Chipping Norton Theatre in Oxford, England, with a capacity of about 200. To think of the ground we have covered and rooms we are now playing with the show, it’s beyond what we imagined would have been possible. That relentless stage time also means the show (and hopefully our act within it) is only going in one direction.

There really is no secret to making a show good -- just perform it loads and try to proactively make improvements. 
   


 
 
 
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
 
I think all magicians fall into that trap of seeing a show once, making a judgment on it and then dismissing it having ‘seen it already.’ We have so many new elements to the Champions show now that even if you have the show before it will have evolved quickly and improved massively. So do come and see it if you can!

 

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

 
 
 
Catch Champions of Magic in:

 

 



A peek behind the curtain with Alex McAleer [2022]

A peek behind the curtain with Alex McAleer 


This is the fourth of a series of interviews leading up to the Champions of Magic Worldwide Wonder Tour shows in Markham [Nov 30 - Dec 1], Kitchener [Dec 2 - 3], and Peterborough [Dec 9].    

Canadian tour to start April 2023!



Read our 2021 interview where Alex shares:
- how he dealt with The Great Pause
- how COVID impacted his set
- his comfort binge
- about touring in Mexico during a pandemic
- his go-to Karaoke song
What is your favourite thing about going on tour with Champions of Magic?
 
It’s always great to get the band back together and hit the road again - there’s never a dull day. I mean, I sometimes wish there was a dull day.
 


 
 
 
What is your most important self-care practice while on tour?
 
Trying to remember to eat well and exercise but then rewarding yourself with a vast amount of vegan junk food and wine.   
 

 
 
 
 
 
What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think about performing in Canada?
 
That time we were in Saskatoon in January and I thought it would be a good idea to walk to the venue. A piece of me died that day. It broke off and I could never find it.

[Editor's note: Rookie mistake.  We'll let you know if anyone in the province finds it.  Be sure to leave us a forwarding address.]
What is your favourite part of the 2022 Champions of Magic show to perform?
 
I have a new act in the show that I’ve been working on for a long time; it’s gone though various incarnations but its got some really exciting and different moments of magic in it, and what’s really fun is an audience member is doing it all.

 
 
What is your favourite part of the 2022 Champions of Magic show to watch?  
 
In the first half of the show we are all on stage together, and that's a fun moment to watch the rest of the cast do their thing. Like Strange forgetting his lines or almost injuring himself.
 
 
 
What about the 2022 show would "2012 you" find unbelievable to imagine as your current reality?
 
Probably the amount of grey hairs that are appearing in both my head and facial hair.
   

 
Kelly and Dave help out Alex McAleer. 
Photo credit: William Balfour, Spectra Experiences. Oshawa 2019.

 
 
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
 
Canadians eat more mac 'n' cheese, specifically Kraft macaroni and cheese, than any other nation.

[Editor's note:  Tru dat!  According to the Daily Hive "Kraft Dinner has deep roots in Canada. A representative for Kraft Canada tells Daily Hive that the patent for a packaged and processed cheese product was invented by Ontario native James Lewis Kraft in 1916."  And according to Wikipedia "The brand is popular with Canadians, who consume 55% more boxes per capita than Americans."  And now we've got that Barenaked Ladies song stuck in our heads.]
 

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


 
Catch Champions of Magic in: