The Victoria Magic Circle is thrilled to present the Victoria Magic Circle Annual Dinner! A fine evening of high-end magic, comedy, food, and fun! This evening celebrates the achievements of the club and its members, as well as providing an entertaining evening for the public and members alike!
You can expect to be thrilled at your table-side by the highly skilled close-up magic team from the club, enjoy a fantastic dinner, and be thrilled by our guest performer, Mr. Sawyer Bullock!
Sawyer Bullock is an award-winning speaker and magician. His unique mixture of wit and trickery has garnered him international awards, glowing accolades, and even his own television show. His performances range from North Korea (twice!) to the Dominican Republic to Rwanda. Sawyer has been a featured magician at TIFF, Canada’s Wonderland, and FIDE international tournaments. He regularly speaks on magic, philosophy, and religion at universities and academic conferences.
The laughter and memories from the night are going to be exceptional – be sure to bring your friends and family to share the moments!
My first memory of magic is on my fifth birthday, at the Magic Castle, on
stage with the one and only – Ireland’s Largest Leprechaun, Mister Billy
McComb. I believe he did the vanishing birdcage that day. He eventually got
me on stage as a volunteer and I was in heaven. I thought he was the bees
knees. And as I got older, he just got funnier and funnier. One of my
favorites ever. Rest in peace, Billy.
Other than your family, who were the first professional magicians you
remember seeing?
I was lucky enough to see the Siegfried and Roy show as a young kid,
and that show was truly mesmerizing, larger than life. It felt like being
in another world. I remember the electricity in the room. It was thrilling
and kinetic, and they were so graceful. They seemed to have walked onto
the stage from the clouds.
By what mechanisms did you begin learning magic?
I learned magic at Magic Camp as a kid (that’s right, folks!) in Idyllwild,
California. I also learned from dear family friends, and from books.
Liberty Larsen
Who inspires you that is not a magician?
Outside of
magic, I’m inspired by Joanna Newsom, Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen (two
very special Canadians who almost dated!), Jesca Hoop, Martha Graham,
Charlie Kaufman, Michel Gondry, Peter Brook, Carmen Amaya, Kate Bush,
Harry Nilsson, Tom Waits, Remedios Varo, Robert Moss, on and on… I love
people who make worlds out of their dreams and stubbornly insist on living
inside them.
In addition to performing magic, we understand that you are also a
musician. Have you studied anything else magic-adjacent? How have these
studies informed your magic performance?
Though I can’t say I’ve officially studied art, film or photography, I’ve
definitely been influenced by my own rogue education in all of those realms.
Everything that inspires, everything that lights up the circuitry,
everything that gives goosebumps, can translate into magic, I think.
I
draw from music more than anything else, because I look to magic to create
strong feelings. I’m not really drawn to cerebral stuff, or puzzles, it’s
not how my mind is wired. I can appreciate them but they don’t motivate me
to get on stage.
On stage, I don’t want to be clever. I want to
feel connected to people When I’m in an audience, I want to feel like the
performer is cracking my heart open like a walnut, and melting me. So, I
look to music for how to do that, because that’s how I’m wired. So I often
sing, because it’s a quick cheat to shift things from intellect into
feeling. But even when I’m not singing, the same elements of music – rhythm
and pacing, tone and resonance, harmonics and dissonance, dynamics and flow
– all these things go into good theater, and satisfying magic.
What, if anything, makes you nervous about joining the Champions
family?
Giant theaters! Exciting, but not something I’m used to. I’ve
performed in a lot of very small, cabaret style venues. This is a whole
different ball of wax.
What are you most looking forward to about joining the Champions of
Magic family?
The adventure of it! I love the electrical current that’s running
through this project. It’s got a strong pulse. It seems like I’m hopping
on a train that’s changing platforms and going to a whole new dimension.
This is such a fantastic group of people, and it’s an ambitious risk we’re
all taking together, which is a truly exciting challenge.
If you could go back in time to study (magic or otherwise) under
anybody, who would you choose to be your mentor?
I think I would go back in time and study dance with Martha Graham. I devoured
her autobiography and am so inspired by the way she lived her life. She was a
genuinely magical person, and a profound teacher. I feel like what she taught
could translate beyond dance into just about anything. She taught people how
to be deeply in their bodies, truly themselves and radically open to their own
source of inspiration.
Liberty Larsen
If you could prevent other performers performing an effect forever, what
would it be?
I read a truly terrible “gag” in an antique magic book about having
your Thanksgiving turkey get up and walk off the table. It involved using a
real chicken, plucked, and doing some terrible things to force it to be
still, and painting it brown as if it was roasted. I would outlaw that
turkey trick, punishable by tarring and feathering.
If you could only perform one effect for the rest of your life, what
would it be?
I am not sure I could ever be up to that challenge. But if I could
shapeshift into a bird while singing, and land one someone’s shoulder,
maybe deliver a secret message that only they would understand and that
would inspire a huge gasp, it would be that.
What’s your go-to Karaoke song?
“Get it While You Can” by Janis Joplin. Not because of the lyrics,
necessarily, but because her emotional range is just so great to sing.
What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think about
performing in Canada?
From the October 31st Instagram post by Young Hollywood, Liberty Larsen, and Fernando Velasco (one of her Champions of Magic co-stars) are interviewed about the Magic Castle:
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
I just learned that, “The first reference to throwing rotten
vegetables at bad stage acts came in an 1883 New York Times article after
John Ritchie was hit with a barrage of tomatoes and rotten eggs by an
unpleasant audience in New York. A large tomato thrown from the gallery
struck him square between the eyes and he fell t the floor just as several
bad eggs dropped upon his head.” The more you know…!
Thank you Liberty, for making the time to answer our questions!
Get ready to be amazed and amused at Laugha-Cadabra: A Comedy Magic Show! Join us for an evening filled with laughter and mind-blowing magic tricks, featuring the one and only Murray Hatfield.
You won't want to miss out on this hilarious and entertaining event featuring some of Canada's top magicians and comedians. Get your tickets now while you can!
It is back! We are excited to be sharing new magic with all of you at our yearly Tricky Tuesday! With the performers we have this year, it is sure to sell out, so grab your tickets early!
Get ready to be spellbound at this year's PCAM convention, coming to the enchanting city of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Don't miss out on the magic – register early to secure your spot!
Head over to the registration page at [https://pcammagic.com/registration/] and reserve your place today. Plus, early registrants will receive special gifts and extras upon arrival, so be sure to provide all your information to ensure you don't miss out on the surprises!
We've also arranged a special discount for accommodations at [https://pcammagic.com/hotel/]. Be sure to book your room soon to guarantee your stay in magical Victoria.
Eng was born in 1948 and raised right here in Victoria. According to the museum, he had an affinity for the magical arts since he was a young boy. He received his first magic kit at the young age of 8-years-old and had started performing shows by age 12.
Onlookers would be able to see his show at The Japanese Village restaurant for two decades.
He worked over the years to piece together a show that was interwoven with his Chinese Canadian heritage that he called ‘Mysteries of the Orient,’ in which he was adorned in an elegant, embroidered mandarin robe.
It’s official! The Magic of Tony Eng exhibition, at the Victoria Chinatown Museum in Fan Tan Alley is now open! It is wonderful to see my dear dad being honoured in this very special way. Throughout the curatorial process, I was very moving to hear just how many people were touched by Dad and his magic. Thanks to the Victoria Chinatown Museum Society and the Chinese Canadian Museum for choosing to spotlight someone who dared to be different and to chase his dreams. I was very excited to be part of the ribbon cutting ceremony today. A profound honour and one I will never forget. Dad, I think you really would have loved this exhibition. I know I do.
The Victoria Chinatown Museum Society and the Chinese Canadian Museum have worked closely with the Eng family to create the exhibition which celebrates the spellbinding magical career of Tony Eng, whose enchanting influence and legacy reached far corners of the world. The exhibition features Tony’s original mandarin robe and many items from his bag of tricks.
“The Victoria Chinatown Museum Society is delighted to work with the Chinese Canadian Museum on the installation of ‘The Magic of Tony Eng’,” says Grace Wong Sneddon, Board Chair of the Victoria Chinatown Museum Society and Co-Curator of The Magic of Tony Eng. “Tony was a mentor to youth in Victoria and around the world. His magic was more than a routine, it provided a space for us to dream beyond the ordinary. Stories of Victoria Chinese Canadians are important to share.”
Born and raised in Victoria, B.C., Tony’s fascination with magic began at the age of eight when he received his first magic kit, and then started performing magic shows at age 12. He became a fan favourite when he performed every Sunday at The Japanese Village restaurant for two decades.
Embracing his Chinese Canadian heritage, he created a distinctive show called “Mysteries of the Orient” which he performed in an embroidered mandarin’s robe. His skill and talent made him renowned in the Canadian magic circle where he was known as the “Ambassador of Magic.” His entrepreneurial skills enabled him to run a successful wholesale business and establish the Premier School of Bartending. He also started up his own Tony's Trick & Joke Shop in Victoria which was a fantasy emporium of wizardry and gadgetry where he inspired and mentored many young up-and-coming magicians for years to come.
Join us for an incredible evening of magic and illusions that is fun for all ages! We're featuring two of Canada's very best magicians, and you're sure to love them! Get your tickets now for the best seat selection.
Your featured performers are:
Murray Hatfield: One of the most respected magicians in Canada, Murray was named Canada's Magician of the Year. He has performed on huge stages all over the world, on cruise ships, on CBC, and on the infamous Penn & Teller show. His show includes jaw-dropping illusions, incredible escapes, and a whole lot of fun!
Paul Romhany: A truly world-class magician, Paul has performed in over 120 countries for large theatres, luxury cruise ships, and Fortune 500 companies. He is a creator of magic, and is the editor of Vanish magazine, the world's largest magazine for magicians. His creativity and imagination will show you magic like you've never seen before.
Chaplin Magic: Considered the world's premiere Chaplin magic act, Paul Romhany transforms himself into Charlie Chaplin and performs one of the most entertaining and original magic act you'll ever see. It's like a silent movie coming to life, mixed in with a whole of of amazing magic!
My friend Bernardo Sedlacek is also going to be lecturing for the two IBM Rings I belong to in BC. IBM Ring #92, the Vancouver Magic Circle and IBM Ring #183, the Victoria Magic Circle. This will be an outstanding lecture and not to be missed. His thinking on psychology will apply to any type of magic.
The cat's out of the bag. 
