Canada's Magic

Very excited to present to you our special guest for the fall edition, Clément Le Roux. We can't wait to see him perform live on Saturday, December 9th @ L'Espace La Risée. He will perform in English show and in French show! But first.....

Who is Clément Le Roux ⁉

A sailor? A magician? A storyteller? A "putpocket" (yes, you read it right)? A violin player? Clément Le Roux is a bit of all that at once. He recently returned from Finland, where he created an immersive show in the heart of a Scandinavian forest, collaborating with circus artists and classical musicians.

Joined by Fred Péloquin, a singer-accordionist with whom he has been working for years, they will take you to a world where music, magic, and stories gradually intertwine throughout the narrative. Should you be carried away by the gentle melodies of the accordion or focus your attention on the small object just placed on the corner of the table? Did they improvise this moment, or perhaps everything was planned from the beginning? If you want to find out, just come and form your own opinion!

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28 November 2023

The Montreal Trio sur La France A Un Incroyable Talent

We couldn't find the YouTube video mentioned by Michel below, so at the bottom of this post we embedded their fantastic performance from a video on Facebook.

From the November 22nd Facebook post by Michel Hout (translation by Facebook):

In September and October, I visited France twice. One of these times was because we had been invited Marc Trudel , Yannick and I: The Montreal Trio) to come perform an original number at France's got incredible talent.

It was a bit crazy because on August 29th in the evening, I was performing in Prévost and had to go directly to the airport. Immediately heading to the recording studios upon arrival. So 2 shows in 18 hours on two different continents. Hehe. Watch 28 Nov on M6. For America, the whole thing will be on YouTube the next day.

From the November 26th Facebook post by Michel Huot (translation by Facebook):

Several years ago I watched the show Whose Line is it Anyway and saw this principle there. I have always wanted to do something similar After the very good Chick N Swell had done some circus themed floor (excellent). We decided to get involved in magic. 🙂

27 November 2023

Toronto: Dogs Do Magic [Dec 10]

From the Redwood Theatre:

Sun, Dec 10 | Toronto
Dogs Do Magic - A Canine Christmas
Bark by popular demand, it’s “Dogs do Magic”

Bring in the holidays with an unforgettable evening of magic, comedy, & canine hijinks featuring some of Canada’s top variety entertainers!
Read more and buy tickets.

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26 November 2023

[Guest post] A tribute to Micky Hades

The following is a guest post from Brent Smith.

A tribute to Micky Hades

I'm sad these days as my friend and teacher in magic Micky Hades has passed away at the age of 97. I call him a teacher because he never mentored me but his door was always open for me and I could ask any question. They say to be successful in something you keep you mouth closed and your ears open and I did just that with Micky but I also asked a lot of questions. I enjoyed our time together especially because Micky would always ask me questions about magic, history and all about magic posters, not because he didn’t know, but to test me and see if I knew what I was talking about and I do :)

Micky Hades was a man who embraced all aspects of magic: Performer, publisher, collector, manufacturer, inventor, author, editor and a pioneer of the art of magic. He was born of Ukrainian parentage on a farm in Alberta. He got started in magic when he saw the magician John C. Green. Micky had mundane jobs but realised magic is what he wanted to do so he studied and learned all he could on magic. He then joined a travelling sideshow which featured not only magic but also fire eating. He then joined larger carnivals like Conklin Brothers Circus and then Clifford Entertainers Vaudeville circuit. Micky then quit show business for a while and went into Silk Screening and then went onto being a fire prevention Officer in the Army. Then for 13 months he worked in the Gold Mines in Yellowknife in the NWT. There in the Arctic climate he invented the Micky Hades finger chopper 2000 feet below the surface of the ground. Imagine just how many of those he sold. Micky Hades Enterprises became Micky Hades International and became a name recognized throughout the world of magic.

Micky was behind the TV Show, Dale Harney's Magic Palace and Micky brought in all the top guys in magic at that time. Blackstone, Al Goshman, Paul Harris, Martin Nash, Slydini... the list goes on and on and on. I would get my dad to drive me down to Channel 2 and 7 TV Studios just to see Dale Harney with the worlds Top Magicians perform.

I miss that time in magic with no internet, without exposure on YouTube, magicians being babies online. Magic was real and everyone sacrificed and treated magic with great importance and value. When people don’t sacrifice much for what they have they do not treat it with great importance or value hence what some people are doing on the internet with exposure. Anyone who suffered for anything knows the value of what they suffered for.

Micky said to me once that you cannot make someone into a magician but they are born and that being a magician is a state of mind and a way of life. Micky never taught anyone magic, he never taught sleight of hand but he taught them the state of mind to make a living at magic. The only one I know of who Micky taught this to is John Kaplan.

Micky had many stories. How he told Martin Nash that he should call himself "The Charming Cheat" and that he should wear big gold rings and fancy suits. He had a great ZIG ZAG lady Illusion story, How he gave Doug Henning a job and he accepted the position of editor of the Young Magicians section of the Hade-E-Gram MagiZette and performed his first professional appearance at the Jubilee Auditorium in Calgary in 1965.

Micky had three Magic Shops, Vancouver, Seattle, and Calgary. They were eventually closed or sold off.

In 2015 Micky sold me his 500 piece magic Poster collection which some I will treasure forever. They are framed in my house and I still enjoy everyday.

I will miss Micky and the coffee time we had together, I will miss going to visit him and seeing what magic he still had for sale all of which the props I grew up with, I will miss the jewels and treasures I would find when Micky let me look through boxes. I will miss talking to him about illusions and I will miss talking to him about Magic Posters.

Micky once said to me that if you really want to make a living at something have NOTHING to fall back on that way the fire under your butt stays lit. We both laughed at that for a long time.

The Micky Hades story is too incredible for this short newsletter so look for this book coming out of the Magical Life of Micky Hades in the New Year by his daughter Brenda.

Rest well Micky you are the reason I am what I am today and I have cherished every last second I had with you.

Thank you!!

Brent

Thank you Brent for sharing this heartfelt tribute to Micky Hades.

25 November 2023

A peek behind the curtain with Sam Strange [2023]

This is the fourth in a series of interviews leading up to the Champions of Magic Worldwide Wonder Tour Canadian dates in:

Toronto, Ticketmaster [Dec 27 - 31] ** extended to Dec 31 **
Lethbridge, Enmax Centre [Mar 16]
Regina, Conexus Arts Centre [Mar 17]
Winnipeg, Centennial Concert Hall [Mar 18]
Saskatoon, TCU Place [Mar 19]
Lloydminster, Vic Juba Theatre [Mar 20] ** recently added **
Edmonton, Festival Place [Mar 22 - Apr 6]
Prince George, CN Centre [Apr 7]
Vancouver, Great Canadian Casino [Apr 8] ** recently added **

Additional rumoured locations include cities in BC and NS! Check the Champions of Magic website for updates.

Read our thoughts about their 2022 show:

TLDR: So. Much. Fun!

Random thoughts about "Champions of Magic"

You may also know Sam Strange from:

the show Young & Strange Delusionsists or
our interview with the bickering delusionists Young & Strange

We're delighted to interview Sam ahead of his Canadian Champions of Magic Worldwide Wonder Tour dates!

A peek behind the curtain with Sam Strange

Have you studied any magic-adjacent disciplines?

It really highlights the scam that being a magician can be sometimes. So many magicians, including myself, hide behind the tricks/illusions when there is little talent outside of that. When I was in my 20s I did learn to partner dance (modern jive) and you could argue that gave me some coordination. However, I think honesty that would be very generous to say that it helped inform my balletic movements during the final Las Vegas parody sequence.

In retrospect are there skills or knowledge that you wish you had prior to pursuing magic full time?

Certainly there are a host of skills that would have been so helpful. Being good at video editing and photoshop would be so useful. It would mean you could produce online content quickly and easily without the cost of using a professional.

Red light, green light!

Do you remember the specific moment when you knew you could or wanted to perform magic full time?

I do remember actually with some clarity.

When I started to ‘gig’ (a few kids parties and events for friends), I was about 18 years old. Simultaneously I joined the ’Thames Valley Magicians Guild’ and would go to the weekly meetings there. After a few weeks I was kindly asked to cover a residency at a restaurant in Oxford, England. I did that on Friday and Saturday evenings. At that point there was a simple and clear connection between my magic passion and an income, of sorts. I knew at that point I wanted to be a professional magician.

What is your most memorable performance misadventure?

There are so many to mention, which is both a sign of experience and flight time, but also unprofessionalism. (Richard) Young and I did the Edinburgh (Fringe) festival for 4 consecutive years and at that point new material is being worked in and lessons are being learned!

Lesson 1. Never leave the Master Prediction Tube inside the actual box. Especially when hanging that box (and ultimately the show’s finale) in full view of the audience.
Lesson 2. Always remember the key to a locked box with a spectator's watch inside.
Lesson 3. Never commit wholeheartedly to the gender of an audience member.
Lesson 4. Never perform magic on a stage at Nathan Phillips Square in Toronto, on New Year’s Eve in 2019, in the wind and rain. Ever.
Lesson 5. Never perform an under-rehearsed Table of Death.

All of the above had no outs.

One of the most haunting experiences might not sound at all a problem, but knocked my confidence for years afterwards. I remember going out on stage for the show opening and having a complete mind blank. I genuinely didn’t know what I should say or how to start saying my script. Fortunately being in a double act means that essentially you have a script advisor standing next to you. But the fact that can happen means it might happen again and standing on a stage with nothing to say or nowhere to go, is a lonely and embarrassing experience.

What sets Champions of Magic apart from other touring ensemble magic shows?

Although Champions of Magic does contain 5 magicians each performing in their own style, from their own discipline of magic, the show does feel very cohesive. It shouldn’t feel like a Magic Convention line up but without the MC. We perform together onstage throughout the show and because of that it hopefully feels like you’re watching a team of magicians, rather than segmented acts. That unifying aspect makes the show memorable, rather than the individuals within it. Coupled with the humour and no ability to take ourselves seriously, means it should be distinctive enough from the show's competitors.

That's a lot of money

Do you have any guilty pleasures while on tour?

At every venue we go to there is a well stocked fridge and Coke (both Zero and full fat) is always on offer and display. When it’s always there, I will most likely choose it over the bottled water. It’s not a vice I suppose, but I know it’s probably not good for you in large quantities and I do love it.

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?

Leaving home for longer tours is an emotional challenge for sure. However, that challenge comes with the territory and it’s not like I’m down a mine shaft for weeks on end or on the front line in Afghanistan. I’m not sure if there is a front line in Afghanistan anymore, but you get the sentiment.

I do carry a couple of photos of my family, which feels very old fashioned and probably crazy considering I have my iPhone’s camera roll with me at all times. I’m sure that if I printed out all of the iPhone images of my kids and put them into a flicker book, you’d essentially get a live stream since birth.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with the readers of Canada’s Magic?

We STILL have a large quantity of shot glasses available on the merchandise stand. You would think dropping the price to $15 would have helped shift them, but it did very little for sales overall. It’s the worst business idea we have ever had. Please can your readers buy them when attending a show? After a lot of trial and error (and critically the right room humidity) the Young & Strange logo CAN be scratched off with a box cutter.

The shot glasses are versatile and I’ve provided some ideas for their use below:

- Candle holders.
- A Crockery Smash stall at a local fundraising event.
- A Glass Walking routine you are working on.
- A lecture for a business studies group on 'Loss Leaders'.

Get your very own Young and Strange shot glasses at their merch table

Young and Strange "One More!" shot glasses
📸 : Kidlet, Kitchener, 2022

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

Learn more about Sam at SamStrangeMagic.co.uk and follow Young & Strange on Facebook, and Instagram.

Champions of Magic
Catch Sam in Champions of Magic touring across Canada in 2023 - 2024:

Toronto, Ticketmaster [Dec 27 - 30]

Lethbridge, Enmax Centre [Mar 16]

Regina, Conexus Arts Centre [Mar 17]

Winnipeg, Centennial Concert Hall [Mar 18]

Saskatoon, TCU Place [Mar 19]

Edmonton, Festival Place [Mar 22 - Apr 6]

Prince George, CN Centre [Apr 7]
Vancouver, Great Canadian Casino [Apr 8]

Additional rumoured locations include cities in BC and NS! Check the Champions of Magic website for updates.

Read our 2023 interviews with:

Alex McAleer

Michelle Mazzarella

Hollie England

Read our 2022 interviews with the cast:

Hollie England

Alex McAleer

Sam Strange

Fernando Velasco

Richard Young

Learn more about Champions of Magic at ChampionsOfMagic.co.uk and follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

It's the 13th blogiversary of Canada's Magic!

Thirteen years ago today this blog was born!


Design shamelessly appropriated from the 1958, first UK hardcover edition of "13 Steps to Mentalism" by Tony Corinda.

Thanks to you wonderful people who have supported this project!

For free, we've published over 5,560 posts, and served well over 1,537,000 page loads. Eight hundred and seven of you follow us on Facebook, 1587 of you follow us on Twitter, 454 of you have found us on Instagram, and a bunch of you have subscribed to this site's RSS feed or subscribed by email. The bulk of you are Canadian, and we're delighted to see visitors from United States, the United Kingdom, India, France, and the list goes on.

There are so many of you doing a fabulous job of making magic a priority in this great country!