06 December 2023

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05 December 2023

Alexandra: Inspirational Canadian Magician

Second in this year's Inspirational Canadian Magician Showcase, is Alexandra!

Alexandra: Inspirational Canadian Magician

Alexandra: Inspirational Canadian Magician.
 
 


Over the last fifteen years, Alexandra has been Greg Frewin's main assistant, the backbone of his show. But guess what? As of 2023, she's embarked on a fascinating new journey as a magician, and let me tell you, she is fantastic. Just last week, she pulled off an incredible feat
– she fooled none other than Penn & Teller.

This isn't just a career change; it's a captivating
transformation. From assistant extraordinaire to a magician who can leave even the masters of magic in awe. It's not every day you witness
such a remarkable shift, and I can't wait to see where Alex goes.

Submitted by Lee Asher


Watch Alexandra on Penn and Teller's Fool Us at the November 9th upload at the Greg Frewin Theatre YouTube channel:

 

 

Congratulations Alexandra!  Keep up the great work!

To learn more about Alexandra, visit the Greg Frewin Theatre and follow her on Instagram and TikTok.  

 

Thank you Lee, for your excellent submission!

To learn more about Lee Asher, visit LeeAsher.com and follow him on Twitter, and Instagram.




2023 Inspirational Canadian Magician Showcase

2023 Inspirational Canadian Magician Showcase featuring (in order of publication):

Paul Romhany
  Alexandra 

 
 





Niagara Falls: Greg Frewin is back in action!

From the November 29th Instagram post by the Greg Frewin Theatrical Centre:

Get ready for a grand return to enchantment! ๐ŸŒŸ✨ The International Grand Champion of Magic, Greg Frewin, is back in action, joined by the spellbinding Christian Mascia and the captivating Alexandra. Experience a new era of magic at the Greg Frewin Theatre – where the extraordinary meets the unexpected! ๐ŸŽฉ๐Ÿ”ฎ


 

 

 

From the December 1st Instagram post by Greg Frewin Theatre

๐ŸŽ✨ Don't Miss Out on the Ultimate Holiday Magic ๐ŸŽ✨
Dive into a world of enchantment with the International Grand Champion of Magic, Greg Frewin, and the mesmerizing talents of Christian Mascia and Alexandra. ๐ŸŽฉ✨ Join us for a spellbinding holiday extravaganza, where festive illusions and merry tricks create memories that sparkle like holiday lights! ๐ŸŒŸ๐ŸŽ„

 

 

 

04 December 2023

Paul Romhany: Inspirational Canadian Magician

First up in this year's Inspirational Canadian Magician Showcase, is Paul Romhany!

Paul Romhany: Inspirational Canadian Magician

Paul Romhany: Inspirational Canadian Magician.
 
 


I would love to nominate Paul Romhany.

He is the editor and owner of VANISH Magic Magazine which is the largest Magic magazine today, with the largest readership and support. He also writes and publishes Northern Peeks magazine for the Canadian Association of Magicians (CAM). He is also on the CAM Executive. 

I have performed with him and his Chaplin act on a few occasions, and he is a superb entertainer.

Submitted by Chris Yuill


We were fortunate to catch Paul's show and lecture in the spring and agree that he is an excellent entertainer.

 

Congratulations Paul!  Keep up the great work!

To learn more about Paul, visit ChaplinMagic.com and follow him on Facebook and Instagram.

To learn more about VANISH Magazine, visit VanishMagic.com.

To learn more about the Canadian Associations of Magicians and their publication Northern Peeks, visit CAMmagic.org.

 

 

Thank you Chris, for your excellent submission!

To learn more about Chris Yuill, visit CYMagic.ca and follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.







2023 Inspirational Canadian Magician Showcase

Introducing the inaugural Inspirational Canadian Magician Showcase!

Last month, we reached out to over a dozen magicians across Canada and asked them to write two to four sentences about someone in the Canadian magic community who inspired them in 2023.

Over the next couple of weeks, we'll be hosting a showcase of the submissions, in no particular order. 

We hope you enjoy!


2023 Inspirational Canadian Magician Showcase

2023 Inspirational Canadian Magician Showcase.
 
 



Note:  This is not intended to be a comprehensive list of the inspirational things magicians are doing across Canada.  Instead, think of it as highlighting a random sample of excellence at a single point in time.


03 December 2023

Jonah Babins and Ben Train on Penn and Teller's "Fool Us" S10 E03

From November 13th upload at the Toronto Magic Company YouTube channel:

Jonah Babins and Ben Train try to Fool Penn & Teller with a couple of pieces of paper!
S10E3, The CW Channel. Original air date: Nov 10/2023
 

 

 

 

 

 

02 December 2023

A peek behind the curtain with Fernando Velasco [2023]

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

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 Fernando Velasco as the winner of the 2018 Junior Achievement Award at The Magic Castle.



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


A peek behind the curtain with Fernando Velasco


 
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 very 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?


I’m not sure what the motivation  factor is; I love entertaining, I love making changes to try and find the best possible version of the acts to share with audiences, It’s also a way to keep it fresh, even if its just little changes to the script that’s enough to keep us engaged and in search for the perfect/most genuine presentation.
 



Have you studied any magic-adjacent disciplines? 

Recently I’ve been studying writing and storytelling, I think it’s definitely helped me give my magic some meaning. Hopefully sharing stories that might mean something to people and might make them FEEL something… A feeling is what I’m currently after.
 
I also spend a lot of time analyzing other artists from a variety of different disciplines just trying to learn anything I can from them; Michael Jackson, Tom Cruise, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Robbie Williams, Andrew Lloyd Webber, and Pixar.
 


Cutting it close!

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

YES, the moment I joined The Magic Castle Junior Society and debuted at 14 years old during Future Stars of Magic Week in 2012 -- that was the moment I knew I had found my entertaining vehicle. There was no looking back.
 

 
 
What is your most memorable performance misadventure? 

Hahahah might be too soon...  (Darkest day of my career.)

Once upon a time in Houston, Texas, (Richard) Young, (Sam) Strange, and myself had a catastrophic prop malfunction in a part of the show we do together.

I wish I could tell you that we played it off and walked off stage like heroes, but we did not.

First, we were exposed to 1/3 of the audience (being generous with ourselves), then Young fled the scene leaving me and Strange alone on stage to finish the act... to which the act finale also failed.

In other words, NOTHING worked… it was like a scene out of Magic Gone Wrong.  
 


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

First the insane production level, it blows any other touring magic show in North America out of the water.

Second, our interactions with each other, the way the show intertwines with all of us and our collaborative routines.

We are a cast rather than four ensemble acts, that’s really unique.    



After a quick dip in the water tank.

After a quick dip in the water tank.

 



Do you have any guilty pleasures while on tour?

My biggest guilty pleasure is food, I love food, and I'm lucky to  share this pleasure  with my great friend Richie (Young). Sharing meals together tends to be a highlight of the day haha. As well as riding Birdies (electric scooters) around cities.
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 really love touring, it's our life.

But touring can be hard, it can get lonely. You are in a bubble for months in which nothing enters or leaves, it's like we are isolated from the real world…

I wear bracelets that friends and family give me, I wear them all the time, it's my way of keeping a part of loved ones near all the time.

 

 

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

Best version of Champions of Magic is on its way. We hope you come to the shows and enjoy them as much as we do.  





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

 

Learn more about Fernando at FernandoV.net and follow him on Facebook, and Instagram. 

 

  Champions of Magic  

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

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

 

Read our 2023 interviews with:




Read our 2022 interviews with the cast:

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



Champions of Magic Worldwide Wonders Tour