Wishing you and yours a year filled with health, joy, and wonder.
Starting the New Year with some of our favourite faces from 2020!
From Brent and Sarah's YouTube channel:
01 January 2024
Happy 2024!
31 December 2023
In memoriam 2023
Remembering those who have passed this year. Through your passion and
spirit you have helped shape the magic community in Canada and around
the world. Thank you.
- Charles, Jon (1936 - 2023)
- Hades, Micky (1926.04.27 - 2023.11.16)
- Kaufert, Joseph (1943.02.10 - 2023.10.02)
- Kilshaw, Paul (1962.08.04 - 2023.04.19)
- Raft, Harvey ( - 2023)
- Reveen, Coral ( - 2023.08.23)
- Wright, Ralph (1935 - 2023.10.20)
Please email additions or corrections to "canadasmagic at gmail dot com"
Top 5 (er, 3) posts in December 2023
There were 49 posts at Canada's Magic this
month. The two ticket contests and the 2023 Inspirational Canadian Magician Showcase (ICMS) swept the top 10 board! Consolidating the ICMS posts, the top 3 posts in the previous 30 days were:
3. Toronto: Win tickets to see "Potted Potter" [Dec 21 - Jan 14] - Catch them in Toronto until January 14!
2. Toronto: Win tickets to see "Champions of Magic" on December 30th, 2023 - Last show in Toronto today at 2pm. Catch them in BC, AB, SK, and MB in the spring!
and the most viewed post this month ...
1. 2023 Inspirational Canadian Magician Showcase -
- Alexandra
- Chris Gowen
- Colin Geddes
- Derrick Chung
- Doug Hunt
- Garnet Garven
- Ian Stewart
- Lee Asher
- Leif David
- Paul Romhany
- Rob Teszka
- Ryan Pilling
- Scott Baird
- SYM Manitoba
- Wes Barker
- Yannick Lacroix
Thank you for your support in 2023!
Thank you to our readers, our fans, our followers, our wonderful guest posters, and last but not least, thank you to all of this year's friends (John Harrison, Richard Lyn, Joan Caesar, Ian Crawford, Matt DiSero, Doug Hunt, John Smithman, Robin Dawes, Eric Bedard, Loran, Peter Mennie, Colin Geddes, Graeme Reed, Gwyn Auger, Chris Gowen, Cam Dix, Jokers, George Blott, and Noah Nogueira, Ryan Edwards, Aaron Matthews, Ian Batterbury, and Eric Bedard as well as all of our 2023 sponsors (be sure to support them!):
Toronto's IBM Ring 17, the
Sid Lorraine Hat & Rabbit Club
For more information about purchasing
Sponsored Posts
or about our Platinum, Gold, or Silver level sponsorships, please visit our
Sponsorship page.
Or you can Be Our Friend for only $20 per year!
Donations of any size are always welcome.
Or you can Be Our Friend for only $20 per year!
Donations of any size are always welcome.
30 December 2023
A peek behind the curtain with Potted Potter Toronto [2023]
We're delighted to bring to you a brief interview with the Toronto Performers of Potted Potter, Josephine Starte, Lottie Bell, and Amelia Gann.
 |
Amelia Gann as Harry (left) and Lottie Bell as Voldemort |
What is your first memory of magic? How old were you?
Josephine: I changed primary schools when I was 6 and immediately started a very popular flying club, which centred around doing spells on each other and then jumping off tables at playtime. It was very serious, there were tests, and certificates. I sort of believed I was really flying and really passing on my great wisdom, and I sort of knew I was lying. And then I became an actor.
 |
Josephine Starte |
Each of you perform an effect that some professional magicians also have in their shows. What was your experience learning how to do magic for Potted Potter?
Lottie: Chaotic. I mean I struggle with magic tricks in the real world. So I didn’t ever perform magic tricks on anyone before the show. However, ironically, I love doing them as Lord Voldemort in the show because I can add Voldemort’s cheeky humour to the trick! Even though he’s evil it’s the one time that Voldemort gets the audience's support and that really does help my confidence in the trick so thank you to Lord Voldemort and all his fans! (in that moment).
 |
Lottie Bell |
Do you want to learn how to do any additional magic tricks?
Amelia: Absolutely! It's an aspect of performance I hadn't experienced before this project so I'm looking forward to improving my showmanship and slick delivery, especially with cards - as there's so much to learn and try out! Maybe if I build up my repertoire we can bring some new tricks into each show.
 |
Amelia Gann |
Were there any hurdles or obstacles you needed to overcome, in order to perform a script originally written for an all male cast?
Josephine: The script changed a tiny bit, like the odd word here and there, and I think we possibly perform more characters than the guys as a result. But broadly it’s exactly the same show on paper, and it works brilliantly because there was always gender flipping (read: lots of wigs) in Potted Potter, the guys always played Hermione, Ginny etc, so that license to be flexible with gender is baked in. I mean, it was never a searing, naturalistic kitchen-sink drama about men being manly, it’s always been two delusional clowns throwing water at each other and pretending to be wizards. So it never occurred to me that those roles couldn’t be women. They just need to be really stupid (hello).
What do you enjoy most about Potted Potter?
Josephine: I love the audiences we get and how they respond to all the interactive bits, how generous they are. We’ve been so lucky, we’ve only ever had the nicest, wildest audiences, everyone’s always up for a good time when they come. It’s pure joy. I also love when young people seek us out after shows to talk about acting and comedy, it’s fantastic to be around for those light bulb moments.
Performing the same show over and over can get tedious. What do you do to keep your performance fresh for both your audience and you?
Lottie: I have ADHD so for me personally as a performer I need to be always finding new things and I feel the audience really helps with this especially in the live Quidditch that everyone gets involved in, so it does help with this show that it is different every night - there’s always a surprise!
How much of the show is scripted and how much is improvised?
Lottie: The show's script came from a lot of ad-libbing and improv from our writers Dan and Jeff and then they’ve taken bits of ad-lib from further performers whilst either performing or rehearsing and popped it in the show. That’s another big reason why I love working on this show because the team behind it are all so supportive of their actors. It gives the actors a real freedom to play and make choices in the space creating the spontaneous and witty comedy in the show. Now that's real magic!
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
Amelia: Well it's been lovely to chat to you and we hope that you are intrigued to come and join in with the magical chaos that is Potted Potter. Expect the unexpected, silliness, games, perhaps a bit of audience participation (if you're brave enough). And please tell us all your magic secrets after the show!
Thank you Josephine, Lottie, and Amelia, for making the time to answer our questions!
Potted Potter runs until January 14, 2024. Tickets are available from Live Nation.
Potted Potter: The Unauthorized Harry Experience – A Parody by Dan and Jeff is flying back to Toronto!
Seen by over a million muggles around the world Potted Potter has fans flying off their seats (or broomsticks) with laughter and for the first time in North America the Toronto production will feature an all-female cast. Lottie Bell and Josephine Starte will lead the run with Hanna Berrigan swooping in as Associate Director. The cleverly curated show features perfect Potter props complete with wand and sorting hat, appearances from your favourite characters, and a live Quidditch match!
29 December 2023
Random thoughts about "Champions of Magic" 2023
Catch
Champions of Magic in
Toronto, until December 31st. Tickets at
Ticketmaster.
Yesterday afternoon, KOP and I made the trek to Toronto's Meridian Hall.
-
The last time we were at Meridian Hall it was called the Sony Centre and it was to see Darcy Oake's show "Edge of Reality" in 2015. (Although we're still likely to refer to it as the O'Keefe Centre or possibly even the Hummingbird Centre.)
- 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.
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!
(In yesterday's show, there were three screens in play. One on the main stage and one each to the left and right of the stage.)
Regular readers of the blog have probably guessed that this would be our
summary of the show:
So. Much. Fun!
- The audience arrived ready for a fun time. There were plenty of children in the audience and some families came in from as far as Bomanville to catch the show! They were rooting for the performers from the get-go and the cast had the crowd eating out of their hands by the end of the show!
- It felt like there was an exponential increase in production values for this run, in comparison to the shows we've seen previously. There were more lights, the lights did fancier things, and there were additions to the sound track that really enhanced the visuals. (And for those in the know, yes, the fun extra bits are still there too.)
- There was a unexpected change in cast. We were crushed when we learned that Alex McAleer was unable to do the show. We were really looking forward to getting another look at his beautifully constructed homage to Keller that we first saw in Kitchener last year.
- Stepping in for McAleer was Kent Axell. This was our first time seeing Axell and we were very impressed!
-
Hollie England,
Kent Axell,
Fernando Velasco,
Richard Young and Sam Strange
all do what they do very well!
If memory serves, there are no standard card tricks in the show!
- This show is very different from the one
presented in Oshawa in
2019, and significantly different than the one mounted in Toronto in
2018. Much of the content is similar to the 2022 show we saw in Kitchener, with the added bonus that with every passing year, the cast are more authentic and the show feels more organic. Which translates to a demonstrable increase in entertainment value!
-
There are several whole cast moments, which make the show less of a patchwork piece
and more of a thoughtfully woven production.
-
There's LOTS audience participation with both children and adults! By our count, 16 volunteers were involved.
- The show is absolutely visually stunning!
Whether you're new to magic or are a professional magician, there's something for everyone!
-
Axell demonstrated some baffling mentalism and his 9 year old volunteer James was an absolute star!
-
England showcased
a strong skill set and talent that is intensely theatrical! She really brought the heat (through fire!) in her set and 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 amazed and dazzled from above.
-
Velasco succeeded 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 thrice 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! Their collaborative piece
with Velasco has a very strong audience reaction. As a bonus, they were able to stage a couple of effects we'd read about on social media but had never seen them perform live. It was well worth the wait to see it live on stage!
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 fourth time seeing the show in the last 5 years 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: KOP 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.
With thanks to Starvox Entertainment for the tickets.
28 December 2023
Highgate: Absolute Magic with Keith Brown [Jan 20]
Tickests at MaryWebbCentre.ca
From the December 21st Instagram post by Keith Brown:
ABSOLUTE MAGIC with Keith Brown coming to The Mary Webb Centre For The Arts, Saturday, January 20, 2024 at 8 PM
Critics are saying: "Real deal magician, and wonderful storyteller", "5 Stars!", Magic Done Right", "MIND-BENDING, MIND BOGGLING and MIND-BLOWING".
Get your tickets now at marywebbcentre.ca or through link in my bio. Or at our local vendors: Mittons in Ridgetown, Treasures on Talbot in Blenheim and GraveDiggerz' Variety & Restaurant in Highgate.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)