Canada's Magic

Toronto and Montreal: Gianarlo Scalia shows, lectures, and workshops [TO: May 18 - 20; Mtl: May 27 - 30]

noreply@blogger.com (Canada's Magic) — Fri, 08 May 2026 04:03:00 +0000

Toronto (hosted by the Sid Lorraine Hat & Rabbit Club, IBM Ring 17):

workshop May 18 - details and tickets
show: Chaos - May 19 - details and tickets
lecture May 20 - details and tickets

Montreal (hosted by the Montreal Magic Jam):

show: Strange Things Happen - May 27 - details and tickets
lecture May 28 [details TBA]
workshop May 29 /30 [tentative, details TBA]

For tickets and more information visit MontrealMagicJam.com

Woonsocket: Vitaly -- An Evening of Wonders [May 16]

noreply@blogger.com (Canada's Magic) — Thu, 07 May 2026 04:01:00 +0000

From the April 23rd Facebook post by the Stadium Theatre Performing Arts Centre:

After stumping Penn & Teller THREE times on their hit TV show Fool Us, VITALY brings his latest and most ambitious production to the stage with An Evening of Wonders.
Combining breathtaking visuals with Vitaly’s captivating style, An Evening of Wonders is an interactive theatrical experience that takes the audience on a magical journey.
Read more and buy tickets.

Previously shared on Facebook April 23.

Canadiana in the May issue of VANISH (#142)

noreply@blogger.com (Canada's Magic) — Wed, 06 May 2026 04:02:00 +0000

Lots of Canadiana in this month's issue of VANISH (#142):

Gracing the cover is Wes Barker, with accompanying 9 page feature,
Connie Boyd writes about Josephine Lee and Femme,
The first of a three part behind the scenes series with Champions of Magic in Toronto, and
Our thoughts about Michael Close's class Explorer 2: Build Your Skills

Read about these and much more in the May issue of VANISH Magic Magazine!

Catch a sneak peek into the issue in the May 1st Instagram post by VANISH.

Thank you to our May 2026 sponsors!

noreply@blogger.com (Canada's Magic) — Tue, 05 May 2026 04:03:00 +0000

Thank you to our sponsors for their generous support.

This site would not be possible without their backing.

We're grateful to have the support of:

Clive Court - Life Member, Canadian Public Relations Society,
Jeff Pinsky, owner of The Browser's Den of Magic,
Michael Close, author of the new Paradigm Shift ebooks, the Workers series and others, and
Toronto's IBM Ring 17, the Sid Lorraine Hat & Rabbit Club!

The next time you see them, let them know you saw their sponsorship here!

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.

Winnipeg: Cabinet of Curiosities -- Masquerade [May 7]

noreply@blogger.com (Canada's Magic) — Mon, 04 May 2026 04:09:00 +0000

For tickets and more information, visit MyParkTheatre.com.

From the May 3rd Instagram post by Patrick Gregoire:

Variety circus show featuring mind-reading, comedy, circus, burlesque, and dance.

Read more.

Montreal: Jaana Felicitas & Nikolai Striebel Lecture [May 11]

noreply@blogger.com (Canada's Magic) — Fri, 01 May 2026 04:02:00 +0000

Early bird discount until May 5!

From The Montreal Magic Jam:

Magic doesn’t only happen in the hands. It happens in the body.

In this lecture we explore the connection between magic and movement. How timing, posture, rhythm, and direction shape what an audience sees— and what they don’t see. Sometimes a small shift of the body is stronger than the most complicated sleight of hand.

Using pieces from our own work, we share ideas, techniques, and practical thinking about staging magic physically. How do you guide attention without words? How can movement create meaning, tension, and surprise?
Read more and buy tickets.

Chris Mayhew interviewed by Randy Ai

noreply@blogger.com (Canada's Magic) — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 04:09:00 +0000

From the April 26th upload "Toronto Magician Chris Mayhew Full Interview - The Randy Ai Show Episode 4" at the Randy Ai YouTube channel:

From the smoky philosophy of "What is magic?" to a hands-on demonstration of mind-bending illusions, Chris Mayhew shares the secrets of his craft and his unique professional journey.
Read more and watch interview.

Found at the April 28th Facebook post by Chris Mayhew.

Halifax: Actual Sorcery with Vincenzo Ravina [May 23]

noreply@blogger.com (Canada's Magic) — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 04:01:00 +0000

For tickets and more information, visit ActualWizard.ca.

From the April 27th Instagram post by Vincenzo Ravina:

On Saturday, May 23, 2026 at 7:30 pm, actual wizard and Halifax magician Vincenzo Ravina returns to the illustrious and mysterious Bus Stop Theatre with his newest weird magic show! This show is for you, specifically and in particular.
Read more.

Mirrors vs video camera for practise -- a false dichotomy?

noreply@blogger.com (Canada's Magic) — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 04:09:00 +0000

Last September we had the pleasure of listening to two well respected master card magicians speak. Both of them touched on the topic of practise.

Magician A suggested that reviewing video recording of one's performance was optimal because among other things, magicians are unlikely to catch a poorly performed sleight in the mirror.*
Magician B suggested that performing in front of a mirror was the way to go, because you need to learn how to adjust in real time, if something goes wrong in the execution of a move.

They both raised valid points. We got to wondering how you, dear readers, practise?

In October, we asked the following on Facebook and Instagram:

What do you do when you practise? Do you:
A. Use a mirror
B. Video record the session
C. Both of the above
D. None of the above
E. I don’t practise

Seven people replied. Two were 3-way mirror responses, two were video responses, we had two responses from those who do neither, and one of you have a very thoughtful practise involving both mirrors and video.

The practise preference was divided along social media platforms.

Facebook preferred video,

Instagram favours mirrors or neither.

(With N=7 it's difficult to draw meaningful inferences. We found it interesting nonetheless.)

From the April 27th Instagram post @CanadasMagicDotCom:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Canadas Magic (@canadasmagicdotcom)

A thought from the pro-video camp:

Chris Yuill wrote:
" If you use a mirror but look down to look at the props you miss seeing what happened at that moment. Just my opinion.

"PS if you video yourself to post on social media, watch the video first before posting. See too many crappy videos of crappy done magic on FB and the gram."

A very thorough and insightful answer from Eric Bedard, who kindly took the time on October 2nd to write [emphasis added]:

"Mirror at home when first learning a new sleight or routine (3 mirrors one head on, two at 45 degrees on each side), also practice facing the mirror, then turn right angle to one side so you can see what people see over your shoulder or looking behind you, then repeat on the other side - when you are satisfied that you do not flash, then record at home several times while tweaking, adjusting blocking, checking script and timing, etc. and then definitely record the first time if it is a stand up routine. Close-up if you do all of the above, you should be bullet proof when you perform. However, you will continue to make adjustments and improvements once you have performed the first 100 times - in Martial arts it is said that you must do a move 10,000 times before you can start to really learn it - in Magic it is not 10,00 but definitely after you have field tested a routine, trick or sleight a minimum of 100 times, you can start to really understand the subtleties involved. Real world practice is best, just make sure you are bullet proof before you perform out in the world or you make us all look bad. Carry on......"

We have nothing to add to Eric's excellent answer. It seems that the method of practise is often presented as a false dichotomy. One or the other. In reality, a blend of both may be the recipe for optimal results.

In the comments, let us know whether you use mirrors or video or both in your practise!

* We have heard it said that when practising in front of a mirror, magicians are more likely to blink while performing the sleight, and therefore will be unable to see themselves flash or make a mistake. We wondered if there was any literature to back this claim. This is what we found:

From a 2022 paper by Anthony Barnhart [emphasis added]:
"Indeed, magicians were more likely to blink when engaging in deceptive action than when not, and blinking was more prevalent when performing more difficult sleights. However, this tactical blinking was only evident in the performance setting." [1]
A quote from Anthony from a September 2022 article [emphasis added]:
"'While my magician participants were more likely to blink their eyes when carrying out deceptive action than when not, this tendency was increased in a performance setting without a mirror compared to a rehearsal setting with a mirror,' Barnhart explained to PsyPost. 'This was surprising and didn’t match the predictions from the world of magic.'" [2]

Other thoughts about practising in front of a mirror:

"Do not watch yourself in a mirror as you practise. You cannot perform the action naturally if you divide your attention between what you do and how it looks. Moreover, mirror watching has a tendency to cause the eyes to widen; this is not attractive and can become a fixed habit." [3]

References:

Barnhart, A. S., Richardson, K., & Eric, S. (2022). Tactical blinking in magicians: A tool for self-and other-deception. Psychology of Consciousness: Theory, Research, and Practice, 9(3), 257. DOI:10.1037/cns0000321
Ellwood, B. (2022). Study suggests magicians unconsciously blink their eyes to manipulate the audience during difficult tricks. PsyPost.
https://www.psypost.org/study-suggests-magicians-unconsciously-blink-their-eyes-to-manipulate-the-audience-during-difficult-tricks/
Hugard, J, Braue, F. (1948). The Royal Road to Card Magic. pg 358

Broken wand: Glenn Ottaway

noreply@blogger.com (Canada's Magic) — Sat, 25 Apr 2026 16:45:00 +0000

Updated May 1st to add:

link to Tim's May 1st Facebook post with a link to the obituary and a time change for the celebration of life

We were informed of the recent passing of Glenn Ottaway. We will post more information as it becomes available.

Our sincere condolences to Glenn's family and friends at this difficult time.

Visit the April 25th Facebook post by Tim Ottaway.

Chicago: Bill Abbott at The Hand & Eye [May 5 - 10]

noreply@blogger.com (Canada's Magic) — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 12:47:00 +0000

For tickets and more information, visit HandAndEye.com

From the April 21st Instagram post by The Magic Hideaway:

From May 5–10, Bill will be performing at The Hand and Eye—a newly opened space redefining what a luxury magic experience can be. A venue built with extraordinary vision, detail, and ambition, and one of the most remarkable rooms of its kind anywhere in the world.

Read more.

Toronto: Magic Guys at Work [May 17]

noreply@blogger.com (Canada's Magic) — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 04:05:00 +0000

For tickets and more information visit the ComedyBar.ca

From the April 13th Instagram post by Magic Ian:

The legendary Comedy Bar Danforth. The original Magic Guys at Work. This could get nuts.

Read more.

ICYMI: Alex Kazam’s Comeback Journey

noreply@blogger.com (Canada's Magic) — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 04:09:00 +0000

Alex Kazam is documenting on Instagram his journey back to live performances.

Day one
Day two
Day three
Day four
Day five

Follow him in his journey. Let him know if anything resonates with you. If you can, encourage and support his efforts!

Norfolk: Great American Comedy Festival [Jun 18]

noreply@blogger.com (Canada's Magic) — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 04:02:00 +0000

For more information and to buy tickets, visit GreatAmericanComedyfestival.com.

From the April 8th Instagram post by The Evasons:

This year’s Comedy/Magic Show lineup is absolutely stacked—we’ll be sharing the stage with the incredible Juliana Chen and our good friend David Kovac, whose comedy and talent always blow us away. Thursday, June 18, 2026 in the Johnny Carson Theatre, Norfolk, NE.

🎟️ Show details & tickets — see link in bio.
Read more.

Balmoral, Neguac, Miramichi, & St. John: Les Illusionnistes - Récital de magie [Apr 22 - 25]

noreply@blogger.com (Canada's Magic) — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 04:01:00 +0000

For tickets and more information, visit RadArts.ca/spectacles/les-illusionnistes

From the April 14th Facebook post by Arcf de Saint-Jean:

1927. Forced to replace his stage partner at the last minute, a fading vaudeville magician is suddenly outshined by the bold ambitions of a young usher determined to save a crucial performance for an influential producer.

A dazzling blend of magic, theatre, and comedy — perfect for all ages!
Read more.

Found at the April 14th Facebook post by Bernard Cormier.

Previously shared on Facebook April 14.

Toronto, Vancouver, & USA: It's Probably Nothing 2026 Live Tour [Jun 11 - Aug 18]

noreply@blogger.com (Canada's Magic) — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 04:02:00 +0000

Wes Barker was the special guest for the Feb 5th (Austin) and Feb 20th (Montreal) shows. Who will the special guests be on this tour?

From ItsProbablyNothing.com:

Featuring Chris Ramsay and special guests.
June 11 - Toronto, ON, Danforth Music Hall
June 13 - Cleveland, OH, Agora Theatre
June 14 - Detroit, MI, Royal Oak Theatre
June 16 - Minneapolis, MN, The Fillmore
June 17 - Chicago, IL, Park West
June 19 - New York, NY, The Town Hall
June 20 - Washington, DC, Lincoln Theatre
June 21 - Boston, MA, The Wilbur
August 9 - Tucson, AZ, Rialto Theatre
August 12 - Los Angeles, CA, The Novo
August 13 - San Francisco, CA, Palace of Fine Arts
August 15 - Portland, OR, Aladdin Theater
August 16 - Seattle, WA, Neptune Theatre
August 18 - Vancouver, BC, Vogue Theatre
Check for updates, read more, and buy tickets.

Found at the April 15th Instagram post by Chris Ramsay. Shared on Instagram April 15.

Thank you to our personal sponsors for April 2026!

noreply@blogger.com (Canada's Magic) — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 04:09:00 +0000

A quick reminder of our earlier Mail as Medicine request for Katie Hunt. If you have the time, Katie and Doug would both benefit from hearing from their friends!

Thank you to John Harrison, Richard Lyn, Joan Caesar, Ian Crawford, Matt DiSero, Doug Hunt, John Smithman, Loran, Peter Mennie, Noah Nogueira, Aaron Matthews, Cam Dix, Ian Batterbury, Sonny Patel, and the Toronto Magic Company for being Friends of Canada's Magic!

It's good to have friends like you.

You too can Be Our Friend for only $20 per year!

Donations of any size are always welcome.

Abbotsford: Eric Samuels -- Mind Games! An Evening of Mind Reading & Mischief [May 2] and lecture [May 3]

noreply@blogger.com (Canada's Magic) — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 04:03:00 +0000

From the Facebook event "Eric Samuels: Mind Games! An Evening of Mind Reading & Mischief":

Eric Samuels is considered one of the top performers and creative forces in his field, lecturing to magicians and mentalists worldwide. In 2021, his work was recognized by the world’s most distinguished mentalist organization – the Psychic Entertainers Association (PEA), honouring him with the coveted Dan Blackwood Memorial Award for his Outstanding Contribution to the Art of Mentalism.
Hosted by the Fraser Valley Magic Company - bringing high quality entertainment to the Fraser Valley since 2015!
Read more and buy tickets.

Found at the March 12th Facebook post by Mike Norden.

PCAM 2026 photos and highlights

noreply@blogger.com (Canada's Magic) — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 04:08:00 +0000

Shout-out to the convention team: Alex Zander, Billy Hsueh, and Brian Cook!

Check out the group photo and highlights including contests, shows, lectures, and panel discussions at PCAMmagic.com/history/2026.

Found at the April 11th post by Ryan Pilling at the Pacific Coast Associations of Magicians Facebook group.

Previously shared on Facebook April 12.

Calgary: Wit and Wizardry [Apr 24]

noreply@blogger.com (Canada's Magic) — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 04:02:00 +0000

Tickets at MagicTickets.ca/event/wit-and-wizardry.

From the Facebook event "Wit & Wizardry - Comedy Magic Cabaret":

This is not an Easter show, unless you live west of the theatre, then it is easter. The next Wit & Wizardry - Comedy Magic Cabaret is on Friday, April 24th. Join us for a night full of amazing magic.
Read more and buy tickets.

Previously shared on Instagram April 4 and Facebook April 5.

IBM Members: Legal benefit and video library

noreply@blogger.com (Canada's Magic) — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 04:03:00 +0000

We recently learned that IBM Members are able to receive free legal advice (regarding performance Visas for entry to the US). Learn more about it at the April 8th Facebook post by the International Brotherhood of Magicians.

We were also recently reminded that IBM Members have access to the IBM's video library which includes:

Virtual Lecture Series, including
- John Carrey
- David Corsaro
- Mike Breggar
- Ryan Pilling
JAM Videos, including
- Anastasia Synn
- Ben Train
- Carisa Hendrix
- Jonah Babins
- Ryan Pilling
- Shawn Farquhar
- Max Maven, and many more!
Something Up My Sleeve interviews, including
- Eric Leclerc
- Billy Hseuh
- Hidden Wonders Tour
- Marc Trudel
- Lost in the Shuffle
- Wes Barker
- Luc Langevin, and many, many more!
"Who Books That?" with Harrison Greenbaum, including
- The Evasons
- Steve Valentine
- Julie Eng
- Shin Lim, and many more!
Special Contributions, including
- Luic Carreon
- Ryan Pilling
- Keith Fields
Magic Mondays, including
- Alex Zander
- Shawn Farquhar
- Lucy Darling (Carisa Hendrix), and more!
Historical Videos, including
- Darcy Oake
- James Cielen

If you're looking to consume some magic videos, this should keep you busy for some time!

BC, AB, SK, & MB: Darcy Oake [Oct 9 - 24]

noreply@blogger.com (Canada's Magic) — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 04:07:00 +0000

From DarcyOake.com/tour:

Oct 9, 2026 - Great Canadian Casino Vancouver, Vancouver, BC
Oct 10, 2026 - Creekside Theatre, Lake Country, BC
Oct 13, 2026 - The Bowes at Bonnetts Energy Centre, Grand Prairie, AB
Oct 14, 2026 - Bella Concert Hall, Calgary, AB
Oct 15, 2026 - Esplanade Arts & Heritage Centre, Medicine Hat, AB
Oct 16, 2026 - Jeanne & Peter Lougheed Performing Arts Centre – Cargill Theatre, Camrose, AB
Oct 17, 2026 - Dow Centennial Centre Shell Theatre, Fort Saskatchewan, AB
Oct 20, 2026 - EA Rawlinson Centre for the Arts, Prince Albert, SK
Oct 21, 2026 - TCU Place, Saskatoon, SK
Oct 22, 2026 - Casino Regina, Regina, SK
Oct 23, 2026 - Western Manitoba Centennial Auditorium, Brandon, MB
Oct 24, 2026 - Centennial Concert Hall, Winnipeg, MB

Read more and buy tickets.

Found at the April 7th Instagram post by Darcy Oake.

Thank you to our April 2026 sponsors!

noreply@blogger.com (Canada's Magic) — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 04:07:00 +0000