sentimentalists

Hocus Jokus

This Sunday, I’ll be appearing on “Hocus Jokus” at Yuk Yuk’s in Toronto alongside Mark Clearview, The Sentiementalists and Ben Train. Will it be a magic show? Will it be a comedy show? Unsurprisingly, it’s a trick question: It’s both.

Join us for an exciting evening of magic and comedy at one of Canada’s most celebrated comedy clubs. Tickets are now available online.

Hocus Jokus
Sunday, August 7, 2022 at 8:00 PM
Yuk Yuk’s
224 Richmond Street West, Toronto

 

Back to the real world

After more than two years of hiding on Zoom, I’m delighted to be back in front of a live audience. This week, I’ll be appearing on The Newest Trick in the Book.

Thursday, May 26, 2022 at 8:00 PM
Royal Comedy Theatre
1051 Bloor Street West Toronto

This is a jam-packed show featuring ten magic and mystery performers to celebrate a return to face-to-face magic in the real world. Tickets are free, but must be reserved in advance.

I’ll be appearing alongside Jonah Babins, Ryan Brown, Mark Clearview, Michael Craig Francis, Chris Mayhew, Patrick Nemeth, Lukas Stark, Ben Train, Chris Westfall and The Sentimentalists.

 

The Sentimentalists - Canadian Rising Stars

Wanted to take a moment to congratulate The Sentimentalists, who were recently awarded The Allan Slaight Award for Canadian Rising Star(s). The awards recognize outstanding achievements in pursuit of the impossible, named for the Canadian media mogul and philanthropist (and magic nut) Allan Slaight.

Steffi Kay & Mysterion - The Sentimentalists (Photo by Ahmed Alexander)

Steffi Kay & Mysterion - The Sentimentalists (Photo by Ahmed Alexander)

In 2016, shortly after they began performing together, they appeared as guests on Magic Tonight. Earlier this year, I penned a profile of them which appeared as the cover story of Vanish Magazine.

Vanish Cover The Sentimentalists.jpg

I can’t buy them a drink at the present moment, so this post will have to do for now!

A Magical Place - Trailer

The trailer for a new short documentary about magic in Toronto, and in particular our local secret magic shop, the Browser’s Den of Magic, has just been released.

In order of appearance: Mark Lewis, The Sentimentalists (Mysterion & Steffi Kay), Ryan Murray, Mark Correia, John Talbot, Jim Byrnes, Wij, me, Jacqueline Swan, Ahmed Alexander, Mike Segal, Kevin Rusli, Jeff Hinchliffe, Patrick Nemeth, Ben Train. Produced by Paul Steinberg.

A Cheap Victory

Judge Steffi Kay

Judge Steffi Kay

Last night was Cheap Tricks 2, the nightmarish magic contest envisioned by Mysterion, Canada’s most awesomely coiffed, sartorially resplendent mentalist and half of the mindreading duo The Sentimentalists. Each contestant receives a series of constraints and has to create their act in just a few hours before performing on stage at Revival.

I appeared alongside John Roldan, Jim Byrnes, Beyond Mental Borders, Jonah Babins, Harry Zimmerman, Jacqueline Swann and Shamus MacGregor. The contest was judged by Steffi Kay of the Sentimentalists, Ben Train, Rayn, and the previous champion Chris Westfall. (I was a judge on the first contest in 2017, but agreed to give up my spot to Chris.)

My set of constrains was that i had 3 hours to build an act using a budget of $5 with only material procured at a the nearby A&W. I also had to present in the theme of a XXX-rated Adult Film…. magic for grownups indeed. I’m so glad I forgot to invite my mother to watch. I’m more glad that magic elder statesman Mark Lewis was in the audience to witness me debasing the art of magic.

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But a contest is a contest and I played to win (much to Mysterion’s regret.) You can watch the full performance below — cheaply filmed and edited by the Cheap Tricks elves. Although there’s not necessarily any reason you would want to. And certainly don’t do it with your children around:

The tl/dw is that I won…. proud of it, but not proud of what I had to do to get it. Thank you to the judges and to everyone who attended the contest.

James Alan & Mysterion the Mindreader

James Alan & Mysterion the Mindreader

L to R: Shamus Macgregor, Beyond Mental Borders, Harry Zimmerman, Jacqueline Swann, James Alan, Jonah Babins, Jim Byrns, John Roldan

L to R: Shamus Macgregor, Beyond Mental Borders, Harry Zimmerman, Jacqueline Swann, James Alan, Jonah Babins, Jim Byrns, John Roldan

I can’t wait to get back to doing normal magic!

Tricks in the Six

This Thursday, I'll be appearing on Tricks In The Six, a magic show organized in Toronto by the aptly named Toronto Magic Company.

I'll be appearing with The Sentimentalists - a pair of sartorially splendid mind readers just back from performing at the Magic Castle in Hollywood. I first met half of the Sentimentalists, Mysterion, at one of my earliest visits to Friday Night Magic, now over ten years ago. He was mutilating silverware, showing off new tattoos and his taxidermy albino squirrel. In the years I've known him, he has only gotten stranger. He has since joined forces with Steffi Kay who has certainly helped to class up the act. 

Then again, the same could also be said for the show's host Ben Train

Join us Thursday, July 27 at the Paintbox Bistro (555 Dundas Street East). Tickets are $25 and available online.