Mystery & Magic with Beyond Mental Borders

Later this month, I will be appearing at The Rec Room in An Evening of Mystery & Magic featuring the mind reading duo Beyond Mental Borders. The Rec Room, located near the SkyDome (or Rogers Centre… if you insist.) It’s stocked with arcade games galore and multiple restaurant and bar spaces. This performance is in their main theatre which offers full dinner menu & bar service so you can come and eat as you enjoy the show.

Sunday, August 18
8:00 PM (Doors open 7:00 PM)
The Rec Room
(255 Bremner Blvd, Toronto)

“Located at Roundhouse Park in downtown Toronto, just steps away from the CN Tower, Rogers Centre, Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Air Canada Centre and Billy Bishop Airport.

The Rec Room redefines the meaning of fun with over 40,000 sq. feet of great games, mouth-watering eats and amazing entertainment, all packed under 1 roof!

The Rec Room is the place to let go, be playful and experience something new and exciting. We’re Canada’s premier “eats & entertainment” hot spot, and we’re taking Toronto by storm!

With Canadian-inspired cuisine, virtual reality, video & redemption games, live entertainment, and more, The Rec Room is the ultimate gathering place to grab a pint, host an event, or just play.

Your new social playground has arrived!”

 

Newest Trick in the Book - July 30

A little bit of a last minute announcement. I’ve been conscripted to host The Newest Trick In The Book, a weekly show put on by the Toronto Magic Company.

The concept of the show is to provide a safe space for magical experimentation, trying and testing out new material that is still under development. (In much the same way that comedy clubs host open mic nights.) True to form, I’ll be showing off something new, and joined on stage by magicians Jeff Hinchliffe, Rob Testa, Dan Stapleton, LEO and Ajay. One of those has been performing magic since before I was born. Another one, I’ve been doing magic since before he was born. So we’re covering the entire spectrum.

James Alan

Dan Stapleton

Jeff Hinchliffe

Rob Testa

Ajay

LEO

This is a pay-what-you-feel-like show hosted at Toronto’s nerd-bar See-Scape (Keele & Dundas, Toronto). We have limited seating so you can reserve tickets at the link below.

Tuesday, July 30 - 8:30 PM
See-Scape
347 Keel Street, Toronto

 

Happy Pride

This weekend, I got to perform at the Pride festival in Toronto alongside my dear friend Ben Train. He neglected to mention it was a performance for children, but we should accept all people, even small vertically impaired humans who have been given too much sugar.

I often joke that I am an “indoor magician” but it was a perfect day to be outside for a show.

Photos courtesy of Patrick Nemeth.

A Cheap Victory

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.

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

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!

In Hensall this weekend

Artwork by Kurt Firla

Saturday evening I’ll be appearing at the Heritage Hall in Hensall performing Magic for Grownups. If you’re out in that area, we’d love to see you there. Tickets are $30, available online.

Saturday, May 25
7:00 PM

Hensall Heritage Hall
108 King Street
Hensall, ON

 

Cheap Tricks (2)

It is the worst possible scenario for a variety performer. You arrive in another city to perform, but your props and equipment do not. (Thank you Airlines.) It’s a situation no one would want to be in, but we’re inflicting it on ourselves in Cheap Tricks. We tried this earlier in 2017 and are at it again, putting performers in awkward and unpleasant situations for your entertainment pleasure.

All participants are given a small budget, location to buy what they can find, and have to come with 10 mins of amazing material on the fly for the audience.

Featuring John Roldan, Poppa, Jimbo, Beyond Mental Borders, Jonah Babins, The Wanderer, Jacque Swan, James Harrison, Shamus MacGregor and some guy named James Alan. Judged by Ben Train, Steffi Kay & Chris Westfall (the returning champion from the first Cheap Tricks in 2017.) With a performance by The Sentimentalists.

Tuesday, June 11, 2019
8:30 PM
Revival
783 College Street, Toronto

We hope you can join us for what is sure to be a very unusual night.