Rencontre avec un magicien

I was recently invited to appear on "L’heure de pointe”, a CBC Radio Canada program, to talk about magic goings on in the city of Toronto. (Apparently I speak French… who knew?)

In particular Illusions: The Art of Magic currently open at the Art Gallery of Ontario. The Allan Slaight Collection of Magic Posters is currently on display through the middle of May. (Or at least part of the collection… the exhibit is on loan from the McCord Museum in Montreal where the full collection lives.) These are stunning images produced to advertise magic shows in what we call the “Golden Age” (1880-1930 give or take). They were produced by an incredible colour printing technology on an unbelievable scale — many of the posters on display are larger than a person.

On top of the posters themselves magicians with the Toronto Magic Company (of whom I am one) are performing daily in the gallery from 2:00 - 4:00 PM and also evening performances 6:00 - 8:00 PM on Wednesdays and Fridays.

We also talked about some other Toronto goings on including the monthly “Newest Trick in the Book” and a secret little magicians get together known as “Alakajam”

Derren Brown: Magic and the Meaning of Life

Derren Brown is probably the most celebrated mind-reader alive today. He has had multiple touring theatre shows and TV specials in the UK and a recent run off Broadway. He spends a great deal of time thinking about how people think which has offered him some insights into how the mind works. That insight can be used to amaze, but also be applied to our everyday psychology.

Photos from The Newest Trick In The Book

Getting a bit caught up. Here are some photos from The Newest Trick In The Book courtesy of David Fulde. This was their Pride week show, which explains the rainbows. Also on this show were Nicholas Wallace, John Roldan (assisted by Danny Proctor in the mask) and Ben Train, hosted by Jonah Babins

Jonah Babins

Ben Train

James Alan & LEO

Nicholas Wallace

John Roldan

Danny Proctor - Anonymous

Jonah Babins

Nicholas Wallace

Nicholas Wallace

Nicholas Wallace

Nicholas Wallace

James Alan

L to R: Jonah Babins, Ben Train, Nicholas Wallace, James Alan, John Roldan

The Newest Trick In The Book is a free weekly magic open mic hosted by the lovely and charming Jonah Babins and put on by The Toronto Magic Company. It’s continuing into the fall with new performers every week and you can reserve tickets to upcoming performance. I’ll be on the week of September 10.

Photos from Beyond Mental Borders

From a wonderful sold out show at The Rec Room along with Beyond Mental Borders. Here are some photos, courtesy of Luke Peters.

I have a hard enough time watching footage of myself perform. I feel for the poor audience that had to deal with a an eight foot portrait of me on the back wall.

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!