I have always been a big fan of the theatre. I love going, I love doing, and I love performing ‘on the boards’, and this past weekend I had the opportunity to perform to a sold out house at Theatre311 in Listowel, the home of Paddyfest. The crowd was fantastic and I was able to get a great video of the show thanks to my friend, magician Timothy Drake.

Theatres presents a very comfortable ambience for me to work in and it was a pleasure to entertain all me new friends with some new magic and illusion. Thank you to Steph and Justin for inviting me. Unfortunately they have sold Theatre311 and mine was the second to last performance they will host.

Each time I walk onstage I have a responsibility to my audience to give them the very best show I can. Every time. That’s my job. It’s a career I chose 40+ years ago and it’s still one I cherish all these years later.

You see, together as a group, me as the entertainer and you, as the audience share the one thing more precious and more rare than anything else in today’s world – time. Time is the one thing that can’t be recycled, is never returned and can never be recreated. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. Forever. So, when you chose to share your time with me, I’m honoured. Thank you for taking the time to read this blog, by the way.

The truth, most of the time, audiences don’t really have a choice whether or not to watch my performance. Very often the I am chosen to entertain them by the event organizer. I am either a) the After Dinner Speaker; b) the Birthday Party Magician or c) one of the acts on the Children’s Stage, etc. There are other examples but I think you get the picture: no one really knows who I am (and sometimes doesn’t care), but I’m a pleasant diversion for 30-45 minutes. The time we share together is forced so let’s make the best of it.

A performance in a theatrical setting is a whole different scenario. Weeks before the performance, you read about the show. You talk about it with your friends and family. You think about it some more and then check your calendar, go online or make a phone call because you have decided to go to that show You have chosen to spend 90 minutes of your day with that entertainer! And, in my case, share the experience with your kids!

The responsibility for me is to deliver. Big time!

But my job, now, is much easier. I don’t have to ‘sell’ myself as hard. I don’t have to worry about gathering everyone to the stage. I don’t have to worry about any competition for their attention. You chose ME!

You chose to share your precious time with me and it is my honour to share my time with you. I trust I won’t disappoint. No, I know I won’t disappoint!

In the next couple of months I have three theatrical performances: February 11 - Theatre311; March 13 – Meaford Opera House  and March 16 – Gravenhurst Centenial Centre.

Please come and share some time with me.

What is great about the Snowfest is that for the last two years, all of the entertainment has been inside this giant igloo (really a dome) and since it was in an enclosed space, everyone who was inside had come to see the show. I like that!

Everyone had a great time – especially this 3½ year old who was trying to tell me her glasses kept falling down!

I hope to do it all again next year.

It was a fun experience. Both Timothy Drake and I set-up and ran the cameras

Right before the show, I needed to make an announcement about the taping of the show. As soon as I got centre stage, I heard someone whisper, ‘There’s the magician’. Their colleage answered, ‘No, he’s not’, to which the first one countered, ‘Well then, the magician must be training someone’.

Anyway, it was a three camera shoot and one of the results can be partially seen here:

Click here to view the embedded video.

During the discussion phase, they discovered that I was also an Alumni of Fanshawe (Broadcast Television ’87). Bonus! Then they decided to do a cover story on me to promote the Homecoming.

Thinking back, I’m not sure if I was honoured, flattered, embarrassed or confused. I do know that the first thing I said to them after they asked was “Are you sure?”. I guess I was humbled.

Anyway it turned out to be a great feature. A lot of people saw it and it even got me a series of shows in Newfoudland-Labrador two years later.

Oh and in case you are wondering, I am not resposible for choosing the cover shot. As a matter of fact, I was just goofing around. I’ll never do that again!

Professional: following an occupation as a means of livelihood or for gain; following as a business an occupation ordinarily engaged in as a pastime: a professional magician.

One of the axioms in my field states that “professionals do the same tricks for different audiences, amateurs do different tricks for the same audiences”.

It’s true. Ask yourself why music stars have greatest hits. Why there are classic movies; why audiences want actors to reprise their signature roles.

Because that’s what they do really well. And it makes sense. Would you rather hire an top-tier entertainer who is trying out a brand new act or one who has honed his act for twenty years to a place where it is “an act”?

The best example of this was a magician named Marvyn Roy, aka Mr. Electric. His 11 minute act never changed over a 50 year career that took him around the world – repeatedly.

Of course we all add new routines from time to time, just for fun and as a special request but the performance is always a finely tuned, fun performance.

What happens when you create an act is that you quickly become known for that particular act. If you want a grand illusion show in Canada, then Ryan Joyce is who you should hire. For a smaller venue, still with illusions, then go with Timothy Drake. And if you want a stand-up, comedy magic and mind reading show, then ME!

Don’t get me wrong. I love amateur magicians. They keep our art alive. They are its biggest supporters. They are magic’s true fans. But they are not its best presenters. Amateur magicians put most of their efforts into learning the latest trick (and that’s a GOOD thing). Professionals spend their productive time honing, improving and updating their act. Professionals concentrate more on the overall effect that an hour of individual routines combined has on an audience rather than blowing them away with one or two miracles.

That’s the difference.

Click here to view the embedded video.