Author: ChrisPilsworth

Being on the road is part of the life of an entertainer. I love to sleep in my own bed at night, so I try to keep most of the shows within a 3 hour radius of my home town, Ottawa. Sometimes, when I’m on tour, I go further afield.

This week has been March Break, when the kids are out of school for a week. Libraries and day camps love to have entertainment as part of their special week activities. My first show of the week was another repeat customer. The library in Rockland is usually about 40 minutes away, however, the early show meant that I had to contend with the morning rush-hour to get across the city. Allowing enough time to get to a show is really important. That means taking into account construction, accidents on the highway and winter weather conditions. It’s all part of the game.

On the Road in Northern Quebec

The furthest I ever drove to a show was 14 hours, one way. It was on an Indian reserve on the shores of James Bay, in northern Quebec. That was the furthest north I’d ever travelled, but I was disappointed when I looked at a map and realized that it was only about a third of the way north. Someday, I may visit the territories.

Accidents Do Happen

Leaving early for a show is always a good idea. Once on the way to Pembroke, my truck’s alternator decided it didn’t want to work anymore. I wondered if I’d be able to make it to the show on time as I gently glided onto the gravel. Fortunately, I had CAA (Canadian Automobile Association). When they asked where I’d like my pick-up truck to be town, I replied, I’d like to go to my show. The flatbed tow truck arrived and myself, my assistant and the tow truck driver piled into his cab and proceeded to Pembroke. He unloaded the truck at the door of the venue and we were able to start the show only 10 minutes late. The following day the truck was repaired and we were back home.

Snowstorms in Canada

After a Christmas show in Toronto, myself and my assistant were heading back home. As luck would have it, a large snowstorm blew in off Lake Ontario. What normally would take four and a half hours, eventually took about 7. My approach is not to rush and arrive safely.

The Sites You’ll See

One aspect of travelling to shows is the benefit of visiting communities that I would never usually see. It is also great to dine at some of the local restaurants. I’d make a point of not going to a franchise, in order to support the independent business owners. Whenever I’d perform in Perth, Ontario, I’d always go to the Sunshine Bakery. When they were open, they had the best soup and sandwiches. I’d also indulge in a pastry, for which they were famous.

Open Road

Next month, I’m on a tour of Newfoundland and Labrador. I’m performing at 6 theatres with another magician, who is a friend of mine. I’ve never been out east, so I’m really looking forward to seeing the sites while on tour. Once we fly out, most of the travelling will be in a rental and I’m sure the scenery and sites are going to be amazing. Being an entertainer, brings a lot of joy to others and it also brings a lot of joy to me. Being able to visit different parts of the world is an amazing benefit!

Unlike a product, a magician is integral to the service we provide. That is why over the years, my magic fitness has been really important. I’ve exercised and played sports to keep in shape. Going to the gym was one of the first activities I incorporated for my physical fitness. I would use the stationary bicycle and weight machines. In the summer time I like to get out on my bike. It makes for a great way to explore my community and some of the nature trails too.

Organized Sports for a Magician

You may think that magicians play Quidditch all the time. Over the years, I’ve played several organized sports through a company in my home town. Their tag-line is “Recess for Adults”. The first one I tried was Dodgeball. It was a fast-paced game that was lots of fun until I sustained a mild shoulder injury. That required time to heal and I realized that was the end of my Dodgeball career.

Next up was Ultimate frisbee. It provided a great aerobic workout, as there is lots of running up and down the field. Also learning how to properly throw a frisbee also took some time. Hand eye coordination in frisbee was also a skill set that is really important in magic, so there certainly were some additional benefits.

As I got older, I wasn’t able to run as quickly as other younger players in Ultimate frisbee and so my next sport was Volleyball. This game I played for about 10 years. My team evolved over the years with some players dropping out and new players joining. This game was perfect as speed wasn’t as much of an issue compared to Ultimate. I made some good friends on the team and we’d go out from time to time at a bar to socialize. During the pandemic, the teams stopped playing. That was disappointing.

Walking for Magic Fitness

Like many others, during the pandemic, I went for walks everyday. It gave me a great reason to get out of the house. I’d put on my headphones and a great playlist and explore different neighbourhoods. As a graduate of Industrial Design, I was always observing homes on streets and how they’ve modified their places over the years. It was also lovely to see the progression of the gardens from Spring through Fall.

Other Magic Fitness Activities

Many years ago, I signed up for Tai Chi. It is a slow motion form of exercise. If you live in a city with a Chinatown, you can sometimes see people doing Tai Chi in those city parks. I was attracted to the smooth flowing style of the movements. The benefits were muscle strengthening and also flexibility. As you had to remember the sequence of moves, it was also beneficial for calming the mind.

Another sport I did for about 10 years was Fencing. I was in the first class that my coach, Richard Smith, started. It was called the Kanata Fencing club. Fencing was fantastic for getting an amazing workout without realizing because during the bouts, you would never concentrate on the exercise. Fencing is like a chess match, as you try to understand your opponent’s style of fighting and how to discover weaknesses in their defenses. I went to a few tournaments including a few for fencers over 40. By the end of the tournament, I was always really tired because there would be several matches during the day. My coach was great and always expected the best from his students.

Dance Classes

I just finished the Winter session of my dance classes provided by the city. Sometimes, I’ll integrate some of the dance moves and steps into my magic shows. Dance is another way to keep active, but also to reinforce the connection between having my brain teach my body to move in new ways. That is not unlike magic, where sleight-of-hand takes time to learn to do properly.

New Moves

I’m always learning, adapting and adjusting with my physical fitness. It’s fun to incorporate what I’ve learned from the different disciplines into my magic. I love what I do and realize that in order to keep performing, it is important to make sure my body is in good shape. So far, so good.

Comedy magic is no laughing matter. I loved comedy before discovering magic, but the two have both found a home in my heart. They compliment one another, make my audiences happy and make me happy too.

I remember having Christmas dinner at my aunt and uncle’s one Christmas. I had 4 cousins that were all older than I because my uncle was 14 years older than my dad. My aunt had the best laugh, which was good because my cousins were pretty funny. I may have been 10, but it was very satisfying if I could get 1 laugh during dinner.

One year for Christmas, my uncle gave my dad a two-album set, called, The Golden Age of Comedy.

It was my first introduction into great comedy writing. There were many of the comedians that cut their teeth in the radio medium. One of the classic comedy routines was Abbott and Costello’s, Who’s On First, skit. It was tight with amazing timing. Recently, I saw a sketch by the ventriloquist, Geoff Dunham. He has used the Who’s on First skit as a template for his routine with Peanut.

More Comedy Needed

When I began performing magic, my audiences were primarily children. They have a great sense of humour, however, that type of humour won’t work well for adults. It was after I graduated from university and began full-time, that I thought it would be a good idea to go to amateur nights at the comedy club. Yuk Yuks was the first in our city. Every Monday morning, amateurs would have to call the club to see if they could get a spot on the Wednesday amateur night. I spent just over a year trying out new non-magic material. I discovered that I didn’t want to do only comedy. I also discovered that what I learned was invaluable to my magic.

Finding Comedy in Magic

Over the years of performing, discoveries of what’s funny reveal themselves. Sometimes a member of the audience will say something funny that gets incorporated into that trick. Other times, when something goes wrong, an ad-libbed line gets a good laugh. These days I audio record all of my shows so that I can extract those new bits that come out spontaneously. Over time, all those little gems contribute to the quality of the show.

Study Comedy Magic

Being inspired by other performers is great motivation to become better as a comedy magician. Seeing how other performers handle different situations opens your eyes to new approaches and possibilities.

I’ve always been a student of performing and so I love to read books on all sorts of topics. Recently, I was in the library and found a book, or maybe it found me.

James Burrows directed some of the most well-loved sit coms of all time. Reading this book inspired me and also made me realize that being funny takes effort. Even at their very best, the writers, actors and director needed to refine and rework what they considered to be very good. I realized that I’m not alone in looking to improve my work and passion. I’m really lucky that I love comedy and how that has helped make my magic even more entertaining. Being a comedy magician is a great way to earn a living.

New skills are what a good magician should always be learning . Some of the skills are sleight-of-hand techniques, but there are related disciplines that can improve a performance.

New Skills Come in all Different Shapes and Sizes

Over the years, I’ve taken many courses including: acting, dance, improvisational comedy, Commedia dell’arte, clowning, tai chi and modelling. Incorporating some of the inspiration from these new skills certainly has improved my performances.

Montreal Mime Workshop

Recently, I took a trip to Montreal, to participate in a mime workshop that was designed specifically for magicians. Mario Diamond was the instructor and he gave us an introductory course in mime. Mime is the art of making the imaginary seem real. It is very complimentary to magic as it is also creating illusions.

I learned how to make an object feel heavier and lighter, how to create an imaginary wall and how to become the reflection in a mirror. Without a rope, I gave the impression that I was pulling a heavy object.

As the workshop was happening, my brain was already imagining where certain techniques could be applied to my existing repertoire. I was also thinking about how these new skills could elevate new pieces that I’m creating.

Fringe Benefits of Learning New Skills

Travelling to other cities to take courses also has the added benefit of seeing an new place and being inspired by the food, architecture, stores, fashion and events. Montreal was no different. The morning after the workshop, I had a lovely breakfast of crepes and blueberries. It was delicious.

City Sites

In the downtown core, I was able to take some photographs of some incredible graffiti. You can see for yourselves. There was also a hat store that has been in Montreal for many decades. I tried on a few that could possibly be part of a new costume. I still haven’t decided.

I’m really looking forward to the next course or workshop that I take. They always inspire me to create richer performances.

Beginning to learn how to be a magician, is like learning any new skill; it takes patience, dedication and passion. When I started, the library was my first source of knowledge. I’m so happy other magicians wrote books about sharing magic.

Most of the magic books in the library were geared towards the general public. That’s perfect when you’re 11 years old! I can recall making quite a few of my first tricks from instructions in books. They were tricks that could be made with paper or cardboard and glue.

The process of making the trick was really useful because it helped to shape the presentation. Having an good understanding of the prop allowed me to recognize what it was capable of achieving and also what were the limitations.

I think that not having a magic shop, for me, was really valuable in the beginning. It allowed me to modify tricks I’d read about in the books and made me realize that perhaps the author hadn’t considered all of the options possible. This led me to become more creative with my trick designs.

After high school, I studied product design at Carleton University. The process of learning how to design and create products for mass production also influenced my magic creations. Upon completion of my degree, I embarked on a career as a full-time magician. The combined skill-sets of a performing magician and designer has allowed me to continue to create brand new magic tricks and ideas.

Chris Pilsworth’s 2025 Lecture Tour

As my reputation spread, in the global magic community, I’ve had the pleasure of visiting magic clubs in different cities in Canada, the United States and also China. The presentations I gave offered a sample of some of my creations. Typically, these presentations are called lectures. After the lecture, the magician, sells lecture notes and also some of their magic creations. Over the years I’ve created different lectures that feature some of the tricks that other magicians could introduce into their repertoires. I love hearing from them after they tell me how much the love what I’ve created and how well it is being received in their shows.

Sharing Magic in China

In 2024, I was in China for three weeks. In each of the six cities I visited, I presented my lecture to their respective magic clubs. What was really amazing was that my lecture notes were translated into Mandarin. The translators had copies printed and they were sold at each city. I loved how the graphics and presentation of the notes had an Asian flavour.

Even in my 40th year of full-time performing, I still get excited about bringing new ideas and tricks into my shows. Sometimes, it’s as simple as making a modification to an existing trick and other times it is a completely brand-new idea. All the effort to bring the idea from conception to reality is made worth while when I present the trick in front of an audience. It is a very satisfying feeling. Sharing magic is fun!

Since starting to perform full-time, I’ve discovered that each year is made up of goals that I set in January and serendipitous events. 2024, a magical year, was no different and was full of some amazing performances and locations.

The Beginning of A Magical Year

January and February are always a bit slow after the Christmas holidays, however, Winter Carnivals are always in full swing. This year I performed at a few that have hosted me before and also added in some new ones. Shiverfest in Manotick is one of my favourites. It is hosted upstairs in the arena and families come to attend and are always a great audience.

One of the big events in 2024 was a three week tour of China. I performed 10 shows in 6 cities. In addition to the shows, I also presented my lecture of magic I’ve created to the magic clubs in each of the cities. They were all really well attended. Each city had a host or two. My hosts couldn’t have been more gracious and accommodating. I felt like a touring rock-star. During the tour I signed more autographs than in my entire career!

One of my regularly scheduled events on my magic calendar takes place in Buffalo, New York for an exclusive magic convention, that is limited to 200 magicians world-wide. It is by invitation only, so it is only the cream of the crop. There are many shows over the 4 day convention and they are presented by some of the attendees. I was pleased to be selected to perform again this year for my peers. The first time I did so, about 10 years ago, I was very nervous. Since then, I’ve gotten used to performing for the best.

Rick Wilcox, one of my friends from the convention, has a 500 seat theatre in Wisconsin Dells. In 2024, he and his wife celebrated their 25 anniversary of performing in their theatre. I flew to Wisconsin in June and had a marvelous time over the celebration weekend. Another guest is my good friend, Gene Anderson. We shared a hotel room and were able to have some great conversations about magic. Rick and his wife created a fantastic weekend with shows, amazing meals and dancing under the stars!

Summertime in a Magical Year

When the summer rolled around, there were more shows including numerous performances at Summer Festivals. I was lucky to get hired to perform at a 3 day festival in Sault Ste. Marie. The outdoor shows were really well attended and I was in good company with three other performers from the Montreal region. As an added bonus, one of my good friends from public, and high school lives in the Sault. We had a chance to catch up in between shows.

The other two festivals of note were the Ottawa and Pembroke busker festivals. They were both amazing. The weather was pretty good for both and lots of people attended all of my shows. I was breaking in a new character, called Dr. Miracle. He’s a bit of a science nerd and nutty professor all rolled into one! I’m going to keep refining this character as he is a bit off the beaten path and lets me explore some new directions with my magic.

Fall Performances

In October, I was back at the Cumberland Heritage Village Museum for their Halloween weekend. On the Saturday and Sunday, I roamed the grounds and presented amazing up-close magic for the families. It is such a great location and lovely to see the parents and children in costume. I’ll be back in 2025!

November had me back to Wisconsin. My friend, Rick Wilcox, has flown me into Wisconsin Dells for 10 years now. I stay for a week at a time and consult for him. Each year we work on new magic that will be introduced into the next season’s repertoire. We work long hours to create some of the best magic in the world. He’s a great friend and I really enjoy using my magic and design skills to move his show forward.

The End of a Magical Year

December is always full of holiday shows. 2024 was no exception. There is always a huge variety of audiences for the Christmas shows, from family parties for the Bank of Canada, to more intimate home parties. I love having the experience to be able to tailor the show to all these different types of groups.

2024 was quite a year. 2025 is already shaping up to be equally interesting. You’ll be able to read about it as the year goes on.

As an Ottawa Birthday Party Magician, parents contact me to make the birthday child’s celebration extra-special. My first shows, were children’s parties. They were a great training ground for a 12-year old magician. As children haven’t developed the best social skills, they let a performer know that they know how a trick is done or that they are bored. That’s why a magician that wants to stay in the game learns quickly how to be a better performer.

What to Present at a Birthday Party?

Books that I borrowed from the library ended up being my source of new tricks for the show. I learned how to make some of the easier ones myself and for the more complicated procedures, I enlisted the help of my parents. My mom could always be called upon to do some special sewing. Secret scarves, costumes and theatrical curtains were all part of her repertoire. My dad was the king in the workshop. Together, meaning he, would build some custom wood props. One such prop was a box from which dozens of Chinese lanterns would appear. That was a good trick.

First Show for a Birthday Party

My very first show was for my friend’s younger sister’s birthday party. It was held in their unfinished basement. Who says showbiz isn’t glamourous? I was really nervous because there is a big difference between practicing in front of a mirror and performing for real people. I’m happy to say that the show went well. I think the pay was $5.00 and some birthday cake.

What do Kids Like at a Birthday Party?

Kids love to laugh and be surprised and sometime they like to feel that they’re smarter than the magician. Those are always good moments to include in a show. When I was only doing birthday parties, I would make a rabbit appear out of a hat. Even though I no longer perform with a rabbit, I had two during my career. At the end of the birthday party the children had a chance to pet the rabbit who sat quietly and comfortably in a hat. It was a nice treat for the rabbit to receiver their affection.

Ottawa Birthday Party Magician Schedule

I enjoy performing birthday parties in Ottawa. They represent about a quarter of the shows that I present each year. Many are for children, however, there are also quite a few for adults who want to add a splash to their party. Most of the parties happen on the weekends and there is only so much time in the day, so the parents who are able to book me, usually contact me a month or so in advance. Quite often, I hear, that they wanted to book me because all their friends mentioned my name or they had a look at the hundreds of Google reviews.

The Future for This Birthday Party Magician

I will always include performing birthday parties in my schedule. I love the energy of children 5 and up. They are enthusiastic, inquisitive, love to laugh and be amazed. That is something that I’ll never get tired of experiencing!

Throughout my magic career, I’ve had many magic mentors that have provided timely guidance. A few years after I started, I got in touch with John Milks, a local magician, who was performing shows in my city. He allowed me to tag along to some of his shows where I began to see how individual tricks could be combined into a show. He introduced me to other magicians that belonged to the local club. I was too young to join, but was allowed to attend some of the lectures by visiting magicians. John was great at showing me how to create and present magic that was more advanced than what I was able to read in books from the library.

Another Ottawa Magician

Another mentor was Ottawa magician, Roy Cottee. He presented magic shows on the weekends because his full-time job was a glass blower at the National Research Council. I saw Roy perform at libraries and at shopping malls. His shows were really well put together and very professional. When I was old enough to join our magic club, Roy was always a great source of information. When I was preparing a new trick, Roy would provide me with the names of books where there was more information about the trick. This advice was invaluable, but also helped to lay the foundation for how to research and study the art of magic.

Vito Lupo

I’d seen Vito Lupo perform on a TV variety show, The Monte Carlo Show. It was hosted by Patrick Wayne, the son of John Wayne. Vito presented his award winning act on the show and I was completely enthralled. When Vito was on the cover of a major magic magazine, I read his bio and some of his thoughts on the presentation of magic. It also mentioned in the article that he had some students that he taught magic.

I was able to track down his number and then arranged to travel to Long Island, New York to study with Vito for a full week. It was a phenomenal learning experience and I returned home with more techniques to improve my performances. This was my first introduction on how to present magic at a higher level. To this day, I still apply the techniques that Vito taught me many years ago.

Bob Fitch

In the photo above, I’m with Bob Fitch. He has been a fantastic mentor and contributed greatly to my success as a performer. Bob, was a singer, actor and dancer on Broadway. His most noteworthy performance on Broadway was one of the principal characters in the original production of Annie.

After Bob retired from his career on Broadway, he with fellow actor, Ed Bordo, created a weeklong workshop for magicians to help them develop acting and performance skills. Bob was an amateur magician and wanted to share his theatre skills with magicians. The workshops were hosted at a resort north of Montreal.

The group of 10 magicians would learn acting in the morning and performance in the afternoon. The evening was reserved for two magicians to present some of their work in progress. After their presentations, Bob, Ed and the group would dissect the illusions and brainstorm ways to make it more powerful.

The acting and performance techniques are a major part of my toolkit and often times problems to certain tricks can be resolved using acting techniques. Polishing a performance takes time. There are no shortcuts, but having a broader knowledge of theatre and acting allows the performance to exist at a higher level.

Standing on the Shoulders of My Magic Mentors

There’s no question that having great mentors accelerates a performer’s progress. I’ve been very fortunate over the years to have had these gentlemen contribute to my quest to become a great magician. I’m so grateful that they took the time to share their knowledge with me. I look forward to sharing my knowledge with the next generation of magicians.

When you think of a cruise ship magician, large cruise ships in the Caribbean come to mind. Since 2014, I’ve been the resident magician aboard the Canadian Empress. It’s home base is Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Each season, from mid-May to mid-October, they have tours that last from 4 to 7 days long. They primarily sail between Kingston and Quebec City on the St. Lawrence and a few cruises each season travel the Ottawa river between Montreal and Ottawa.

Cruise Ship Entertainment

When I was first hired to perform on the Canadian Empress, the owner, Robert Clark, saw a photograph in a local newspaper from when I performed at the annual Christmas party of the local Chamber of Commerce. We worked out a deal and I was set to perform 34 shows at different ports the ship stopped at each evening. I would drive to the port and perform a 90-minute show for the passengers and then drive home. I love performing on the ship because their capacity is 62 passengers. It makes for an intimate gathering and I get to know a few of the passengers. They come from all around the world and the cruises are for adults only.

Magician presents a 90-minute show!

In the entertainment industry “A” material refers to how well created are segments of the show. In a magic show, the tricks that have been refined and polished over many years earn their place in the show and are considered “A” material. Many magicians never even acquire 60 minutes of “A” material. If you’ve seen magicians on America’s Got Talent, they have under 2 minutes to impress the judges. That is what I consider a sprint. Those performers aren’t necessarily great for 60 or 90 minutes. Performers that excel in that format are the marathoners of the entertainment industry. It takes persistence and constant attention to refining the minor details. Not every performer has the patience to do the required work.

Unique Cruise Ship Magician

What I really enjoy about being a magician is creating my own tricks and also reinventing classics. There are certain tricks that many magicians perform because it was available online. There are a select few performers that enjoy tailoring their show to their own personality. Those are the performers that stand out from the crowd. They are the ones that aren’t satisfied with “good enough” and go the distance to keep improving. Even though, I’ve been a full-time performer for over 35 years, I haven’t ever become complacent with my show. I continue to learn and evolve. That’s what makes my job fascinating.

End of the Season

As this cruise season is drawing to a close, I’m already imagining and designing new pieces for next year’s launch. It is always great to see the crew members that have been on for many years and also the newbies. And I also look forward to the new audiences and the passengers that return. We always have an amazing time!

Ottawa holiday parties make December, for entertainers, a busy time of year. Usually, corporate parties happen on Friday and Saturday nights prior to Christmas. Family parties happen during the day on Saturday and Sunday. Pricing during those time is generally higher than mid-week as there are typically on three weekends before Christmas. By mid to late October all the prime times are taken.

Cocktails

For the adult parties, often I’ll be asked to present up close magic during the cocktails and or during the dinner. Moving from group to group, or table to table, I create some amazing reactions with magic that happens in my hands. I love this style of magic because it allows me to interact with the guests and have some fun. The magic is interspersed with comedy and acts as a great ice-breaker. Often times, I hear that this type of magic is the talk around the water cooler the next day.

After Dinner Entertainment for Ottawa Holiday Parties

Another type of service is the stage style show that can happen after coffee and desert are served. My favourite type of audience is one that doesn’t exceed 150 guests. That allows me to incorporate several volunteers from the audience and really engage and interact with everyone. On some of the 380 Google reviews, I’ve been described as hilarious and amazing. I love to create unique magic that has never been seen before. That’s part of my popularity for over 30 years as a full-time entertainer.

Family Shows for Ottawa Holiday Parties

Family shows during the day are incredibly fun. I like to have the show happen on several levels, so that the parents aren’t having to put up with a goofy entertainer. They always approach me after the show to express how much they enjoyed the magic and comedy. Combining magic and music and comedy has been my winning formula over the years. The formula has evolved over the years as a result of performing over 8000 shows.

Quality Entertainment for your Holiday Party

If you are considering hiring an entertainer for your party, remember that all performers are not equal. Experience and dedication to the art of entertainment go a long way to ensuring the success of a show. Experienced party planners know that a great entertainer will be remembered long after the meal served is long forgotten.

I really look forward to the holiday season to add some magic to an already magical time of year!