Category: Blog

What are Gender Reveal Parties?

Gender reveal parties are celebrations held during pregnancy where expectant parents reveal the sex of their baby to friends and family — and often to themselves — in a fun or surprising way. These events have become popular in many cultures, especially in North America, and typically occur midway through the pregnancy, around 18–20 weeks, after the baby’s sex is determined via ultrasound or genetic testing

Performing at the First of Many Gender Reveal Parties

When I was asked to perform at my first one, I created a magic trick to conclude the show. The family, friends and relatives all watched the show and throughout the performance, I sprinkled some hints as to what gender the baby was. Intentionally, I made the hints somewhat ambiguous. This kept everyone on the edge of their seats! Once I revealed the gender, confetti was launched into the air as the crowd cheered.

Creating an Amazing way to Reveal the Gender

Since that first party, I’ve created many different tricks to reveal the gender of the new arrival. At the first party, a blank framed canvas was dropped into an empty envelope. When the frame was removed, the gender of the baby was written in bold script on the canvas. The audience went crazy!

Latest Reveal Party

At the last gender reveal party I attended, I wanted to create a reveal that was more incredible than the very first one. From a variety of categories, three people made a selection. Each of the categories were unrelated, however, when combined together, made perfect sense.

Magical Time

Having a new baby is a magical time and I’m always so honoured to be a part of the celebration. The gender reveal parties are very special and I’m looking forward to more in the future!

Chris Pilsworth’s Business Cards

Let’s take a look at all of Chris Pilsworth’s Business Cards from his career.

When I first started to perform magic shows, I knew that in order to be in business, I’d need a business card. Because I was 12 and just starting, there was no money in the graphic design budget to create some attractive artwork. From the looks of my first card, you can see that I wasn’t deterred by a lack of funds. I knew that a fancy magician’s name would trump poor artwork. For some reason or other, I’m not sure why I picked a cream coloured card stock. Onwards and upwards.

Chris Pilsworth’s Business Card #2

I’m not sure when the second card was produced, but probably after I ran out of the first printing of my first card. My dad had a typesetter create three options for the card below. I felt that this one was interesting and conveyed the appropriate message.

Third Time’s the Charm

By now, I was beginning to realize that a more professional look could lead to more lucrative shows. I designed this one while still studying product design at Carleton University in Ottawa. The logo reflected a crisp look (no pun intended) and also the way I combed my hair. The name “Chris Pilsworth” was created in the Avant Garde font. I’d used it before and liked its elegance. You could also see that I was travelling further from home, as I now included the area code in my phone number.

Hire a Professional

My next card was designed by a friend of mine, Glenn Gobuyan. We were classmates at University and Glenn had worked at the school newspaper. He’s a great graphic designer and has done some amazing work in his consultancy. I love how Glenn took an original photo portrait and converted it into a high-contrast black and white image. The details of the top of the hat and the left pinkie really make the image stand out. The slogan was also carried over from the previous card.

Why not Use a Photo?

The following card was created by Aerographics of Ottawa. David O’Malley’s firm is one of the top graphic design firms in the country. This card was a companion piece to a beautiful two-colour brochure. I love how using black and brown would give the card a life-like feel. This was before high-res computer printers and so full-colour printing wasn’t in my budget range.

How About a Postcard?

When low cost full-colour printing became available, I decided to start using postcards. They were inexpensive and packed a bigger punch. The one below is my current card. Kyle Leon is the designer of this card. He’s a graphic designer and a magician, so he knows how to add some pizazz to a card!

I’ll have a few more cards in my career. I love being able to update the look as I change and my performing changes. Looking at all the cards reminds me of where I started and how far I’ve come since my first card was produced when I was 12.

Magic Conventions

Magic Conventions happen annually. The one that I love to attend is called the 4F convention. That stands for Fechter’s Finger Flicking Frolic. The original idea of holding a close-up magic convention was the brainchild of Eddie Fechter, Bill Okal, and Obie O’Brien.

After a weekend where a group of magicians came to visit Eddie in Buffalo, New York. He, Bill, and Obie spoke about how it would be nice if they could hold a formal gathering of close-up magicians.

Eddie agreed to volunteer his bar if Obie and Bill did all the work. Obie sent out around forty handwritten invitations and around 26 magicians arrived on the last weekend in April 1971.

As soon as word got out about the by-invitation-only event every well-known close-up magician in the world wanted to attend.

Early on Bill Okal moved to California to pursue a successful career as a close-up magician and in 1979 Eddie Fechter passed away. Obie continued to run the convention for its first 49 years until he passed away in 2021.

After the Forks Hotel closed, the convention moved to several locations and hotels allowing it to grow from the original gathering of 20+ magicians to around 225-250 attendees.

Performing at Magic Conventions

Every attendee needs to perform at the magic convention. Diplomas are handed out for the first three times a magician performs for his or her peers. The photo above was from my second time. Even though it is tough performing for other magicians, I always have fun knowing that my creations are really well received.

Saturday Night Magic Convention Banquet

At the end of the magic convention, a large banquet is held where all the magicians get together and talk about all the magic we’ve enjoyed over the 4 days. As the convention only allows 200-225 magicians to attend, over the years I’ve gotten to know many of the magicians that gather from all over the world.

Magic Conventions Friends

Below are some of the friends that I’ve made over the years of attending the convention. We are all great performers who share a love of magic. When we have a meal together, there are lots of great conversations about magic and life in general. We also have some jokes and stories that only other magicians can appreciate. Magicians are generally secretive, but when we are together there is great camaraderie and exchange of ideas. That’s what keeps me coming back, year after year!

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.