Category: Variety Arts

Magical Offerings at the BPAC #3

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Screen grab of Lucy Darling with listing details from Burlington Peforming Arts Centre website.

Lucy Darling!

My third and final post regarding unique spring 2025 magical offerings at The Burlington Performing Arts Centre. It’s great to see so much variety art scheduled so I’ve done my wee part with a post for each over the last few weeks.

Carissa Hendrix had been paying her dues for years as a variety performer out west but really came into her own with the character Lucy Darling. Lucy looks and talks like a glamorous old school Hollywood movie star but brings the quick wit, improvisational and magical skills plus comedy chops of a seasoned performer along for the ride.

I don’t know Carissa personally but worked a festival with her back in 2019 and her Lucy character, then already well established, has grown ever more fully formed and nuanced.

Her current show, Lucy Darling, comes to the BPAC on Wednesday April 23rd 2025 at 7:30 pm It’s worthy of your consideration. Visit BPAC for full info.

Magical Offerings at the BPAC #2

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Screen grab of Tomas Kubinek listing details from Burlington Performing Arts Centre website.

Tomáš Kubínek

This is the second of 3 unique magical offerings during spring 2025 at The Burlington Performing Arts Centre. It’s great to see so much variety art scheduled so I’m doing my part with a wee blog post for each over the next few weeks.

Tomáš Kubínek is veteran performer with a local connection. He grew up in Hamilton and was, in his younger years, an active part of the local performing scene. We met through the local junior magician club way back when. Since those halcyon days his talents have grown and he’s travelled far and wide. The Golden Horseshoe may no longer be home but it’s nice to see him working in the old neighbourhood.

It’s a bit hard to describe his act so just watch the video in the BPAC show listing. Better yet just go. You could use a night out…!

His current show, Miracle Man, is coming to the BPAC on, fittingly, Tuesday April 1st 2025 at 7:00 pm. Visit BPAC for full info.

Tom & I hanging out at the 100th birthday celebration of our mutual friend and mentor Gordon Precious.
–May 2024

Tom & I at a reception for a mutal friend's 100th birthday.

Canada’s Got Talent

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A finalist on the just concluded 4th season of Canada’s Got Talent was the witty comic magician Mark Clearview.

I took extra delight watching his performances because, years ago, I did his birthday party magic show!

Back in the fall of 2023, when CGT Season 4 was in production, Mark asked to use this photo from his birthday party. It was for his background bio. Contestants progressing further through the rounds all do them. Alas, it ultimately wasn’t used, (or perhaps I blinked at the wrong moment!), but it was nice to be asked.

Magician Owen Anderson with a young Mark Clearview at his birthday party.
I’m the one on the left…

He also kindly mentioned yours truly while doing a wee bit of promo with Canada’s Magic, a respected source for news within the magic community. Lovely little shout out.

Clearview made it to the finals ultimately placing 4th. Along the way he also picked up a Golden Buzzer bonus of $25,000!

Well done Mark!

CGT4 season breakdown on Wikipedia here.

All things CGT on the LinkTree here.

Owen’s Birthday Magic Show Info

Variety Arts Greeting Cards

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I have a dear juggler friend with whom I’ve exchanged holiday and birthday cards for years. She seems to have a knack for finding cards with delightful performance imagery regularly. Me? Not so much.
Except this year… I finally get to turn the tables!

Four greeting cards featuring illustrations of talented female jugglers.

These Art Nouveau style cards are the brainchild of California performer Bri Crabtree and illustrator Holly Pierson. Each card portrays a remarkable female performer from the world of circus and variety arts. They are blank inside and, by the bye, that’s Bri gracing the one at bottom right.

I don’t know Ms. Crabtree personally but she’s a terrific performer, both live and online. I posted her video for younger children on this blog about a year ago. Wonderful stuff for your wee munchkins.

So, happy customer Owen here, sharing link to the cards on her website. For international purchases you’ll need to contact her as the check-out function doesn’t have that shipping option. That’s what I did. She replied promptly to my inquiry and this lovely 4 pack of cards was quickly on its way.

Cards arrived well packaged. Then, almost as soon as they arrived in Canada, one was back in the mail to the USA to arrive (fingers crossed!) just in time to finally impress my juggler pal on her upcoming birthday.