As I've written previously, Abracadabaret (formerly Friday Night Magic) used to be a weekly show in downtown Toronto. Over the past five years we've presented a variety of special events and a number of different venues, but scattered throughout the year. After arriving at the Winchester earlier this year for a short run of Lies, Damn Lies & Magic Tricks, we began offering a monthly show. Now, we're formally declaring The Winchester in Cabbagetown our new home and we'll be presenting a weekly show every Sunday night at 7:00.
The Winchester is perfect for a magic show. Their stage has remarkable sound and lighting for a venue that size, there is free parking on the street, the menu is wonderful and it has just the right amount of magical weirdness: it features fireplaces in the middle of the walls, extra high ceilings which hold strange mysteries and the iconic Canadian magician Doug Henning used to live in the neighbourhood - there is even a small floral garden commemorating him around the corner!
As we did in years past, we will rotate through our favourite performers so that every show is different, and guests are free to come back as often as they like. To sweeten the deal, The Winchester has included a complimentary dinner buffet along with any ticket purchase (you'll still have to pay for your drinks, and you can still order off the regular menu... which is superb). We've also added discounts for groups purchasing tickets online, and additional discounts for groups of five or more.
To kick off the new series this Sunday (October 20) I'll be teaming up with the lovely and charming Rob Testa. I worked with Rob most recently on the Wendy's Canada #ExpectToBeAmazed online ad campaign. There were a lot of magicians on the set, but Rob was certainly the funniest and most personable on camera. His shows are extremely energetic, exciting and entertaining. I'm looking forward to being on stage with him this weekend.
I've received a few calls this week from people asking if the show is appropriate for children. That's a tough question to answer. While the show is certainly not designed for children, there's nothing particularly mature or offensive involved. We say officially that the show is not recommended for children under twelve, although we've had plenty of eight and nine year olds pass through over the years who have been perfectly delighted. So maybe kids are more mature than we give them credit for. I'm not sure.
Currently, we've signed on to perform weekly through the end of 2013, although we hope to continue that into 2014. If you're in the Toronto area, we'd love to see you at one of our shows. Come join us for an amazing night of magic.
We are also always looking to expand our roster of performers. The details are available at www.abracadabaret.com/secret-stuff/ Those are interested are welcome to contact me for the password.