Lost and Profound

What have I lost?

Words: When you’ve spent thirty years on the craft of magic and comedy, you come to see how important each word is. A verbal moment carefully built of alphabet block construction becomes a pile of I saw that dust if we forget the terms the effect is built on. It’s literally like saying a magic spell. At a conference in Calgary, I used “the” instead of “your” during an effect and it instantly caused an issue with the volunteer on stage. Losing a word can be the difference between changing a frog to a prince and changing a frog to a toad. Confusion is not magic.
Things: I have lost phone numbers, tape measures and I’m certain, a winning lottery ticket. I can’t prove the ticket would have been a winner. I keep that thought as a memory of my alternate destiny. I could have been a millionaire philanthropist saving the Albino Three Headed Gloat Fish from extinction. Never heard of the Albino Three Headed Gloat Fish? It’s extinct. I wasn’t there to save it with my lost winning ticket money. (Flashback to It’s a Wonderful Life popped up…”You weren’t there to rescue him.”)
Friends: I recently realized that friend has the word end built in as a reminder that people are temporary. No one that I once created memories with has actually died, but time and a lack of current common ground have altered my circle of friends into a single straight line. However, every good joke begins with a straight line…man, that’s good; I should write this stuff down.

What did I find?

An entire room: We have lived in our current home several years. A room just off the main area that we exist in was used as my wife’s office. A Marie Kondo kind of cleansing revealed a new favorite place for me to write in. A five foot wide arched entryway keeps the rest of the house just a glance away, but this room feels like a cabin in the woods. Let’s call it, Surreal Estate. It’s only 8’ x 8’. A bobble head figure of Houdini in a straight jacket and miniature Samurai sword letter opener are within arm’s reach. If I ever need to escape or am attacked by an angry envelope, I’m covered.
Great, I lost my train of thought. So, take stock of your lost and found. You might not find a hidden room, but a winning lotto ticket with my name on it would be a bonus.

Mitchell Hrycan…Think twin and win!

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Photo credit: david-brooke-martin-1141624-unsplash

Magic at Weddings? Great idea!

“You’re in our wedding album!  You were too good not to have in there.”

We love what we do and as Saskatchewan entertainers we have to be willing to travel…. a lot.  In a single week we can be performing our Double Vision, Twin Magic and Comedy show in Manitoba, Alberta, and British Columbia, then hop a plane back to Saskatchewan to be at a wedding as special strolling or stage entertainment.

Diversity is the key, and the aforementioned wedding entertainment is something more and more couples are looking at now.  Over the years, we’ve noticed a shift away from the usual band/dance wedding events.  Couples want something more creative and memorable for their guests.  The bride and groom are the stars of the festivities and some of our magic is specialized to use the newlyweds names, the wedding date etc…  It helps to create an even more unforgettable day.

Using a professional act is a direct reflection on the quality of the event. In our business of magical entertainment, an audience can sense immediately if the performer on stage or strolling at the wedding reception is a professional.  When an audience realizes they’re in good hands, everyone relaxes and can have a good time.

Every couple needs the big day to “stand out from the crowd” and with our unique talents and experience, we supply that.

We have the talent to ensure every event we’re called on to do is a success,  but diversity without discipline is like marriage without commitment.  It may last a while, but you need actual love to make the trip together.

Mitchell Hrycan

Double Vision

Music and Twin Magic

Mike and I use a lot of music in our performances.  I know that might seem odd for a comedy and magic show, but it adds another layer that really completes the picture.  After doing this for decades we’ve become experts at combining our comedy and magic with music.

Twenty eight years ago when we did our first “Double Vision Magic” events in Saskatchewan, the sound was supplied via the venues sound technicians using our music cue sheet.  An example:  Cue – 1) When Mike says “and now something using a frying pan, hula hoop and a $100.00 bill” – play #4 song.  Occasionally, the technician wouldn’t be at his station and would miss the cue, or accidentally start playing the music early, or at the wrong volume, or the wrong song or….you get the idea.

Today, we use a remote control system and handle our own cues, volume etc… It makes a HUGE difference and adds to the production value of our show.

However, it does take a long time to find just the right tune.  Like pairing the right wine with a meal, a wrong choice can still get by, but things wont’ taste quite right.  So, along with our own sound system, lights, backdrop, banners and the vital, “twins, magic, LOL”, we also bring that extra element for your ears to enjoy.

Bon Appétit

Mitchell – The Other Twin

January 14, 2018

Twins, Magic, LOL – “That was an awesome show!”

“That was an awesome show!”. A comment from a client last week. If you’re looking for a magician in Saskatoon, Regina, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, or anywhere in North America, you owe it to yourself to check out our website. www.doublevisionmagic.com  We’re constantly working on new illusions to add to our show. Why? Because we believe that you never stop growing as an entertainer.

Without growth, an act gets stale and starts to show its age. We love the challenge of coming up with original magic routines for our shows, whether it’s for stage, strolling, trade shows or fairs. Even when we get together for coffee, it’s a flurry of new ideas being tossed around.

As I write this, it’s Saturday morning, and although we don’t have any shows today, my mind is on next week’s performances and as far ahead as Christmas shows we’re getting emails for. It’s a never ending circle of creativity, travel, marketing, twins, comedy and magic.

Curiosity and the Cattle

Saskatoon, Magician, Cow, comedy, clean, twins, magic show, funny,

Curiosity and the Cattle

We’ve been performing magic for a living for 27 years. Even though we’re based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, we’ve travelled North America, seen a lot of strange things and met some interesting people.

At an elegant corporate awards show, Mike and I were performing strolling close up magic from group to group. Everyone was dressed in suits, ties, beautiful gowns etc… so you get the feel of how upscale this event was.  Right in the middle of a piece of amazing “in stereo” magic, the gentleman standing directly in front of us gets down on the floor on one knee, and looks up at the group.  We ask what he’s doing?  His reply, “I’ve always wanted to see magic from under the magicians’ hands.” The group took it in stride and the entertainment continued.  It was an unusual occurrence, but we couldn’t help but admire this person for just going for it and satisfying his curiosity.

We’ve always been driven to be more than just another magic act. Mike and I work hard so that our “twin twists” will have the most impact possible on our audience. It forces us be more creative. Isla Crawford, the interior designer, lives by, “Make the ordinary, extraordinary.” That’s a great definition of magic.  So be curious and you’ll surprise yourself.

The title of this piece mentions cattle, but this is a vegetarian story, so there’s no beef.  Your curiosity got the best of you. Extraordinary!

Mitchell – Double Vision…Twin Magic and Comedy