{"id":2361,"date":"2025-02-26T20:27:57","date_gmt":"2025-02-26T20:27:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theatreone.ca\/?p=2361"},"modified":"2025-02-26T20:30:52","modified_gmt":"2025-02-26T20:30:52","slug":"2361","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theatreone.ca\/index.php\/2025\/02\/26\/2361\/","title":{"rendered":"April Fools Us – a spectacular evening of magic"},"content":{"rendered":"

Wednesday, February, 26<\/span>th<\/span>\u00a02025<\/span>
\n<\/span>For Immediate Release<\/span><\/b>
\n<\/span>Photo credit:\u00a0 Shawn Farquhar two-time World Champion of Magic<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Nanaimo\u2019s TheatreOne presents\u00a0<\/span>April Fools Us\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/b>as the final show in their 2024\/25 Showcase Series \u2013 Supporting live professional theatre at TheatreOne.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>There will be one performance at 7:30 pm Tuesday, April 1st at the Port Theatre.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0Tickets are $45 and are available through the Port Theatre Box Office.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

An Evening of mind-blowing magic from five British Columbia Magicians who have appeared on the hit American Television Show\u00a0<\/span><\/b>Penn and Teller Fool Us.<\/span><\/i><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Celebrate April Fools Day with TheatreOne and five British Columbia magicians who were showcased on the hit television series\u00a0<\/span>Penn and Teller Fool Us<\/span><\/i><\/b>.\u00a0 The Show features Two-Time World Champion of Magic, Shawn Farquhar, who will also double as our host for the evening.\u00a0 Farquhar is also the owner of the Hidden Wonders Speakeasy Magic Experience, and the subject of the recent independent film\u00a0<\/span>Lost in the Shuffle<\/span><\/i><\/b>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The show also features: Damien James, who wowed audiences on\u00a0<\/span>Britian\u2019s Got Talent<\/span><\/b>,\u00a0<\/span>America\u2019s Got Talent<\/span><\/b>, and\u00a0<\/span>Canada\u2019s Got Talent –\u00a0<\/span><\/b>along with Mr. Cuddles the Evil Octopus \u2013 Future Ruler of the World; The Brilliant Vitaly Beckman for whom the art of magic meets the magic of art; Murray Hatfield, who produced the Magic \u2018n Miracles tour that helped raise almost 20 million dollars for charities in Canada and the United States; and\u00a0<\/span>a very special mystery performer<\/span><\/b>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

April Fools Us\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/b>is generously sponsored and supported by the City of Nanaimo, the BC Live Performance Network, the British Columbia Arts Council, CHLY, the Quality Inn, and the Nanaimo News Bulletin.\u00a0 TheatreOne acknowledges the financial support of the Province of British Columbia.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

TheatreOne acknowledges and thanks the Snuneymuxw First Nation, on whose traditional territory we live, create, and perform.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Contact:<\/span>
\n<\/span>Michael Cade \u2013 Artistic and Managing Director<\/span>
\n<\/span>250-754-7587\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>michael@theatreone.ca<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

About TheatreOne<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

TheatreOne has been bringing professional theatre to Nanaimo and the mid-Island for 40 years. We engage diverse local audiences of all ages and persuasions, including the very young, and in doing so support theatre professionals\u00a0and\u00a0local\u00a0businesses. We work with playwrights from British Columbia and across Canada to foster development of new Canadian works; we premier new productions; and through our support to touring artists we give Nanaimo audiences access to great theatre developed elsewhere.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

About\u00a0<\/span><\/b>April Fools Us<\/span><\/i><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

April Fools Us\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/b>is being created and performed exclusively for this one-time fundraising opportunity at Nanaimo\u2019s Port Theatre. TheatreOne\u2019s Artistic and Managing Director, Michael Cade, produced the only formal magic presentation series in British Columbia. A partnership between the Chilliwack Cultural Centre and Shawn Farquhar, Cade and Farquhar worked to produce an annual four-show series of\u00a0<\/span>Shawn Farquhar\u2019s Cabaret of Wonders<\/span><\/i><\/b>\u00a0over a six year period.\u00a0 Each edition featured Farquhar as host, along with three or four Canadian, or international magicians.\u00a0 The Artists for\u00a0<\/span>April Fools Us<\/span><\/i><\/b>\u00a0not only appeared on\u00a0<\/span>Penn and Teller Fool Us<\/span><\/i><\/b>, but also on\u00a0<\/span>Shawn Farquhar\u2019s Cabaret of Wonders.<\/span><\/i><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

About\u00a0<\/span><\/b>Penn and Teller Fool Us<\/span><\/i><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Penn & Teller Fool Us<\/span><\/i><\/b>\u00a0is a magic competition television series in which magicians perform tricks in front of American magician-comedian duo Penn & Teller. After each performance, if Penn & Teller cannot figure out how a trick was done, the magician(s) who performed it win a Fool Us trophy (since season 2) and a five-star trip to Las Vegas to perform as the opening act in Penn & Teller’s show, also at the Rio Hotel & Casino.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

About Shawn Farquhar<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Shawn Farquhar is a Canadian magician and illusionist, notable for his title as the “Grand Prix World Champion of Magic,” from the International Federation of Magic Societies.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

His awards include being the only magician in history to win First Place at the International Brotherhood of Magicians (IBM) for both Stage and Sleight of Hand, twice Canadian Association of Magicians Magician of the Year, First Place at the Society of American Magicians annual magic convention competition, three Silver (2nd Place) awards, and a First (World Championship) in Card Magic and the Grand Prix World Championship for Close Up at FISM, the “Olympics of Magic”. In August 2009, he won his most prestigious prize at the FISM World Championship of Magic in Beijing. On May 1, 2010, the Canadian Association of Magicians once again named him Canadian Magician of the Year, making him the only two-time recipient of their most prestigious award.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Living in British Columbia, Farquhar travels the world extensively, performing and lecturing for magicians, and consulting for television shows and motion pictures. He has appeared on the cover of the largest magic publications in Asia, Europe, and North America. He has also appeared on stages all over the world, including the Riveria (Las Vegas), Opera House (Blackpool) and Orpheum (Vancouver). He performed for Queen Elizabeth II on her visit to Charlottetown, PEI, and traveled to Bermuda at the request of The Princess Royal.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He is a Past President of the International Brotherhood of Magicians, the Canadian Association of Magicians and Pacific Coast Association of Magicians.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

About Damien James<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The only ventriloquist to fool Penn & Teller, Damien creates all of his characters and also works as a Special Effects Artist for film and television. Now Damien joins Shawn Farquhar, Vitaly Beckman, and Murray Hatfield for\u00a0<\/span>April Fools Us.<\/span><\/i><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Damien has loved magic and ventriloquism since he was six. That\u2019s when his mother bought him a simple magic book and his parents gave him a Tommy Talker – a pull string dummy from the Sears Christmas catalogue.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A graduate from The Maher School of Ventriloquism, Damien was the youngest to win the Ventriloquist of the Year Award at The Magic Capitol of the World Convention. He is also formally trained in magic.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He is a student of Dick Smith, an Academy Award-winning special effects guru. Damien also works behind the scenes on many television shows and films.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

About Vitaly Beckman<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He stumped Penn & Teller twice on their hit TV show Fool Us. He has amazed and entertained audiences from all over the world, including his own off-Broadway run. He is hailed as one of the most unique and innovative illusionists in the world.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Combining breathtaking visuals with his captivating style, Vitaly Beckman\u2019s performance is an interactive theatrical experience that takes the audience on a magical journey. Along the way, Vitaly blends art and illusion to illustrate the story of his transformation from a boy with a dream, to a man with a vision\u2014the vision of a world where the rules of reality do not exist. In this world, paintings spring to life, photographs become mini-movies, and audience members see their faces vanish from their own drivers\u2019 licenses. Even time, itself, reverses as bare broken branches visibly repair and renew themselves with the green leaves of spring.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Featuring some of the most original illusions ever witnessed \u2014 many of which touch on tender topics such as love, loss, and growing old \u2014 Vitaly does more than entertain \u2014 he moves, inspires, and instills within the audience a fresh perspective on life and a greater realization that ours is a world of beauty and wonder.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

About Murray Hatfield<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Murray Hatfield was bitten by the magic bug after seeing his first magician at the age of 10\u2026 he never recovered! From that moment on, Murray invested all his time and energy into his new-found passion.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Murray combines magic, contemporary music, interactive comedy and some of the newest, most exciting, and most up-to-date illusions in the world today. Whether a smaller after-dinner performance, or a full-scale stage show, his magic is compelling, unique, and world class.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Murray and his wife, Teresa, have produced, directed and starred in the Canadian touring production of Magic \u2018n Miracles for over 20 years. This is the largest and most prestigious annual touring magic and illusion show in Canada, which has helped to raise over 20 million dollars for charities.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Over the last decade they have thrilled audiences around the globe. They have toured and performed in numerous countries including Australia, China, Cyprus, Germany, Great Britain, Israel, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, and throughout North America. Some recent credits include performances in Reno, NV (on the largest indoor stage on the continent) Southport, UK (as the headline performers of the International Brotherhood of Magicians European Conference), and Hollywood, where they are regular guest stars at the world-famous Magic Castle.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In addition to touring on land, Murray Hatfield has also appeared on numerous luxury cruise ships around the globe, and as featured entertainment for corporate functions from Canada and the USA to as far away as Singapore.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Murray & Teresa have been recognized and honored by their peers with numerous awards and accolades, including the Bruce Curnott Trophy for Presentational Excellence and the Silver Medal at the Pacific Rim Magic Challenge. In 2006 they were named Canada\u2019s Magicians of the Year by the Canadian Association of Magicians while Teresa three times was named Assistant of the Year by the Society of American Magicians. In recognition of their excellence, Murray and Teresa were awarded a Presidential Citation by the President of the International Brotherhood of Magicians.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

About the Special Mystery Guest Performer<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Our Special Mystery Guest is a seasoned, well-respected professional Magician from the Lower Mainland who has spent the last 18 years performing internationally and creating their own unique style of magic.\u00a0 They have won countless international magic competitions, including multiple awards as champion of close-up, card, and stage magic.\u00a0 Their magic is inspired by the wonder they observe in everyday items and experiences.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So why are they a Mystery Guest?\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>April Fools Us<\/span><\/i><\/b>\u00a0is a show featuring British Columbia magicians who have appeared on the television show\u00a0<\/span>Penn and Teller\u2019s Fool Us<\/span><\/i><\/b>.\u00a0 The problem is, that as of now, our Mystery Guest hasn\u2019t actually performed on the show but will appear on the series the week following\u00a0<\/span>April Fools Us<\/span><\/i><\/b>. Until their segment on the television series is formally announced, they are under a strict non-disclosure agreement to not mention their appearance.\u00a0 Lucky for you, TheatreOne\u2019s Artistic and Managing Director just happened to have a friend in the audience the day the Mystery Guest\u2019s segment was filmed and was able to arrange their appearance as part of\u00a0<\/span>April Fools Us<\/span><\/i><\/b>\u00a0under the condition that their name not be used until the actual performance.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Wednesday, February, 26th\u00a02025 For Immediate Release Photo credit:\u00a0 Shawn Farquhar two-time World Champion of Magic\u00a0 Nanaimo\u2019s TheatreOne presents\u00a0April Fools Us\u00a0as the final show in their 2024\/25 Showcase Series \u2013 Supporting live professional theatre at TheatreOne.\u00a0\u00a0There will be one performance at 7:30 pm Tuesday, April 1st at the Port Theatre.\u00a0Tickets are $45 and are available through the Port Theatre Box Office.\u00a0 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"bBlocksCursorData":"","inline_featured_image":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2361","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/theatreone.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2361","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/theatreone.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/theatreone.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theatreone.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theatreone.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2361"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/theatreone.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2361\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2368,"href":"https:\/\/theatreone.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2361\/revisions\/2368"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/theatreone.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2361"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theatreone.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2361"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theatreone.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2361"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}