Alexander the Great; Magician

Alexander the Great Magician, an Ottawa, Ontario based magician, has been performing magic and entertaining audiences for over ten years.

His kids magic show is perfectly suited for private birthday parties and corporate family events. The best age for this show is 3-10 years old, but Alexander’s act always provides fun for all ages.

For adults, Alexander performs a different style of magic. This show is well suited for a walk-around setting or can be adapted for an intimate parlor show for your private party or wedding.

Whether you’re looking for some entertainment at your child’s birthday party or are planning a special dinner party feel free to contact Alexander Massaad directly at 613-304-2365 or inquire by email at
alexander@alexthegreat.ca

Check out a video example of what I do for my kids show: This video is from a Halloween magic show that I performed in October 2009.

By Alexander the Great Magician

This weekend has been very busy in terms of shows. Yesterday I performed for the Harvest House 23rd Annual Recover Cup and I was able to get a few videos of my performance that I will post shortly.

Today I was performing for a private party and the father of one of the children came up after the show to tell me that he used to be a magician in the Ottawa area like me. Very cool to have so many magicians locally.

Earlier this weekend on Twitter @LeeAsherMagic was talking about the arrival of the Buck twins in Canada for some workshops and lecturing. His reply to me was the following: “Agreed 100%! @alexandermagic @LeeAsherMagic it’s exciting to have so many young, talented magi in Canada right now!” Indeed so much young (and old) talent in Canada right now.

Magically yours,
Alexander Massaad

P.S. Here is a picture of my show just before I performed for a crowd of over 50 this weekend, video coming from the show soon:

By Alexander the Great Magician

I’m very excited today! I just booked the last part of my trip to Toronto to see a very special magician.

Juan Tamariz will be performing shows in Spanish, French and English, all on separate nights. I will be attending his English performance on June 19. I’m super excited to be able to see this legendary trickster as I was blown away at his performance and lectures at Magic-Con 2010 in San Diego last March.

If you ever get a chance to see this man perform don’t miss out. I’ll be sure to post a review after the event.

Until then I must be off practicing magic in Ottawa.

By Alexander the Great Magician

There are many reasons why you might want to hire a magician.

Some people who hire my services were browsing for sweet 16 party ideas, or just looking to rent entertainment in Ottawa. Very quickly they are drawn into the mystery and prestige that is intrinsic to the conjuring arts.

If you are looking to rent a magician in Ottawa, or just looking for any type of entertainment consider how much fun a magician would be at your next event or kids birthday party.

I was reading the blog of magician Kostya Kimlat and came upon this section I wanted to share about his experiences this week in the UK with air travel:

Luckily, the book – “Magic Matters” by Robert Neale – has been wonderful company. In particular, there was a trick accompanied by a Zen Buddhist tale that I share with you now with pleasure:

Retold from Zen Buddhism, Mount Vernon, NY: Peter Pauper Press, 1959, page 61 and read in Magic Matters, Canada: The Theory and Art of Magic Press, 2009, page 112.

…
A traveler was fleeing a tiger. He ran until he came to the edge of a cliff. There he caught hold of a thick vine and swung himself over the edge.

Above him the tiger snarled. Below him he heard another snarl. He looked down and saw a second tiger peering up at him. The vine suspended him midway between two tigers!

Two mice began to gnaw at the vine. He could see that they would eat through it very quickly. Then in front of him on the cliff side he saw a luscious bunch of grapes. Holding on to the vine with one hand, he reached over and picked a grape with the other.

How delicious!

By Alexander the Great Magician

Many magicians have also risen to fame within Hollywood as directors. It seems that there is some sort of common link between magic and film since I also chose to study Film at Carleton University even though I have been doing magic for over 15 years. The famous filmmaker Orson Welles was a magician and also the turn of the century filmmaker Georges Méliès. M. Méliès directed the “Trip to the Moon” short film that was seminal to fiction film.
As a filmmaker he filmed one of the earliest motion pictures, made around 1900, of a cigarette vanish act. He was the owner of the Theatre Robert-Houdin in Paris. He performed there between 1914 and 1918 and I most recently read up on him in the introduction to a manipulation book that I have been studying this spring.
Recognition of his work came late in his life, well after his work in magic and in film. Most of his films, sketches and paintings were saved late in his life and can now be seen at the New York Museum of Modern Arts.

Via @derrenbrown

“Remember the 1990s craze of Magic Eye posters? Just like those, the spectacular space pictures in this gallery can be brought to life in 3D when viewers use a trick of the eye – with no need for special glasses. Stare into the screen and allow your eyes to defocus. You will get double vision as each eye sees the L & R images separately. Move your head towards and away from the screen until the two middle images overlap. The single overlapping image should be in 3D.”

Kids are notorious for having a short attention span and an insatiable curiosity. I am always amazed at the depth of a child’s curiosity. This tends to cause some problems during weddings and parties where kids get BORED.

If you consider the average television program is only 22 minutes long and is broken up with breaks in between its incredible that we ask children to sit through a six hour wedding, listening to speeches, waiting for waiters and . . .waiting for a magician.

It’s such a great idea to hire entertainment no matter how large or small your group. I remember performing at a wedding where there were only three children. At first I was worried; I was expecting more people. After I was all set up I recognized that these three kids were SO excited for my show.

They knew that they were facing a real magician. They also knew that they had front row seats to his show. I became more relaxed and started my show and then something strange happened.

All of the adults became excited during the tricks. My small audience of three was actually a room full of adults. Even though I was performing for only these three children, I realized I was actually performing with these children. Another great event in Ottawa thanks to somebody having the bright idea to call a professional Children’s Entertainer.

By Alexander the Great Magician

Well its 9:56 San Diego time, 10:56 here in Denver and 12:56 according to my bodies own circadian rhythm. Ive walked up and down the airport (not true, I actually only got about halfway before I decided there IS no end to this airport in that direction), checked out the over priced “Red Carpet Lounge.” At $50 bucks a pop, I checked it out from the outside.

Interestingly enough, in the land of fast food, the “Red Carpet Lounge,” features comfortable seating, quiet waiting area and fruit, which is ostensibly not found at any other oasis in this airport. I get to use free internet here, but only after agreeing that my personal information is being read (possibly out loud) and after watching a 30 second commercial. Ironically enough the ad was for one of those rocket internet sticks. Such is life.

UPDATED Photo upload soon, boarding starts soon!

Not many people know, but this airport continues on forever in that direction.

By Alexander the Great

I took a quick snap of this photo during one of my shows this year. I love seeing my name in print, even if it is only on the schedule for the week. But as a side note, this day care is rockin, beads, crowns and swords for art projects. Way Cool!

By Alexander the Great Magician

March 17, Ottawa

I’m sitting at the airport looking out at the tarmac. The morning sun is shining across the spiffy United Express aeroplane that I will be boarding in 20 minutes. The customs officer wanted to know if I had a trick to show. But since I’m in a t-shirt I clearly have nothing up my sleeves.

Security wasn’t too much of a big deal, the xray guy asked me if I had books in my bag, my carton of bicycle cards must have looked odd at the side of my bag. I hardly packed any magic tricks with me, but there is a good reason for this. First, there is going to be no shortage of stuff to watch. Second, the more I can do with less the better.

If I can walk into a room and do a trick with whats on the tables then I can certainly perform magic with props. Last year I often said during my act “I like to twist reality with words first, then sneak in some magic with props; it comes as a surprise that way.” (credits: Lennart Green)

Well, I better wrap up this message, and change my voice mail message for the week!