SECRETS & LIVES
By shannon moneo
Why did you become a magician? My mom hired a local kid magician when I was 10 years old for my little brother’s birthday in Calgary, where I grew up. I was in the audience and it just really connected with me. Magic, illusion, trick: what’s the difference? “Magic” is the catch-all phrase that covers all of what we do. Some view “trick” as a simplistic word to describe what we do. “Illusion” usually denotes a larger trick. Teresa (Midbo, Hatfield’s wife and performance partner) and I specialize in illusions. We float people in the air, cut people in half, produce and vanish people rather than coins. What we do (in Magic ‘N Miracles, Canada’s largest annual touring magic show) is a full-on stage show, dancers and costumes, and guest magicians. How old were you when you did your first magic trick? I was 10, at that birthday party: afterwards the kid magician showed me how to vanish a penny into my arm. I have not stopped. I was small and not particularly athletic. It gave me an identity. I think a lot of people who are drawn to magic, that’s the case. You do find people who are shy, uncomfortable sometimes in social settings and yet with magic, they’re able to enter that situation with a degree of power and strength. What is your all-time favourite trick? It’s called Suspended Animation and it’s the instantaneous exchange of both of us. Teresa’s locked in a glass box up on a pedestal. I’m standing eight or 10 feet away. It’s literally instantaneous. Have you ever been injured doing an illusion? Yes, Teresa and I both. Teresa has to do the hard stuff inside of the props. She gets hit with swords, had her nose almost taken out. A lot of times we’re both working blind to a degree. Although I know where she is, I don’t know at every moment where every part of her is. Either cutting or slicing or whatever. It becomes almost a ballet of knowing and anticipating whatever each one is doing. Occasionally that goes wrong. How do Victoria audiences rate? They’re wonderful. They’re very appreciative. When we moved here six years ago, we moved here to buy, what was then and now, an iconic shop. It was Tony’s Trick and Joke Shop. It’s been here for 35 years. How did you meet Teresa? She was one of the dancers I hired in 1992. Not only is she an exceptional dancer, she’s a great performer, very charismatic. Eventually, we discovered that we liked each other so we got married in 1998. She is my partner, not just my assistant. She creates routines, selects music. She finds or designs most of the costumes we use.
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Why aren’t there more female magicians? I don’t know. There are some phenomenally successful female magicians in North America. I’ve hired a number, one of whom is a world champion, Juliana Chen, who specializes in card manipulation, producing hundreds of cards from her bare hands. You perform at fairs, casinos, corporate functions and even on cruise ships. Your favourite venue? Theatres, like the Royal. People are buying a ticket to see you, so you’re already half-way there to that shared experience you’re looking for. When you’re on a cruise ship, you’re simply the entertainment. They’re not necessarily there to see you. Why were you named Canada’s Magician of the Year for 2005-06? It is voted on by members of the Canadian Association of Magicians. Winners include the elite of the magic world in Canada. The best illusionist ever? David Copperfield. David changed the way that magicians act, dress, perform and create the magic that they’re doing. By virtue of the television specials, which required an entirely new show every year, he created more memorable magic and was seen by more people than anyone in history, to that point. What do you do for fun when you’re not suspending reality? We kayak. We love going up to Tofino, over to Salt Spring, Parksville. You can drive 20 minutes in any direction and you’re in a paradise, each one different from the other. How much longer will you bedazzle audiences? In some way, shape or form, until the day I die. VB This interview has been condensed and edited.
Murray Hatfield, 50 award-winning magician and co-owner of Murray’s Trick & Joke Shop PHOTO BY GARY MCKINSTRY