ELORA – For the first time, the Federation Internationale des Societes Magique (FISM) is holding the World Championship of Magic in North America – Quebec City to be exact – and the milestone has a local magician to thank for that.
Joan Caesar is a magician who lives in Elora and while she won’t be competing in Quebec City, she has a key role in the background of the competition that’s been called the Olympics of magic.
Caesar is the founder of the Canadian Association of Magicians (CAM).
Until the association was formed in 2000, Canadian magicians who wanted to compete in international competitions had to join an American association.
“As much as I was grateful to the Americans, who accepted Canadian members, I was also very upset we couldn’t compete as Canadians. So I started CAM,” Caesar said in an interview.
“So, I did nothing to bring FISM to Canada, but I did bring Canada to FISM.”
The World Championship of Magic runs from July 25 to 30 in Quebec City and more than 2,000 magicians from around the world will attend with more than 100 qualifiers competing for the world champion title.
“It’s the best of the best competing,” Caesar said.
The Worlds happen every three years and Caesar said she’s been to every competition since 1997. That’s taken her to China, South Korea, Sweden and Italy.
“It’s unfortunate that it’s so hidden,” she said. “It should be like the Olympics. They really should show this on TV.”
Caesar said she came to magic when her son, now an adult, was three.
“I took him to the Sears Santa Claus breakfast and there was a magician there. Ben (her son) went crazy for the magic,” she said.
So she bought books and brought him to meetings of magicians and Ben became very good.
But as he got older, he developed other interests and magic waned in the household.
“Then I got the bug,” Caesar laughed. “I just happened to meet the right people at the right place at the right time.
“They were just opening the door to women magicians. I was so bloody lucky.”
Caesar mostly does magic for kids’ parties, and she judges magic acts at local and national competitions. In Quebec City she’ll be part of the production team.
Ryan Joyce is a magician who lives in Fergus and is vice president of CAM.
He said he received a Harry Houdini magic kit as a kid and that’s where it started for him.
He launched an illusion show as a student at Centre Wellington District High School and parlayed that into a career, touring his show across the country and on cruise lines.
Seeing David Copperfield perform opened his eyes to the possibility of magic as a career. Meeting Caesar opened the door, he said.
Joyce, too, will be behind the scenes in Quebec City, though he was a judge for some of the North American qualifying rounds.
He said there are eight categories in the competition – five are done on stage for a larger audience and three are close-up routines.
All categories are judged on originality, magic atmosphere, technical skill, entertainment value and showmanship.
Awards are given for most original stage act, most original close-up act, magic invention, and creativity and artistic vision.
Of those winners, the judges may also award the Grand Prix, although the top prize is not always given at every competition.
Caesar and Ryan are also behind the Ontario Week of Wonder magic festival hosted in Elora during Monster Month in October.
For more information about the World Championship of Magic, visit magicianmasterclass.com/post/fism-world-championship-of-magic.
