The Magic of Chanelle Munroe Presents: 5 Ways to Kill a Magician

Magician and the Muse Inc.—Planetarium

I’ve seen a lot of magician shows in my life, many of them at The Fringe. Through those shows, there’s a lot of overlap and I’ve figured out the secret behind many of the tricks. That’s what I do: as a scientist, I
look for the explanation behind everything. Refreshingly, there are a lot of tricks here where I cannot provide a rationale. I can see how they’re executed but I cannot find the actual gimmick. I know—it takes the fun out of it for many people, but the fun for me is figuring it out!

Despite seeing all those magic shows, I can honestly say that I’ve never seen anything like this finale before, and it’s spectacular. Even the jerkwater rubes who played with their phones through the entire show, put them away during the finale.

One final bonus: Munroe weaves the tricks into a pseudo-plot, and applies it to the Winnipeg context. She also gives a number of local statements, including the condition of our rivers because of pollution, and rather than defy death by biting a bullet, she tries to avoid the Winnipeg handshake (getting stabbed by a broken beer bottle).

I can honestly say that this is one of my all-time favourite magic or magick shows. It’s magically fun!

Ray Yuen