Making Magic: The Majinx Virtually Impossible Show
In a time of lockdowns, restrictions and isolation, entertainer Lawrence Larouche believes the show must go on.
“We all need a little miracle once in a while to make us smile,” said Larouche.
Larouche is a magician. For more than 30 years, he’s typically performed for live audiences on stage.
“Suddenly, when the pandemic hit, we couldn’t do any of that. We had to find another way.”
That “way” would be found in a workshop on Larouche’s St. Eugene, Ont. property. A building, where he designs and builds props would become the backdrop for a virtual magic show.
“I thought, 'Let’s give them a peek behind the curtain so they can see what it looks like in a real magic workshop.'”
Larouche set up lights and a video camera, and using the "magic" of Zoom technology, he now brings the “Majinx Virtually Impossible Show” to audiences worldwide.
Magician Lawrence Larouche turning on the lights in the workshop that serves as the backdrop for his Virtually Impossible Show. (Joel Haslam/CTV News Ottawa)
“We learned a whole bunch of magic that worked through the screen,” Larouche said with a smile.
“Our audience could see us, and we could see them, talk to each other and interact. Our tag line is ‘You’re not just watching the show, you’re in the show,’” he said.
Larouche is entertaining at family Zoom get-togethers, corporate meetups, and personal celebrations.
“Suddenly, we could perform for people around the world. Last week, we had someone from San Francisco, Hawaii, Indiana, Montreal, Toronto and Ottawa all on the same screen,” Larouche said.
Audience members share a laugh with magician Lawrence Larouche in the top left. (Supplied)
“It’s been so fun to watch their emotional outbursts while they take part in the magic. It’s amazing to capture. We’re all in search of a wonderful experience and magic can provide it. It’s a reconnection with a childhood feeling that you’ve lost as you’ve gotten older,” said the magician.
The magician is also an actor, writer, musician and artist. He designs and draws the elaborate props and costumes for his stage show. His large, colourful mixed media installations and vibrant paintings grace the walls of his St. Eugene home, a former country church where Larouche lives with his wife, Cynthia, and where they raised their three grown children.
Lawrence Larouche drawing and designing in the loft of his workshop. (Joel Haslam/CTV News Ottawa)
“We brought up our entire family here. It’s still a work in progress,” laughed Larouche.
Until Lawrence and Cynthia are performing live again, they will happily share their craft with others on the virtual stage. It’s an opportunity for us to feel a little magic when we really need it.
“I’ve always thought that human beings are much more remarkable than they’ve been led to believe, and I love using magic to help illustrate that fact,” said Larouche.
“That’s why I love them to experience the ‘ta da moment’-- to show them what an amazing thing they’ve just done or are capable of doing. It’s very inspiring.”
To discover more about the Majinx Virtually Impossible Show or to buy tickets, visit https://www.majinx.com/virtually-impossible or Facebook at majinxcentral.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.