Canadian illusionist Darcy Oake comes to Caesars Windsor
Canadian illusionist Darcy Oake has reappeared in the Caesars Windsor show schedule after a number of performances were rescheduled during the two-month casino strike, which took place earlier this year.
"There's something in the show for everybody. Some people get involved in the show. Magic happens out in the audience. And then, at the end of the show, I do a death-defying escape that I only bring out for the big shows," said Oake.
The former Britain's Got Talent competitor has seen major success in recent years, from performing in front of the Queen to headlining shows around the world. The next chapter in his journey will include two shows at Caesars Windsor on Thursday.
Oake said his journey started on pure luck.
Fluke leads to love of magic
"Every kid when they're young gets a magic set or sees a magic trick ... Most kids grow out of it. I never did," Oake said, adding the first magic trick he ever saw was a card trick from his dad, Hockey Night In Canada sportscaster Scott Oake, when he was "about six or seven" years old.
"I picked [a card] out of the deck, I looked at it, I put it back inside, he mixed them up, he said, 'I'm going to reach inside with my eyes closed and pull one out and it'll be yours.'"
Sure enough, his dad pulled out the card Oake had selected.
"I was absolutely flabbergasted. I had no idea how to explain what I saw," said Oake, adding he spent the next month begging his dad to tell him how he did the trick.
"Finally, I learned it was just a complete accident — a one-in-52 chance that just so happened to work out."
Honing the craft of magic
Many magicians today get their start by watching YouTube videos of their favourite performers. But when Oake began falling in love with magic, YouTube didn't exist.
"There's actually a place I found in the States that would actually send you VHS tapes of old magicians ... So I would send a letter in to this library and they'd send me a box of VHS tapes," Oake said, adding he would copy the tape and send the original one back so he could study magic tricks over and over.
Eventually, Oake met with local magicians throughout Winnipeg — where he grew up — to perfect his magic. He said it was a "never-ending process" of connecting with people who excelled at the craft.
Hear more from illusionist Darcy Oake on the CBC's Windsor Morning:
From Winnipeg to the U.K.
Oake's big break started when he was contacted by producers from Britain's Got Talent. They had seen a trick he performed on a French television show and wanted him to perform the same act on the highly-touted British competition show.
While most people would jump at the opportunity, Oake had his reservations.
"I had heard horror stories of guys going on a Got Talent show who are professionals and [the show] ends up putting clown music underneath their act to make them look like a laughing stock."
Producers eventually convinced Oake to do the show — a moment that "changed the game" for his career.
Check out Oake's 2014 appearance on Britain's Got Talent:
Getting ready for Caesars
Oake says he thrives in a "live theatre" setting where people don't know what to expect before watching one of his shows. He said The Colosseum at Caesars Windsor is a perfect venue for his act.
"It's a big theatre but it feels intimate," he said, adding his Thursday performances will give him the opportunity to express his life's work.
"It all lives in the details. The ideas need to be nurtured and they take time to create and develop ... It's a show that I'm really proud. It's all material that I'm really excited to perform."
Oake will perform two shows Thursday — 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. Tickets are still available for both shows.
