October is the spookiest month of the year, and what better way to ring it in with a bit of spooky magic to start the whole thing off. The Yorkton Lions Club is hosting Stage Fright, a magic and illusion spectacular for the entire family.
"It's 90 minutes of icky, yucky, spooky, creepy, crawly magic that's just perfect for the Halloween month of Shocktober. We have typical magic illusions done up with a bizarre and macabre twist," says magician John Kaplan.
The show is appropriate for any age, Kaplan says, whether it's small kids or senior citizens. The family audience is something which Kaplan prefers, because he says everyone is on the same level.
"When an adult experiences a sense of wonder that they haven't seen since they were a child, by seeing something impossible happen on stage, that puts everyone on the same level, and that's the kind of emotion that most adults have lost over the years, the ability to have that sense of wonder. For kids, it's an almost every day occasion as they're growing up, learning new things all the time."
Stage Fright was originally a show that stayed close to Vancouver, where Kaplin is based. He decided to open it further out, and it has taken off from there, with the tour spanning four provinces over the month of October.
Kaplan has been performing for 35 years, though he says that he knew he wanted to do magic from when he was nine and saw a magic show. His focus for that time has been on doing fundraising projects for different groups. He says that as a result of the thousands of shows over the years, hundreds of thousands has been raised for schools, service clubs, community organizations and other groups.
While he has worked with Lions clubs across the country many times before, Kaplan says it's the first time he's worked with the Yorkton Lions. He's impressed by the club and how they've put the show together.
"I must say, they're very well organized, they've done a bang up job of getting the word out and getting corporate backing behind this whole thing. As you know, any money raised by the Lions goes back into the community, so it's certainly a worthwhile event to support. Not only are you bringing your family out to a fun thing that will create lots of family memories, but also you're supporting a worthwhile organization in the community."
There will be two shows, both at the Sacred Heart Theatre, at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. on October 5. Tickets are available at Hearns Pharmacy, Wagners Flooring or from any Lions member.
