Vitaliy Savchyshyn – Professional Magician in Vancouver, B.C.

At Event Captain, we’re dedicated to shining a spotlight on entertainers that devote their lives to bringing people together through live events. Vitaliy has been a professional magician for over 20 years and is one of the top rated magicians in Vancouver.

It was our pleasure to sit down with him and hear his background, what it means to host an entertaining show, and tips for party planners looking to hire their next magician for their event. 

Check out our conversation with Vitaliy:

How did you get into magic? Have you always wanted to be a magician?

I always loved magic when I was just a young boy and always wanted to learn it but didn’t know where and how to start.

I remember watching David Copperfield, Lance Burton, Seinfeld and Roy and many other magicians on TV but thought that you can only do that kind of stuff  in the theatre on stage and if you have a real gift for magic.

But after I watched David Blaine’s TV special “Street Magic ” and saw him just walking the streets of New York and performing magic to regular people. 

I realized that you don’t need your own theatre or to have a special gift and anyone can perform it on the street to real people, but once again I still didn’t know where and how to start.

Until one day I met a real magician near my high school while I was  skateboarding. He was visiting his friend and showing a few tricks to other kids. I begged him to teach me a trick and after he did I practiced it for a week and the next time I saw him again I showed him and he was very impressed with what I achieved in just a week.  

So I told him that I want to learn more and would love to become a magician. He told me where to get all the books, videos and all the magic shops that Vancouver had. I went to one of those shops every day and spoke to guys that worked there, also bought lots of magic from them and eventually I got a job there.

And that’s how my journey began.

Has the type of shows you do evolved over time? If so, what’s changed and why?

Even after more than 20 years of being a magician I still practice and try to become better.  

I love learning new tricks and even more love learning tricks that are super hard to perform and that only few people in the world can do. I always search for new material, books, magic, videos and love to come up with my own tricks. And even tricks that I have been performing for years I always try to improve.

In your opinion, what makes the difference between a great show and a bad show?

A great show is the show that you will remember days, weeks, months after.

A great show is the show that you will tell others about. That is very important and that’s what makes a great show.

What’s the #1 piece of advice you’d give event planners looking to book entertainers for their events?  

First of all, entertainers need to provide a client with great showmanship.

Performers also have a good charisma, charm, and knowledge in what he does.

Entertainers also have to be polite, understanding, and pay attention to their clients and audience needs. Entertainers cannot be rude in any way, and have to know how to turn things around a bad situation.

Entertainers must be respectful to his clients/audience – respect goes a long way.

You can learn more about Vitaliy and how to book him for your next show here.