Review of Ryan Michael Magic Show @ The Broken Hearts Club
As you enter this concrete ruin, you are whisked back to 1920, where history's poorly concocted prohibition era stands. Once inside and following a flight of stairs down into the bowels of the ruin, you are taking steps back in time until you reach the bottom of the stairs and enter a speakeasy from the roaring 20s…… that's 1920s - yeesh, I'm old enough to have to be able to distinguish that. Anyway, remember that in the middle of vineyards in a city you will find a speakeasy bar….The Broken Hearts Club.
Decked out in the ever-present subtle humour of Jason Parke, you walk into a classic
speakeasy bar. An old-style gothic presence to the bar due to having parts from a confessional booth immediately greet you upon entry—lots of little nods to Jason Parke Customs (JPC) and Crown & Thieves winery. There's a bit of a kitschy feel to the place with the mismatched tables and chairs. However, individually, they add that 1920s character to the overall ambiance.
What is The Broken Hearts Club? It's the same venue for entertainment acts within a bar setting. Ample seating for about 60-70 people for the evening's entertainment. The show for the evening is by mentalist
Ryan Michael. Ryan is a five-time internationally award-winning mentalist. I first met him a few years back when he was previously a wine tour guide. Before, Ryan had honed his craft to razor sharpness for a professional run. He would entertain his groups with his magic. It was an incredible experience for Ryan to develop his close-up magic further. On this wine tour, Ryan was constantly dropping tricks. One trick he performed involved referring back to a group photo taken earlier…this pic was the grand reveal of a trick! As a wine tour guide, Ryan was exceptionally entertaining, and his magic was much better than the "amateur" label he used to describe himself. This run-in was now five years ago.
Since then, I've seen clips and videos of Ryan's close-up magic and noticed him doing more shows. It's been great to know that he is now at the point in his professional career where he performs shows across Canada. He performs shows regularly every two weeks at The Broken Hearts Club speakeasy within Crown & Thieves winery.
Something unique to note is that as of the performance I attended, Ryan has consecutively sold out his shows over 35 times!!! I was aware of this and periodically on the losing end of trying to get tickets. But finally, my work schedule allowed me, and I was fast enough to get a pair of tickets to a show.
The doors open an hour before the show starts. Being paranoid about the traffic to the winery, I showed up at 7:00 p.m. During that hour, Ryan is not behind the curtain counting down to showtime. He is out among the tables performing close-up magic with EVERY table in the house!!! Ryan effectively performs a show before his show!! That's a showman.
The tableside close-up magic consisted of various tricks to entertain and delight.
His magical charm and sense of humour shine brightly with his close-up and intimate magic tricks. Warm, welcoming, and engaging adjectives describe his close-up style. I found that his persona in this element conveyed a genuine childlike enthusiasm that is easy to get swept up in. When Ryan is onstage, he has a more professional and polished part of his style. Still warm, welcoming, and engaging in both contexts.
Ryan's show is magical entertainment. The magic tricks are creative, and he tells a great story while delivering them. The audience engagement, aside from the typical volunteers from the audience, is also stepped up. Ryan welcomes everyone in the audience to examine one of the magic props - a glass jar with a Rubik's cube. He even has an interactive trick that involves everyone using the calculator on their cell phone - with an incredible conclusion that'll leave you baffled. It is a magical ride that makes the almost two-hour show (plus the initial hour table hopping magic) pass by in a blur of enjoyment. I'm so glad I finally got to see his stage show, and I can't wait to see what Ryan will deliver in the future.
Now, The Broken Hearts Club, as a venue, is intimate, with seating for nearly 70 people for this magic show. I don't know what the configuration is for other types of shows. The bar was open at the same time the doors opened, and a menu was on the tables offering wine by the glass, all Crown & Thieves, of course. Aside from wine, there are some ciders and limited snacks to order. Service is continuous throughout the show - I might add that it was tableside service throughout the show. The service team is remarkably discreet, not interrupting the show while taking drink orders and delivering them. Rest assured that they are ever present, as my glass of wine was never empty the entire time I sat down.
The Broken Heights Club is the primary performance venue for Jason Parkes band Proper Man. But his is not the only musical act to enjoy. There is an ever-changing roster of new musicians coming through to play here. Aside from magic and music, there are also comedy shows, wine and movie nights, cabaret acts and many other events at this venue.
I always watch their events calendar as something new and exciting happens at THe Broken Hearts Club. Remember that this venue is only open for events. It's worth keeping an eye on their calendar.
Would I go back to enjoy another event here? Yuppers
Would I go and see another magic show by Ryan Michael? Absolutely
Overall, it was a great evening. If you're looking for an entertaining evening, go and check out Ryan Michael Magic.
Cheers🥂
-BC Wine Nerd
Address: 3887C Brown Road
Phone #: 778-754-6968
Dietaries: Can easily handle most dietary restrictions.
Menu $: 🍷🍷