Originally planned to play in March the shows were rescheduled.
The cast and crew of Champions Of Magic returned to live performances at Centro Teatro 1 in Mexico City in October for a 5 show run with full social distancing and COVID protocols in place. Originally planned to play in March the shows were rescheduled, and coupling the performances with the filming of a special allowed the reduced capacity shows to remain economical.
The special was shot in 4k and has already been released across Mexico & South America - initial ratings have led to repeat airings being scheduled in November while a US/Canada release is slated for early 2021. The 70 minute programme features select stage performances from the live show, as well as backstage routines, interactive magic with the viewer at home, and sequences in the city itself.
The tour began in the UK in 2013 before coming to the USA in 2017 with the 2018/19 tour grossing over $5m in ticket sales. The family production features illusionists from the UK, USA and Mexico performing large scale stage magic with an extensive production package of lighting, video & special effects.
Tour producer Alex Jarrett said "Our last show was February 29th at Casino Rama in Ontario and we expected to be opening in Mexico 3 weeks later - obviously that wasn't to be and our incredible cast have used the last 7 months to innovate and create some brand new magic which we were able to bring to the stage over this run. Everyone was thrilled to perform again and we couldn't have done it with a better partner than Mexico City's Gou Productions. Our team have been at home in Los Angeles, Las Vegas and London over the summer and haven't seen anything like the level of protection the local team put in place for these performances - it really was world class".
Procedures at the Gou Productions operated venue include temperature checks, one way systems, socially distanced seating, capacity reduced to 30% and sanitisation of hands, clothing & shoes upon entry. A SaniFog system was deployed throughout the venue including both FOH and backstage areas before each performance - the Italian product helps to sanitize large areas very quickly using a water based fog that's entirely safe for people and electronics. A video demonstrating the procedures for guests at the venue can be seen here.
"We're hoping to announce a brand new show designed for socially distanced seating to run over the holidays in the coming days, and have an international tour scheduled for 2021 into 2022 where everyone hopes things will be back to business as usual - but we've learnt over the last weeks that the production is flexible enough to work under almost any conditions if required".
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