Ted Outerbridge

Illusionist

Ted Outerbridge was born on Christmas Eve, 1963 in Montreal, Canada. Ted developed a strong interest in magic as a young child and by the age of 12 was performing at neighbourhood birthday parties as “Magic Ted” for $5.00 a show. At the age of 18 he made his international debut and front page headlines while performing in Bermuda. Since then, Ted has turned his childhood passion into a fascinating career.

Performing professionally since 1982, Ted Outerbridge has delighted audiences in over 100 Canadian cities from coast to coast, and has been featured in theatres on both sides of the Atlantic. Ted has done everything from materializing Fortune 500 executives onstage, to consulting for the Cirque du Soleil, to creating the magic for Kathleen Turner and Christopher Reeve in the Tri-Star Pictures movie Switching Channels. He has made over 75 television appearances on various networks including The Discovery Channel and on his own TV special, Magic With Ted Outerbridge. Ted has had return bookings at the Just for Laughs Comedy Festival, performances for Princess Cruises, and a show at one of the world’s premiere entertainment venues, the SkyDome in Toronto. In 2002 Ted played to sold-out houses and standing ovations for a month at Germany’s Hansa Theater, home to Houdini’s wonders a hundred years ago.

Acclaimed for his innovative style, Ted Outerbridge has been recognized by his peers, being named Stage Magician of the Year and winning the Tom Auburn Award for magical excellence. He has taught a number of courses on magic and has lectured on illusion design. When he is not performing, Ted devotes much of his time to designing and building his own personal style of high-tech illusions.

Marion Outerbridge

Dancer / Illusionist

Marion Outerbridge was born in Düsseldorf, Germany where she learned the first dance steps that inspired her professional career. Marion studied at the State School for Dance in Arnhem, Holland and received a scholarship to study in Moscow at the Lunacharsky State Institute of Theatre Arts (GITIS). Marion has performed the world over and speaks five languages fluently. In 1993 she came to Montreal to join the Ensemble National de Folklore les Sortilèges. In 1998, Marion worked as assistant choreographer for the Salzburg State Theater production of Tango de Amor.

Returning to Canada in 1999, Marion joined the Ted Outerbridge Magician Extraordinaire show. A dancer in constant demand, she has performed in numerous Canadian productions from Nostalgie to We’ve Got Magic and Country 2000. In 1999 Marion made her film debut in The Whole Nine Yards with Bruce Willis. She has since appeared in several other feature films including 2001, A Space Travesty with Leslie Neilson.

Zelda

Psychic Chicken

Zelda was hatched in Rigaud, Quebec. When she heard that Ted and Marion were auditioning for a lead role as a psychic chicken, she could not resist. Magical Moments in Time is Zelda’s first professional performing experience and she loves everything about it, especially her salary which is, of course, chicken feed!

Illusions Unlimited

Illusion and Special Effect Design

Illusions Unlimited was founded in 1988 by Ted Outerbridge to design, engineer, and build magic illusions and special effects for his performances. Today under the direction of Ted and Marion Outerbridge a group of talented individuals ranging from experienced costume designers and seamstresses to metalworkers, cabinet makers, and special effects experts create the illusions for Outerbridge – Magical Moments in Time as well for the movie industry, television, live stage productions, and trade show exhibits.

Over the years Illusions Unlimited has created most of the very unique and spectacular illusions seen in the Outerbridge - Magical Moments in Time show such as a seven-foot tall alarm clock illusion and the Straitjacket Escape. Corporate creations include a customized motorcycle appearance for a Yamaha product reveal at a trade show, the production of a Gillette razor display rack for a sales promotion, and countless methods of producing CEOs have been realized. Illusions Unlimited has provided illusion development and support for a Cirque du Soleil Television special as well as for the Tri-Star Pictures motion picture, Switching Channels.

Brad A. Trenaman

Lighting Designer

Brad has designed lighting for many of Canada’s leading dance companies and choreographers including The OMO Dance Company, Ballet Creole, Janak Khendry, Menaka Thakkar, Shawn Byfield, The Stepcrew and The National Ballet School. The New York Times hailed his design for the North American tour of the Virsky Ukrainian Dance Company as “polished and dramatic”.  Besides dance, Brad has also designed lighting for theatre companies such as Carousel Players and Rasik Arts and musical acts including Matt Dusk and Nelly Furtado. He is currently consulting on a new space for internationally renowned blacklight puppet troupe The Famous PEOPLE Players.  The Las Vegas production of Menopause The Musical, which recently reopened for an indefinite run at the Luxor Hotel, features a completely new lighting design by Mr. Trenaman. A regular contributor to Professional Lighting and Production Magazine, Brad is a member (and past Board Member) of Associated Designers of Canada.

Pattie Obey

Choreographer

Pattie Obey is a committed professional bringing her experience, creativity, passion, and humor to the teaching profession. A Chicago native and the daughter of a dancer, Pattie began her professional career touring internationally with Gus Giordano’s Jazz Dance Chicago. Her performance credits both in the USA and abroad includes Broadway musicals, films and television. Her personal style is greatly influenced by her mentor Gus Giordano, former Hubbard Street artistic director Lou Conte, jazz master Matt Mattox and her own elegant and powerful femininity. Pattie credits her extensive classical background to her training with ex-Royal ballet soloists Richard Ellis and Christine DuBoulay.

Currently, Obey makes her home in Delray Beach, Florida after living in Europe for the past 28 years. She is presently a guest teacher at Harid Conservatory and Boca Ballet Theatre in Boca Raton, Florida. Pattie has been on the faculty of numerous dance festivals in Germany, Austria, Finland and Mexico. She is a master teacher for both Dance Educators of America and Dance Masters of America. For the past 8 years she has been a guest artist at the University of Performing Arts in Tilburg, The Netherlands.Pattie has taught for colleges, universities, dance companies and eminent dance studios in 36 states and 15 countries. She has choreographed works for LaJazDanz, Ormao Dance Company, Spectrum Dance Theatre, Houston Metropolitan Dance Company, Jazz Dance Theatre, Boca Ballet Theatre, Illusionists Ted and Marion Outerbridge, The Playhouse Dance Company at Point Park College and Pori Dance Company in Pori, Finland to name a few. Dance Magazine proclaims Obey as being “Dance Teacher Extraordinaire” and most recently Goldrush Magazine as “The Leading Lady in Jazz.” In 1992, she was the first woman to teach at the Jazz Dance World Congress and has been on the roster of master teachers ever since. She is also the recipient of the 2000 Jazz Dance World Congress Award in recognition of her considerable contribution to the world of jazz dance.

Don Jordan

Choreographer

Don is a native Montrealer and a dual Canadian-U.S. citizen. Born to a performing family, Don first studied Tap Dance at the tender age of 6, and then began his career dancing with his father at various venues in Montreal. Completely caught by the performing bug, Don pursued his dance training by studying African Dance, Jazz, Classical Ballet, and Modern with numerous teachers such as Rod Scott, Phil Black, Arleigh Peterson, Frank Hatchett, Jo Jo Smith, and many others in the U.S., and in Canada with Eva Von Gensey, Suzanne Toumine, Elsie Solomon, Hugo Romero, and countless others. Don has studied various styles and techniques which have enabled him to perform in vehicles from Television, Film, Night Club and Cabaret, to the Concert Stage. Along with his dance studies, Don studied acting and voice which made him known as a triple threat in the performing world.

Don became the first black performer in Quebec to be a regular on a weekly television show. At the age of fifteen he was the lead dancer for CFCF-TV’s “Like Young Show” for seven years, and Radio Canada’s “Fleur D’amour, Fleur D’Amitiés,” followed by countless television specials and galas. He was lead vocalist and dancer at the Caf’ Conc in the Chateau Champlain Hotel for two years. Don has performed with and choreographed for the Beaumont Ballet Theater in Texas and the Cole Harrison Dance Company in Washington D.C., and has been Guest Artist for numerous companies and productions. He has run the full gamut of the dance world, which is reflected in his unique choreographic style. Don was the Co-Founder and Co-Artistic Director of the Dance Factory Inc. in Montreal for sixteen years. Don has choreographed for television commercials and video clips as well as productions such as “Les Prix Gemeaux”, “Diva”, “Student Bodies”, and CBS’s “Starting From Scratch”. Some of his choreographic film credits include “2001, A Space Travesty” with Leslie Neilson, and MTV’s “Love Song” starring Monica. Don has also choreographed many theatrical productions throughout Canada and the U.S., as well as for industrial and production shows in Europe for the Canadian, Italian and German governments. Don’s latest accomplishment was to direct, choreograph, and stage last summer's hit musical revue in Montreal, “Esquire Show Bar, la Revue” nominated for a SOBA award, which ran again by special request for the Corona Theatre’s 2009 summer season.

As an accomplished actor, Don has been seen in over 75 films and television series, and is a familiar voice in radio and television commercials, and video games. He has performed in numerous straight theatre and musical theatre productions in both English and French. Don was the artistic director of the Black Theater Workshop for two years and was a lead vocalist in the People’s Gospel Choir of Montreal, and has performed on three separate occasions at the Festival International de Jazz de Montreal.

Don is now called a quadruple threat, and is also about to embark upon his second two-year term as president of ACTRA Montreal (Association of Canadian Cinema Television and Radio Artists).

Cameron Smillie

Business Agent

Cameron wears many hats with over 20 years experience in both the corporate world and in the performing arts world. In 1993 he co-founded the company – Live at the Hippo Pool Events Inc. with his partner Carolynn for the purpose of providing marketing services to a range of clients including Ballet Jorgen Canada, the Brampton Arts Council and Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet. In addition, Hippo Pool Events presents performing arts across southwestern Ontario. Cameron has also held corporate marketing positions with companies as varied as the Eastern Ontario Travel Association, Cadillac Fairview and Ascolectric Limited.

Cameron holds a B.A.Sc. in Consumer Studies from the University of Guelph. Presently he is the Projects Facilitator and Community Development Officer with the Brampton Arts Council and the Director of Touring for Ballet Jorgen Canada. His volunteer work includes sitting on the Board of the Sanderson Centre for the Performing Arts in Brantford, Ontario (since 1989). In addition to consulting projects he has participated as a speaker at a variety of workshops including three times at Ontario Contact. In Spring 2009 he co-produced a speaking tour, The Hart of Art, featuring Canada’s Evelyn Hart in a multimedia presentation to four cities in British Columbia. Earlier in 2009 he joined the Board of Directors of CCI – Ontario’s Presenting Network.

Gerry Lefebvre

Stage Manager

Gerry has been working with Ted and Marion Outerbridge since 2003, both on-stage and behind the scenes. He finds the fast-paced and highly demanding work of a stage manager both challenging and fulfilling. A magician himself, in 1991-93 Gerry studied under Le Grand Marcis, an exceptional magician who is well-known among his peers. His first stage performance was at the tender age of 13. Since then he has performed at numerous events from corporate clients such as Bombardier Aeronautics, Alcan Canada, and Quebecor Media to the Montreal Casino.

In 2000, Gerry joined the team at Magie Spectram, Quebec’s largest supplier for illusionists and magicians, and worked as a consultant to other professionals in the field.

Gerry comments about his dual role: “I enjoy working behind the scenes as much as on-stage. Some of the best tricks I know are making props appear and vanish from the stage, having the curtain magically open, the music mysteriously start on cue, and nobody notices from whence it came!”

Stuart McAllister

Publicist

With 28 years of communications experience in the Canadian entertainment industry, Stuart McAllister has an extensive network of media contacts across the country. His hands-on experience in many facets of production includes analysis of marketing needs, development of media kits, and coordination of the graphic design of publicity and promotional materials, resulting in a high-quality, recognizable and consistent brand image for his clients. This insight and these relationships, coupled with powerful writing skills and a background in journalism, ensure that his clients’ messages are delivered effectively to the media.

McAllister has studied marketing, advertising copywriting, magazine journalism, and poster design. He has set box office records by the skilful use of print and broadcast media. His clients regularly make front-page headlines from the National Post, Toronto Sun, and Montreal Gazette’s business section to the North Bay Nugget, Pique Newsmagazine, and the Meridian Booster. He is a published journalist and is conversant in French and English.