Dan Kranstz, magician & illusionist

Dan Kranstz has been a working magician and illusionist for more than 20 years and over 2,000 shows across Canada. Based in Toronto, he believes magic should feel like theatre, and his act blends physical comedy, music and genuine illusion into a show that speaks to any audience, with or without words.

The Man in the Bowler Hat

If you have seen Dan perform, you remember the hat. His stage character wears a bowler hat, a black velvet jacket and a red pocket square, and he communicates mostly through reaction: wide-eyed shock when a third hand appears, mock horror when a knife slides through his forearm, pure delight when a light orb floats out of the darkness. It is a style rooted in physical theatre and classic visual comedy, and it is why his show connects with audiences of every background and in every kind of room.

He is one half of a double act with himself. The suit is the straight man: the polished close-up magician who works your cocktail hour. The bowler hat is the chaos: the stage character who arrives after dinner. Two characters, one booking, and the photos on this site show them side by side for a reason.

Twenty Years, Two Thousand Shows

Dan Kranstz has been performing professionally for more than 20 years, with over 2,000 shows to his name and the count still climbing. He has worked rooms of every size across Canada: boardrooms and ballrooms in Toronto, convention floors, theatres and festival stages, and private estates where the guest list stays off the record.

For years he toured his full-scale illusion show across Ontario and beyond, a production with assistants, grand illusions and a crew, playing corporate galas, theatres and community events from the GTA to Niagara and far outside the province. That touring show also became a fundraising engine: Dan has raised thousands of dollars for multiple charities, headlining benefit nights and gala auctions where the illusion show was the draw and the cause was the point. He even took the show to television, pitching it as a touring business to the Dragons on CBC’s Dragons’ Den (read the example).

Today Dan performs for a high-profile clientele: national and international corporations, major trade shows and product launches, luxury brands, invitation-only showcases and private celebrations for hosts who value discretion as much as a great show. The solo act he brings to those bookings is built on everything the touring years taught him: tight timing, a show that fits the room, and comedy that lands with any crowd.

A Show Built Like Theatre

Dan’s stage show runs as a 15-minute set performed entirely to music, with each routine flowing into the next: smoke and light, the severed hand, the third hand, the caution box, the sword swallow, knots off silk, Rocky the raccoon, a rope routine that transitions into the linking rings, and a card manipulation finale. He is always refining the act, adding new pieces and leaning further into physical theatre. For longer events the show expands into a 30-minute interactive performance with audience volunteers.

Meet Rocky the Toronto Raccoon

Every great double act needs a straight man, and in this one it is the magician. Rocky the Toronto Raccoon is Dan’s long-time sidekick: a startlingly realistic raccoon puppet who wakes up in Dan’s hands mid-show, takes a long look at the audience, and decides he can do the trick better.

Rocky is a true Torontonian. He has the city’s unofficial mascot’s confidence, a connoisseur’s eye for anything shiny, and no respect whatsoever for a running order. He pats Dan on the shoulder at the wrong moment, inspects volunteers’ watches with professional interest, and reacts to each illusion a beat before the room does, which is usually what gets the biggest laugh.

He appears in the comedy magic show and the interactive set, and he has become the part of the act that guests ask about by name. Corporate audiences love him because he is completely clean, works in any language, and never upstages the CEO. Much.

Close-Up and Corporate Magic

In a tailored suit, Dan becomes a polished corporate magician and close-up performer. He specializes in magic that happens in the spectator’s own hands and, for brands, in trade show sales magic that turns a product pitch into a moment of wonder.

Founder of Magic Magic and Circus Universe

Beyond performing, Dan is an entertainment entrepreneur. He founded and runs Magic Magic, a Toronto magic and illusion entertainment agency, and Circus Universe, a Toronto circus entertainment company. Through them he produces multi-act events throughout the GTA and across Canada, with fire performers, acrobats, jugglers, LED acts, breakdancers and more, including private estate celebrations for high-profile hosts. Two decades on both sides of the stage mean he understands what planners need: punctuality, clear communication and a show that runs exactly to schedule.

Book Dan for Your Toronto Event

Whether you need a single magician or a full line-up, start with a quick conversation. Dan answers his own phone at 905-299-9114; details are on the contact page.

Twelve shows and services

• Corporate Magician — Polished close-up and stage magic for client events, conferences, team nights and company celebrations across Toronto.
• Trade Show Magician — Custom sales magic that stops foot traffic, gathers a crowd at your booth and delivers your pitch in a way people remember.
• Stage Illusion Show — A music-driven stage show packed with smoke, a floating light orb, comedy illusions and a card manipulation finale.
• Comedy Magician — Big laughs and real magic: a physical-comedy show starring a bowler-hatted magician, a third hand and a raccoon named Rocky.
• Close-Up Magician — Strolling sleight of hand for cocktail hours and receptions: cards, coins and borrowed bills transformed inches from your guests.
• Wedding Magician — Strolling magic for the cocktail hour and an optional reception show that keeps every table entertained.
• Private Party Magician — Close-up and stage magic for birthdays, anniversaries and house parties across Toronto, built around your guest of honour.
• Holiday Party Magician — Office Christmas parties and year-end celebrations with strolling magic and a music-driven comedy show your team will remember.
• Halloween Magic Show — Smoke, a glowing orb, a severed hand and a lot of laughs: a spooky-funny Halloween show for parties and events.
• Birthday & Milestone Magician — Comedy magic and illusions that turn a 30th, 40th, 50th or retirement party into the celebration everyone talks about.
• Gala & Fundraiser Magician — Elegant close-up magic for VIP receptions and a polished stage feature for galas, charity fundraisers and awards nights.
• Festival & Community Event Magician — Roaming magic and crowd-pleasing stage shows for festivals, fairs, BIA street events and community celebrations.