“There’s something extraordinary about seeing the impossible happen right in front of your eyes. Even after nearly 50 years, I still love that feeling of wonder – and I get just as much pleasure from creating that feeling for someone else,” Daniel Schwartz told the Independent
Schwartz, whose love of magic goes back to childhood, is a nephrologist (kidney specialist) and a clinical assistant professor of medicine at the University of British Columbia. Both he and his teenage son Jack are award-winning performers. The upcoming show, called These Magic Moments, centres on the idea that life is a collection of moments, “especially the ones we share with the people we love.” The December performances at Alliance Française in Vancouver will support two different causes.
“Cancer has touched virtually all of us in some way,” said Schwartz. “Although I see its impact professionally as a physician, it has also affected our own friends and family. Supporting cancer research and care will always be important to me, which is why we’re supporting the BC Cancer Foundation with our Dec. 8 performance.
“The Kidney Foundation is especially close to my heart,” he continued. “I’ve spent more than 20 years working as a nephrologist, caring for patients with kidney disease. It’s often a silent disease, and many people don’t appreciate just how devastating it can be until they or someone they love is affected. Because I work so deeply in this field, I’m acutely aware of the value of investing in kidney research, but also of supporting real people who are struggling with this terrible disease. That’s why the Dec. 10 performance will benefit the Kidney Foundation of Canada.”
Schwartz said he has been very fortunate in life, both personally and professionally. “And I’ve always believed that good fortune comes with a responsibility to help others,” he said. “As a physician, I have the privilege of helping people through some of the most difficult periods of their lives. That has certainly shaped how I think about giving back.
“Magic provides a completely different opportunity. It’s something I love doing and, if I can use it to bring people together, make them smile and raise money for causes that matter, that seems like a wonderful combination.”
Schwartz was introduced to magic by his grandfather.
“My father also knew a few tricks, and I vividly remember him making a handkerchief disappear into thin air,” said Schwartz, whose first trick – at age 7 – involved four nickels and a tiny cover.
“I’d place the cover over the nickels, lift it and, suddenly, there would be four dimes instead,” he explained. “It was incredibly simple, but surprisingly powerful. And, to this day, nobody has ever figured out how I did it!”
He performed the illusion at his older sister’s birthday party.
“I had a bridge table, no decorations, no pizzazz, and four or five tricks I’d learned from my first magic book,” he said. “Somehow, the kids seemed to enjoy it. I suspect they gave me a pass because I was just a little boy.
“Looking back, it’s funny how little I knew about putting on a show. But I loved performing, and that feeling never really went away. I continued performing through high school and university, although eventually medicine, work and family took priority. Magic became more of a hobby until Jack rediscovered my old magic equipment and brought it back into our lives.”
“I was going through my dad’s old magic equipment with him when he showed me some magic for the first time. I was absolutely stunned,” said Jack Schwartz, who is in Grade 11 at King David High School. “It was so impressive, and it left me with a sense of wonder that I’d never experienced before.
“I immediately wanted to know how it was done, so I started learning tricks myself. And, when I began performing them for other people, I realized I could make them feel that same sense of wonder. Seeing people’s faces light up was incredible, and that’s when I knew magic was something I wanted to pursue.”
He would love to pursue magic full-time.
“It’s something I’m really passionate about, and I can see myself making a career out of it,” he said. “I haven’t figured out exactly what that career would look like yet, but I know that I want magic to be a big part of my future.”
The young performer has been featured at various events, in theatres and on TV. He’s been mentored by some top magicians and was selected for the Junior Society of the Academy of Magical Arts. Recognitions for his work include Junior Champion for stage and close-up magic, from the Pacific Coast Association of Magicians, and Junior Stage Magician of the Year, from the Vancouver Magic Circle.
Daniel Schwartz has also been honoured for his magic talents.
“I won the Vancouver Magic Circle’s Junior Close-up Magic award (Dick Gardner Trophy) in 1992 and then, 31 years later, the Tip Top and Tootsie Trophy in 2023,” said the doctor. “But Jack is definitely the more accomplished competitive magician in the family. He’s won awards for both close-up and stage magic, including a second-place finish in close-up magic at Tannen’s Magic Camp in New York this past summer.
“It’s wonderful watching him develop his own style and skills. And I’m quite happy to admit that there are already things he can do that I can’t!”
While the pair would practise together, exchanging ideas and developing routines, it took some time for them to realize they “had something rather unusual – a father and son who both genuinely loved performing magic,” said Daniel Schwartz. “That became the inspiration for Generations: A Magic Show. We wanted to create something that wasn’t simply two magicians taking turns doing tricks, but a show that reflected our relationship, the differences between our generations and our shared love of magic.
“The upcoming show, These Magic Moments, is the story of my life, told with magic, and Jack wanted to open the show. There’s been a lot of work involved in turning the idea into a stage production, but doing it together made the process incredibly rewarding.”
The best part of performing with his son?
“Without question, it’s the time we get to spend together,” said Schwartz. “As children become teenagers, they naturally develop their independence and their own interests. It’s pretty special to have something that we both love, where we can work together as equals and learn from one another. I may have introduced Jack to magic, but these days he teaches me more than I teach him. And there’s something incredibly rewarding about watching your child become genuinely good at something you’re passionate about. The tricks are fun and the applause is wonderful, but the memories we’re creating together are what I’ll treasure most.”
And the same is true for Jack.
“I think the best part is that magic lets me connect with my dad in ways that I normally wouldn’t,” he said. “We get to work together in a really creative and collaborative environment, experiment with different ideas, and figure out what works. It’s a lot of fun being able to share something we’re both so passionate about. And then, after all the practising and preparation, actually getting on stage and performing together is an absolute blast!”
One hundred percent of the ticket sale proceeds will support the shows’ respective charities.
“My wife Sarah and I value the Jewish mitzvah of tzedakah,” said Daniel Schwartz. “It’s often translated as charity, but it’s really something more than that. It’s the idea that helping others isn’t simply an act of generosity; it’s a responsibility. I hope we’ve been able to pass that value along to our children, not just by talking about it, but by demonstrating it through our actions.”
For tickets to either performance of These Magic Moments, go to drdanielschwartz.com/these-magic-moments.
