Carisa Hendrix makes magic while in the guise of Lucy Darling. (submitted photo/Kerri O'Brien photography)

By Glenn Hicks

show biz

P.A.-raised woman makes magical moves

Oct 1, 2019 | 6:00 AM

As a small Prince Albert schoolgirl, Carisa Hendrix would invent tricks. She’d hide playing cards and then produce them out of nowhere, or from a pocket of clothing from some unsuspecting family-member. But she never dreamed it would go further than that.

From those humble beginnings Hendrix, who is now based in Calgary, keeps pushing her craft and secured some very high-profile exposure last week with an appearance on the Penn and Teller: Fool Us television show, where magicians get to pull off a trick in front of the famous duo.

Hendrix’s act, in her stage persona of Lucy Darling, pulls a hardback copy of a book out of an apparently empty paper bag.

“Everything else is history,” Hendrix told paNOW while reflecting on a whirlwind journey the last few years that has seen her perform around the world, including an award-winning stint in Australia. “Basically, 85 per cent of what I do now is Lucy.”

The character – along with accent, mannerisms and costume – is a sort of composite of some of the late great show biz stars of the past like Zsa Zsa Gabor, Mae West and Eartha Kitt, Hendrix explained.

Court proceedings

'The impact of this trauma will echo for generations': court case surrounding La Ronge woman's death reaches conclusion

4h ago

Going Global

P.A.'s Zablocki named to Team Canada for U18 Women's World Championships

4h ago

Election 2024

Birch Hills staff won't share election decision

5h ago

When she was 16 years old she worked at a haunted house doing tricks and performing. Oh, and she ate fire. She now happens to hold a duration world record in that.

So, had the magic bug bitten while she was in her teens? She doesn’t think so.

“I was just trying to make money as a kid. It paid better than working in a fast food restaurant,” she said. “It was never a goal of mine to be an entertainer, but I just started to do a little bit more, then a little bit more.”

That practice and professionalism now sees her travel the world.

“I’m on the road nearly full-time now: Chicago, New York, and I was just in London.”

Hendrix thinks this is the start of a new golden age for magic shows following the previous powerful generation of the likes of David Copperfield and Criss Angel.

“I hope it continues because that’s all I want to do,” she said.

Hendrix’s mom Annette St. Germaine lives in P.A., where she works for the Northern Lights Casino. She is very proud of her daughter.

“She’s amazing, I can’t believe how good she is… she doesn’t miss a beat,” St. Germaine said.

St. Germaine hosted karaoke and deejayed weddings with Carisa’s dad, Vernon Hendrix, some years ago so figures perhaps she picked up some of that in her DNA, but she’s quick to point out her daughter’s passion and talent.

“She’s really developed her characters and that’s an inner-strength of hers, rather than from anyone else in the family,” St.Germaine said.

Despite Hendrix’s hectic international and national schedule, she hopes to bring Lucy to Prince Albert in the future.

“I think I’ll be back in P.A. in 2020 to do something fun.”

It’s not clear if that will mean fire-eating, Lucy Darling, or perhaps both. But you imagine Zsa Zsa Gabor would approve.

With files from Ian Gustafson

Editor’s note: this article was amended to make clear Carisa Hendrix’s on stage persona is Lucy Darling, not Lucy Diamond as originally reported.

—

glenn.hicks@jpbg.ca

On Twitter:@princealbertnow