I’ve never been interested enough in magic to seek out shows or learn how the tricks are done. In fact, I sort of thought it was a dying industry.
It wasn’t until this past year that I really started to understand how much work actually goes into doing magic. I’m not just talking about magic that you see clowns do at kids’ parties or magicians that you see pull a bunny out of a hat. I’m talking about the entertainers who perform tricks, effects and/or illusions that seem impossible or supernatural and who practice over and over again to perfect the art of tricks like sleight of hand.
Magic tricks that use visual, sensory, auditory and even cognitive illusions can be very difficult to master and take hours and hours of practice. You may be wondering how I know this. Well, the answer is simple, I befriended a magician.
It wasn’t something I sought out, it just sort of happened. A friend of a friend introduced us while out to eat and an hour later he was performing card tricks in the middle of the restaurant. Talk about fun. One minute we’re eating German food and making small talk, the next he’s making salt shakers disappear before my eyes.
It was because of this friend that I got to see my very first in-person magic show this year (and I don’t mean the one he did during our introductory dinner). He invited us to a show at South Street Magic, a theater off out South Street in Philadelphia that he performs at regularly. It’s an interesting place with a lot of character.
When you walk in the storefront there’s a retail shop where you can buy anything from DVD’s to decks of cards to magic kits. Towards the back is a theater, with a lot of character, where they host magic shows during the week and on weekends.
The show I saw, which was part of their “Saturday Night Wonders,” was really good. It featured two local magicians, one of whom was my friend. We experienced everything from complex sleight of hand tricks to grand illusions. I can’t go into too many details about the tricks because I don’t want to ruin the experience for anyone else, but believe me it’s worth a visit!
If I hadn’t befriended a magician I never would have even known South Street Magic existed. And as far as I’m concerned, it’s worth knowing about. Take my word for it and go see one of their shows. All you have to do is visit their website, which you can access by clicking here.
