By: Roxanna Bina and Emmanuel Itier

It’s Magic!, organized by Hollywood’s famous Magic Castle and its co-founder, marvelous Milt Larsen, celebrated its 53rd year this year! This annual event has featured great magicians over the years, including Lance Burton (you can see him live in Las Vegas!).  This year’s show brought out the best magicians, once again, to the Lobero Theater in Santa Barbara, California.

We stepped into the Lobero on a crisp Fall afternoon to see the magic up close, which is always better than watching it on TV. Why? Because sitting a few steps away from the magic happening assures that no camera tricks were used. My four-year-old son, Felix,  is a big fan of magic. Watching Lance Burton in Las Vegas when he was one and a half years old had him hooked, so it was only natural to bring him to It’s Magic! (The poster of Jeff Hobson with his fingers on fire intrigued him so much that he would stare at the poster in awe.) The delightful MC of the show, Jeff Hobson, was so entertaining for children and adults. Some of the jokes went over the children’s heads but not the adults, judging from them roaring with laughter!  Hobson’s quick wit and comedic magic tricks between all the other magician acts were a true highlight. It’s Vegas, baby — it’s Vegas and Magic married for the best, and forget about the worst!

Kevin James, who has performed magic for President Obama and the Prince of Monaco, included an unbelievably gory, doctor-themed act involving a male nurse being cut in half  (not the usual close the box, cut the person in half, see their head and toes wiggling trick), right before the audience, and having the cut nurse sit without legs in plain sight. As the gasping audience watched, Kevin James (The Mad Doctor) performed his magic to put the man’s body together — another trick that left us baffled and impressed!

Magic veteran Joseph Gabriel performed his fantastic magic involving beautiful birds of many colors disappearing and reappearing inside cages, his bare hands and, of course, out of hats.  Sitting very close to the stage, seeing these birds coming out of thin air was especially amazing! Gabriel also performed wonderful magic with his lovely wife, Katalin. In a male-dominated world of magicians, the stunning Katalin gave the audience a very lady-like view of magic with girly pink touches here and there.

Hailing from Hungary, Katalin performed her own “feminine” magic show involving color-changing gloves and flowers, scarf tricks, and costume changes in a matter of seconds behind a drape. Now that is outstanding!

Continuing with the tradition of magic and comedy, Dana Daniels and his “Psychic Parrot” Luigi wowed the audience with “rapid-fire” comedy and “off -the -wall” magic, including card tricks fit for a parrot.  With audience participation, Daniels gave a superb performance with his beloved “Psychic Parrot.”

The illusion to do the impossible can be a remarkable thing to share with the world — especially with curious children and the young at heart. Keeping the magic going can only keep us imagining the impossible! And so the magic is well alive in our hearts when we head home and our little Felix asks for one more trick: we gently put a kiss on a cheek and he immediately shines within. Yes, love is the best trick of all — pure Magic!