Summer reading is magical
Photo by PHOENIX JOLLEY Elvis parsley hands the microphone to a child to help him sing a song.
Photos by PHOENIX JOLLEY Dave the Magic Man asks the children for magic words to assist him with a rope trick during his Aug. 1 show at the Boundary County Fairgrounds. The event celebrated the Boundary County Library’s summer reading program reaching a goal of 7,135 books read by area children.
Boundary County Library Director Craig Anderson jams during “Library Rock.!”
Photo by PHOENIX JOLLEY Many children won door prizes during the intermission, before Elvis parsley came out for his performance.
Photo by PHOENIX JOLLEY Many children won door prizes during the intermission, before Elvis parsley came out for his performance.
Many children won door prizes during the intermission, before ‘Elvis Parsley’ came out for his performance.
Photo by PHOENIX JOLLEY Many children won door prizes during the intermission, before Elvis parsley came out for his performance.
Photo by PHOENIX JOLLEY Many children won door prizes during the intermission, before Elvis parsley came out for his performance.
Photo by PHOENIX JOLLEY Many children won door prizes during the intermission, before Elvis parsley came out for his performance.
Photo by PHOENIX JOLLEY Many children won door prizes during the intermission, before Elvis parsley came out for his performance.
Photo by PHOENIX JOLLEY Many children won door prizes during the intermission, before Elvis parsley came out for his performance.
Photo by PHOENIX JOLLEY Many children won door prizes during the intermission, before Elvis parsley came out for his performance.
Photo by PHOENIX JOLLEY Many children won door prizes during the intermission, before Elvis parsley came out for his performance.
Photo by PHOENIX JOLLEY Many children won door prizes during the intermission, before Elvis parsley came out for his performance.
Photo by PHOENIX JOLLEY Many children won door prizes during the intermission, before Elvis parsley came out for his performance.
Photo by PHOENIX JOLLEY Many children won door prizes during the intermission, before Elvis parsley came out for his performance.
BONNERS FERRY — “Zim-Zalla-Bim!!!”
Dave the Magic Man performed at the Boundary County Fairgrounds on Aug. 1, to celebrate the astonishing goal of 7,135 books read by the young boys and girls during the Boundary County Library’s Summer Reading Program. Performing a two part art act, Dave the Magic Man also played Elvis Parsley, the second nephew, twice removed, of the King of Rock and Roll, in honor of this year’s theme: Libraries Rock.
The Magic Man wooed the crowd of 92 children and their families with whimsical magic, jokes, and puns including tiny cheese graters and tiny guitars. When he returned as Elvis Parsley after a break where children received door prizes, he serenaded the audience with classic Elvis songs.
“From my biggest selling record,” he told the audience. “but of course they’re all the same size.”
Grooving with his electric guitar before and after the show, Boundary County Library Director Craig Anderson sported the rock and roll theme, including fake tattoos down both arms.
“We wanted to finish off the whole program at the end with an awesome gift to the community,” said Anderson.
In praise of the Magic Man, Anderson explained, “He fits with whatever theme we’re doing. He comes up with, not only the clothes, but also the humorous stuff that goes with it.”
Helping to put on the show, and a rocker dressed in her rockin’ best, was Boundary County Library Children’s Director Terri Neumayer.
“It’s not a job — it’s fun,” said Neumayer, who has worked with the Magic Man for six years. “I get paid for reading and playing, and coloring, and doing crafts. It’s great!”
“And when it is not too busy, we rock out,” added Anderson.
Among the many tricks that the Magic Man performed, was one involving a rope that responded to magic commands. When he performed his rope trick, he asked the audience for a magic word. The children shouted out words such as “Abra Cadabra” and “Zim-Zalla-Bim.”
One young voice shouted out, “Please and thank you!”
The small comment impressed the Magic Man.
“I always like to applaud those guys and gals when they say that, because I want the other kids to learn that’s a good thing to know,” he explained after the show. “It is a magic word. If they all did that more often it would be a better planet.”
The excited audience climbed from their seats on blankets and chairs at the end of the show, smiles on their faces.
“I enjoyed watching the kids have fun,” said Shannon Daniel, mother of two children in attendance. “I think it’s important for kids to read, and libraries have a lot to offer.”
“I liked when he said the ‘grater’ part,” said eight year old Alexys Madrid, referring to Dave’s witty pun saying where he said “I feel grate!”
“I liked the one where he made his assistant float,” said Madrid about her favorite trick. Madrid is an avid library fan and shared that she had read about 40 books herself this year.
The Magic Man explained why he was happy to perform children’s shows, like this one, for free.
“It’s more rewarding for me to make kids laugh and people smile,” said the Magic Man. “It’s not about the money for me. Their face lights up and they’re laughing, and giggling, and they’re attentive. That’s worth more than any money.”
The Magic Man opened up about his inspiration and why he got into magic. He explained that his dad was a carpet cleaner and landed a job with Magic Castle in Hollywood. The young Magic Man, only eight years old at the time, got to tag along. While his father worked, the young Magic Man began to wander and found himself backstage at an illusion show. Further along, he entered the Houdini Room, which had handcuffs that Houdini had actually escaped from.
After that day his dad asked him what he wanted for his birthday and he replied, “Can I get some magic tricks?”
For his ninth birthday, his dad took him to the Hollywood Magic Shop and gave him $50. The young Magic Man bought magic equipment and his dad gave him an old briefcase for it. He read many books on magic from the library, practiced the tricks, and began to perform.
“I had little cards made up and I started doing birthday parties, Cub Scouts, and Blue and Gold Banquets,” said the Magic Man. “A lot of the stuff I would make. I would make my props because I only had that $50. My best friend was my assistant and we made him a clown outfit.”
From there— the rest is history.
The Magic Man is not limited just to children’s shows. He also performs for adults, both magic and comedy, and his favorite illusion is one where he saws his assistant in half.
“I did a show for the Special Olympics one time. That was cool. They didn’t all get it, but I tried to use colorful things, like scarves and things,” the Magic Man explained. “It was really rewarding because I could tell that they were laughing and giggling and smiling.”
“That is the one thing about magic. I feel that it is a universal language,” he said. “I have done shows where people don’t speak English.”
Dave the Magic Man is doing what he loves— bringing magic, music, and witty humor to communities and events all around. For the 92 children that attended, and those young at heart as well, they were treated to a show that made them laugh and suspend belief for a time.
Boundary County Library Info: www.boundarycountylibrary.com or 208-267-3750
Dave The Magic Man Info: davethemagicman@hotmail.com or 208-627-9684