Last night I had the pleasure of performing for members of the Alliston Rotary, during their yearly gala event in support of community improvement initiatives. It was an extraordinary evening on many levels. The scene was set, especially due to their “A Night of Magic’ theme, however I did not expect the evening to have such an impact on me personally. I am of course glad for the work they do and found so many of the people attending were involved in other social impact organizations as well. In short, I was with good people.
One person in particular, changed the evening for me profoundly, her name is Margie Fenton and I hope she won’t mind me stating her name in this post. As I was performing for Margie and her family, she said, “do you know the magician Stewart James?” She continued, “I helped put together The James File with Allan Slaight!” Now I must set the scene for you, the reader, I have been pouring over Stewart’s work for the last several years and connecting with it in ways that have shaped how and what I currently perform. My mouth dropped open, to hear a ‘non-magician’ speak the name Stewart James, in fact, I had no words for several minutes and just listened to this sweet woman talk so emotionally about her involvement with the project and with others! I felt that the curtain had been pulled back, just a little, on this great Canadian magician and prolific creator, Stewart James.
As it would happen, I was placed at Margie’s table for dinner, where the stories continued and she and her family became more and more enchanting. I can’t say enough about their kindness and that of the event organizer Paul Foster and his lovely family. While I’m at it, let me thank my dear friend David Peck for connecting me with this wonderful group of people. David and I continue to explore magic and its many hidden passageways, together, sharing secrets, as magicians of the past have done.
Strolling magic, seated table magic, and a formal platform performance were my contributions to the evening, all while standing on the shoulders of the recently mentioned Stewart James. Wow, it was an inspired few hours that I will hold in my memory dearly. Magic continues to give, in ways unimaginable.
Brian Robert Magic 