BY DAIVD REGAL
when , some years ago , a multitude of people acting independently of one another came up to me and said :
“ Did you see Arthur Trace yet ? He ’ s in The Parlour . You ’ ve got to see him .”
“ Don ’ t leave without seeing Arthur Trace .”
“ Did you catch Arthur Trace ’ s act ? You ’ re going to like it .”
A TRACE OF BRILLIANCE
When one lives near the Magic Castle , as I do , one gets spoiled . The reason for this is simple : Magic comes to you . Every week The Castle books a new roster of magicians , so fifty-two times a year any member can swing by and have their magic cup filled to the brim . And The Castle is a magnet for good acts . Some weeks it ’ s an embarrassment of riches as noted magicians from different parts of the world or with different areas of expertise perform under the same roof .
Cutting through that clutter is not an easy thing to do , so I was taken aback
10 MARCH | 2023
This sort of thing does not happen often . Needless to say , I went to see Arthur Trace , and I – like everyone else – was glad I did . An unassuming , slim young man wearing glasses and a wide grin , Arthur impressed on two fronts during the twenty minutes he shared with his audience : A sure mastery of technique , and a wealth of ideas .
The latter was particularly impressive as it ’ s not unusual to see a polished , commercial magic performer who presents no original ideas whatsoever . But with Arthur , the ideas never stopped . A new premise was followed by a new plot that utilized a new method that