Magic, Kim and Jo
Goodbye, Summer, and hello to Autumn, which will be with us until just before Christmas Day, which means there are only 90ish more shopping days.
Today, I am facing an almost insurmountable problemita. How can I write about M-A-G-I-C? We know it exists because we were all children once where every single we had to learn was magical, at least the first time it happened, and we acknowledged it with screams of glee, shrieks of delight or a wide, still toothless grin that said, whatever that thing was that just happened, that inexplicable thing that I just heard, felt, saw, tasted, smelled, was magical.
Magic is as real as smoke and mirrors, but what if the magician doesn’t need all those “production values” that serve as super distractions; what if he can amaze and confuse with a simple pack of playing cards?
And, as Mauricio Andrade pointed out at Casita & Garden for his second show in Vallarta, those playing cards might not be so simple:
How many weeks in a year? 52, like the number of cards in an entire deck.
How many seasons in a year? Four, like the number of suits in a deck of cards…
And the analogies go on.
About 20 of us sat at tables that horseshoed around Mauricio last Friday so we could all see him (and those tricky hands) perfectly. His sleeves were eventually rolled up, eliminating that aspect of the trick-pool. He didn’t wear a hat, so no bunnies were in the offing.
Just one new pack of cards.
Sorry! Make that one new pack of MAGIC cards.
Well, they BECAME magic after they were opened and examined by one of us in the audience, then handed over to the Mago, Mauricio.
His involvement with each of us was warm, sincere, and charming (trick word!). He did not stop chatting – in three languages – except for scattered applause. It is tough to clap your hands when your brain is rushing to shut down before any more MAGIC can creep in and confound the balance of everything else you know about space and time.
One of the definitions of MAGIC is “the art of producing illusions by sleight of hand.” It was not a good example in this case because it seemed to me that Mauricio only used his hands to shuffle the cards, thereby making them magical.
It’s the only way a single card could get across the room without anyone seeing it go by. Or, how 4 cards in one closed hand could become 17, again without anyone seeing anything fly across the room. See? Everybody knows that cards can’t fly…or can they if they have MAGIC?
To say we were confused, befuddled, and gloriously entertained would understate the entire evening.
We left Casita & Garden knowing sleep would not be an option. Brains work overtime trying to do their job of figuring things out. Mauricio is an enigma, and his extraordinary talent is abundantly joyous. Who wouldn’t enjoy leaving a group of adults completely and happily baffled? He hung around and talked with us after the show, continuing with the card tricks like breathing.
Keep your eyes here and VallartaCalendar.com for Mauricio Andrade’s next enchantment, er, sorry! performance.
Big bingo game tomorrow, 9:30 to 11, at Studs Bear Bar. Yes, Ladies! We are welcome this one time only to try and win lots of money and an overnight stay at Casa Karma to benefit the VallartaGayCommunityCenter.
There are 5 games and here are the prices:
* Pack of 1 card for each of 5 games: 200 pesos
* Pack of 2 cards for each of 5 games: 300 pesos
* Pack of 3 cards for each of 5 games: 400 pesos
* Special VG+CC set with 1 set of 6 cards for each of 5 games, plus a t-shirt or cap for 1,000 pesos. Plus, a free bonus card for the last game.
A sweet duo of Kimberly Grandi and Joanna Woon kept us up late in the Casa Karma living room last night. I had not heard Jo perform before but knew she was good, having worked with Broadway star Kevin Anthony II for years. Kimberly, I know from last year’s RISE competition, Open Mic at Incanto and Act2PV, and David Sabella’s Voice Workshop at Ovations Piano Bar.
Jo, accompanying on piano, shared the playlist, singing the newer Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, et al., and leaving the early 20th century songs and a thrilling Agnus Dei Requiem for Kimberly to shine. Andrea Jupina, a flautist for the Vallarta Symphony, joined Jo and Kim for a couple of songs. Hand-painted thank you cards were given to each member of the audience; sweet.
Learn more about Mauricio, Jo, Kimberly and Kevin in the Artist Spotlight, and plan your week’s entertainment at VallartaCalendar.com. A little rain has freshened the air this morning; it will be a beautiful Fall day.