CLUBS
Paul Hilko, alias “Professor Rhinestone of Berserkistan” performs the classic
Chinese pom-pom effect on stage.
are avid bowlers, saw a notice and said, “Dad, why don’t you
try magic?”
“I always liked magic,” he says. “By joining the club, I was
able to learn from others with many years of combined experience.
That was priceless. There is real showmanship with
these guys. It’s fun and we rib each other a lot.”
Al “The Amazing” Chiaverini is a seasoned magician and
a retired New York City police detective. His forte is mental
magic that leaves audiences baffled. Mentoring Musgrave,
Chiaverini emphasizes one thing: practice.
“Rehearsing is paramount — so is critiquing each other,”
he says. “There is a drive for perfection as well as developing
a persona and stage presence. You always want to bring the
audience into the experience.”
In honor of the club’s community involvement, the city will
proclaim a Magic Week in October to coincide with Houdini’s
death on Oct. 31, 1926. The proclamation states that “magic
defies logic, tricks the senses and delights its audience,” and
acknowledges the time and talent members spend at hospitals,
schools, nursing homes and other charitable events.
Lectures, workshops and conventions during the year
keep these wizards on the mark. It’s not unusual for members
to carpool to Melbourne for meetings with the Space
Coast magic club, all in the name of brotherhood. Whether
it’s teaching a beginner, mentoring a rising star or fostering a
sense of pride among their peers, the fun is for everyone.
When not practicing or performing, they’re doing outreach.
They have appeared in the St. Patrick’s Day and Christmas
parades and pull out the stops when Halloween rolls around.
Their three-hour neighborhood show enthralls both young
and the young-at-heart. Held at a member’s home, they >>
Port St. Lucie Magazine 43
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