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April 20, 2012
News predictions match up
Vitaly Beckman’s show is an entertaining evening of illusions.
CYNTHIA RAMSAY
Seeing is believing, perhaps, but seeing certainly isn’t understanding – at least when magic is involved.
On March 21 at Havana Restaurant, illusionist Vitaly Beckman placed into a locked box his prediction of the news that would be in the papers on April 10, the opening night of his show, Sensation of Magic, at Havana Theatre. Several witnesses, including radio and TV show host Mia Zimmerman and me, watched him do it, signing our names to both the envelope containing the prediction and the box in which it was locked. The chained box was then placed in full public view at the restaurant, where it remained for the next three weeks, with Zimmerman and I holding the keys.
The morning of April 10, I woke up, intending to wear a white shirt and my green Converse with my jeans and black jacket, but opted at the last minute to wear my Docs and my salmon-colored shirt. I arrived at the theatre early, as did Zimmerman, to find out what our role in the show would be. As Beckman discussed when the box would be opened, I toyed with the flashlight keychain attached to the box’s key, which I had taken from my desk drawer (where it had sat for three weeks) on my way out of the office that evening. He gently put his hand on mine, and I retightened the light base without a second thought.
Beckman started his show with a levitation routine involving a couple of glasses and a spoon. He was just warming up. During the performance, he did several levitation tricks, including with five scrunched-up squares of toilet paper (selected by an audience member) and a brush that seemingly painted on its own.
Beckman took the audience to London, England, with supposed vacation photos and, before our eyes, made a Beefeater guarding Buckingham Palace disappear from his station and magically appear in a photo of Beckman walking in a park. Then Beckman again rubbed two photos together, making the Beefeater and himself appear in a photo of the Queen riding in her carriage. Prior to these tricks, Beckman had an audience member set aside a photo of his couch, so it was feet away from him.
Somehow, when the photo was overturned, Beckman, the Beefeater and the Queen were all sitting on his couch.
Other similar feats were as intriguing. In one instance, a deck of cards was split between audience members at opposite ends of the stage. The volunteer at one end ripped the queen of hearts at the corner, which Beckman then had the person at the other end put in their half-deck – only to have it magically rise from the initial person’s half-deck. In another illusion, Beckman had an audience member pick a card, sign it, then replace it in the deck, which he then “cut” with a closed, empty water bottle – the audience member’s card somehow ended up inside the bottle.
Beckman incorporates much humor into his act and he involved almost everyone in the audience in some way at the Havana. Music plays a large part in his show, adding energy to some pieces, mystery to others. For the opening night, everything went like clockwork, including his crowning trick – predicting the news.
Several audience members, Zimmerman and I left the theatre briefly to get the box, while Beckman went over some of the stories in the Vancouver Sun’s front section that day: opposition to planned transit fare increases, feral rabbits taking over Richmond Auto Mall and the fact that “Top traffic cop gets jump on bad drivers” in Nanaimo – oh, and the photo in the paper was of an officer dressed in a bunny suit.
When we all returned, it was time for the big reveal. Zimmerman held the box, while I unlocked it. I then opened the envelope and placed the cassette into the tape-recorder, after adding to it my initials next to Beckman’s X. It played, in part:
“First of all, I see something about transportation, possibly in Vancouver, not sure what the story’s about, but, perhaps people are not happy about transportation. I’m not sure.
“I also see rabbits, lots and lots of rabbits, not in their natural environment. I see some cars, maybe something, no I’m not sure what’s going on with the rabbits, but I do see one giant rabbit, maybe, actually, it’s unrelated. It could be somebody is wearing a rabbit suit, a Disney character, but with a rabbit. I’m not sure why, but I do see cars as well, I see even some police cars, and maybe some lunatic dressed up as a rabbit, I don’t know.”
He also predicted a technological advance in AIDS or cancer treatment and that it would be rainy in Vancouver. It seems he was only wrong on the latter account, it having been a nice day that Tuesday. The audience was suitably impressed, then Beckman asked me to come back on stage and to open my flashlight keychain, which I did. A piece of paper was stuffed inside it, where the batteries would normally go. It read, in Beckman’s handwriting:
“I also predict that, on April 10, 2012, reporter Cynthia Ramsay will be wearing a red shirt ... black top on the shirt ... dark blue jeans & black shoes.
“Mia Zimmerman will wear a bright dress with dark design.”
Pretty much dead right on both accounts.
Sensation of Magic runs at Havana Theatre (1212 Commercial Dr.) until April 21; tickets are $18/$20. On April 26-27, Beckman performs at Inlet Theatre (100 Newport Dr., Port Moody), with tickets ranging from $20.50-$25. And, on May 18-19, Beckman is at Presentation House (333 Chesterfield Ave., in North Vancouver); tickets are $24/$26. All the shows start at 8 p.m. For the May 18 performance, Beckman suggests that audience members bring a photo with them – he will select at least one for his trick in which he seemingly transports people from one picture to another, or makes them disappear altogether. For tickets and information, visit sensationofmagic.com.
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