The mascot moth trick, which prolific magician David Devant called one of his greatest tricks, has only been performed a handful of times in a century. Siegfried and Roy did it, and so does Madhrikan’s Theater of Magic in Berlin.
A caped assistant evades a magician and then she vanishes, creating an unforgettable illusion for the audience.
“There’s a moment of complete silence where they’re stunned because it defies all understanding of how it happened,” says marketing and sales manager Libby Pence. “Your mind boggles.”
Since its opening seven years ago, the theater has been one of only a handful in the country exclusively dedicated to magic and one of even fewer magic museums. Madhrikan’s showcases classic and rare tricks from the late 1800s and early 1900s with modern performance flair.
“We offer an experience of how magic was performed over 100 years ago,” says Pence. “We have a deep love of the history of magic.”
People gasp when they walk into the parlor-style 49-seat theater inspired by Devant’s Egyptian Hall theater in London that takes them back to the turn of the 20th century. It helps that historic lithographs of famed Ohio magicians like Howard Thurston and Grover George are on display in the museum, along with a lithograph and costume from Virgil and Julie and other incredible memorabilia. The theater is part of Catalpa Trading Co., which sells 800 magic tricks, and also hosts a popular summer magic school.
Although shows at Madhrikan’s are old-fashioned, Raymond “Madhrikan” Hagood says the quality is like a professional Las Vegas-style show with expert lighting, music and costumes. They drew in 27 professional magicians to watch, including five who have seen the shows three times. The performance of the classic linking rings trick in which solid rings come together is complete with “Clair de Lune” playing and milky blue lights shining.
“You actually get lost in their world and get to be a kid again — think that magic might actually happen,” Pence says.
Choose from six shows including the fast-paced select Friday Madhrikan’s Magic Show with him, Mysterio, who is Hagood’s son, Taylor, and two assistants that includes the mascot moth, a solo select Saturday Mysterio show with effects like pyrotechnics, a solo, intimate Madhrikan show June 16, July 11 and July 25 with close-up magic like a disappearing coin trick, a Halloween show, a Christmas show and a new hypnosis show Aug. 11. The latter uses magic to tap into the subconscious mind, which occupies about 90 percent of our brain, for intriguing effects on audience participants.
“It’s a demonstration of the power of the subconscious, which can be tremendously funny,” says Hagood.
Madhrikan focuses on tricks that tell stories to draw in audience members. For example, the floating table trick tells the beautiful tale of a couple who falls in love before one dies, returning as a floating table wanting one more dance with its beloved.
“It’s a love story. A lot of people will cry. You can hear them choked up,” Hagood says. “It’s amazing. It’s entertaining. It’s funny. It’s serious. It touches about every nerve a person has in them. … Magic is not just mechanics — it is the beauty.” KP
4846 E. Main St., Berlin,
catalpatradingcompany.com
