A touch of Coney Island magic came to Merrick on Oct. 5, when Temple Beth Am of Merrick and Bellmore hosted “Magic at Coney,” a revival of the celebrated variety show that once entertained crowds at the Coney Island Museum.
The show featured veteran performers Thomas Solomon, Richard Cohn and Lee Alan Barrett, with magician and producer Gary Dreifus serving as host. Dreifus, who founded “Magic at Coney,” has spent more than 50 years performing magic, mentalism and hypnosis, and is one of few to receive the title of Doctor of Magic from the International Magicians Society.
Dreifus stunned the audience with his version of a shell game involving three cups of water.
The accordion-toting Cohn, a noted performer and historian of magic, presented “A Selection of Strange,” a blend of Coney Island lore, music and illusion. Known for his consulting work with Criss Angel, Disney and DreamWorks, he added a local flourish by tearing up a copy of the Merrick Herald and restoring it to its original form before the audience’s eyes.
Solomon, billed as the World’s Greatest Escape Artist, demonstrated the skills that earned him recognition at the 2000 World Magic Awards and appearances at venues such as the Magic Castle and the White House. His work has also been featured on Penn & Teller’s “Fool Us.” He dazzled the audience by escaping from a set of 1880s-style handcuffs with the assistance of East Meadow audience member Michael Croland.
Barrett, an award-winning comedy magician with credits that include CBS Morning Show and performances for the Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Paul Newman’s “Hole in the Wall Gang Camp,” mixed humor and illusion to keep the audience engaged. The highlight of his act was getting a coin into a glass bottle with the help of seven-year-old volunteer assistant Addison Klager of Merrick.
The “Magic at Coney” program, celebrating more than 15 years of performances, brings together illusionists, escape artists and mentalists from around the world. Its stop in Merrick introduced the show’s mix of history, humor and sleight-of-hand to a new audience on Long Island.
