Sometimes the best presents come in plain brown bags (or brown plaid suits). With little pretense and just a few props from his beat-up suitcase, Mac King is a delightful magician and a clever comedian.
Opening his afternoon act with a piece of rope, the boyish King displays dazzling sleight-of-hand tricks and a quirky sense of humor. Although he opens his pants zipper on several occasions, this is a family-friendly presentation. His jokes whiz past the ears of children in the audience and strike only their intended adult targets.
While the jokes build on each other, the complexity of the magic grows during the tight, hour-long show. King keeps you guessing about many things, including goldfish and worms, Fig Newtons and hand shadows. And how can he convince you a bright yellow rain slicker is actually a "cloak of invisibility"? Perhaps it's his forlorn expression and haunting voice.
When a hefty rock emerges from his shoe, when he moves cards from one audience member to another without touching them, when he disappears under a blanket only to reappear in the audience instantaneously, you know you're in the presence of someone special. And King leaves audiences happily wanting more tricks from that beat-up suitcase.