Tisch graduate Patrick Terry firmly believes in the power of tricks.
"Deep down inside, people love being fooled," he said. "Even though people have their iPods and BlackBerrys and are inundated with the information age, people are still looking for the sense of mystery that only magic can produce."
Terry's love for magic and mystery has brought him back to his alma mater for the final act of his "Aces of Magic 4" show, taking place this Tuesday.
"Aces of Magic 4 is my biggest trick," he said. "You never know what to expect."
Terry began the event in 2004 after a lifelong career in magic, and it has been gaining steam ever since. Though Terry originally planned for last year's show at NYU to be his last, its overwhelming popularity brought him back. Roughly 400 people were in the audience in the 2006 show. Some, he said, flew in from Singapore.
"This is the Live 8 for magic," Terry said. "It's the biggest thing I've ever done."
And this year, for Terry, it's about to get even bigger. The past three shows have been hosted by world famous magicians like Simon Lovell, but since this year is going to be Terry's last, he is hosting it himself.
Proceeds from the show will help one talented student attend Tannen's Magic Camp, a school for students who are interested in careers as professional magicians. The student will study with the best instructors in the world. According to Terry, some of the world's greatest magicians are graduates.
The three scholarship recipients from the previous "Aces" will be performing along with Terry. Nick Lange, 16, won the Senior Stage show competition at Tannen's, and "Aces" will be his New York debut. Other performers include Asi Wind, Israel's No. 1 magician; Ben Nemzer, a world-renowned illusionist and conjurer; and Vanishing Vinny, a Las Vegas performer. The Great Throwdini, the world's fastest knife thrower, will be making a special appearance.
"This show is definitely the one to see," Terry said. The performers are artists in Terry's view, so he hopes that "Aces" will be an example of "magic that is not just cards and cutting people in half."
Terry graduated last year from Tisch School of the Arts with a major in theater and a minor in producing. He defines himself primarily as an actor but has always been attracted to magic. He was given the opportunity to perform in Trinidad last year and will be returning in December.
His experiences have shown him that people of all types are fascinated by magic.
"True magic forms a connection between the performer and the audience, a connection that can only be created in live shows," he said.
Though performing overseas was a life-changing opportunity, Terry feels that entertaining his former NYU peers is equally exciting.
"The NYU audience has a very high standard for entertainment," he said. "Their 'B.S. radar' is incredible. These are the coolest students in the world. Everyone wants to be where they're at. So they're not going to humor you." •
Carol Kuruvilla is a staff writer. E-mail her at features@nyunews.com.
"Aces of Magic 4" will be held at 8 p.m. Tuesday in the Kimmel Center's Eisner and Lubin Auditorium. General admission is $15; admission with student I.D. is $10. Please contact Ticket Central for tickets. Seating will start at 7:30 p.m.
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