VIDEO: Magician, LT Teacher Performs Magic During Blueberry Hill Breakfast

How and when did you get started with magic? 

Frank Alletto: I remember taking magic lessons at the La Grange Park District when I was 8 years old, and I've been performing it ever since!

When I was 20 years old, I saw a close up magician at TGIFriday's by the name of Eddie Raymond, and his comedy and magic was so entertaining.  I knew I had to try this! 

So, over the next 10 years, I performed many restaurants in the suburbs: 3 different TGIFriday's, Max and Erma's, Bennigans, Chi-Chis.  Soon, I was being hired for private parties for all ages and all occasions.

What do you enjoy about it?

Frank Alletto: I've often wondered about this. I love the mystery of magic, of course, but it's not like I'm trying to inspire awe in my audiences.  The style of magic I perform is "comedy magic," so it's all about the levity and hilarity of the experience.  I'm not merely trying to "fool" anybody.  

The audience is surprised, yes, but they're surprised by the comedy as well as the magic.  Comedy magic produces a specific kind of spontaneous laughter that can't be duplicated by a stand up comedian, I think.  It's shock and laughter, I guess? 

Do you have any other regular gigs like that? 

Frank Alletto: I perform at two La Grange restaurants: Blueberry Hill on Sundays, 10 a.m. to noon and Aurelio's on Sunday nights, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

How long have you been teaching at LT? Have you ever used magic in the classroom?

Frank Alletto: I've been teaching English at LT for 18 years! And I definitely use magic in the classroom. My students would say "not enough," of course, but I try to perform a trick every Friday. 

The more I think about it, the more I begin to see that I'm drawn to magic in the same way I'm drawn to good writing: the surprise of language, the creative "moves" the author makes, the way she manipulates words to evoke specific reactions. Sleight of language, I guess? You could say that poets and novelists are "word magicians."

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