Ooooh! Maaaagic! Make Believe That Made Us Laugh

Ever since I saw David Copperfield in the horror flick Terror Train back in the day, I’ve kind of thought magicians were a little scary.  Maybe it was the calm, methodical way he made his assistant disappear while all around him, college kids were getting butchered?

So whenever I go to a party where the birthday kid gets freaked out by the magician his parents have hired for him, I secretly side with the crying kid. Even though I know his folks shelled out good money to make him happy.

But I recently saw a magician who was not only NOT CREEPY, he actually made the kids and their parents laugh. Tom Durnin bills his show as “Comedy Magic,” and illusions, pranks, one-liners and ventriloquism are all part of his shtick.

A Hazlet resident, Durnin has spent the last 30 years performing at events, parties, comedy clubs, and casinos. He even appeared on America’s Got Talent, where he made it past the first round.

Like he told us last week when introducing himself to the Matawan/Aberdeen Cub Scouts, “I went from the Quarterfinals to Chuck E. Cheese!”

Durnin, who was sporting a SpongeBob SquarePants necktie, then launched into his high energy routine by breakdancing to music while making yellow balls magically emerge from his mouth. The crowd erupted in a roar of giggles and applause, to which Durnin, a natural ham, held up a sign that read, “LOUDER.”

Next, Durning, aka “The Amazing Tom” pulled some kids into the act for an elaborate trick in which they had to pick out a deflated balloon from a hat full of multicolored choices. Durnin then inflated the chosen orange balloon and twisted it into the shape of dog, per one girl’s request.

Then, proving he must be a real magician, he picked me out of the crowd to help with the trick’s big climax. (We’ve never met, so he couldn’t have possibly known I was writing this story, unless, maybe he’s also psychic?)

I had to retrieve a bag that was hanging in the bag of the room, from which I pulled out an orange balloon dog that was identical to the one Durnin and the kids had created. Oooh! Magic! How on earth did he do it?

Next, Durnin showed off his ventriloquism skills on a wisecracking duck puppet, and hypnotized one of the Scout Leaders into acting like a baby.

The kids were equally wowed and amused by all of this, even the skeptics. Jeff Busold, 8, from Aberdeen, remarked, “I believe in magic but I don’t believe in hypnosis.”

My own children had their theories on how he dunnit, which they discussed after the performance. Luke told me that for the yellow ball trick, Durnin probably hid the balls in his pocket, then, through sleight of hand, made them appear to pop out of his mouth. Nina nodded her head in agreement. That’s what I get for buying them a 100 piece magic set.

Whether or not everyone believed in the magic, they had lots of fun, which is really the Amazing Tom’s best trick. A former school teacher and retired NYC fireman, Durnin lost his left eye in a car fire and advocates laughing through pain.

After the show, Tom told me he’s a positive thinker, and that he’s happy getting up every day and making the world a better place, whether through his comedy magic, motivational speaking, or just by being a great Dad and husband. When he’s not playing for laughs, Durnin also volunteers his time performing for charities like 9/11, a cause that is dear to his heart.

Later, when my kids and I told my husband about my stint as a magician’s assistant, even Dennis felt compelled to try and figure the trick out. “Maybe he had an accomplice who planted the balloon in the bag while all eyes were on the stage?” he theorized

“No, wait, I’ve got it. There must have been a secret compartment in the hat. That’s how he knew the balloon would be orange!”

In my book, a magician that keeps everyone guessing is much better than one that makes kids cry. That job’s better left to the clowns.

THE DETAILS:

The Comedy Magic of Tom Durnin: Entertainment for all occasions; (917) 533-4155