When you see Greg Lambert at work, he’s done a good job if he has you bamboozled, bewildered and maybe even flabbergasted, but never feeling foolish. Lambert, 41 (shown above), has been performing magic for over 20 years — 15 of them at Kunz’s restaurant — and for all that time, magic has simply been a vehicle to entertain people. “It’s a little journey they go on,” Lambert says, comparing the art of illusion to a movie special effect, “and it’s a fun time.”
Come mid-July, hundreds of like-minded tricksters will be at the Louisville Marriott Downtown to share this joy at the annual convention of the Society of American Magicians. From July 12-15, amateurs will mingle with professionals, book authors will converse with collectors, and dealers and manufacturers will be looking to sell their latest magic wares. This mixture of talent and enthusiastic promotion results in an incredible amount of information-sharing about what has become an underappreciated art form. Just as Brad Pitt borrows from Paul Newman, magicians can find a thousand ways to do the same basic trick — and who knows what they might hatch in such close quarters.
The fun spills over during three nights at Whitney Hall, when some of the society’s best will grace the stage for a local audience. Notably, Brown High School graduate and former Highlands resident Mac King is taking a break from his show at Harrah’s Las Vegas to come home and perform. King is renowned for making his own head disappear onstage, but he’s fonder of his sleight-of-hand tricks.
“It’s very personality-driven,” he says in describing his act. “I use a lot of audience participation and pride myself on never belittling them or being mean to them in any way.” Like Lambert, King wants to fool you without making you seem foolish.
The performance lineup includes Bargtze’s Boys (July 13), the All Gal Gala (July 14) and the Homecoming Celebration With Mac King and Friends (July 15). All shows are 8 p.m. at the Kentucky Center’s Whitney Hall and tickets are $25. They’re available at the Center box office or through Ticketmaster (800-775-7777).
