“The historic Playhouse Theater at Abrons Arts Center is an intimate jewel-box of a venue that will provide the perfect showcase for the acts of conjuring and variety art that comprise our show,” said Herb Scher, First Vice President of Parent Assembly, #1 and Producer of this year’s Salute. We look forward to presenting a production that fills this fabulous space with dynamic acts and many surprises.” The theater is located in Manhattan at 466 Grand Street, on the Lower East Side. (Full disclosure: Herb also edits this blog!)
David Kaye, Magician of the Year
For the last 51 years the Salute to Magic has also been the occasion for the Assembly to honor its Magician of the Year, a notable figure in the field of magic or someone who has substantially contributed to the mission of the organization. This year’s honoree is David Kaye, who is both an internationally recognized and highly influential professional magician as well as an active and dedicated member of the Assembly who plays an important role in helping it fulfill its mission to support the art of magic.
David is widely known in magic as a leader in the field of children’s magic. He performs regularly for children in New York City, appears frequently as a lecturer at magic conferences across the globe, and has published two influential books on children’s magic. He has been profiled in The New Yorker magazine, has himself appeared on numerous magazine covers, and writes a regular column for Genii, the world’s most widely circulated magic magazine. Among his notable performances are appearances at the White House and Lincoln Center. David was previously honored with a Performing Fellowship from the Academy of Magical Arts, in Hollywood which is the highest honor a magician can receive. David currently is the President of the Parent Assembly where he shapes the agenda of the organization, and last year, as its First Vice President, was responsible for producing the 2018 Salute to Magic.
The Society of American Magicians was founded in 1902 and its Parent Assembly, its first chapter, is the largest and oldest magic club in New York City. The Assembly promotes and elevates the art of magic by presenting shows for the public, holding monthly membership meetings often featuring magic instruction from notable magicians, and performing shows for community organizations at no charge to them. Through its meetings and other activities, the Assembly engenders camaraderie in the magic community leading to collaboration and to a wide variety of official and casual projects.
The Abrons Arts Center’s Playhouse Theater opened in 1915 and has been home to many groundbreaking productions throughout its history. Today it is part of the Henry Street Settlement, which delivers a wide range of social service, arts, and health care programs to more than 50,000 New Yorkers each year. The Parent Assembly’s Salute to Magic will be performed at the Abrons Arts Center as part of the @Abrons program.
Ticket prices and the bill of performers will be announced at a later date. For the latest information visit magicsampa1.com.
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