Tricks of the trade

LAKEWOOD RANCH — If Gary Roberts knows one thing, it’s that looks can be deceiving.

As the 55-year-old sat quietly in the office of his Lakewood Ranch home, the only hints of white magic were the posters and photographs adorning the walls — images of great magicians, such as Houdini.

But Roberts is a master of deceptions, albeit good-natured ones.

“The first question people ask me is, ‘Can you make money appear?’” he says. “I say, ‘To make money, you have to have money.’”

He pulls out four $1 bills from his pocket and spreads them across his hands to show their authenticity and then folds them in half. When he unfolds them this time, however, a stack of $20 bills emerges.

This kind of magic — where tricks are performed up-close and personal — often relies on audience participation.

“It’s the kind of magic I like doing,” Roberts says. “There really are so many elements to it.”

Roberts will introduce his humorous magic style to the East County community this month with a new parlor called, “An Evening of Magic & Wine.” Guests can enjoy cheese and wine during the 45-minute magic show, which starts at 6 p.m. July 12, at the Polo Grill and Bar. Reservations are required.

“Everyone probably will get some sort of role in the show,” Roberts said, noting seating is limited to about 40 people. “It’s geared for adults. It’s not for young (children).

“My humor, my comedy, comes from the tricks themselves,” he said. “It’s more organic. You play off the audience.”

Roberts, a native of Topeka, Kan., first fell in love with performing magic tricks when he was 20 years old.
He had purchased a magic trick at a department store and immediately craved to learn more.

“It was really a fluke,” he said of his start in magic.

At the time, options for learning magic were limited, because not many stores carried tricks. A magician in Roberts’ hometown, however, began to mentor him.

And, then, as Roberts’ skills progressed, he began performing publicly by doing magic tricks at a tradeshow booth hosted by his employer.

By the time Roberts had turned 30, he was performing at the company’s annual awards banquets, as well as at other venues.

“I realized I could support myself doing it, and I was keeping busy,” Roberts said. “I saw that next step, and I wanted to do more of it.”

He became a full-time professional magician in 1986, and at that time he began touring Canada with a company for which he performed magic tricks and illusions.

Roberts took a break from full-time magic from 1996 to 2004, hoping to spend less time traveling. But the new job kept Roberts on the road, so he used the opportunity to keep up his magic skills in the towns he visited for work. Now he’s back to performing magic full-time. Roberts moved to Lakewood Ranch with his wife, Kathy, six years ago after living in Miami for three years previously.

Over the years, he also learned hypnosis, which he uses in some of his shows.

“You didn’t have to carry big props, and it was nice to come back to customers with a new program,” he said.

Contact Pam Eubanks at [email protected].

IF YOU GO
An Evening of Magic & Wine – An Amazing Combination
WHEN: 6 p.m. Thursday, July 12
WHERE: Polo Grill and Bar, 10670 Boardwalk Loop, Lakewood Ranch
COST: $32.95 per person
INCLUDES: Two glasses of wine, cheese and parlor-style magic show.
RVSP or info: 536-0751 or robertsgary.com