About This Show

The 99th Annual Salute to Magic features Howard Mincone, Arthur Trace, Stoil & Ekaterina, and James Brandon & Co. Stephen Bargatze is the Master of Ceremonies. Bradley Jacobs is awarded as the 2008 Magician of the Year award at the show. Don’t miss this evening of fun-filled entertainment, audience participation, baffling illusions, startling costume changes, expert sleight-of-hand, hilarious comedy, juggling and amazing magic.

ABOUT THE PERFORMERS

Stephen Bargatze
Stephen Bargatze, an award-winning performer, is the most outrageous and baffling comedy magician on the scene today. His innate sense of comedy helped him prevail over a tragic accident that left him with a speech impediment that adds to the sidesplitting laughter he creates in a few short seconds. Steve emcees The Salute to Magic this year and will present his remarkable straitjacket escape. Get ready to laugh!

Arthur Trace
Arthur Trace brings his award winning manipulation act to New York. Arthur was the winner of the International Brotherhood of Magicians Gold Medal in 2005. He also won a medal in manipulation at FISM 2006 (World Championships of Magic) and has appeared everywhere from London to Las Vegas, Tokyo, China and many other venues, Arthur Trace has been featured on TV in the U.S., Spain, and Japan. His unique new approach cannot be copied.

Howard Mincone
Take a physical comedian, a juggler, and a very personable entertainer, with what seems to be boundless energy, and a lightning-fast wit, mix them all together and what do you have? The very funny and amazing… Howard Mincone!

Howard first started in showbiz as a professional break-dancer in the early eighties. Strongly influenced by comic legends Harpo Marx, Jackie Gleason, Red Skelton, Dick Van Dyke and John Ritter. Howard’s performances combine movement, comic mime, stand up comedy, and juggling. His lightning-fast wit and boundless energy have made him one of the most popular acts for fairs, festivals, variety shows, corporations and special events across North America. At last year’s Society of American Magicians convention in Dallas, Texas he stopped the show.

Stoil and Ekaterina
Stoil & Ekaterina use comedy and costume changes to keep the energy level high in their professional touring show. From the vaunted halls of the Magic Castle to the casinos of Las Vegas over to South Korea and many theatres in between, folks have enjoyed the magical presentations of this Bulgarian couple. Their baffling rendition of the Cube Zag Illusion will amaze you. No doubt, they will keep you entertained for their entire time on stage.

James Brandon & Co.
We welcome James Brandon back to his home town after many years of touring his illusion show around the world.

James’ high-tech magic show involving dance, pyrotechnics and live animals gained him immediate success on the European nightclub circuit and he became the youngest variety artist ever to star at the famed Alcazar de Paris in France. His 26 tours of Western and Eastern Europe have included dozens of television appearances and a Command Performance for the Royal Family of Monaco in Monte Carlo.

His appearances as guest narrator at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall, sparked a quick succession of commercials for MTV and Panasonic. Twentieth Century Fox spotted James and hired him to direct Oscar winner Joe Pesci, for the scenes involving magic, in the hit film, My Cousin Vinny. James has also done extensive special effects consulting including work on the Sting video Desert Rose.

Six South American tours brought James to Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Columbia and Venezuela where his 23 television appearances resulted in his being featured on the Miami based TV show, Best of Sabado Gigante. The success of that performance, seen by 170 million people worldwide, led to James filming the widely viewed American TV Specials, The Great Magic of Las Vegas for the Fox Family channel.

In 1997 Brandon married Czech model and make-up artist Paulina Halskova. The two quickly returned to Las Vegas where James was starring in "Splash" at the Riviera Hotel and Casino. Later that year he began a six month engagement at the Luxor Hotel and Casino where he starred in the Dick Foster production, "Imagine".

In 1998 James performed in "Basin Street Follies" at the Showboat Casino in Atlantic City. In 1999 James starred in "Las Vegas Nights" at the Biloxi Grand Theater. In 2000 in Malaysia, Brandon performed, "Odyssey", billed as a preview of the show that James plans to someday perform in space. "Odyssey" sold out nightly for six months.

James Brandon now tours the world with his grand illusion show billed as, "The First Magician in Space". The show includes his award winning bird and sword act, and many of his original illusions including his signature effect, "Inner-Space" in which the audience witness’ James actually climbing out of his own body. Welcome home James.

Group Sales Number: 212-725-5258

Minimum Group Size: 20