Magic, Intimacy, and Community

I had the pleasure of seeing Jay Alexander's show at the Marrakech Magic Theatre in San Francisco, and it was an absolute delight. Jay is a polished and profile magician, of course, and his tricks fool your mind, your eye, and all of your other senses, but in my estimation that is not the real magic going on.

The real magic was the intimacy and community that Jay embodied in his show, taking 30 odd strangers in a small room, and through laughter, trickery, and downright deceit, he gave us an experience of making us feel like a community rather than a disparate group of strangers.

One of the highlights of his show include the moments when he bets one hundred dollars that he can decide which hand an audience volunteer is holding a ring. He does it time and time again, and each time it's thrilling to see whether or not he will have to part with the money, or what he will do next. He says he does it by reading microexpressions, but who really knows? Even if I did know, I would not tell you. That would ruin the fun!

Another highlight was the finale of the show, where he managed to mind read a random telephone number out of a dilapidated old San Francisco phone book. Several volunteers chose the number, and its randomness seemed bulletproof. Yet he got it exactly right.

Make sure to get their early to get a drink and a nosh. Jay often comes out in the lounge and does some highly skilled closeup magic pre show, and you can order some snacks and some libations in the lavishly and beautifully decorated lounge. The hummus and the eggplant dip were very tasty, as was the Algerian beer that I tried. The setting is also beautiful with old magic posters and blowups from Ricky Jay's book Learned Pigs and Fireproof Women adorning the walls.

Overall, the evening was delightful and mind-blowing and it was a wonderful evening at the theatre. I highly recommend seeing it if you are in San Francisco.