Mike Ching admits he had no interest in reading until he discovered books on magic at Pauoa Elementary School’s library.
“I was in the first grade, and I’d borrow armloads of them,” recalled the owner of Mike Ching Magic. “I’d stack them 10 high on my desk in the classroom. My parents started getting complaints from my teacher that I was building towers of books on my desk.”
Ching was a fan of “Magic Land of Allakazam,” a national weekly TV series that ran from 1960 to 1964. It was hosted by Mark Wilson, now 88, who pioneered TV magic shows.
When the variety shows “Hollywood Palace” and “The Ed Sullivan Show” aired, Ching was glued to the TV during the magic segments. “I saw that magic made people happy,” he said. “Even at that young age, I knew I wanted to do magic to inspire that sense of awe and delight.”
IF YOU GO: HAWAII MAGIC FEST
>> Place: Kaimuki High School Auditorium, 2705 Kaimuki Ave.
>> Date: Dec. 30
>> Time: Doors open at 6 p.m. Strolling magicians will be performing tricks for an hour. Show starts at 7 p.m. and runs 90 to 100 minutes without intermission.
>> Admission: $10 ages 3 and up. Kids younger than 3 free if sitting on an adult’s lap. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Only cash or checks accepted. Tickets are available at Pioneer Jewelry Co., 1061 Bethel St., from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays (call store owner James Lee at 256-6032 beforehand to make sure he’ll be there). Or call 224-5198 to arrange ticket purchase with ticket manager Kent Lee. Remaining tickets will be sold at the door.
>> Email: ironchef808@hotmail.com
>> Website: hawaiimagicfestival.com
>> Notes: Free parking in the school’s lot. Prizes, including magic sets and gift certificates, will be distributed between acts. Food and drinks are not permitted in the auditorium. For more information on Mike Ching Magic, visit mikechingmagic.com.
He went on to take classes from the late Jimmy Yoshida, hailed as Hawaii’s “Godfather of Magic” and put on shows for parties along with four middle-school friends (the boys earned just $25 each). Ching designed and built props out of paper, plywood, cardboard, rubber bands, foam board and scraps of plastic because he couldn’t afford to buy elaborate, manufactured magic tricks.
By the 1980s, Ching was polished enough to perform at conventions for major corporations such as KFC, Apple, Pillsbury and McDonald’s. He even wrote a magic book, “New Animations,” which was published in 1991 and won praise from celebrity illusionists, including David Copperfield, Penn and Teller, and Siegfried and Roy.
In 2011, Ching proposed that the local chapter of the International Brotherhood of Magicians, of which he os a past president, produce an annual show between Christmas and New Year’s.
As if by magic, it came together in just a month on a shoestring budget with photocopied tickets and basic lighting and props. About 140 people attended, primarily those in Oahu’s magic community and their friends and families. Despite the small audience, the show was well received.
Since then, attendance at the Hawaii Magic Festival has mushroomed. Last year, all 650 seats in Kaimuki High School’s auditorium were sold.
This year’s show will feature six 5- to 12-minute acts. The youngest performer, Landon Espiritu, is 9 years old. Pre-show strolling magicians include 10-year-old Michelle Lee and octogenarian Yona Chock. All entertainers and staff donate their time to produce the event.
“The Hawaii Magic Festival was not created to be a big-profit event,” Ching said. “The idea is to share affordable family entertainment, to encourage new stage performers in a friendly environment and to promote public appreciation for the art.
MAGICAL MEETINGS
The local chapters of the International Brotherhood of Magicians and the Society of American Magicians welcome anyone who has an interest in magic as a hobby or performance art.
Both groups meet at the Kalihi-Palama Library, 1325 Kalihi St. The brotherhood (call 256-6032) meets from 7 to 9 p.m. on the fourth Thursday of the month (there won’t be a meeting this month). The society (call 392-3908) meets from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. on the first Wednesday of the month.
“Preparing magic acts requires a lot of patience, dedication and organization. Most people don’t realize how involved they can be. Making them look fun and easy takes a tremendous amount of work.”
Hawaii’s community of magicians comprises about 120 members statewide, ranging in age from 6 to 90. A handful are professionals who perform for a living, but most are hobbyists with day jobs: doctors, dentists, lawyers, bus drivers, policemen and government workers. Their family members and friends serve as assistants.
“We could bring in a mainland headliner for our show, but ticket prices would be much higher,” Ching said. “For now, I think it’s perfect as it is, with local talent you’ve probably never seen as the stars.”
For the first four years, Ching was always scrambling backstage, helping performers get ready, cueing technicians and huddling with emcee Curtis Kam. Last year, after the first 10 minutes he found he had nothing much to do; the show was running smoothly on its own.
According to Ching, one of the most incredible things about the show is that it comes together only a few hours before the curtain rises. The performers arrive around 3:30 p.m. to set up props, discuss music and lighting and rehearse individually to an empty house. By the time the doors open, everyone is ready to roll.
“Magic is a universal language, like music and dance,” Ching said. “Magicians live to inspire awe, amazement and delight — when people’s eyes widen and their mouths open as they see things that shouldn’t be possible. Our show is all about surprises. What kinds of surprises? You’ll just have to come to the show and see!”
Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi is a Honolulu-based freelance writer whose travel features for the Star-Advertiser have won several Society of American Travel Writers awards.
