12/2005 Meeting minutes:

Mystics’ Magical Gift for the Holidays

Massapequa, NY - The LI Mystics demonstrated the true spirit of the holidays when they staged their annual Holiday Show as a fundraiser for hurricane relief efforts, a gesture that garnered recognition and support from local political and religious leaders alike.

            Playing to a public audience of children, adults and fellow magicians, the fast-paced show literally included something for everyone – from juggling and puppetry to mentalism and magic, and just for good measure, ended with a hilarious presentation of an authentic Flea circus!

            Assembly President John Lepre got the evening off to a rousing start with a delightfully raucous routine that had all of the children in the audience dancing. Producer and emcee Pat Darienzo welcomed the crowd and informed everyone that in addition to raising money for hurricane relief, the evening’s show was being dedicated to the memory of past-president Lawrence “The Professor” Seman, who had passed away earlier in the year.

            In response, the evening’s performers rose to the challenge and gave what many attendees said was the best show the Mystics had presented in a long time. The audience was left breathless, whether from being amazed and mystified by Eric Greenberg’s chess piece prediction, or laughing and screaming at Allan Rubinstein’s snake basket routine.

            It would be hard to find a routine with more audience involvement than Lou Johnson’s juggling. Screams of laughter and awe filled the room as Lou, using just a parasol, routinely caught and balanced a ball thrown by audience members. Playing the crowd for laughs, Lou’s skill enabled him to turn a single, simple stunt into a memorable crowd pleaser.

            The cheers continued as Santa made a small appearance in the form of a puppet that assisted Assembly VP Phil Levy in his delightfully funny magic act and, not to be outdone, ended with audience members wearing Santa hats and dancing onstage.

            Following a brief tribute to Professor Seman, Pat Darienzo presented one lucky audience member with a gift after they correctly predicted what it would be. Pat concluded by demonstrating why Santa’s outfit never gets damaged, as he cut and restored a piece of the red fabric he had purchased from a North Pole tailor.

            Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor John Venditto, accompanied by Town clerk Steve Labriola, spoke briefly and thanked the Mystics for their generosity and efforts before posing with audience and performers for the local newspaper.

Closing out the show was a unique opportunity to enjoy an authentic “flea circus”. Presented by Tony Gangi’s alter-ego, Professor Jonathan Dark, the show had the audience roaring as trained fleas high-dived, walked tightropes and were caught by an audience member after being shot out of a tiny cannon. It didn’t matter if you were in the front row or the back of the hall, Professor Dark’s hysterically serious performance was so entertaining it left you convinced you could actually “see” the tiny performing insects.

            The evening’s performance, and another charity show in January, generated over $700 in donations for hurricane relief efforts.

           If the holidays are about “giving”, then the Mystics and their audience both demonstrated the best of the season. - Pat Darienzo