Erik Mana and MARC: Magic as a lifestyle
Magic has been a part of our lives. As kids, we all dragged our parents to see the man in a black robe as he drops a piece of paper into that nigrescent hat. We patiently waited, holding our breath with utmost excitement. Then alas! The man raises his gloved hands from the bottom of the supposedly-empty hat. A white bunny, about the size of a chihuahua, was suspended in the air with nothing but four digits and an opposing thumb gripping its two elongated ears. With jaws open and eyes wide, we carefully verbalized the word W-O-W. It was indeed a puzzle to us. We asked ourselves question that we cannot answer. Yet as time passed by, we discovered that the things that once awed us were actually summed up into a five-lettered word - TRICK.
"I want to step out of his shadow," his soft-yet-masculine voice echoed as Erik Mana firmly replied to a question asked by the print media in a press conference held last March 12, 2006 at Robinsons Place Iloilo. He was referring to David Blaine, a Black-American magician who is quite popular for performing contemporary street magic in his TV Show on AXN.
Mana along with the three other members of the MARC arrived early for the scheduled special preview of their show, A Night of Magic. Yes, MARC is an acronym for The Mystifying Artists of Ruse and Conjure. Composed of local talents with exceptional skills, the group aims to increase the awareness of the viewing public regarding magic. Its members are Ron Mariano, Conrad Alampay, and JB dela Cruz. The group is headed by no other than Filipino magic-wonder Erik Mana.
Clad in a rather-fashionable suit and a pair of clear eyeglasses that complemented his mysterious features, Erik stepped into the stage as soon as he heard his name being called. Jay, the host for that day, introduced the rest of the members one by one. Ron Mariano, a native of Zamboanga del Sur, walked in with his long hair tied in a pony and waved his hands to the eagerly-waiting spectators. A tall and good-looking young man appeared from the side of the stage. His name was Conrad. He shyly smiled and settled on a chair as the audience warmly welcomed him. JB, a bit comical than the rest of the guys, sat beside the quiet Conrad. If it was not for the metallic blue letters on their back that reads: Special Preview Erik Mana and MARC, one may have thought that they were band members rather than magicians. Well, the typical picture of a magician seemed to be phased out by a group of handsome and young gentlemen making magic more interesting than ever.
"We are the original cast of NAKS! We became friends and stuck with each other," says Mana in his accented English. NAKS! is a first-ever weekly series in the television history aired on GMA 7.
Though born in Manila, Erik was raised in Canada where he started practicing his skills at the age of eight. Conrad, on the other hand, grew up in Jakarta and was drawn into the fascinating world of magic ever since he saw the legendary David Copperfield's performances on TV. Though dubbed as the David Blaine of Manila, Conrad was determined to create his own identity in the magic scene. Ron, referred by Erik as one of the finest magicians in the country today, has been active in sharing his craft. He founded the Society of University Magicians (SUM) in 1998 and co-founded the Salamangka Filipino, Inc, a Brotherhood of Filipino Magicians, last 2000. JB, a rock band member during his college years at the University of the East, was not only given the talent to entertain people by strumming his guitar. His passion for magic, which began when he was still in high school, landed him into guest appearances in Studio 23 and a slot in GMA's NAKS.
Of course before the sun bid goodbye, the hip magicians left the curious crowd three acts that justified their expectations. The audience carefully watched as Erik advanced into the stage holding a new set of playing cards in his hands. He called up the members of the print media to come up on stage to help him perform mentalism, the form of magic he is currently working on. Each of us took a card, looked at it, and hid it on our back as instructed. He then asked each of us closed-ended questions as he 'read our minds.' Carefully studying our thoughts, he was able to guess the cards. A thundering applause then followed.
Before we can settle in our chair, Ron picked a piece of white blank paper and rolled it in his hands. Everyone was amazed as he unfolded the blue 1,000-peso bill. After which, JB rose from his seat and quickly spread the cards out like a fan. He asked a volunteer to pick one card that he will be guessing. Without hesitation, he stacked the almost-three-inches-thick card in his mouth like a bundle of straw in Ripley's Believe It or Not. No, that's not the magic yet. After a few seconds of mandibular retraction and protraction, JB was able to identify the card.
The show was just a prelude to the most awaited 'A Night of Magic', a dinner and magic show rolled into one, that was held last March 12, 2006 at the Grand Ballroom of the Iloilo Grand Hotel. It was said to change the classic image of magic with the introduction of close-up magic, mind-reading, and never-been-seen tricks.
A Night of Magic was made possible by Ideas Happen event organizers, Smart Gold, Addict Mobile, and Addict Mobile Prepaid for the benefit of the SOS Children's Village.
Isn't it great to experience the kind of feeling that you had when you were still seven? After all, we all need a sprinkle of magic in our lives, don't we?