KAILUA-KONA —Thirty years ago, the Big Island Magic Club held its first-ever Magic Spectacular in South Kona.
Headed by Arnie “Arneleo the Great” Rabin and Barry “The Great Barusky” Gitelson, the first Magic Spectacular was held at Aloha Theatre where the tradition continues today. On Saturday, Kainaliu welcomes the 30th annual installment of the Kona tradition.
Adam Flowers, a premier street magician who performs on Las Vegas’ Fremont Street, will be featured among local stars Arneleo The Great, The Great Barusky, Bruce and Jennifer Meyers, Adrian Villasenor and family, and Oliver Bruno. Show times are 2:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday.
Organizers say these amazing magicians are sure to captivate, entertain, and bring laughter to the crowd whilst raising funds for children’s programs put on by the Society for Kona’s Education and Art, which is celebrating 35 years serving the community. Magic Spectacular has always contributed to a nonprofit, and SKEA has been the beneficiary of the event for the past decade.
“We offer classes, workshops, children’s art programs at our site and in the schools, magic camp during the fall break, and cultural events, art shows, musical concerts, the Magic Spectacular,” said SKEA Executive Director Susan Rice via email. “Students no longer get much art in their regular school curriculum, so our school program, the Art of Learning, and our art and magic camps fill the gap.”
For the past five years, SKEA has produced the event following a quarter-century of work by the magic club. Each year, a professional magician is invited to take part in the show alongside the local magicians, Rice said. Everyone volunteers for the show. Flowers is this year’s professional magician.
Tickets are $10 for children 12 and younger and $15 for adults. Tickets are available in advance at Patel’s gas station in Honaunau, Kiernan Music in Kainaliu, Kona Stories in Keauhou, and Kona Bay Books in Kailua-Kona, and online at www.apachawaii.org, or by calling the SKEA Office, 328-9392. ■
