Photograph by Jacqueline Ramseyer
Hare It Is: Majinga the Magician, also known as Michael Stroud, pulls
the traditional rabbit out of thin air, as part of his somewhat
traditional, always wacky, magic show at the Gaslighter Theater.
The Magic of Majinga
Stroud's Magique Bazaar celebrates anniversary and continues to amaze audiences at Gaslighter
By Erin Mayes
Majinga the Magician commands the stage at the Gaslighter Theater.
Strolling back and forth in metallic green genie pants and cowboy
boots, he looks into every audience member's eye, capturing their
attention, not that it's hard to do. His wavy brown hair flows past his
shoulders and his eyes are a steely blue.
Majinga, otherwise known as Michael Stroud, has his act down after more than 20 years as a performer.
"I
used to spend every summer with my grandpa on a farm in Iowa," he said,
explaining the roots of his magical beginnings. "We'd go to the library
maybe twice a week, and one summer I read all the magic books in the
library."
When
the librarian noticed that he'd gone through all of the books, she
asked him if he'd like to put on a magic show at the library. He put on
his first show there, for a crowd of about 60 children.
Stroud first became interested in magic when he saw a magician perform.
"There
are a lot of fabulous magicians the public doesn't know about. He was
one of those," Stroud said. "He understood misdirection, how to guide
the audience's attention."
Since
then, he has had several mentors, and served as a mentor for many
others, as well as written books on magic, and traveled the world
putting on shows and learning new tricks. Stroud said he enjoys
performing because he believes that magic is something everyone finds
fascinating.
"It
explores the wonders of the imagination," he said. "It raises a mystery
in what's inherent in all of life, and it's a good way to make people
smile and bond with others."
Majinga
the Magician and his crew pull out all the stops to entertain their
audiences, no matter how meager the crowd may seem. Majinga performs
magic using a dove, a rabbit and dozens of scarves, as expected, but
also has several other tricks up his sleeves. At one point in the show,
his partner, the "Magic Genie," appears to float in the air.
Stroud celebrated the third anniversary of the Magique Bazaar with his crew at the Gaslighter Theater on April 19.
Stroud has traveled quite extensively and picked up interesting tidbits
from other magicians. He recently returned from a month-long trip to
Ireland, Malaysia, Switzerland and Germany.
"Everywhere
I go, I meet magicians and we're always very friendly and sharing with
each other," he said. "So I have some unusual apparatus from all over
the world."
Stroud said many of the things he's learned during his travels have been incorporated into the show.
"It's more eclectic, in terms of its world influences, because of the
places I've gone. We truly combine spiritual tales of mythology with
magic," he said.
Also surprising about the Magique Bazaar is the element of comedy. Most
of the time, the audience is roaring with laughter, sometimes at the
expense of an unwitting audience member who's been coaxed to the stage.
During
each show, a band, headed up by lead singer and guitarist Fontain
Riddle, coordinates the music to match the magic acts performed by
Majinga and the Magic Genie. Other band members are Robert Constantine,
Farhan Khan and Robert Kendall. Riddle and her band have put out a CD
called Sacred Sacrifice and are awaiting the release of their second work, Fire Trance, which should be available June 29.
Stroud said he was given the name Majinga, which means "tricky" in Portuguese, by his martial arts instructor.
Also performing for the time being is special guest the Great Humble
Hughdini, a magician who seems to be able to tell the future. Rashah, a
beautiful belly dancer who makes her own costumes, enchants audiences,
as well.
The
Magique Bazaar is held every third Thursday of the month, with the next
show scheduled for 8 to 10 p.m. on May 17, at the Gaslighter.
Campbell, California
