I’m sitting upstairs in the veranda restaurant, on board Regent’s ship Voyager, with Woytek Mrozek, clarinet virtuoso from Poland. We had just finished our dinner, when one of the ship’s singers comes up to the table and says, So sorry to interrupt, but Mio, the captain wants to see you, right now! Gulp! Where is he? I asked.. He’s in the Grand Dining Room… Does he want me to have dinner with him?.. No, he wants you to come do magic for his table! …Oh! (I later found out that the cruise director had told him I don’t usually do magic in the Grand Dining Room, just the lounges, but he reminded her, he was the captain!, so she sent the singer to look for me).
So I gathered my things and hurried down, and having just come from my rounds of cocktail hour magic, I was fully loaded – I had lately been making it a point not to go to my room prior to eating to change and unload, just in case someone ever wanted some impromptu magic – and did someone ever want some now!
I got to the dining room and the Maître d’ was talking on his phone at the door, and when he saw me he continued into the phone, “He’s here!” and led me to the center of the dining room where the captain was entertaining a table of ten VIP passengers, who all recognized me. I proceeded to whip out all my favorites, and each effect seemed to do itself, apparently with no effort, as everything came together for me, and although I was concentrating like mad, it seemed effortless.
I started with a perfect, “mind over it doesn’t matter”, forcing the 8 on the captain right off the bat, the card appearing instantly between the two on the table as I sent it flying invisibly from the deck. I then continued to play to the captain, of course, with every effect. The card didn’t just rise, it literally jumped from his hand onto the table. When I pulled out the bubbles, the table came alive with chatter – this is my favorite, watch this one, oh yes, the bubble, for everyone at the table had already experienced my magic in the cocktail lounges, and I blew two bubbles, both becoming the perfect matching-sized glass balls.
When I had him sign his name and the word “Regent” on the card, it seemed to fly into my wallet with no effort, it even surprised me, so it was especially shocking to him when he opened up the envelope and it was there. When I asked for a hundred dollar bill, more giggle and chatter, for this was the one everyone wanted to see again, and it danced and then floated, impossibly, above the round ten top. The captain was just shaking his head in disbelief, his jaw slack! The invisible deck held his thought of 4 of hearts upside down, and I finished with my new, little card routine. When he could finally speak, the captain said “That’s the best I have ever seen” and “They should pay you more” to which I heartily agreed! It was a great session, and left me feeling on top of the world, or at least the ship!