Back in the 90's I was in attendance at "Abbott's Magic Get Together" in Colon Michigan. Among the scheduled activites for the weekend was a close-up magic show. The show was to be held in the high school gym on Saturday afternoon and would feature 4 different close-up performers. The gym was set up for the evening magic show meaning the bleachers were all extended and the main floor was a sea of folding chairs, all set in neat rows with 2 aisles making right, center and left sections from the front of the gym to the back.

We came into the gym that afternoon and seated ourselves front and center on the chairs nearest the stage. The MC of the show came out and told us one of the performers couldn't make it and would anyone like to take his place? All of a sudden there was a clamor in the back of the gym and everyone turned around to see what had happened. There was a man sitting in the very last row of chairs in the center section. He was wearing a trench coat, John Deere baseball cap, dark sunglasses and a beard right out of a ZZ Topp video. He had a corncob pipe in one hand and his other hand was stuck up in the air and waving frantically like a 2nd grader that knows the answer to teachers question.

The MC told the man if he has props and would like to perform he should come up and join him on stage. So our bearded friend stood up, put the pipe in his mouth and picked up a doctor's bag big enough to house a small car, but instead of walking to the aisle he walked a straight line right to the stage plowing through the folding chairs like Mosses parting the Red Sea. It literally took him 4-5 minutes to wade his way through the chairs and by the time he reached the stage there wasn't a dry eye in the house.

That was how we were introduced to the surprise guest of the weekend...Mr. David Williamson

Nice story would have loved to have seen it happen,

Steve Daly does a similar thing at Abracorndabra, with his mystery guests. Last year, it was Banachek, and this year, Fielding West. The surprise is always fun!