How did he do that?! I was seated in the front row of the Magical Mystery Show’s intimate theater, just a few feet from acclaimed illusionist Shoot Ogawa, but I couldn’t figure out how he could make a wand appear and disappear from underneath a red scarf. He covered the wand with the scarf, lifted the scarf and — poof! — it was gone. He shook, stretched and opened the scarf to prove there was nothing inside it, and yet, there the wand was again.
Cool as a cucumber, Ogawa performed the trick over and over as A-ha’s hit “Take On Me” played in the background. As I tried to make sense of what I was seeing, he started his next trick. That’s when I realized I didn’t have to come up with an explanation — nor should I try. Magic is meant to surprise, delight and, yes, confound viewers. And that’s exactly what Ogawa did for the next 90 minutes.
The 49-year-old Tokyo native has won numerous awards in his long career, including seven from the Academy of Magical Arts, an association of enthusiasts and professional magicians headquartered in Hollywood, California. In 2022, he placed first in “parlor magic” at the World Championship of Magic, which is considered the Olympics of magic.
The Magical Mystery Show’s 64-seat theater, once a conference room at Hilton Waikiki Beach Hotel, is now the ideal venue for close-up illusions, Ogawa’s specialty. His enthralling, fast-paced show is a laugh a minute, and audience participation is key. In one demonstration of his sleight-of-hand skill, Ogawa asked a woman to pat down his coat to ensure he wasn’t hiding anything in it. After she confirmed that, he took a burger bun from his coat and plopped it on the cocktail table beside me. Then he pulled out another bun, and, after that, a third.
The intimate theater is ideal for Ogawa’s sleight-of-hand magic.
Credit: 2024 Magical Mystery ShowWith the help of other guests, Ogawa linked four metal rings with no visible openings to each other; combined two pieces of rope into a seamless one sans glue or tape; and, in what was the most astonishing feat of all to me, transformed small stones in a goblet into live goldfish. And while Ogawa’s repertoire makes him a must-see virtuoso, 26 other talented illusionists are on the Magical Mystery Show’s rotating lineup.
“All of them have been carefully vetted,” said Jonathan Todd, the show’s founder and producer. “If they pass muster with our agent, who has been hiring talent for theaters and cruise lines for decades, then our team will look at their act.”
According to Todd, magicians must meet stringent requirements, including at least one of the following: They’re a current member of the Academy of Magical Arts, have a presence on major national or international TV networks or have worked with cruise lines or in magic theatrical productions for more than 10 years. They also could be or have been an officer for the Society of American Magicians or the International Brotherhood of Magicians or hold a certificate of appreciation from them.
Todd is no stranger to the entertainment business, having managed Mick Fleetwood of the Grammy award-winning band Fleetwood Mac for more than 20 years. He is also a member of the Academy of Magical Arts himself, and a professional magician since age 13.
The cozy Museum of Curiosities and Oddities, which adjoins the theater, is where the experience begins. All the furniture and artifacts were sourced by Todd’s wife, Ruth O’Keefe-Todd, a graduate of the prestigious British Institute of Interior Design.
According to Todd, magic is the consummate icebreaker.
“It’s a form of meditation,” he said. “It’s a break; it’s a passage into a world of joy, wonder and pure childlike fun, no matter what age you are.”
The Magical Mystery Show is commissionable, must be reserved in advance and is offered daily, except Tuesdays. A free one-hour magic class is also offered at the venue.
