The Villages Daily Sun

THE VILLAGES — It was no illusion.

Magic made its way into the Maryland/Delaware/

D.C. Club’s meeting on April 2 at Laurel Manor Recreation Center.

Members of the International Brotherhood of Magicians, Ring 258 (the Leesburg chapter) gave the club a warm-up performance for their upcoming show, “Thrillusions,” to be presented at 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Monday at Savannah Center. Tickets are $12 for residents and $15 for the public, and are on sale at any Villages Box Office location or online at thevillages.net/boxoffice.

This marked the third year that the magicians have performed for the Maryland/

Delaware/D.C. Club.

Jim Moody, who emceed the show, considers his act more cabaret style.

“I can’t float people around the room,” Moody said.

Magic Ian performed his rope trick, where he took three strands of varying length and made them the same, later taking three rings of ropes and creating a chain.

Richard Mowry, a Village of Rio Grande resident, was one of the magicians who took to the stage. He learned his first magic trick when he was a child, but he didn’t make magic reappear in his life until he retired some 15 years ago.

“It keeps me out of trouble,” Mowry said. “If I wasn’t doing that, I might be robbing banks.

“I enjoy making people laugh,” Mowry said. “If they’re happy, I’m happy.”

Joe Krizek, a Village of Ashland resident, has been the Maryland/Delaware/

D.C. Club’s president since January.

“It’s been fun,” Krizek said. “It’s different. There’s a lot behind the scenes that you don’t know about. They’re all nice people. They like to have fun together.”

Krizek lived in Baltimore until 1992, when he traveled south to Lakeland and stayed there until two years ago.

“It was crowded,” Krizek said of Baltimore. “Always a lot of traffic.”

Next month, the club will host a ’50s sock hop where people can come dressed in poodle skirts or other clothing from that era; prizes will be handed out to the best dressed. October will bring the group’s annual crab feast.

“That’s the big thing,” Krizek said.

Michael Fortuna is a reporter with the Daily Sun. He can be reached at 753-1119, ext. 9234, or michael.fortuna@thevillagesmedia.com.