By Adam R. MacDonald
Last Wednesday the Fernie Elks Lodge hosted John Kaplan's AbracaDazzle! show at the Fernie Community Centre. Kaplan has been performing his magic act for 33 years now and has visited over 500 Canadian cities. The show, which included entertainment for both children and adults, included several card tricks and illusions that made the audience laugh in amusement, gasp in amazement, and twitter in apprehension.
Although Kaplan was the star of the show, he was also joined by a number of other characters, including his dancing assistants, a mechanical talking wand, a large wise-cracking rabbit, a singing drawing, and a talking book. Several community members also joined him on stage, including eight-year-old Jenna Dies, who Kaplan levitated on a surfboard, and Isabella Dicken Elementary School Principal, Dawn Voysey, whom Kaplan shoved an array of metal spikes through.
In addition to entertaining the crowd, the show also helped raise money for the community. All proceeds from the event will go to the Elks Lodge's fund-raising efforts for the Society for Community Living’s summer camps.