arts & entertainment
Bring On
Israeli-born, Las Vegas-based entertainer
takes the stage for Yad Ezra fundraiser.
Suzanne Chessler
Contributing Writer
E
ver seen a magician doing a back
flip while wearing an adhesive-
covered shoe to retrieve a selected
card from a group of them thrown into
the air?
That's what Yad Ezra supporters might
watch Thursday evening, March 1, at the
Baldwin Theatre in Royal
Oak, where illusion-
ist Shimshi will be
performing in Vanish
Hunger, a fundraiser
to bring food to people
in need. The Berkley-
based kosher food bank
currently provides an
average of 1,600 impov-
erished families (almost
3,600 individuals) with
food, health care items
and household goods every
month.
Shimshi, 32, an Israeli-born
entertainer and the Wynn Hotel's resident
magician in Las Vegas, will be showcasing
lots of his own tricks when he comes to
Michigan. He recently spoke to the Jewish
News about his career and spe-
cial interests during a phone
conversation from his Nevada
home.
"I'll be doing some inter-
active magic with people in
the audience:' says Shimshi,
who fills his appearances
with acrobatics as well as
illusions. "We'll have some
predictions and some
inspiring magic as well."
Shimshi, who has
performed at corporate
;01%
events and private
parties in Michigan, will be
working alone for Yad Ezra. In Vegas, he
sometimes appears with dancers and
equipment that allow for big-stage seg-
ments.
"I became interested in simple magic
tricks when I was 12:' recalls the illusionist,
who dropped his first name, David, for the
stage. "I wondered how [a piece of] silk can
42
February 16 • 2012
go into a hand and disappear and became
very determined to know how that works.
It took me two weeks to figure it out.
"Once I knew, I started performing for
friends at school and pursued my inter-
est further through a little magic shop in
Israel. When I was 13, I did my first show
and knew it was what I wanted to do for
the rest of my life."
Teaching himself through
books, videos and conventions
consumed Shimshi's atten-
tion. After getting increasing
numbers of bookings at par-
ties and malls, he decided
to move to America when
he turned 21.
"I first moved to Las
Vegas because work-
ing there had become
my goal:' he explains.
"I had never been
out of Israel and had
watched Las Vegas
shows on TV.
"After a few weeks of living in Nevada,
I realized that I had to live in Los Angeles
to get to Las Vegas, where people liked to
book acts from out of town."
With his move to California, Shimshi
started working at parties and building
connections. At a high-
end bar mitzvah
in Beverly Hills,
he met a man who
would become his
manager.
Five years later, he
was hired in the city
of his dreams, and he
worked at the Mirage
while launching world-
wide touring. The Wynn
stage has been his base for
three years.
"In art, you have to be
original with everything you
do:' he says. "My magic is basically my
personality. I take the magic that's seen
all the time, but I do things that match up
with me.
"For example, I'm a gymnast and have
been very active with the martial arts. I
learned how to do a black flip, and the
Shimshi: "I think of magic as a universal
language that can bring people together."
first thing that came to mind was doing
magic with it. Dancing is part of my world
as well so I try to combine different types
of magic with dancing.
"I'm an easygoing guy and don't take
myself too seriously so my magic is not
too serious. I like to have fun with my
audience."
The idea of fun with magic was once in
doubt when he was asked to do a private
show for an Arab prince staying at a hotel
where Shimshi was performing. The illu-
sionist says that the people with the prince
became worried when they found out
about his Israeli background just before
the session.
"The atmosphere became very stressful
for a few moments; but once the prince
arrived and I began doing my magic, all
the tension dissolved:' Shimshi recalls. "It
was just people, and that was a beautiful
experience for me.
"I think of magic as a universal lan-
guage that can bring people together. For
that time, in that suite, I felt that peace
was created:'
Because his audiences likely are made
up of travelers returning to Las Vegas,
Shimshi has found different ways to come
up with new illusions. Sometimes, he sets
aside time to develop innovations; other
times innovations just come to mind.
Shimshi, whose two brothers tried
careers in dancing and then decided
against the stage, remains the only fam-
ily member in entertainment. His wife,
Janelle, helps with the business side of his
work, and the two share responsibilities
for their 6-year-old daughter, Shalom.
"We belong to a synagogue, Congregation
Ner Tamid, near our home, and I do occa-
sional shows there," says the magician, who
enjoys playing basketball and tennis and
participating in water sports, from diving
to swimming with dolphins.
"I've done performances for Jewish peo-
ple around the world. I believe in efforts to
make hunger disappear, and I'm happy to
be part of the event in Michigan."
❑
Shimshi appears in Vanish Hunger, a fundraiser for Yad Ezra kosher food bank,
7 p.m. Thursday, March 1, at the Baldwin Theatre, 415 S. Lafayette, Royal Oak.
$75, includes snacks, spirits and a silent auction. Patron opportunities are
available. (248) 548-3663; www.yadezra.org .