Bringing a little magic to Auburn

There was only one way to describe magician Daryl Easton's performance for reporters in his Auburn home last week - smooth.Engaged in what appears to be an everyday conversation, coins he holds in one hand suddenly zap! appear in the other.Playing cards morph suits and switch locations on his kitchen table before onlookers even know a trick was in the works.And when he performs "The Amazing Daryl's Acrobatic Knot," a white rope and a red rope become tied together in his clenched fist, meld colors and dance before your eyes, leaving even the most cynical in awe, asking themselves, "How the heck did he do that?"An awed audience and the looks of amazement are what the 49-year-old Auburn resident said have driven him to a love of magic and a professional career that has spanned a lifetime, taking him to more than 25 countries around the globe."I love it," Easton said with his wife and fellow magician, Alison, at his side. "I love the audience when they're having a great time and yelling and laughing and saying, 'Wow, that was great.'"Over the years, Easton has been wowing audiences and critics alike. He's known as "The Magician's Musician" because many of his sleight-of-hand tricks have been sold to fellow magicians as famous as David Blaine, and he has produced more than 20 instructional videos and books about the craft of magic. The Amazing Daryl was an ongoing star at Caesar's Magical Empire at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas from 1996 to 2003. And his magical antics have been featured on CNN, HBO and the Today Show. His magic has also sent him globetrotting.After a stint performing for island natives in the South Pacific in 2001, Easton and his wife performed at President George W. Bush's inaugural ball."From natives (in the Pacific), to a presidential inauguration, they all react the same way," Easton said. "It transcends barriers."Not bad for a guy who began his career charging $10 a show at birthday parties when he was 12 in his hometown of San Jose."I took the traditional approach (to learning magic)," Easton said. "I started as a kid and I never grew out of it."He said meeting his wife could also be described as a magical experience. The two married in 1998 at magicians' conference in Alison's native England. Although the couple learned they shared love for each other, the two differ in magic styles.He uses sleight-of-hand magic, while her talents employ more flashy stage illusions, such as the always popular sawing an assistant in half and levitating an audience member.The two teleported to this neck of the woods recently from Las Vegas to raise their now 2-year-old daughter, Laura, in Auburn."We decided our daughter should grow up seeing trees and squirrels, rather than strip clubs and casinos," Alison Easton, 36, said. Currently, Easton spends most of his time producing how-to magic videos and developing original magic tricks, which he sells to his fellow magicians. He still actively performs at local and national venues."He's very theatrical," said Valerie Wurst, operations manager at Auburn Printers, who recently hired Easton for an employee party. "He makes you watch his hands because he's always waving them around, but you don't even seen him do the trick. He can really get your attention."Alison Easton said she has turned her powers toward the magical task of raising their daughter, but she someday plans to actively return to the craft. She said magic is about believing that impossible's possible, if only for an instant. "It's about suspending your disbelief," Alison Easton said, "For most people, it's a bit like believing in Santa again."As for the Amazing Daryl, he said his quick fingers and showy persona and will keep audiences believing for years to come.He's got nothing up his sleeve."I've chosen to use my powers for good instead of evil," he said with a grin.The Journal's Ryan Sabalow can be reached at ryans@goldcountrymedia.com.