Take Two translates the day’s headlines for Southern California, making sense of the news and cultural events that affect our lives. Produced by Southern California Public Radio and broadcast from October 2012 – June 2021. Hosted by A Martinez.
The movies have the Oscars, theater has the Tonys, and television has the Emmys. Come this Sunday night, magic gets its moment in the spotlight with the 45th Annual Academy of Magical Arts Awards ceremony at the Orpheum Theater in downtown Los Angeles.
"There is a very special trophy," said Rob Zabrecky, a magician, the show's producer, and last year's recipient of the Stage Magician of the Year award. "It's actually not a trophy, it's a hand-crafted wand."
WATCH: Rob Zabrecky perform
Magicians have also been enjoying a renaissance in Hollywood. Although, like an audience marveling at a rabbit popping out of a hat, Zabrecky isn't too sure where it's coming from.
"Pop culture is a bit of a mystery to me. Things come into vogue, things come out of vogue, and I never understand why," he said.
WEB EXTRA: Rob Zabrecky how a broken guitar string and a condom helped him become a magician by Take Two Show
But Zabrecky emphasizes is that there's many more kinds of magicians out there than what's traditionally seen in film and TV.
"In 2013, people think of magicians and it seems they think of you as a stage magician à la Siegfried and Roy, or as a Criss Angel type."
However there are some magicians that Zabrecky thinks are the ones to watch:
WATCH: Penn and Teller's "Shadows" trick
WATCH: Helder Guimarães
WATCH: Magician Ricky Jay
WATCH: Derek Delgaudio