Last Friday the College Union Board (CUB) hosted Student Magic & Comedy Night, providing the college community with a change of pace as well as an opportunity for some laughs and amazing performances courtesy of five fantastic performers.
The night opened with Bryan Mayer, sophomore computer engineering major, who appeared as the night's first magician. Performing a range of simple acts of magic in the beginning of his set, Mayer later went on to bring a crushed soda can back to its original form in one of the night's most surprising tricks.
"That was really awesome and this is definitely going to make my day," Alice Lin, freshman chemistry major, said at the end of the performance
Soon the show went into high gear as longtime College favorite Adam Mamawala, junior communication studies major, took the stage.
"I don't usually read from a paper," Mamawala quipped, "but I'm trying out new material so bare with me."
From there the audience received a rapid fire barrage of hilarious topics ranging from the search for meaning in music lyrics in AIM profiles and away messages to what would happen if Jerry Seinfeld went on a racist rant.
The familiarity of Mamawala's performance seemed to really warm up the crowd, as they became increasingly engrossed with the remaining performers.
Senior journalism major Jake Remaly provided one of the most innovative and entertaining magic acts of the night. Remaly turned out to be one part Neil Hamburger, one part Ralphie from "A Christmas Story" and a dash of mad scientist art.
What started off as a seemingly insane act of performance art eventually unfolded into a funny and unusual magic routine including burning a hole through the middle of a playing card, largely in part to Remaly's self proclaimed "magic powers."
"I was performing a couple magic tricks this summer and this little girl told me that I was the worst magician ever," he said about his quirky and awkward style. "It wasn't a joke, I was really that nervous up there tonight."
The CUB Student Magic & Comedy Night also provided an opportunity for new entertainers to make their Rathskeller debut. Rudy Basso, junior English major and the night's second and final comedian, was welcomed warmly by the audience as he performed one of his first official sets. His jokes about drive-by shootings with colonial cannons and his rival high school's mascot were met with thunderous laughter.
The Rat didn't die down as the riotous applause from Remaly's and Basso's routines carried on into the magical feats of Tim Walkowich, senior civil engineering major. With mind-boggling illusions executed with a sharp and sarcastic wit, Walkowich was the paramount of magical talents.
Feats involving disappearing fruit and magical ropes were carried out but took a backseat to the amazing card tricks Walkowich performed, including a Crime Drama Card Game as well as an act known as "Sleight of Mouth."
Even as the night drew to a close and the students filed out of the Rat, the crowd acknowledged Friday night's successful change of pace.
"They have bands in here all the time," Remaly said. It's such a great thing that they can mix it up and have something like magic and comedy acts."
