Slight of hand, rope tricks, magic rings … youngsters, parents, grandparents and others enjoyed a magic show Thursday morning at the Adams Street Community Center.  It was part of the Brownwood Public Library’s Summer Reading Club.

Abilene magician Jay Zugai brought his Magic Jay Show. He did a variety of close up magic tricks and often involved some young volunteers from the audience to help him perform the tricks.

“Whenever I was 10 or 11 years old, there was a TV Show on called Allakazam.  Mark Wilson was the magician on that show.  At the end of the show he taught everyone how to make a magic trick so I took out the time, handcrafted and practiced and took it to school the next day to show it to kids but they’d all seen it on TV,” Zugai said.

At the end of his show he encouraged the kids to go next door to the Brownwood Public Library and check out a book on magic, reflecting on how he developed a love for magic tricks.

“I went to the library and I started reading about magic and that caught my interest.”

Magic Jay will be attending the next meeting of the Texas Association of Magicians in Pflugerville in early September and entering the statewide magic competition.  Magic Jay has been awarded the One Man Stage Act and Comedy Act Awards in the past.

“What it’s all about is having fun.  I’m enjoying life and I want to share that with others,” Zugai said.

Magic Jay is available for birthday parties, stage shows and balloon animals.  His website is magicjays.com.