By Merle Exit
Plenty of visitors to Queens World’s Fairs might have called the experience magical, but for at least one young man, magic summed up his entire trip to Flushing Meadows Corona Park in 1964.
E. N. Kamarados, who goes by the stage name Kamarr, billed himself as a prestidigitator, and came to Queens to perform magic as part of the entertainment at the Greek Pavilion.
Now, 50 years later, Kamarr returns to the site of the Fairs to take part in the Society of American Magicians’ “105th Annual Salute to Magic,” at the Queens Theatre May 17 to relive some of his World Fair experiences.
“I worked at night and had all day free. As I was walking around, I saw the Hall of Magic sponsored by the General Cigar Co. and talked to the general manager,” Kamarr said. “Do you remember the expression, ‘Should a gentlemen offer a Tiparillo to a Lady?’ That’s where it started.”
After he demonstrated his magical skills, the general manager offered him a job at the Hall of Magic, where he stayed until the Fair ended in 1965.
“It was promotional magic,” Kamarr said. “I had to do something having to do with a cigar, specifically the Tiparillo.”
He would place a coin into a box and a cigar would pop out. Then he would put a second coin into this large box and a Tiparillo would appear. Finally, after putting a third coin into the box, a woman would magically materialize.
“Everything was created by the great magician Mark Wilson, who had a television show,” Kamarr said. “Music was played in the background and we didn’t talk. Some of the things we did included levitating a woman and cutting a woman in half. There were assistants as well as two other magicians. We had to do two shows and three on Saturdays and Sundays.”
Kamaar was about 13 when a magician came to his Greek school to entertain the students. That’s when he decided to do magic.
“I was so fascinated and asked if I could assist him,” Kamarr said. “Because of our Greek hospitality, I asked my mother if she could put him up for a week while he toured. He taught me my first lesson on how to make a coin disappear. After that I would go to shows and watch other magicians.”
After attending a Greek drama school, Kamarr secured roles in films and television. Once settled in New York, he made the talk show rounds, including more than 40 appearances on “Late Night with David Letterman” and over 100 appearances on Joe Franklin. He also starred in revues and stage shows in Las Vegas, Atlantic City, and various venues in Europe.
At the performance May 17, Kamarr will be receiving an award. Most likely he will be asked to perform.
“If asked, I will be doing a trick that I invented,” he said.
“We were excited to be approached by Society of American Magicians,” Taryn Sacramone, executive director of Queens Theatre, said. “The World’s Fair featured a variety of performances, including magic shows, and I just knew it would be a really unique show that our audience will enjoy. The fact that this is the longest-running magic show in the world is really special. I’m proud that they’ve chosen to bring it to Queens Theatre.”
Joining Kamarr are headliner Jeff McBride, Master of Ceremonies Jay Scott Berry, conjurors Joe and Bronwyn Devlin and David Oliver. Close-up magic will be performed before the curtain and during intermission by members of the Society of Young Magicians. Sol Stone will be honored as 2014’s Magician of the Year.
If You Go
“105th Annual Salute to Magic”
When: Saturday, May 17, at 8 pm
Where: Queens Theatre, 14 United Nations Ave. South, Flushing Meadows Corona Park
Cost: $45
Contact: (718) 760-0064
Website: www.queenstheatre.org
