Magician Passionate About His Craft
By Sara Kennedy, The Bradenton Herald, Fla.
Jun. 16–MANATEE — Vince Carmen became enthralled with magic as a youngster and never thought seriously about any other profession.
“It was a passion,” explained the 64-year-old Sarasota magician who performs at Houdini’s Showplace Dinner Theater at the Sarasota Hotel & Marina. “Magic’s like a drug. Once it gets you, it’s something if it hooks you right, you’ll never get away from it.”
He should know. He began as a kid with card tricks, working up to more complex illusions under the tutelage of a mentor.
When he was in his 20s, he was performing in Latin America and Europe. He has toured the world, playing venues like La Scala in Madrid and Harrah’s in Las Vegas.
His wife, Yvonne, is a unicyclist with an equally long performing career including a gig a couple of years ago on television’s “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.” Vince and Yvonne and one of their three daughters, Erika, 16, entertain patrons at the dinner theater each Thursday and Saturday during summer, and Thursday, Friday and Saturday during winter.
As a boy, Carmen learned magic tricks from his father. Later he studied under mentor Al Flosso. He left college to perform magic in Canada, Argentina, Mexico, Brazil and Venezuela.
He performed with Circus Vargas in California for a year before spending 22 years in Las Vegas, doing shows at the Flamingo Hilton and Harrah’s. He knows all the big names on the Las Vegas strip — David Copperfield, Lance Burton and the animal trainer Siegfried.
For 19 years, Carmen worked with tigers as part of his act. There were also other animals.
“I did use doves at one time, but very early in my career,” he remembered. “Only other thing I used. I produced from scarves a 12-pound duck, an enormous white duck, named Burt Bachquack.”
In 1998, the Carmens moved to Florida to be near Yvonne’s show-business family. They were Italian jugglers who had immigrated 61 years before to work for the Ringling Circus.
For four years now, the Carmens have been performing at the dinner theater at 7150 N. Tamiami Trail, the only one of its kind in Florida.
The Society of American Magicians recently honored Vince Carmen with a citation for professional excellence.
“It is an art form and it’s an art form a lot of people don’t realize is an art form,” he said. “A magician can create the image of these impossible things and make it entertaining. What he’s selling is himself, the actor.”
Sara Kennedy, Herald business reporter, can be reached at 748-0411, ext. 4500. x Illusionist
—–
To see more of The Bradenton Herald or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.bradenton.com.
Copyright (c) 2008, The Bradenton Herald, Fla.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.