To Catch a Reality Thief

Comments (0) By John Linn Thursday, Jun 1 2006

Sure, magicians are easy targets nowadays – just look at the jokes that were made about David Blaine’s recent underwater adventure. But that’s not stopping South Florida’s own Reality Thief, Brad C. Barton, from changing closed minds and turning bewildered heads. “People have a stereotypical view of what magic is all about,” he says. “They think of some cliché, like a guy pulling a rabbit out of his hat. [Magic] is really about that moment of astonishment that reminds you what it is like to be a child.”

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Every Wednesday, Barton walks among the dining patrons at the eclectic eatery Dada (52 N. Swinton Ave., Delray Beach), performing magic tricks. Barton dazzles the crowd with feats of illusion on an intimate, tableside level, combining card tricks, sleight-of-hand, clairvoyance, and comedic styling. Because of his interaction with the audience and his ever-increasing repertoire of original material, regulars who visit him at his weekly show are treated to something new each time. The so-called “Ring on a String in a Box that Locks” is one of his most crowd-pleasing tricks, partly because it incorporates Dr. Seuss-style rhyming. Guests, jaws dropped open, always ask, “How’d you do that?” Barton’s response: “Do you know how a rainbow works? Who cares? It’s just pretty!” The Reality Thief cavorts through the curious confines of Dada every Wednesday night, with shows at 11 p.m. and midnight. Call 561-330-DADA.
Wednesdays, 2006