Waiting for magic hour

Jimmy Stroup

Magician Frank Thurston spends his days thrilling and entertaining

young and old alike -- currently at the Orange County Fair.

The Bakersfield native has spent 21 of his 38 years in a craft

that melds the mysteries of magic with a special brand of comedy he’s

honed.

“I term it ‘family-comedy entertainment,’” he said.

Thurston recognized the challenge of entertaining parents and

children at the same time and has created an act that suits the needs

of both.

“I use the children as assistants but gear the humor toward

everyone,” he said. “I want to entertain the big kids too.”

On Thursday, Thurston picked out some eager volunteers from a

packed audience at the Kids Stage, one of whom was Drake Von

Aldenbruck, a San Clemente boy who accompanied his father, Mark, on

their first trip to the fair this season.

Drake played the patsy to a Thurston-designed rope trick, which

included no fewer than four pairs of scissors that didn’t work. The

crowd approved, and the young man took the ribbing in stride, exiting

the stage post trick with a huge smile on his face.

“It was cool,” he said, adding that it was the first magic show

he’d ever been an assistant in.

His father was smiling and laughing throughout Thurston’s show,

obviously enjoying the magician and his son’s performance.

“The show was awesome,” Mark Von Aldenbruck said. “I’ve seen him

before. He’s really great.”

Thurston ended the 25-minute act with a disappearing then

reappearing ketchup-bottle routine, a bottle he assured the audience

wasn’t taken from IHOP the night before.

As the father of two girls, Thurston has plenty of critics at home

to help him get the ever-changing routines ready to take on the fair

circuit, a challenge that extends beyond simply knowing how to

perform a magic trick.

“Anybody can learn the mechanics,” he said. “The key is putting it

to a routine and making it entertaining. That is the hard part.”

Thurston’s fascination with the art of magic began in his early

childhood with an uncle who owned a magic shop. He stills feels like

that child when he’s doing his magic.”I’m just a big kid -- this was

just the perfect thing for me,” he said.

“The Magic of Frank Thurston” is on stage four times daily at the

Orange County Fair.