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100% Socially Distant Magic – with Lon Cerel
Celebrating his 40th year of entertaining generations of fascinated attendees, Lon Cerel will perform his magic on Tuesday, August 18th at 6pm at Picnic Field Site #13 (right of Carousel) at Slater Park in Pawtucket. FIRST SERVED AND MARKED FOR SOCIAL DISTANCING.
Part of 2020 Free Summer Children’s Performances Series, and co-sponsored by Carpet Factory Outlet in Pawtucket, Lon Cerel – Free Summer Children’s Performance will be a fun night of magic for young and old.
What Lon has to say about 40 years entertaining, primarily in Rhode Island:
I have always been from Rhode Island, and got interested in magic at the age of 6, when I was given a “My Favorite Martian” Magic Set as a birthday gift. I started performing at birthday parties and the by the time I was ten. Since graduating Providence College in 1978, a number of circumstances happened about the same time, ultimately setting off a chain reaction that turned into my 40 plus year career in magic. Magic, was never a planned career, but rather since I was performing every weekend and Summer throughout high school and college, I decided to take one year off after receiving my undergraduate degree in Psychology, to see where it would take me.
Firstly, Doug Henning had just become a national sensation, and magic was enjoying a strong resurgence. Also, I had met comedian Henny Youngman, “King of the One-Liners” in 1971 at a Tannen’s Magic Jubilee convention. We kept in touch, and struck up a friendship that lasted almost 30 years. Upon graduation, he had asked me to open for him, at a few corporate events. This ended up stretching to over seven years (See photo). Lastly, Hill’s Department Stores was looking for an act to travel throughout KY, TN, GA, AL and IN. I got that job, and toured for them 5 weeks a year, for over 8 years. By now, any thoughts of returning to academia and receiving a graduate degree we’re long forgotten!
Close to seventy percent of my present clients, I have been performing for over twenty consecutive years. This Summer, I return to the Marshfield Fair in MA, performing 30 shows in ten days for my 39th consecutive year. State and county fairs, along with recreation departments throughout RI and MA have been a mainstay of my Summers. During the academic year, I perform a magic literacy show, “Magic of Reading” at elementary schools throughout New England. Fourteen years ago, I was diagnosed with Stage 2 colon cancer. While undergoing chemotherapy, I made the decision that my wife Sandy (a full-time actor/director) and I would start doing those things we had been putting off. For me, this included moving away from family shows, and concentrating on developing a new persona, and creating a viable mentalism show. Scan ahead many years, I just finished my fifth year in residency at the Arctic Theatre in RI, where I perform regularly with my Comedy Mind Reading show, “Out of YOUR Mind.”
You can reach Lon here:
Lon Cerel – 18 Pinewood Ave., Johnston, RI 02919
www.LonCerel.com – 401-946-3183
https://allevents.in/park/lon-cerel-free-summer-childrens-performance/200019661196634
