Chief Saunders, you got the time?
Magician unwittingly pulls Toronto’s top cop from audience, watch goes poof!
What to do when you’re a performer who unwittingly robs a police chief during a performance?
That’s what Jeff Hobson — known as the Trickster in the hit Broadway magic show The Illusionists — was faced with Thursday night when he made Toronto police Chief Mark Saunders’ watch disappear.
Saunders, who was in the audience with his wife and son, was picked as Hobson’s “first victim” for a trick that involved a set of cards and ended with him removing a chewed card from Hobson’s mouth.
At the same time, Hobson skilfully removed the chief’s Apple watch from his wrist without him noticing.
“Of course, not being from Toronto, Jeff had no idea who this gentleman in a suit was — and the chief never revealed his identity,” wrote John Karastamatis of Mirvish Entertainment in an email to the Star.
Saunders said he was shocked — and amused — by the trick.
“What happened is I got duped; buddy removed my watch, but he was kind enough to return it,” Saunders said in a phone interview. “It’s shocking how good he is, he did it without anyone knowing. “It was very funny.” The chief said the watch was on pretty tight to monitor his heartbeat, but he didn’t notice its absence until the end of the show when Hobson asked him for the time.
After the show, Hobson asked Saunders to meet him in his dressing room so he could return the watch, Karastamatis said.
When Hobson learned the identity of his victim, he handled the situation gracefully, although the chief jokingly threatened to detain him.
“When I gave him his watch back at the end of show, he said to me, ‘I have a warrant out for your arrest,’ ” Hob- son wrote in an email.
He also described the chief as a great sport and a very nice guy.
Saunders said when he was picked, he didn’t want to reveal who he was and sidetrack the performance.
“People are there to be entertained, not to hear from me. I didn’t want to overshadow the event,” he said.
Karastamatis said the chief was chosen by Hobson because he looked like the type of person the trickster could have some fun with and tease.
“Jeff always looks for more conservative-looking people because they make a good contrast to his own over-the-top, showbiz look,” Karastamatis wrote. “He also looks for someone who is wearing a wrist watch, not an easy task in this age of cellphones as timekeeping devices.”
Saunders said the entire evening was “really captivating” and enjoyable, and that Hobson was very good, considering that he stole a several other watches that night.
“It was fantastic from start to finish, the whole show was breathtaking,” Saunders said.
The magic show is on at the Princess of Wales Theatre until Jan. 7 and features seven performing artists who specialize in comedy, puppetry, escape stunts, sleight of hand tricks and mind reading.