MAGICIANS EXCHANGE TRICKS OF THE TRADE IN CEBUBASED GROUP MAGIC WINDOW
Childhood moments when we witness magic get stuck in memory. Be they Dad’s simple coin trick, a random magician’s disappearing act, or the bunny popping out of a hat. A Cebu-based group of magicians called Magic Window (MW) shows mind-blowing forms of entertainment. MW was created by Thomas Pua and Aljen Araneta with the aim of pooling magic performers to exchange ideas and learn from each other. They started in 2009 with the name “Cerca Trova.”
We’ve all had unforgettable experiences with magic when we were kids.
And that feeling of amusement and awe oftentimes stick with us growing up, may it be Dad’s simple coin trick, a random street magician’s disappearing card, or the classic pull-a-bunny-out-of-a-hat kind of trick. Either way, we all got mystified by the illusion, which we all need a dose of every now and then.
Magic, one of the oldest performing arts, is becoming more popular in the city, thanks to dedicated magicians like Magic Window (MW), a Cebu-based team of performers dedicated to the art of magic. They offer a more refined, mind-blowing form of entertainment including, but not limited to, close-up magic, stage magic, deception, cardistry and mentalism that will surely bring back memories of our childhood.
MW was created by Thomas Pua and Aljen Araneta with the goal of convening magicians and aspiring magicians to share ideas and help each other grow as a performer. The group started in 2009 and was known then as “Cerca Trova” before disbanding.
In 2011, Pua and Araneta decided to form the group again with the name Magic Window.
“In a window, we can see through it but not the inner works of a house; because the former only lets us see what it wants us to see. This is what magic is,” Araneta said.
The group has been performing their tricks for six years now and has been advertising their craft on social media, including videos of their performances in the streets that they uploaded on their YouTube channel and Facebook page. They also showcase their skills before large audiences, performing live in schools, events, bars, restaurants and hotels within and outside Cebu.
MW is composed of different talents with different set of skills ranging from mentalism, closeup, stage and gambling magic. Currently, MW has six magicians who each perform their field of specialty in public.
Thomas Pua, one of the founders, specialize on mentalism, a type of magic that utilizes the feat of mind; Aljen Araneta, gambling magic that involves dirty dealing and card cheat; Marvin Cabanes, stage magic; Nicel Kyle Quezon, cardistry; and JV Tagaan and Mario Codera who both specialize in close-up magic.