Star Alexander

The Magic Within ...

By Nancy Hardy

 

   At a time when reality television is arguably reaching the height of its popularity, Star Alexander chooses to captivate his audiences with the power of illusion. As resident magician along Le Boulevard at the Paris Hotel, Alexander blends his incredible sleight- of -hand with a winningly credible French accent, charming and mystifying the passers-by.

   Although Star makes his living creating illusion, his relationship with magic would more accurately be described as his philosophy of life.

   Star spent a happy childhood in 1960's Oklahoma City. One day, Mark Wilson's Magic Circus came along. Star's enchantment became almost an obsession. Although the big eye-popping illusions got his attention, Star preferred practicing the more challenging close-up tricks which ultimately became his specialty. He remembers making purchases through magic mail-order catalogs. "I'd camp out by the mailbox, eagerly waiting for my things to arrive."

   As a minister's son, Alexander was sometimes teased for his wholesomeness. But this didn't phase him a bit. He explains, "The way I perceived Christianity was to bring us in touch with the magic of life." So it was only natural that Star's ambition to create illusion was tempered by his desire to reveal the magic residing within the human spirit.

   Looking into Star Alexander's eyes is like looking into a mirror. He seems to know what will bring a smile, calm a stressful day, slow us down long enough for us to see what is real and what we've simply created for ourselves.

   Audience interaction is key in his performances. The intimacy of sleight-of-hand provides a perfect medium to relate one-on-one in a lighthearted, harmonious way. Who knew how many of us go around with little foam balls in our ears?

   "I really feel a personal vendetta (almost) to change people's perception of magic. I learn from sharing. I'm on this planet to do more than just exist. There's so much sameness in our lives these days," he reflects. "Magic helps us get into the creativity and spontaneity of our beings--what we tend to lose as we become adults."

   In college, Star began to work in clubs as a semi-professional magician, and eventually his travels took him to the Magic Castle in Los Angeles. From there, Star toured throughout the western United States, with bookings at restaurants, hotels, conventions and private parties. Today there are few hotel-casinos in Las Vegas that he has not played.

   With a chameleon-like quality, Star customizes his act, portraying characters appropriate to a particular venue. At the Excalibur, he was the Royal Court Magician. On another occasion, he appeared as a riverboat gambler at Laughlin's Colorado Belle. It's just one more adaptation of his unique brand of wizardry.

   Star frequently teams up with his beautiful wife, Lady Star, an astrologer who gives insightful mini-readings when they pair for engagements billed as "Mystic and Magic." Their combined spirits and talents offer double the dazzle. The couple speaks of an unusually deep bond with each other, which is not surprising, considering their shared beliefs.

   Perhaps Star Alexander's most gratifying feat has been the creation of the "I Am Magic" program for children. (iammagic.net) After performing for convention and business groups as a Motivational Magician (combining his magic skills with a dynamic, illustrative parallel to the concepts of enthusiasm, intuition and visualization), Star developed a way to bring those ideals to the minds and hearts of children.

   Through Alexander's amiable banter and delightful illusions, children learn about self-esteem, the power of practice, perseverance, the value of making mistakes and learning from them. Star has worked with children's therapy groups and has made his "I Am Magic" presentation in schools and youth camps, recreational settings and community groups.

   Everyone who's witnessed Star Alexander's magic comes away with a feeling that something profound has just happened. At first, there's a sense of bewilderment over how the trick was accomplished. Later, there's a kind of recognition that something very special was also involved. That's the magic of Star Alexander.