The 2008 Merlin Award goes to…

By Nancy Smith

(Branson, MO – July 1, 2008) The Merlin Award for Magician of the Year is similar to an Oscar for actors. Harry Blackstone, Doug Henning, Siegfried and Roy, David Copperfield, Penn and Teller, Criss Angel, Darren Romeo, Brett Daniel, and Kirby VanBurch have all won the coveted statue.
Last year, Bambi VanBurch won the Merlin for Female Magician of the Year, and stood along-side her husband, a former Merlin recipient, who was named Entertainer of the Year. At a VIP special show on Tuesday, July 1, Bambi was awarded her second consecutive Merlin, when Tony Hassini, Chairman and CEO of the International Magicians Society (IMS) honored her as the Female Magician of the Year for 2008 as well.

Bambi was drawn to tears by the support, and said, “Thank you to my husband. You are the best teacher I ever had, and I love you.”

The IMS touts over 37,000 members worldwide, and according to the Guiness Book of World Records, is the world’s largest magic society. Meeting the criteria for the Merlin is not easy, as the magician must show talent, showmanship, originality, skills, and the rare ability to entertain under any condition. The statue was commissioned to over 100 art students at New York University and the winning design was carved and created in 1969 by NYU art student Carol Michard.

In this year’s show, Bambi and Kirby trade off performing grand as well as more intimate illusions on stage. After 15 years in Branson, Kirby still makes the show fresh with new illusions, such as removing a girl’s head from her body and moving it to another place, then putting it back with the girl unharmed. He also thrills the audience with tigers and pumas. Throughout the show the duo repeatedly explains to the audience that these are just illusions, not real.

Bambi’s show repertoire consists of illusions where she makes a unicorn disappear, she suddenly disappears from an on-stage chair and reappears in the statue of King Tut, switches the heads of a chicken and a duck, and performs magical Origami, the art of folding a box which contains a person, pierces the box with swords and then reverses the process.

One of the favorite Bambi illusions follows the mind-reading footsteps of Madam Shipaleski. Blindfolded and turned around, she names items held up by audience members, very seldom ever missing one. She even names motel room key room numbers, names of individuals, amount of change in a pocket and money in a billfold.

Don’t worry, Kirby still goes out in the audience looking for a “Kid” to help him with his Houdini style passing through a mirror trick. Adding the suffix-anator to the child’s name that he has chosen, Kirby does a little routine as he has done for many years, and has actually established a lasting relationship with many of the volunteers. One child now grown-up, Rob Lake, came up on stage to help Kirby when he was seven years old – a life-changing experience for him. In May of this year, the Rob-anator received his first Merlin award, on the stage where it all started, standing beside his mentor, Kirby VanBurch.

Kirby quit school, and never graduated, due to a difficult learning disability, dyslexia. Now he has become a celebrated teacher, not just once, but twice!
Congratulations Bambi, Rob, and Kirby for your coveted accomplishments.