Knightly banners, a castle facade and musicians in motley attire invested the Playhouse in the Park (PIP) with the enchantment of Camelot at the Abracadabra gala Friday. Abracadabra was the PIP's 11th annual salute to magic.

        After the final curtain, 540 guests dined at tables centered with miniature wizards with crystal balls and second-guessed the slight of hand of strolling magicians.

        Some guests recalled their own experiences doing magic. A sampling:

        • Abracadabra chairwoman Amelia Crutcher, Anderson Township: “I played the stooge once for a local magician. He was doing a card trick. He kept pulling the wrong card.”

        • Magician Ryan Swigert, Colerain Township, was asked to make an engagement ring appear for a member of the audience who wanted to propose to his girlfriend: “Halfway through the trick, I realized that I had left the ring backstage. I can't tell you how I got it, but no one knew and the guy still sends me thank-you notes.”

        • Jerry Rape, Clifton: “I was a plant in a murder mystery (party) at Peterloon. The magician was supposed to make me disappear and when he couldn't, (my character) had to be killed.”

        • When Jonn Schenz, Clifton, was a youngster, he did an egg trick: “One of the eggs didn't disappear; it ended up running down my leg. I turned the other side to the audience.”

        • Chris Dalambakis, Deerfield Township, was a junior magician from ages 6-15. He used big metal cards with magnetic dots that changed from two to five when he waved his arm: “Once, I waved too hard and the dots went flying. Everyone laughed. There was no way to cover up.”

        • Dr. Stanley Kaplan, Amberley Village, bought card tricks for his grandchildren. “I help them and it's fun. The tricks always work for us.”

        Debbie Schwartz, Amberley Village, hired a magician to entertain at a party at her home. At the end of his act, “he asked the audience if there was anything else they wanted him to do. One guest said, "Would you please make my wife disappear?' No one laughed.”

        The Abracadabra events and weekend magic marathon raised $100,000 for the Playhouse.

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