A magical show is coming to the Museum of Surrey.
A new exhibit about is set to open at the Feb. 17.
was a world-famous local performance artist known as Mandrake the Magician. His story is being told as part of the museum鈥檚 latest Community Treasures exhibit.
Mandrake was a 鈥渨orld-renowned magician, mentalist, illusionist, escapologist, ventriloquist, and stunt performer with Surrey roots,鈥� notes a press release from the Museum of Surrey.
鈥淢agicians were like rock stars in the 1930s and 1940s, filling stadiums with crowds of fans,鈥� says Jessie McLean, assistant curator at the Museum of Surrey.
For this show, MoS reached out to Lon Mandrake, Leon Mandrake鈥檚 son.
Lon, also a magician, loaned the museum some memorabilia about Mandrake鈥檚 life and career. Items include: decks of cards, his magic wand, a crystal ball, posters, comics, figurines, and performance costumes from both Mandrake and Velvet (Leon鈥檚 wife and assistant鈥攁nd Lon鈥檚 mom.)
The Canadians: Mandrake (Story continues below video.)
Lon shares a 鈥渃ompelling story of curiosity and cultural transformation.鈥� The new show allows visitors to 鈥渄iscover how Leon鈥檚 life converged with the civil rights movement, the polio epidemic, scientific achievement, and comic book fandom.鈥�
The popularity of Mandrake also helped to turn the magician into a famous comic strip (created by Leon鈥檚 friend Lee Falk) and to become the focus of two live-action productions: a 1939, 12-part serial and a 1979 made-for-TV movie . (Rumours have swirled for about a decade that a will be made by .)
Community Treasures exhibitions are shows brought to the museum through public outreach and engagement.
鈥淐ommunity Treasures celebrates the stories of Surrey鈥檚 people,鈥� adds McLean. 鈥淔rom Filipino textiles, to Mandrake the Magician, you will be surprised at the diversity of stories from Surrey鈥檚 amazing community.鈥�
Mandrake the Magician runs until May 16 at the Museum of Surrey, 17710 56A Avenue.
Tickets are free, but everyone must pre-register by contacting the museum at 604.592.6956, or museum@surrey.ca, or by .
editor@cloverdalereporter.com
Like us on and follow us on
