THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, May 25, 1995 TAG: 9505230081
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 10 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Cover Story
SOURCE: BY JOAN C. STANUS, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 167 lines
John Fareed realized early on that he was not like other kids.
At the beginning of each school year, when his small-town Georgia classmates wrote of summer vacations spent fishing and boating, Fareed awkwardly related his adventures riding camels and playing on Egyptian beaches with Anwar Sadat's children.
Born to an Egyptian mother and a father from Alabama who was a ``wandering, radical schoolteacher,'' Fareed longed to just be a typical American kid. He did not particularly enjoy those exotic summer jaunts.
But at age 10, this Georgia misfit had a life-changing experience. Fareed became fascinated by an Alexandria street magician who made daily stops at the affluent Egyptian vacation beach cottages where his family stayed.
The performer was known as ``The Hully-Gully Man,'' the Arabic name for a magician.
``He did all kinds of neat things,'' Fareed recalled. ``He pulled live chickens out of his mouth; he did the old cup-and-ball trick with chickens. At that age, I thought I knew everything. But this guy had all kinds of tricks I had no clue how to do.''
When Fareed returned to Georgia that next fall, he combed the library for books on magic. The only one he found, a 1930s magic classic called ``Greater Magic,'' was so out-of-date that many of the necessary ingredients for tricks were no longer available.
After he continuously kept that book checked out, the town librarian ordered more books on magic to satiate his interest. Those further fueled his budding passion. Before long, Fareed was obsessed with the slight of hand, tricks of the mind and the power of the imagination.
He believed he finally had found a place where he fit.
Now, after 20 years of pushing aside his boyhood dream of pursuing a career in magic, this 32-year-old magic aficionado is finally tossing caution aside and going for it. For the last two years, he has focused full time on developing an act all his own. Later this year, armed with fresh material from some of magic's most accomplished comedy writers and prop masters, Fareed will begin marketing his new act, ``John Fareed's Around the World in 80 Tricks'' to travel resorts and cruise lines. His wife, Linda, will serve as his magic assistant.
``I really believe this will be our niche,'' Fareed, a curly-haired Norfolk resident, said recently amid the shelves of magic books and props, classic magic posters and photographs, and scattered magic memorabilia that fill the Magic Room of his Bay-front Willoughby home. ``I'm finally ready to grab my piece of magic's billion-dollar pie.''
He already has attracted some national attention. A few years ago, Fareed performed at Hollywood's Magic Castle, the proving ground for up-and-coming magicians. He has served as a contributing writer for a number of magic publications, including the industry's bible, Magic magazine.
Locally, he has been a featured performer at Kings Dominion, and he still performs regularly at area restaurants, corporate events and private parties. Each Friday and Saturday nights, Fareed appears at the Spaghetti Warehouse in Norfolk, and on Thursday nights at Ruby Tuesday in Virginia Beach.
In his newest offering, Fareed mingles comedy with magic by focusing on the cultural traditions and history of such countries as England, France, Japan, India and China.
During a bit of ``gallows humor,'' for example, Fareed ``chops'' a volunteer's head off with a miniature French guillotine. He does tricks with linking rings in his China skit, he hypnotizes a snake in the one on India, and he uses ropes for the one on Mongolia. Throughout his act, a tongue-in-cheek humor prevails.
``My goal is to be the Benny Hill of magic,'' Fareed quipped. ``When people looked at Benny Hill, they saw fun. He was a silly guy you could sit and watch, and escape from your doldrums.
``I believe magic is only an art form as long as it's entertainment. In this show, what I've done is develop material that is more entertaining than something that hurts your brain by dazzling you with awesome tricks.
``My gift is showing people how to forget their problems.''
That's why magic captivated him in the first place.
``Magic was a way for me to gain respect back then,'' Fareed explained. ``No one else could do these feats . . . and they had no idea how I was doing them. Home was not a happy place, and I wasn't very happy with the school system in Elijah. There was really nothing for me. Magic became a wonderful escape.''
After devouring every magazine and book he could find on the subject, Fareed signed up for a mail-order magic course, purchased with lawn-mowing money. After completing the course, his awe-inspiring talent began to attract notice among the townsfolk. By 11, he was performing his stuff in school drama productions, at the Methodist Men's Club functions, in local talent shows or wherever he could get a booking.
Unaware that that magic's vaudevillian heyday had passed, this naive Georgia boy began to dream of a life ``spent traveling the world in elegant style, performing magic.''
But it was never a realistic goal. Racked with gut-wrenching doubts planted by his conservative family, Fareed believed he never could make it with magic.
His domineering grandfather, a retired Egyptian general and former ambassador, laid down the law. There would be no hully-gully for his grandson; Fareed would go to college, then join the military.
``I was devastated,'' Fareed said. ``But I did it.''
He joined the Marines because the recruiter drove a fancy car, promised him a sweet college deal and dressed as though ``he were in a theatrical production.''
But even as a Marine, Fareed continued to dabble in magic. He often traveled to Atlanta from his Alabama duty post to perform in clubs and at special events.
After his military discharge, he decided to take a chance on Hollywood. He left on a train with only $12 in his pocket. Luckily, the train stopped in New Orleans, and Fareed earned enough money performing on the streets of the French Quarter to get him to Los Angeles.
A few lucky breaks later, he found himself performing at Hollywood's legendary Magic Castle. That led to a job with Mark Wilson, his magic idol, working as a production assistant in a show that toured the country.
But Fareed wasn't happy. The production job meant setting someone else up to do the tricks.
``I wanted to be the guy up on stage doing those tricks,'' he said.
He quit the job, headed back to Georgia and began doing clubs, the college and bar circuit. It paid but not much.
``I never believed I could make a living on my magic,'' Fareed said. ``So I always did something else.''
In 1987, Fareed moved to Norfolk and began a string of jobs, selling everything from fiber optics to advertising. He got married and thought he had settled down. But the lure of magic continued to haunt him. Three years ago, his wife, Linda, finally convinced him to go for his dream.
``Whenever something would come along in my jobs to advance my career, I'd give it up for the magic,'' he said. ``I'm always talking about doing it full-time and so she told me one day to put my money where my mouth is.''
If all goes as planned, by 1996 Fareed will be on board cruise ships doing what he has dreamed of ever since meeting the Egyptian hully- gully man:
``I'll be traveling the world,'' he said with a grin, ``living in elegant style and performing magic.'' ILLUSTRATION: [Cover]
MAGICAL AMBITION
[Color Photo]
Photo by JOSEPH JOHN KOTLOWSKI
John Fareed entertains Theresa Rozier, center, and her sister,
SHaron Jones, at the Spaghetti Warehouse in Norfolk.
John Fareed puts smiles on the faces of his audience . . .
Staff photo by LAWRENCE JACKSON
John Fareed performs some pre-dinner magic at a table at the
Cavalier Inn Hunt Room Restaurant in Virginia Beach.
This is the publicity photo that John Fareed is using to market his
act, which he has billed ``John Fareed's Around the World in 80
Tricks.''
Photo by JOSEPH JOHN KOTLOWSKI
John Fareed tries a little snake-charming on the beach near his
Bay-front home in the Willoughby section of Norfolk.
Photo by JOSEPH JOHN KOTLOWSKI
Matt Anslow, 14, right, and his brother Daniel, 12, marvel over a
card trick performed by Fareed at the Spaghetti Warehouse.
Staff photo by LAWRENCE JACKSON
Amy Iveson enjoys taking part in a card trick performed by Fareed at
the Cavalier Hunt Room Restaurant in Virginia Beach.
Photo by JOSEPH JOHN KOTLOWSKI
Barbara Spilatore, left, and Lisa Harter look over the cards that
were part of Fareed's magic at the Spaghetti Warehouse.
Photo by JOSEPH JOHN KOTLOWSKI
Dana Knockle makes a fist for Fareed while Lisa and Steve Harter, in
the background, watch Fareed perform at the Spaghetti Warehouse.
KEYWORDS: PROFILE by CNB