THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, June 30, 1996 TAG: 9606300206
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY KIA MORGAN ALLEN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: 88 lines
``Everybody say Wa-ca-doo,'' yells the magician.
Seconds later, a baby-blue streamer swirls from a balled-up newspaper in his hand.
He reaches for a wand in his magic bag, whirls the streamer and makes it pirouette around the hospital playroom.
The youngsters chuckle. This guy's a riot. And as if the first act weren't enough, the magic man makes a paper tree rise from the clutter of newsprint.
``Timberrrrr,'' he cries.
Smiles are a dime a dozen as Bob McAllister continues his routine at The Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters, where a handful of kids are spending an afternoon with a handful of magicians.
The magicians are here as part of the 68th annual convention of the International Brotherhood of Magicians. McAllister, a Norfolk native, and colleagues Ron London, convention coordinator, and magician Larry Kettlehake paid the visit.
The 14,000-member organization of professionals and hobbyists boasts members who enjoy collecting magic props or just have a special liking for plucking balls from strangers' ears.
Every year, the international group travels to different cities and countries. This year, 1,200 to 1,500 magicians will be at the Marriott-Waterside Hotel through Wednesday and will demonstrate magic tricks and other high jinks.
At the hospital, the audience can't contain themselves. They laugh at McAllister's childish antics. He runs around the room with a chocolate chip cookie on his backside while an 8-year-old chases him. He makes his finger - well, a plastic finger - pop off his hand.
McAllister bends on his knees so he can see eye-to-eye with the kids. He makes things disappear and reappear. He tears a napkin, and magically it fuses together again.
But, most important during the short visit, the magician is the highlight of their day.
McAllister, a Granby High School graduate, is thrilled about his Norfolk return. The spunky, gray-haired man with the raspy voice and a red T-shirt that reads, ``Trix are for Kids,'' says he started early in the magic business.
``I used to work in a magic shop on Granby Street when I was 14 years old,'' he gushes. ``I loved it. It was great.''
McAllister loved it so much that he made a career of it. The magic man made his presence known first on television.
Station WTKR-TV3, or WTAR, as McAllister remembers it, was where he started his first string of hit children's shows with Bob and Chauncey, a ventriloquist act.
He left the Hampton Roads area for Baltimore and then New York City, where the show ``Kids are People Too,'' won an Emmy. At least 200 kids appeared on a later show called ``Wonderama.''
Now McAllister, ever the kid at heart, continues to delight the hearts of young people everywhere.
Josh and Robert are glad to see the magicians. They join McAllister on several magical demonstrations. For their reward, McAllister gives the brothers over-sized $100 bills.
``They do lots of cool tricks and stuff like that,'' says Joshua Kondik, 8.
Joshua, his brother Robert Jr., 5, and father, Robert, are at the hospital to visit their sister, Christina.
The Pittsburgh family was visiting Nags Head when 2-year-old Christina got sick. They were referred to Children's Hospital, where Christina was diagnosed with a kidney infection. Although the family's vacation plans were converted, Saturday turned out to be magic.
``One thing you need to do is to keep your eyes open at all times,'' Ron London warns the kids.
With all eyes riveted on him, London gives a handkerchief a couple of shakes and twists. Before their eyes, the blue hanky turns rainbow-colored.
``I'm going to do one more trick,'' McAllister says.
``Anybody know Zombieball?''
He then makes a silver ball float from side to side across his abdomen. Shrouded by his hands, it balances magically in between.
Then he shows what is extended from his teeth, revealing his trick: A soup ladle.
``They say when you're reaching my age, you have your second childhood.'' ILLUSTRATION: BETH BERGMAN photos/The Virginian-Pilot
Magician and Norfolk native Bob McAllister spent Saturday afternoon
at Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters, entertaining and
amazing patients and visitors, such as Robert Kondik, 5, of
Pittsburgh, whose 2-year-old sister, Christina, is in the hospital.
From left, Deandre Keyshawn, 4, and Christina Kondik, 2, with her
dad, Robert, watch Larry Kettlehake perform magical stunts. The
magician and his colleagues filled the children's afternoon with
silliness and surprises. by CNB