Magician, musician team for library benefit shows

Friday, Sept. 7, 2001 | 9:57 a.m.

Ballet dancers walking through mirrors.

A concert pianist stretched out of shape.

A floating guitar transformed into a sensuous woman.

Class is the schtick for Jarrett & Raja's Classical Magic show, performing tonight at the Clark County Library and Sept. 15 at Summerlin Library.

The shows are benefits for the Friends of Libraries of Southern Nevada.

Fans of magic and fans of classical music will share the auditorium during the two performances by of one of the more unusual acts in Las Vegas.

Magician Jarrett Parker, 32, and concert pianist Raja Rahman, 26, combined their talents four years ago to create a culturally fulfilling evening that also appeals to the more plebeian side of audiences' tastes.

Billed as "A symphony of sorcery and sound," their show has evolved from what Parker calls "parlor magic" meant for small venues to a production with major illusions meant for large rooms.

The two paired in 1997 for a performance at the Friar's Club in the Manhattan area of New York. They struck a chord and have been honing their act ever since.

"I was invited by the Friar's to perform," Parker said. "I was used to having music in my act, but when I went to their small theater I discovered they had no sound system.

"I knew Raja, casually. He is an incredible concert pianist, so I invited him to join me."

Parker began performing professionally as a teenager in "The Masters of Magic," which played at such venues as the New York Playboy Club. He performed in an off-Broadway production of "Altered Reality," an improvisational show, for 14 months and then, in 1995, appeared at the now-defunct Debbie Reynolds Hotel. He has also acted in such films as Disney's "On Your Own" and in national commercials.

Rahman, a native of Canada, has performed in concerts all over the world since earning bachelor's and master's degrees from the Juilliard School of Music in New York.

He said he thought the idea of performing classical music as part of a magic act was strange when Parker asked him to do it, but decided to take Parker up on the offer.

"At the time I was doing parlor magic for an intimate environment, basically small effects," Parker said.

After their success in Manhattan, the two performers realized they had something different.

"For the next two years we developed an hour (long) show, tested it in different markets -- in the classical world and in the general family world," Parker said.

The pair performed in off-off Broadway venues until last September, when they brought the show to Las Vegas. Shortly after their arrival they appeared at the Regent Las Vegas and then began working on expanding the show.

"It had to get bigger, we needed to make it more of a theater experience, a full theatrical experience with bigger magic, classical music, dance and ballet," Rahman said.

Their bigger act will be showcased at Summerlin Library.

"Vegas is ripe for classical music," Rahman said. "One of our missions is to bring good classical music to Vegas -- not just orchestral but chamber ensemble as well. People are embracing the idea."

"Our goal is to be in one of the finer hotels in Las Vegas with a big showroom and to invite orchestras from around the country to perform with us," Parker said.