King is clowning his way onward, upward

Friday, April 9, 2004 | 8:34 a.m.

The comic/magician has been named "Magician of the Year" by the prestigious Magic Castle's Academy of Magical Arts, and he is moving into a larger showroom.

King will receive his award May 1 at the Henry Fonda Music Box Theater in Los Angeles.

The Magical Arts Awards have been presented annually since 1968.

Past winners include Sieg- fried & Roy, Doug Henning, Harry Blackstone Jr., David Copperfield, Lance Burton, Penn & Teller and Harry Anderson.

"Mac King is not only a talented magician, but a hilarious comedian as well," Dale Hindman, Academy president, said in a prepared statement. "Mac King has pioneered a successful afternoon show in the city of Las Vegas that is notorious for its nightlife entertainment."

King, in his typical understated humor, said: "It's really nice to give it to somebody who does card tricks for a change."

For the past four years King, 45, has performed at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays in Harrah's Comedy Cabaret, which has a seating capacity of about 360.

His popularity has become so widespread that during the peak tourist season it is not unusual for 100 to 200 people to be turned away from each performance.

"It's flattering and nice," King said, "but it's not great to have 200 people angry at you because they couldn't get in."

To solve the problem, at least during the peak season of May through September, King has moved "The Mac King Comedy Magic Show" into the Clint Holmes Theater, which has a seating capacity of about 560.

If the new venue is successful, King said there is a possibility that his stay could be extended.

But for now he's grateful to have more elbow room and more space for his fans, even if it is only temporary.

King officially opens in the Holmes Theater on May 4, although he has been there on a trial basis for the past couple of weeks.

He says he hasn't made any dramatic changes since moving to the new digs.

"It's more about the changes in my own brain," King said. "The room itself isn't that much larger, only about 10 feet deeper and 10 feet wider."

He said Holmes' seating capacity is larger mainly because of the configuration of the room, and because there are no tables closer to the stage.

The main difference to King is the stage.

"It's a whole lot bigger," he said.

But that hasn't inspired him to make any significant changes to his act.

"Although I'm looking at adding a few new tricks," King said. "Maybe making an airplane appear, and some tigers. "Maybe I'll have ballroom dancing."