Foster’s show is quite a sleight

Friday, July 15, 2005 | 8:22 a.m.

OK, I admit it. I'm a sucker for sleight of hand.

It seems to me sleight of hand is the most difficult form of magic. The artist must perform his mystery of misdirection with all eyes in the room focused intently on his hands.

There is a certain fascination with the larger ruses -- such as David Copperfield seeming to make the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty disappear.

But the small tricks, those that rely totally on the artists' dexterity and ability to distract, seem to me to be the more difficult of the two.

It amazes me to watch closely as an artist pierces a $100 bill with a pencil and, as he pulls the pencil out, the hole disappears.

Or for him to control where a specific card is going to appear in a deck.

Or to perform a dozen or more other seemingly impossible feats of prestidigitation.

Sure we know it's all a trick -- probably a very simple trick if we thought about it -- but sometimes it's fun to be fooled and to not over-analyze.

Collin Foster is one of the best sleight-of-hand artists around, combining magic and humor in a pleasant show that is lacking in theatrical dramatics, but is filled with amazing tricks that will leave you in awe of his talent.

He performs in "Quicker than the Eye" at the Plaza's Comedy Zone at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays and 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Fridays.

The native of Okemos, Mi., has been impressing Vegas fans for more than 18 years -- performing at such venues as Vegas World (which has since been replaced by the Stratosphere), and at Caesars Palaces' Magic Empire room (which was replaced by The Colosseum).

Foster was a headliner at the Westin when it had a viable theater.

When his hands aren't busy entertaining fans, Foster produces shows -- among them hypnotist Marshall Sylver and "Men the Show" at Seven.

When you go to the Plaza, don't expect an extravaganza, with fire and smoke or trained animals -- this is a low-budget show with very few props.

But you can anticipate a fun-filled hour of inoffensive entertainment suitable for the entire family. And you can't beat the price of admission -- a drink.

The showroom, which seats less than 200, provides just the right intimate atmosphere necessary for a performance of this kind.

Where else could a sleight-of-hand artist work and be the most effective but in a small showroom? The amazement would be lost in a gigantic theater where the performer's small movements would be lost on a large stage.

Foster's sleight-of-hand moves are captured by a camera and projected on two screens located behind him, one on either side.

We watch him as he creates the illusion of bending a fork with his mind. We see him put a card in the middle of the deck, and make it appear on the top.

This may not be the most exciting show in town and a few of the tricks may be rudimentary sleight-of-hand fare, but for the price it is one of the most entertaining -- hands down.