Yesterday morning (Friday) I joined illusionist Kevin Spencer at the Dell Children’s Hospital. Kevin’s two shows at the Paramount on Saturday are pretty much sold out, but Kevin arrived in town early so he could pay a visit to some special kids who are not able to get to the theatre.
Kevin is easily one of the most engaging entertainers I have ever met. Everyone he meets instantly becomes a friend. We started in the Oncology Unit where Kevin performed for about 30 minutes in front of a small group of patients, family members and care givers. Kevin pulled a dad and a doctor out of the audience to assist with one of the tricks (pictured above).
From there it was off to the Dialysis Unit where three patients couldn’t leave their treatment stations to see the show. That was no problem for Kevin. He made time for one-on-one “lessons” for each one, leaving them with some special magic tricks to show their parents. Before we left the unit, one of the girls still hooked into her dialysis machine started showing a nurse the new trick she had learned. Kevin looked like a proud parent as he watched from across the room. You can read Kevin’s version of the morning on his own blog.
Finally, it was time for a big show in the HEB Ampitheatre at the hospital. Patients from all over the hospital gathered in the beautiful little auditorium near the lobby. This time it was me looking on with pride as children smiled, laughed and applauded at each of Kevin’s tricks. Yes, he has two sold out shows at the Paramount… but this was way better.
