By Danielle Ray
Landmark correspondent
HOLDEN — Steve Charette is one busy guy.
The magician entertainer is the epitome of now you see him, now you don’t, with shows all over the Wachusett district and elsewhere. He has more than two dozen gigs lined up from now through October, some at local spots, including Kids Fest at Wachusett Mountain Sept. 23 and 24 and Sholan Farms Apple Fest Oct. 7, and he performs well beyond the area as well.
The Worcester native lived in Princeton before moving to Holden, and said he remembers starting to have an interest in magic at the age of 9.
“I was very shy and didn’t have much self-esteem and confidence in myself back then,” Charette said. “My older brother, Ron, used to go to a magic shop called the Fun House on Main Street in Worcester. It’s long gone now, but Ron used to buy small little magic tricks to show me. That got me hooked and wanting to learn more about the art of magic.”
He would visit the library and check out all the books on magic that he could get his hands on, devouring the readings and beginning to practice his sleight of hand. One day he came across a book about Harry Houdini, the great escape artist and magician.
“Reading his biography inspired me to want to be a magic entertainer,” Charette recalled.
His pull to the iconic magician is so strong that he was moved to recently donate one of his skillfully handcrafted busts of Houdini to the library at The Magic Showplace Theater in Oklahoma that is named after the great performer.
Charette performs all over New England and at any type of venue, including schools, restaurants, events, parties and more. He currently has a standing gig at Rascals, a nightclub on James Street in Worcester, where he does his strolling tableside magic on Saturday nights from 7 to 9 p.m., before the music starts.
He is well known in the area, and his Facebook page (facebook.com/MagicSteveC) has more than 4,200 followers, a testament to the popularity of the consummate professional. Charette’s shows are geared for all ages, and during them, “People can expect audience interaction, comedy, and of course a magical experience for all to enjoy.”
Steve Charette (far right, under canopy) was at Davis Farmland June 25, when they held a Splash Bash. Danielle Ray
When asked what some of his favorite tricks are, he said he has “many favorite magic effects,” such as the floating table, vanishing ring, blooming rosebush, levitation of an audience member, dividing an audience volunteer into three pieces and then restoring them, and that the reaction from people is often “bewildered and astonished.”
“I am lucky to be doing this as a full-time magic entertainer. It’s a lot of hard work but also very satisfying,” Charette said about what he enjoys most about sharing his talents with people. “Seeing eyes filled with amazement and the laughter and smiles on the faces of the people makes it all worthwhile, especially in today’s world.”
