For the uninitiated layman, everything Steve Cohen presents in “Chamber Magic” must seem totally impossible and could easily convert anyone to believe in the paranormal.

Other mentalists and all magicians should watch Steve carefully. Not so much for the actual effects but for his superb patter, timing and presentation. Few other entertainers are able to create the kind of intimate and mysterious atmosphere that this evening offers and, in the best show-business tradition, he leaves them wanting even more!

–David Berglas

I was honored to receive this praise from David Berglas, one of the living legends in magic. David and his wife Ruth visited my show in London, and we’ve remained in touch over the years. A few years back, they visited New York City, and I organized a lavish luncheon in David’s honor at the Waldorf-Astoria. Here is the personalized menu from the Peacock Alley private dining room.

This was a fancy lunch – with a high price tag – and we pulled out all the stops. There were 23 guests present – all well-known magicians – and some traveled several hours to be there. You can see Richard Kaufman in the background here:

Kaufman recently wrote and published a book about David Berglas’ card magic. An essay I wrote on this blog about The Berglas Effect is included in the book.

The other magicians and mentalists who attended were: Eric Anderson, Bob Baker, Nick Bellias, Allen Gittelson, Bill Kalush, David Blaine, Ken Krenzel, Michael Matson, Carl Mercurio, Mark Mitton, Ben Nemzer, Alain Nu, Marc Salem, David Roth, Mark Sky, Patrick Terry, Bob Torkova, Dan White, Meir Yedid and Herb Zarrow.

It was essentially a mini-magic convention.

Magicians generally meet in the back rooms of diners, delis, or downscale restaurants. My aim with this lunch, though was to give some dignity to magic, by bringing everyone together in the back room of a classy establishment. I felt that the venue matched the personality of the man – David Berglas.

Judging from the comments I received, everyone seems to have had a great time. I hope to plan more of these elegant lunches at the Waldorf. Not sure when, yet, or who to honor, though. It may be the case that there are not many people in magic who could draw 25 magicians at that price. I had a lot of fun organizing this, though, so let’s see how things pan out.

If you’re a magician, can you think of anyone else I should approach as an “honoree”?