Sunnyfields Cabinetry (and parent company Delbert Adams Construction) are members of the Towson Chamber of Commerce, with numerous clients and employees in our community.
During this COVID-19 quarantine, with so many businesses slowed or shut down, it’s been a stressful time for lots of folks. Gina Adams, of Delbert Adams, says the idea came up to reach out to people, to try to engage and entertain them, and help share a little bit of brightness in a dark world.
After some research, Adams found professional magician Denny Corby (dennycorby.com). With expertise in sleight-of-hand, Corby has done magic all over the world.
When his travel gigs stopped abruptly in mid-March, Corby had to get creative to keep his business alive and his talent sharp. Online performances presented an opportunity, both for Corby and for Adams.
On April 18, Sunnyfields and Delbert Adams held a “Magical Virtual Happy Hour” for clients, employees and friends. Nearly 300 people logged on to watch the online show featuring Corby. In the hourlong interactive set, Corby used three cameras to ensure that nothing was up his sleeve, and he tailored his performance to the viewers.
“Denny is a hoot,” Adams said. “It was fun, lively and made us all gather to laugh and enjoy each other’s company.”
The audience agreed. “The magic show was a fun way to break the monotony of house arrest. We were happy to be there,” attendees Gerri and Steve Leder said.
“Sheltered at home, we might have been suckers for foolishness, but Denny left nothing to waste,” Richard Jones said. “Not a card deck sleight. Certainly not the water that emerged from that cup as a fully formed ice cube.”
Ed Gilliss said he and wife, Barb, “really enjoyed the community feel of the online magic show. Being entertained and being able to see others’ smiling faces and hear their ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ was great. And being taught a couple of fun tricks as a take-away was an excellent conclusion.”
Mark McGrath attended the webcast with wife, Mary Beth Marsden, and their daughter Tess. “We had no idea what to expect, but it was great fun,” he said. “Denny Corby’s sleight-of-hand work was amazing and we couldn’t figure it out at all — even with six eyes working on it!
“Our favorite part might’ve been when he showed us how two of the tricks were done. We’ve all been figuring out new ways to adjust to staying sheltered at home, and this was a very nice way to stay entertained and connected.”
Adams added, “While the whole world is wondering what’s happening, we spent an hour on a Saturday night wondering how in the world Denny performed his tricks.” Escaping pandemic worries and just having FUN in the moment — that’s powerful magic indeed!
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This article was originally posted in the Baltimore Sun on May 5th, 2020. Click here to view it in its original format.
