Wizard Wednesday: Frank Brents

In today’s Wizard Wednesday we’re delighted to celebrate an old friend of Tannen’s, Frank Brents. After his youth in 1930’s Louisville, he toured the world round with an act producing ducks and doves to the gasping astonishment of children and royalty alike. He later co-founded Monday Night Magic, New York City’s longest-running magic show. After decades of performing in elegant theaters in Europe, including the Olympia Theater in Paris, Brents was offered a three-month contract performing in Sun City, South Africa at the height of apartheid. When asked why he would take that gig out of all the places in the world he could perform, he replied “I’ll go there and show them Black folk can do good magic.” Brents said that he remembered when growing up in the South many of the racial barriers were first overcome by performers. Now, he would help break boundaries in South Africa too. His act was a huge hit, his contract doubled in length, and he took pride in hearing about a few white South African magicians who drove over six hours to see him perform.