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Comedian’s experiences here have been magical
By John Benson
Magician-comic Doc Dixon admits there’s something special about coming to the Mahoning Valley.
The veteran entertainer, who returns for Friday and Saturday shows at the Funny Farm, said one of his biggest influences is from the Youngstown area.
“There was this guy named Del Ray,” Dixon said. “If you mention him to magicians who know their stuff, he was one of the greatest. He was on Ed Sullivan. He was just very original in what he did, very funny.
“He didn’t work in comedy clubs because that was after his time. He worked a ton in the corporate market and country clubs. I work in those markets too because I have a clean show. You can bring anybody to my show and they’ll have a good time.”
Ironically, it was during one of his many visits to the Funny Farm that Dixon made an unexpected connection with Del Ray.
“Years ago, I was at the Funny Farm and the maid at the hotel I was staying at, after she was cleaning my room, said she noticed my magic box,” Dixon said. “She said, ‘One of my relatives is a magician.’ I expected her to say some hobbyist. She said it was Del Ray. My jaw hit the floor and I said, ‘Del Ray is one of the most admired magicians ever.’ She politely smiled.”
Dixon said his journey to the stage began like so many other magicians before him when as a young child he received a magic kit. While he began performing in the early ’80s, it wasn’t until later in the decade that he fully embraced his inner comedian and became a magician-comic in the Harry Anderson (“Night Court”) mold.
During his career, Dixon has performed on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” as well as shared the stage with Dave Attell and Greg Giraldo.
As far as the importance of being a magician and comic, Dixon said, “I think magic without comedy borders on the inhumane.”
So what is it about magic that continues to fascinate audiences?
“I think a lot of it is the interactive nature of it,” Dixon said.
“It’s not just the guy up there. It’s not just the stand-up talking about the things that most stand-ups talk about, it’s somebody doing something that looks impossible. And when you combine that with comedy, that’s just a great time.”
Dixon proudly said while he does perform an adult show, it’s not dirty, which explains why he’s popular on the corporate circuit.
“People shouldn’t expect anything corny that they associate with magic,” Dixon said “There are no bunnies. There are no doves.”
Finally, regarding his upcoming visit to Youngstown, Dixon was asked whether he’s looking forward to his seeing who the maid will be related to this time.
“No, I think that was kind of a one-time only thing,” Dixon laughed. “That would be creepy.”