ÏW fe s p o r t ia n i* © b s c r u e r April 30. 2003 OBiERVADOR Page AS ‘H e ’s a Magic Man ’ Honduran-Born Violinist to Perform Jorge Avila is an award-winning Latin-American musician Antwan Towner intrigues Billy Reed's patrons with a disap pearing spider act. Jorge Avila, who played at the . Ground Zero memorial ceremony in New York City, 1 will perform ■' with Portland pianist Cynthia Rampone on Saturday, May 17. PHOTO BY G unther J ose F kank /T iie P ortland O bserver continued from Front , The Community Music Center and the Mu Phi Epsilon Foundation presentaward- winning violinist Jorge Avila in recital on Saturday, May 17th at 7:30 p.m. in the Community Music Center Auditorium, 3350 S.E. Francis St. A vila is considered o n eo f today’s lead ing young Latin American violinists. The Honduran native has performed as a solo ist with orchestras in Europe and both Central and South America. Television audiences may remember him from his performance o f Barber’s “Adagio” as part o f the Ground Zero memorial ceremony inNew YorkCity. A program o f masterworks for the vio- lin by Mozart. Bach and Brahms, as well as the Theme from “Schindler’s List” by John Williams, will highlight Mr. A Vila’s world-class musicianshipand exceptional talent. He will be accompanied by Port land pianist Cynthia Rampone. Admission is $ 10 for adults, $5 stu dents and seniors, payable at the door only. For more information, please call 503-823-3177. Total Immersion Course The Mexican heritagecity ofSan Miguel de Allende has nearly no rain— and with Mt. Hood Community College’s Study Abroad program, students will spend two weeks this summer studying in this city ’s dry, exquisite setting. The college’s Study Abroad program allows students to earn one term o f college Spanish credit toward a degree or certifi cate by attending classes at a specialized college in another country. The $ 1,395 for this trip includes round-trip airfare, room and board, tuition and the assistance o f a resident MHCC instructor. Study will take place at the Academia Hispano Americana, a highly respected Spanish language school since 1963. Classes range from beginning, intermediate to advanced and carry five credits in Span ish language. S pacefortheJune28toJuly I3course is limited. The sign-up deadline is May 9. To find out more, contact MHCC in structor Holly DeGrow at 503-491 -7268. He hopes someday Miss Elsie will come see him perform, but he credits his father for sinking the magic hook. When Towner turned eight, his dad took him to the magic shop to pick out some props for his birth day. He would follow the instructions and fool his classmates with card tricks and disappearing objects. “I think the average boy between the ages o f eight and 13 has an interest in magic,” Townersaid. “Somecontinue that interest.” The after-school hours and weekends o f Tow ner’s ado lescence were spent at Jim Pace’s White Rabbit Magic shop in the Lloyd Center Mall. Pace, a veteran magician him self, taught young Towner the _______ ropes o f the profession. By the time he was a teen, Towner found him self entertaining not just his middle school peers, but shoppers in downtown Portland. “Hike puttinga smile on people’sfaces,” Towner said, explaining his desire to prac tice m agic. “W hen 1 can walk into som eone’s mind and flip a switch it sur prises them that I can touch something so personal.” Making people smile is exactly what Towner does during his magic acts with Adam The Great at Billy Reed's. Guestsat the northeast Martin Luther King Jr. Bou levard eatery and bar are endlessly amazed by his card tricks one o f which involves mysteriously pulling a whole deck out o f his mouth. His red foam balls squeak, multiply and disappear all before their eyes. Towner said he performs tricks any novice magician can perform, but it’s his ot appearance and tries to make the magic he performs an extension o f his appearance. For shows, Towner is never without a perfectly fitted tuxedo or a pair o f wacky contact lenses. II is favorites right now are cat eyes, blue and white stars and zebra stripes. "They look a little crazy, a little differ en t,” Tow ner said. “And no, th e y 're not ju st for looks, 1 do need to w ear con- _______ tacts. But 1 try not to tell people that because then th ey ’ll say, ‘If h e’s so m agi cal why d o esn ’t he fix his own ey es?” ’ Towner knows his Las Ve gas aspirations will take a lot o f work, but h e’s ready for it. For now he promises to do as many shows as possible while working on a new stage rou - Portland Magician Antwan Towner tine that will include produc tion o f doves, canes, silk delivery o f the act that sets him apart from scarves, candles and puffs o f smoke and other magicians. eventually even levitation. “It’s like, ‘Bam! Here I am !’” he said. In addition to perform ances at Billy “ Magic defies the laws o f what humans R eed ’s, Tow ner does private parties can or cannot do. I like going against the and donates his tim e to schools and grain a little and breaking the rules, but in D oem becker C h ild ren ’s Hospital. To a good way." see him perform , stop by Billy R eed’s, By breaking the rules. Towner said he 2808N .E. M LKJr. B lvd,betw een6 p.m. means the rules o f perception. Also an and 9 p.m. on Sunday and M onday aspiring model who has done print adver night for a free tabletop show. To book tisement work for Nike and other fashion a private show, contact Tow ner at 503- designers, Towner knows the importance 807-1244. " "Magic defies the laws o f what humans can or cannot do. I like going against the grain a little and breaking the rules, but in a good way. ” % Giving our best. f 5AFt* * v c777 Fresh Savings with Safeway Club! Attention SENIORS Lean Ground Beef Safeway Senior Shuttle Service! / f j Northwest Asparagus Introducing a great new service tor Valu Pack. our neighborhood senior cittiens FREE grocery shopping shuttle service' to your nearby Ainsworth Ä M L K Blvd Safeway Food & D rug TW IC E a M onth! O n ex around the 4th and 15th of each m onth This Service is FREE to 80% Lean. Best just steamed. SAVE up to $2.29 on 2 SAVE up to $3.02 lb. 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