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Being born and raised in Rochester is something magician and New York Times puzzle constructor David Kwong — who performs at Rochester Fringe Festival September 13 through 15 — holds with pride.
“I'm a proud native of the town of Brighton and (graduate of) Brighton High School, and the show is all about where I came from,” said Kwong.
Growing up, Kwong would perform magic as a little kid and later performed card tricks in the high school cafeteria, something his childhood friend Jared Tankel remembers well.
“He was obsessed with magic, and Scrabble ... I feel like he always wrote that line between it was amazing,” said Tankel, “and also, like, who's this kid that is so obsessed with playing Scrabble in the cafeteria all day?”
Kwong's skills grew as he attended Harvard University, where he studied magic. Since then, he has achieved much: becoming a crossword puzzle constructor for “The New York Times,” “Los Angeles Times” and “Wall Street Journal,” along with writing a kids magic book titled,“How to Fool Your Parents,” which debuts October 6.
But Kwong's lifelong journey through magic will come full circle as he performs his first-ever hometown show during Rochester Fringe Festival.
“There's nothing more important to me than to perform for people that know where I came from,” said Kwong.
He will bring his well-known one-man show, “The Enigmatist: Magic and Puzzles with David Kwong” to the Spiegeltent for three nights only, September 13-15. The audience will follow along as Kwong tells the story of the first American code breakers, William and Elizebeth Friedman, while presenting codes and puzzles to see if anyone can crack them.
“This is a very fun, interactive show,” said Kwong. That's why it's special. Everybody gets to participate in solving the puzzles, and it's not meant to be too hard.”
However, it will not be quite the same routine that was performed to great acclaim at the Kennedy Center or Chicago Shakespeare Theater.
“It's a special show,” said Kwong.
While it will consist of pieces of “The Enigmatist,” it will also include photos from Kwong’s childhood to show the audience the place he holds so dearly — for an audience he’s been waiting a long time to leave speechless.
“I think homecoming shows are always special,” said Tankel. “You know there's a nostalgia piece … and you feel like you've made it on a certain level.”
“The Enigmatist: Magic and Puzzles with David Kwong” | Spiegeltent | September 13-15 | Ages 5+ | $38-$199
Sara Atencio-Gonzales is a Goldring Arts, Style & Culture Journalism graduate student at the Newhouse School of Public Communications, Syracuse University. The cohort previewed Fringe as part of a summer class.
“I'm a proud native of the town of Brighton and (graduate of) Brighton High School, and the show is all about where I came from,” said Kwong.
Growing up, Kwong would perform magic as a little kid and later performed card tricks in the high school cafeteria, something his childhood friend Jared Tankel remembers well.
“He was obsessed with magic, and Scrabble ... I feel like he always wrote that line between it was amazing,” said Tankel, “and also, like, who's this kid that is so obsessed with playing Scrabble in the cafeteria all day?”
Kwong's skills grew as he attended Harvard University, where he studied magic. Since then, he has achieved much: becoming a crossword puzzle constructor for “The New York Times,” “Los Angeles Times” and “Wall Street Journal,” along with writing a kids magic book titled,“How to Fool Your Parents,” which debuts October 6.
But Kwong's lifelong journey through magic will come full circle as he performs his first-ever hometown show during Rochester Fringe Festival.
“There's nothing more important to me than to perform for people that know where I came from,” said Kwong.
He will bring his well-known one-man show, “The Enigmatist: Magic and Puzzles with David Kwong” to the Spiegeltent for three nights only, September 13-15. The audience will follow along as Kwong tells the story of the first American code breakers, William and Elizebeth Friedman, while presenting codes and puzzles to see if anyone can crack them.
“This is a very fun, interactive show,” said Kwong. That's why it's special. Everybody gets to participate in solving the puzzles, and it's not meant to be too hard.”
However, it will not be quite the same routine that was performed to great acclaim at the Kennedy Center or Chicago Shakespeare Theater.
“It's a special show,” said Kwong.
While it will consist of pieces of “The Enigmatist,” it will also include photos from Kwong’s childhood to show the audience the place he holds so dearly — for an audience he’s been waiting a long time to leave speechless.
“I think homecoming shows are always special,” said Tankel. “You know there's a nostalgia piece … and you feel like you've made it on a certain level.”
“The Enigmatist: Magic and Puzzles with David Kwong” | Spiegeltent | September 13-15 | Ages 5+ | $38-$199
Sara Atencio-Gonzales is a Goldring Arts, Style & Culture Journalism graduate student at the Newhouse School of Public Communications, Syracuse University. The cohort previewed Fringe as part of a summer class.
