It's the special words that makes magician Kyle Key's magic work, and those words can be anything from "please" to "fluffy pink unicorn," as kids learned on Friday, April 1.
Key performed his 45-minute show to a rapt audience of children at the Stettler Public Library, involving the audience in the magic as none of it would work unless they called out the magic words.
Trick after trick would seem to fail until the children volunteered their magical words, using their magical energy as an audience to power Key's performance.
Whether it was resurrecting the stomped-on balloon dog "Lego" in a paper bag, or making pictures appear on blank paper, Key's magic captivated the audience and brought lots of laughter and delighted cries of surprise.
Magic is, simply put, magical, Key said after his performance.
"It started with a magic kit I got at Christmas," Key said of his love affair with the magical art. "I started at five-years-old."
The youthful-looking Key added with a laugh, "When people see me, they don't expect I've done anything for 20 years."
From there, he started taking lessons at seven before going on to compete. Today, he does performances at a wide variety of events, from small locations like at the library, to larger stage performances, and right down to birthday parties.
"I really love the different people I get to meet, especially the kids," Key said. "The kids' reaction to the magic, and the power of magical words, is awesome."