RING 129. HEART OF AMERICA RING. Meets first Thursday of every month at AT BOWERY THEATER  (BEHIND WESTPORT FLEA MARKET) 817 PENNSYLVANIA, KANSAS CITY, MO 64111 President: Kelly Rusk, 

Ring 129 report for September 2026.

Ring 129 Has a Lot to Report This Month

Ring 129 has a lot to report this month.

A Visit from Jamie Williams

First, at the end of August, we were treated to a lecture by British magician Jamie Williams. He was very entertaining and gave us a lot of tips, including the choreography involved in presenting card tricks. He also had a lot of unusual items available for sale.

September Was Houdini Month

September was Houdini Month in Kansas City, per an official proclamation from the Mayor of Kansas City, Missouri. More on this later in the column.

Our September meeting focused on Houdini. We began by watching part of a film featuring some of his best-known escapes, including a recording of his voice.

Kelly Rusk showed us some comic books from his personal collection that featured Houdini. Duane Fields gave us a bit of Ring 129 history, reporting that the late Harry Otto, who was called the “Dean of Kansas City Magic,” worked with Houdini. Those of us who have been with the Ring for about half a century remember Harry.

Dennis Burks displayed several books on Houdini from his personal collection.

Quarterly Contest

We then moved on to our quarterly contest, which determines who will qualify to compete in our annual contest for Magician of the Year.

• Phil Franklin performed a mentalism routine based on the game of Clue, but it broke down due to a mix-up in the instructions he gave to the spectator.
• Samuel Bricker performed a routine based on a Lota Bowl, which stood for a spittoon.
• Harry Schuman performed a routine involving the manipulation of a Losander floating table.

In the voting, Samuel Bricker was chosen to advance to the annual contest.

Show Me the Magic

In the open “Show Me the Magic” segment of the meeting:

• Steve Steiner performed a gag routine with a foam-rubber camera.
• John Hicks performed a four-ace routine.
• Adam Brown mystified us with a mentalism routine utilizing a cellphone.

Houdini Comes Home to Kansas City

Now for the most important event of the year.

For the past year, Dennis Burks has been heading up an effort, in coordination with our local SAM Assembly, to have a plaque erected commemorating the spot in downtown Kansas City, Missouri—Tenth and Main Streets—where Harry Houdini first performed his trademark routine: the upside-down straitjacket escape.

His efforts paid off during September 9–11.

John Cox Lecture

On September 9, John Cox, perhaps the world’s greatest expert on Houdini’s life and career, gave a lecture at the downtown Public Library on Houdini’s life, focusing on his connection with Kansas City.

Much of what Cox presented was information that most of us were not aware of. The event drew a large crowd—not just of magicians, but also members of the general public.

The Houdini Plaque Unveiling

Two days later, we held the actual unveiling of the plaque in conjunction with SAM Assembly 38.

John Cox gave a brief summary of what he had discussed in greater detail two days earlier. Kelly Rusk and Matt Gurley, presidents of the Ring and Assembly, respectively, followed with their remarks, including the reading of the mayor’s proclamation naming September 2026 as Houdini Month.

This was followed by the actual unveiling of the plaque, which was financed by both the IBM and the SAM.

Finally, as a fitting conclusion, our own Lance Rich performed the upside-down straitjacket escape.

Thanks to our extensive publicity, in addition to a large number of magicians, more than 100 members of the general public were in attendance.

It was a fitting conclusion to the seemingly endless hours of work put in by the two clubs.

==Stu Lewis, ring reporter