The New Tops
August 1966
FANTASIO & MONICA by
Pamela Tolliver No magic devotee who had the opportunity of visiting Las Vegas, Nevada,
in the past year and a half needs an introduction to Fantasio. A
featured performer in the spectacular "Hello America"
revue, Fantasio, assisted by his lovely wife and partner Monica,
delighted the show-going audiences at the Desert Inn with his sleight-of-handmanship
for a record engagement of 15 months. Born Ricardo Roucau in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on October 3, 1936, Fantasio´s
interest in magic began in his teens. This interest blossomed into
an eagerness to learn more about the art after seeing, as he recalls,
"My very first magician, Fu Manchu (David Bamberg), perform
in my country." He read everything he could find pertaining to magic, arid soon exhausted
the supply of literature available in his own language. In his
desire to gain additional information, he taught himself to read
(and later to speak and write) English, continuing his studies
in this newly learned language.
Carlos H. Colombi helped Fantasio very much at his beginning. The year 1959 proved to be an important one for the young amateur. Hours
spent in practicing and polishing his skill in prestidigitation
rewarded him with first prize for sleight-of-hand at the Argentine
Magic Congress in Buenos Aires, with an act featuring billiard ball
manipulation. In August of the same year, he made his professional
debut via television in Montevideo, Uruguay. In the meantime, Fantasio was busy staging a campaign to convince a lovely
but doubt-filled young dancer that a lifetime spent with him would
fill her days with magic. His charm and persistence won her over,
and on September 24, 1959, Monica and Fantasio were married. As
for evidence that Fantasio kept his pre-marital vow -Monica has been the "glamorous half" of the act ever since,
and the arrival of a daughter Jacqueline in 1964 completed the magic
circle. As a team, the young couple met with instant success. Appearances in all
the better night clubs, hotels and TV shows took them from Uruguay
back to Argentina, on through Venezuela, Colombia, Panama, and
then to the Caribbean, where they played the Hilton and Intercontinental
Hotel chains. Accepting an opportunity to come to the United States, Fantasio soon made
his presence known to American magicians. He competed in the July,
1964, International Convention of IBM-SAM held in New York City,
and ran away with the first prize offered for "Original Effects
with Apparatus." It should be noted here that Fantasio builds ah of his own props and equipment.
Each piece is incredibly beautiful in its simplicity and fine handcrafted
workmanship. In addition, he has originated and invented many tricks
and magic effects which he plans to publish when be feels he has
a better grasp of the English language. After Fantasio's opening at the Latin Quarter in New York, August, 1964,
columnist Earl Wilson lauded his "amazingly educated fingers."
September, 1964, found him beginning his long-term run at the Desert
Inn, Las Vegas, where Forrest Duke, reporter for "Variety,"
acclaimed him "One of the most accomplished magicians ever
to appear in Las Vegas. On October l0th, Fantasio made a fast trip to Hollywood, Calif., to tape
the popular TV variety show "Hollywood Palace" returning
immediately to Nevada and a waiting Ed Sullivan. The vacationing
entrepreneur was much impressed by Fantasio, and termed him "The
fastest magician I have ever seen!" (Note: The foregoing quote
has always brought a twinkle of amusement to Fantasio's eyes. In
view of the fact that he has never attempted to run the four-minute
mile, he assumes that Mr. Sullivan was referring to the speed of
his sleights.) Over dinner, a contract was signed, and Fantasio
taped the Sullivan show on October 29, 1964, at the Stardust Hotel
in Las Vegas. Ending his engagement in Nevada on New Year's eve, 1965, Fantasio immediately
signed for a six-month appearance with the Ice Revue in the Conrad
Hilton Hotel's Boulevard Room, Chicago, Iii. His future plans hold
little promise for a long leisurely vacation. With a Chicago closing
date of June 30, 1966, Fantasio and Monica immediately prepared
for their July 4th opening at the Sheraton Hotel in Puerto Rico. This interview could only be concluded with a comment from Walt Disney:
"Fantastic is the word for Fantasio!" |
