Vienna 2000

William "Doc" Eason, the Roaring Fork Valley's resident magician, is going to disappear - but by traditional means. The Doctor, who has established a 23 year long magical reputation at Snowmass Village's Tower Magic Bar, is accepting an invitation to attend the 24th annual Ball of Magicians in Vienna, Austria on the 26th and 27th of February."For a brief stretch of time," Doc mused, "I said to myself, Ican't go [during the Tower's busiest season]. Then I whacked myself upsidethe head and came to my senses. [The Ball of Magicians] is a biggie!"It's no wonder Doc was invited to attend this prestigious event.Besides his popular repertoire at the Tower, Doc has fans who havewitnessed his magical prowess all over the U.S. and beyond. And recently,Doc was nominated for Close-up Magician of the Year at the Magic Castle in Hollywood, California, one of the top venues for magicians in the world.

The Ball of Magicians ("Ball der Magier") takes place in the midstof Vienna's ball season (called "Fasching"). While most balls are fordancing, the Ball of Magicians attracts up to 1,000 upper class magicaficionados, and is one of the biggest and most popular balls of theViennese season.

Only the best and brightest magicians from around the world are asked to participate in this invitation-only event. In fact, only three magicians from the US are invited this year, Vito Lupo from New York, John Carney from Hollywood and of course, Doc Eason.What makes this ball so unique is the combination of dancing and magic. Held in the posh Hotel Hilton Vienna in Stadtpark, dancers of all kinds come to show off their moves (Viennese Waltz, Latin American, North American, European and modern dances); others attend because the ball provides the finest concentration of magic in Europe.Doc says he can't wait to get there to be a part of this event. "I am humbled by the invitation to this magical city for this magical affair!"