Two recent high school graduates who headline at Hollywood's famed Magic Castle are using their sleight of hand to make a difference in the fight against childhood cancer.
Aidan Corcoran and Jacob Martinez will present "Magic for Charity" on Nov. 29 at 9 p.m. at Illusions Magic Lounge in Santa Monica, with 100% of ticket proceeds benefiting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The young magicians, performing alongside fellow Magic Castle headliner Alex Huang, hope to raise $10,000 for children battling cancer.
"I want to show people that anyone can make a difference," Martinez said. "Anyone can make an impact, even helping one person is worth it."
For Martinez, 18, the cause is personal. His mother was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2020, an experience that profoundly affected his family.
"My mom went through breast cancer in 2020 and it had a huge impact on my whole family," Martinez said. "Ever since then, I knew that one day I wanted to do something that could make things a little brighter for people going through a time like that."
When researching charitable organizations, Martinez said St. Jude stood out. "No one should have to deal with that fight... and especially not a kid," he said.
Corcoran's path to professional magic began in childhood when a family friend showed him a card trick. The next day, he bought a deck of cards and began teaching himself tricks through YouTube videos.
"I was obsessed," Corcoran said. "This went on for years until I found out about The Magic Castle in Hollywood. It was there that I realized this could be an actual career."
He quit his job as a busboy to perform at the prestigious venue, known as the Academy of Magical Arts' clubhouse and one of the world's most famous magic performance spaces.
Martinez discovered magic at age 7 when he and his brother received a magic kit for Christmas. While his brother quickly lost interest, Martinez continued practicing. Six years later, he auditioned for the Magic Castle.
"I realized there were actually people out there making a living doing magic," Martinez said. "And when I saw that, my reaction was 'why not me?' Five years later... I'm doing it professionally."
The Nov. 29 show will feature performances from multiple Magic Castle magicians, offering audiences a mix of magic, mentalism and comedy.
"Guests can expect a mix of magic, mind reading, and comedy, with each of us bringing different things to the table," Corcoran said. "As Magic Castle performers, we deliver a show guests would expect to see at the Castle."
The collaboration with Huang adds another dimension to the performance. Huang said their partnership succeeds because of mutual trust and respect.
"We rely on each other not just creatively but also physically — especially in routines that involve shared handling or coordinated misdirection," Huang said. "Our partnership creates a unique blend of creativity, energy, and showmanship that none of us could achieve alone."
For Huang, supporting St. Jude aligns with magic's fundamental purpose.
"For us, magic has always been about bringing hope, wonder, and moments of joy to people," Huang said. "Supporting St. Jude felt like a natural extension of that purpose."
Corcoran said the event reflects a philosophy of helping others in the present rather than waiting for future success.
"I feel so grateful for finding the career I have and the life I've been given," Corcoran said. "I realize now that the future is not guaranteed. If I want to help others I should do it whenever possible as all there is ever is the now."
The event will take place at Illusions Magic Lounge, 1418 4th St., Santa Monica. Tickets are available at eventbrite.com.
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, based in Memphis, Tenn., treats children with cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Families never receive a bill for treatment, travel, housing or food.