After a week of lost hope, Shippensburg University may have just found its new savior who can turn water into wine.

New York magician-illusionist Kid Ace rolled up his sleeves for a baffling performance in the Ceddia Union Building (CUB) multipurpose room on Thursday. While many feel magic is an outdated form of entertainment, Kid Ace explained how it is continually evolving.

“It’s all about presentation. A car is old, but you adapt,” Kid Ace said.

Similarly, Kid Ace strives to add new features to his work and makes sure it is fit for his audience, thus creating a unique experience at each show.

Kid Ace has performed live world-wide and on “America’s Got Talent.” In August, he started his U.S. tour in 60 cities. SU marks the middle of his ventures. Kid Ace targeted his performances to college students since he likes the demographic best and feels college students are easy to connect with.

The evening began with a mute Kid Ace. He appeared on stage with a lighter and a piece of paper, which he ignited with flames and transformed into a dove. Later, he poured a plastic water bottle into a cup and changed it to wine.

During another act, Kid Ace offered the audience a chance to win $500. All the audience had to do was guess the correct cup with water after he mixed them around. In the end, there was not being a single drop in any of the cups.

“If you ever find yourself in a decision that’s too good to be true, just walk away,” Kid Ace said.

Throughout the performance volunteers and selected audience members participated in his acts. One “tribute” was freshman Sarah Nagy. Nagy copied down the serial number from her dollar bill onto a Dry Erase board. Then Kid Ace folded the bill multiple times to test if it was a fraud, before making it disappear in flames. Later, the bill, with the identical serial number, was found inside an orange.

In addition, Kid Ace did a great job of incorporating music into his show. This extra element allowed students to get excited and build suspense. The popular songs modernized the show for students.

Kid Ace began studying magic when he was 12 after a theater teacher inspired him. When Kid Ace was younger, he belonged to the Society of Young Magicians, which allowed him to meet other magicians and learn tricks from professionals.

The last act of the night left the audience most puzzled. Kid Ace threw a paper ball in the crowd and whoever caught it had to be the decision maker. The first person decided between two groups of classic books — “The Invisible Man” and “The Color Purple,” or “To Kill a Mocking Bird” and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” Eventually, it was narrowed down to one book, “To Kill a Mocking Bird,” and a single word on a random page.

Kid Ace had a volunteer reveal the word, which was “direction.” Then another assistant brought up the Dry Erase board with his earlier prediction. It read, “58/2,” which stood for page 58, second word up in a Webster dictionary. The word - direction.

Afterward, Kid Ace offered the audience an opportunity to come up on stage to chat with him and take selfies.

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