Adelaide Decided To Go Her Own Way
Instead of trying to rely on the Herrmann men to be the stars, she started to create her own magic show. She didn’t try to dress in drag and pretend to be one of the Herrmann Brothers, either. She embraced her femininity and her own talents by showcasing them on stage in a way that audiences had never seen before. She called her show “Magic, Grace, and Music”. She wore beautiful gowns, and danced during her magic acts. She hired other young dancers to join in the show, as well.
She performed illusions that would be difficult for magicians to even pull off today. For example, She would disappear into a puff of red smoke, and Satan would appear in her place. She would levitate off the ground, with her long elegant dresses flowing under her. There was another trick where she laid down in a coffin and had it set on fire, and she somehow managed to escape.
This was all amazing, but in order to be fully respected in the magic community, Adelaide had to do a trick that was hard for even men to pull off successfully. Right out of the gate, she performed the magic bullet trick during “Magic, Grace, and Music”. Instead of just one person shooting at her, she would invite six men to fire their guns at her, and “catch” the bullets with her teeth. By doing such a gutsy magic trick, even all of the male magicians in the industry instantly respected her. It was clear that she was a far better magician than the Herrmann Brothers ever were.
She was always coming up with new ideas and adding new aspects to the show. She started an act called Noah’s Ark, where she amassed a collection of 200 animals. She performed in all of the biggest venues in New York City. People loved her. Not only was she able to support herself, but she created jobs for other performers who helped with her act.