[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 100 (Thursday, June 13, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E623-E624]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  HONORING RICK AND SUSAN WILCOX FOR THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE RICK 
                          WILCOX MAGIC THEATER

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. MARK POCAN

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 13, 2024

  Mr. POCAN. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the following 
Proclamation Honoring Rick and Susan Wilcox for the 25th Anniversary of 
the Rick Wilcox Magic Theater:
  Whereas Rick Wilcox was intrigued by magic at age 10, began his magic 
career astonishing guests at a restaurant in Brookfield, Wisconsin 
during high school, funded his UW-Madison degree with magic shows, and 
has never stopped pursuing his passion for magic and illusion;
  Whereas Rick became a nationally sought-after act for corporate 
events with his showmanship and quick wit, and while managing

[[Page E624]]

his entertainment business full-time, he married Susan in 1996 who 
happily became his business partner and eventually agreed to join him 
on stage;
  Whereas Rick and Susan Wilcox, despite the glamour of performing 
around the world, determined to bring their business home to Wisconsin, 
and with extraordinary encouragement from their families, purchased and 
renovated a neglected, unoccupied 550-seat theater in Wisconsin Dells, 
transforming it into an economic, employment and enchantment engine for 
the region;
  Whereas The Rick Wilcox Magic Theater became the first-of-its-kind 
when it opened on May 17, 1999: a theater dedicated to the art of 
magic, entirely owned, operated, and headlined by its namesake,
  Whereas Since 1999, as owners and performers, Rick and Susan Wilcox 
have managed every aspect of their small business: producing and 
starring in thousands of shows for Midwestern families, hiring hundreds 
of staff members, maintaining the theater and property, and delighting 
tens of thousands with their unique on-stage chemistry, and mix of 
family-friendly comedy and illusion;
  Whereas Rick and Susan Wilcox, by unanimous vote of their peers, won 
the magic community's most prestigious award, the 2024 Milbourne 
Christopher Illusionist Award, placing these two Wisconsin natives 
among the pantheon of magic's most-celebrated illusionists, including 
such past winners as David Copperfield, Doug Henning, Harry Blackstone, 
Lance Burton, and Siegfried and Roy;
  Whereas The Rick Wilcox Magic Theater is nationally recognized as 
``Wisconsin's Best'' on the Reader's Digest list of ``The 50 Best 
Family Travel Destinations in Each State,'' is the No. 1 rated activity 
in Wisconsin Dells by TripAdvisor, and continues to be a central part 
of the tourism industry in Wisconsin, and
  Whereas The Rick Wilcox Magic Theater celebrated a remarkable 
milestone on May 17, 2024: 25 amazing years in business, and will 
continue to be a central part of the tourism industry in Wisconsin 
Dells; and
  Now, Therefore, Be It Resolved That I, Mark Pocan, U.S. Congressman 
for Wisconsin's Second District, do hereby express my sincere 
appreciation to the Rick Wilcox Magic Theater and Rick and Susan Wilcox 
for their incredible 25 years of bringing magic, comedy, and joy to 
families in Wisconsin.

                          ____________________