How Southern Cross Service Dogs Wowed Its Orlando Gala Guests

Our client Southern Cross Service Dogs used Orlando Magicians by See Magic Live to amaze guests at its 2026 Always Beside You Gala, and we’re sharing how the night came together.

What guests saw

On Saturday, October 3, 2026, about 400 guests in black-tie optional attire gathered in the Bonnet Creek Ballroom at Waldorf Astoria Orlando to support Southern Cross, which trains service dogs and places them with disabled veterans at no cost. During the cocktail hour and silent auction, three of our magicians, Jimmy Ichihana, Noah Fay, and Sebastian Gerhardt, moved through the room for an hour performing interactive close-up magic. Each one gathered a small group, performed sleight of hand a few inches from their eyes, and moved on to the next.

One of our magicians told us afterward that three performers was the right number for the crowd and the timeline, so the whole room was covered without anyone crossing paths, and the evening ran right on schedule.

After the gala, the co-chair wrote to us about how the cocktail hour went: “It was AWESOME! The guests loved it and it created those moments of ‘whoa’ that echoed through the room.”

How we prepared

Southern Cross is a returning client, and we interviewed the gala team about how the evening would unfold. About 400 guests would mingle during cocktail hour while bidding on silent auction items, before the doors opened to the main event. They told us exactly what they wanted from the magic: roving magicians gathering small groups to create “that buzz in a room that comes from gasps and ‘ohhs.’”

A room that size, in a single hour, called for a team of three magicians, and each one brought something specific to this crowd. Jimmy is a card specialist who has appeared three times on Penn & Teller: Fool Us and performed at the Magic Castle in Hollywood. Noah has performed with See Magic Live since 2016, was mentored by Kostya Kimlat, and has entertained a former First Lady and charity audiences across Central Florida. Sebastian, who trained under Michael Ammar and Kostya, has a relaxed, conversational style that wins over even skeptical guests.

We briefed all three on the guest count, the dress code, where the cocktail hour would happen in relation to the auction, and the reaction the gala team was hoping to hear across the room.

Why book your magician through See Magic Live

The Southern Cross team described the sound they wanted in the room, and we planned the size of the team and the style of magic around it.

We know our magicians personally and what each one does best, so we can put together a team whose strengths fit your guests and your goals.

Our founder, Kostya Kimlat, personally selects every magician we work with in Orlando and in every city we serve.

You have one contact at See Magic Live from your first email through your event. After the gala, we followed up with the Southern Cross team and with each magician to hear how the night went.

If you’re planning a gala or fundraiser in Orlando, tell us about your event.