The Newest Tops

It was 1991 when this couple first visited Colon and therefore had never appeared on a Get-together show. Karrell Fox introduced Mr. Electric (also know as Marvyn Roy , assisted by his wife Carol). The October issue of TOPS Magazine describes their act as: “This famous couple presents a truly unique act – an act that has taken them around the world at all the top performing areas (and at top dollar, too!). The productions, the vanishes, the transformations – all accomplished with electric light bulbs! This is a world famous and award winning act and everyone agreed!” Further on, the article goes on with: “What the audience did not know (until later) was what happened backstage while Karrell Fox, assisted by Abb Dickson, took the stage to present a few Foxy Foolers, highlighted by the marked and shuffled slice of cake being found in Karrell’s zippered wallet! Meanwhile, Carol Roy was getting ready in the offstage wings. She stepped backwards – but unfortunately right where the stairwell was – and ended up severely straining and tearing knee ligaments. And this was just moments before she was to go onstage!

All she did by way of adjustment was change her high heels for lower heeled shoes and go on with the show. And if you had never seen the Roy’s perform before, you would not have known the difference. Backstage she was visibly in great pain. The Colon Rescue Squad were right on the spot and were about to rush Carol to the hospital when the Foster/Baird award was announced. Carol insisted on remaining in the theatre to accept the award with her husband – even though she was confined in a wheeled rescue squad gantry stretcher! And, typical of the professions she apologized for not being able to give her best performance because of the injury that nobody knew anything about until after the show! Noted in Tops that year: “Carol is swiftly recuperating in California and should be healthy enough to accompany Marvyn for their European bookings this month“.

Carol Roy died May 2, 2009 at the age of 79. No matter what the name of the act, the magical team of Carol and Marvyn Roy was in constant demand for more than fifty years, around the world, on cruise ships on the high seas, and at magical gatherings across the globe, finally slowing their pace and semi-retiring to the southern California desert community of La Quinta in 1996. No matter how brightly Marvyn Roy may have shown on stage, his radiance was challenged by the enthusiasm and smile of his brilliant partner and wife of 52 years.