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Justin Willman on Why Magic Is Better Kept a Mystery..

Justin Willman on Why Magic Is Better Kept a Mystery..

   The comedian and magician demolishes all your stereotypes about magicians—including that they’re all lonely and miserable..

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Justin Willman is not your typical magician–or, at least, he isn’t a stereotypical one. Willman pairs comedy with magic tricks in a way that takes the seriousness and pretension out of the art form. In his new Comedy Central special, Sleight of Mouth, airing tonight, Willman does tricks for stoned people in a Los Angeles dispensary and collaborates with Paul Scheer and Doug Benson. “It’s formatted like the old Chappelle’s Show,” Willman says. “We start in the studio, do some magic, some comedy, and then we have pre-taped video clips. Doing magic for high people is surprisingly easy.”

Willman started learning magic when he was 12 while recovering from a rollerblading accident and has since perfected some genuinely incredible tricks. He’s jovial and seemingly normal, which goes against some of the preconceived notions society has about magicians. We asked Willman to help dispel some of those ideas and give us the inside scoop on what it really means to practice magic for a living.  Read more…

http://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/interviews/a34164/justin-willman-magic/

Justin Willman on David Wain, David Blaine, and the intersection of comedy and magic..

Justin Willman on David Wain, David Blaine, and the intersection of comedy and magic..

There’s always been an intersection—or at least a set of common interests—between comedians and magicians. Both groups are storytellers and performers, and both thrive in part because they require a little trickery behind the proverbial curtain. For magicians, it’s sleight of hand. For comedians, it’s taking an ordinary experience and presenting it in a way that’s so novel that it becomes hilarious.

Justin Willman is an expert on those intersections, being both a magician and a comedian himself. He’s appeared on Ellen, The Tonight Show, Conan, and Food Network, and his 2015 special, Sleight Of Mouth, ran on Comedy Central. His latest project, an as-yet-unnamed pilot, is in development right now at the network.

The A.V. Club talked to Willman backstage at Riot L.A. about the intersection of magic and comedy.

The A.V. Club: Why are magic and comedy such a natural fit?

Justin Willman: A joke and a trick are very similar, in that there’s a setup and a punchline. With a trick it’s got to be like, “Hey, here’s what’s going on. This would be impossible, boom—it’s possible.” For me, with a trick if you just go A to B with a joke where you say, “Here’s what I’m going to do” and then you do it, that’s boring and cliché. People get too ahead of you and that’s no fun…

Read this interesting interview and watch videos at:

http://www.avclub.com/article/justin-willman-david-wain-david-blaine-and-interse-234802

A Bartender With a Magic Touch.

A Bartender With a Magic Touch.

The bartender delivered another round to the couple at the end of the bar, and then laid a small black mat in front of them.

“Come on over,” he said, motioning to other patrons. “The more witnesses, the better.”

On Tuesday night at Cronin & Phelan’s bar and restaurant, on Broadway near Steinway Street in Astoria, Queens, things were in full swing for the bartender, Dave Cremin, 54, who provides both the service and the entertainment, doing bar-top tricks while serving drinks and food.

Lulls between drink orders turn into brief magic shows, and this one began with Mr. Cremin pulling a deck of cards out of his mouth, a dozen at a time.

Somehow the cards were dry. The couple reared back in laughter and amazement.

“Just to see the astonishment on people’s faces, that’s payoff for me,” Mr. Cremin said later. “To make them laugh and say ‘wow’ at the same time.” Read more..

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/17/nyregion/a-bartender-with-a-magic-touch.html?_r=0

Britain’s Got Talent magician reveals lifelong ambition to read Queen’s mind..

Britain’s Got Talent magician reveals lifelong ambition to read Queen’s mind..

Britain’s Got Talent magician Richard Jones has told how his lifelong ambition is to read the Queen’s mind

In Saturday night’s show viewers will watch as soldier Richard, 25, reads the thoughts of judges Amanda Holden and David Walliams in a bid to win a place in the semi-finals.

But Richard, a member of the Household Cavalry who plays for the Queen almost daily, says he’s desperate for the chance to reveal what the nation’s monarch is really thinking. Read more…

http://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/britains-talent-magician-reveals-lifelong-7766355