Full disclosure: I’m a huge fan of Penn and Teller. I’ve seen them live in Vegas. I loved their Showtime series. Heck, I was even a fan of Penn Jillette’s guest-star stint on Sabrina the Teenage Witch. I watched the first season of Penn & Teller: Fool Us on YouTube and was super-psyched when I heard that The CW had picked it up for a second season.
The show’s premise and structure, in case you’re not familiar, is as follows: Professional magicians take the stage to perform their best illusions for Penn and Teller. If P&T know how the trick is done, they give hints that let the magician know they know without giving away the magic to the audience. If they don’t know how the trick was pulled off, the magician(s) in question win the chance to perform as part of Penn & Teller’s long-running and hugely popular Vegas show—obviously, a major opportunity for any magician. Viewers are treated to a handful of hopefuls as they look to bamboozle P&T; then, at the end of each episode, the judges perform one of their famous and world-class illusions, which is always a treat.
Here are this week’s hopeful foolers’ tricks, ranked from meh to magical:
In celebration of the ‘Masters of Illusion’ Season 2 premiere, the stars of the hit series dish the dirt on the most common misconceptions about magic and magicians!
For centuries, individuals across the world have been fascinated with the art of magic and the individuals who have mastered the art of magic in hopes of captivating audiences. From Houdini and Copperfield to Penn & Teller and Siegfried & Roy, these talented individuals and the thousands of magicians out have and continue to push the boundaries of the magic.
Despite the magic industry’s continued growth and its increased popularity, many individuals continue to hold onto incorrect views and opinions of magic and magicians – which in part are due to the portrayal of magicians in the entertainment industry from across the years.
Whether you still believe all magicians wear top hats or continue to assume that all magicians can pull rabbits out of a hat, chances are you’re guilty of some misconception about magic and magicians.
Which is where we come in.
Ahead of the Season Two premiere of Masters of Illusion, Hidden Remote partnered with The CW to bring present our readers with a unique feature which shines a light on the popular misconceptions these professional illusionists continue to face. The end result is a list of the most common misconceptions about the magic industry and the individuals who amaze audiences around the world with their jaw-dropping illusions written by five professional illusionists featured throughout Masters of Illusion‘s second season.
So what misconceptions top each illusionist’s list?
Let’s begin our countdown with our first list of misconceptions from a renowned illusionist who is no stranger to the small screen. Read on…
HOSTED BY DEAN CAIN DEBUTING ON FRIDAY, JULY 10, 2015AT 8:00 P.M. PACIFIC/EASTERN/7:00 P.M. CENTRAL 38 of the World’s Greatest Magicians To Appear in TV Series.
Hollywood, CA – MASTERS OF ILLUSION produced by Associated Television International and hosted by Dean Cain will return for a second season on The CW on Friday, July 10, 2015 at 8:00 p.m. Pacific/Eastern/7:00 p.m. Central. The fast-paced 13-week 30-minute variety show will feature 38 of the world’s greatest magicians. Masters of Illusion will feature amazing magic performed by cutting-edge Grand Illusionists, Escape Artists, Fire Eaters, Quick Change Artists, Mentalists, Sleight of Hand Artists and Comedy Magicians. Live audience members and television viewers at home will be amazed!
Dean Cain, Host of Masters of Illusion, is an actor, producer and writer. Cain stars in the upcoming new television show, “Supergirl,” in which he plays the role of Supergirl’s father. He plays the role of detective Mason Danvers in the recently released film “Vendetta.” Cain’s other upcoming films include “Beverly Hills Christmas,” “The Dog Who Saved Summer” and “Dead Sanctuary.” His breakthrough performance as an actor was in the dual roles of Superman/Clark Kent in the television series “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman” in 1993. Other television credits include “Ripley’s Believe It of Not!,” “Hit The Floor,” “Las Vegas,” “Beverly Hills 90210,” “Out of Time” and “Bloopers.” As a producer, Cain’s credits include: “Ripley’s Believe It of Not!,” “Maneater” and the upcoming film, “The League.” As a writer, he penned “Off Camera with Dean Cain,” “The Red Pill” and “Pure Country 2: The Gift.” The roster of award-winning magicians from around the world appearing in theMasters of Illusion is a virtual who’s who in the field of prestidigitation. The 38 acts appearing on television series during its 13-week run include:
Ed Alonzo (Comedy Magician – The Misfit of Magic from Toluca Lake, CA)
Jason Andrews (Illusionist from Las Vegas, NV)
Les Arnold & Dazzle (Les Arnold and Alex Arnold, Comedy Magicians from Long Beach, CA)
Barry & Stuart (Barry Jones from Wales, Scotland and Stuart MacLeod of Garden Grove, CA, Comedy Magicians)
Mark Bennick (Illusionist from Las Vegas, NV)
Tom Burgoon (Comedy Magician from Kansas City, MO)
Nathan Burton (Illusionist from Las Vegas, NV)
Mike Caveney (Comedy Magician of Pasadena, CA)
Danny Cole (Sleight of Hand Magician from Beverly Hills, CA)
David & Leeman (David Blatter and Leeman Parker, Comedy Magicians from Hollywood, CA)
Farrell Dillon (Card Trick Magician from Boise, ID)
Greg Frewin (Exotic Animal and Origami Magician from Niagra Falls, Ontario, Canada)
Angela Funovits (Mentalist from Cleveland, OH)
Greg Gleason (Illusionist from Las Vegas, NV)
John Gabriel (Illusionist from Sante Fe Springs, CA)
Michael Grandinetti (Illusionist from Studio City, CA)
Michael Griffin (Escape Artist from Columbus, OH)
Christopher Hart (Puzzle Magician from Sherman Oaks, CA)
Jarrett & Raja (Jarrett Parker and Raja Rahman, Grand Illusionists from Las Vegas, NV)
Chipper Lowell (Comedy Magician of Fullerton, CA)
Matt Marcy (Interactive Comedy Magician from Culver City, CA)
Circe Martinez (Dove Ace Magician from Las Vegas, NV)
Jeff McBride (Mask, Myth and Drams Fusion Illusionist from Las Vegas, NV)
Johnny Ace Palmer (Close-Up Magician from Huntington Beach, CA)
Jonathan Pendragon (Master of Imagination Illusionist from Toluca Lake, CA)
Piff The Magic Dragon and Mr. Piffles (John Vanderput and Mr. Piffles, The World’s First Performing Magic Chihuahuaä from Las Vegas, NV)
Nathan Phan (Comedy Magician from Orange, CA)
Aaron Radatz (Illusionist from Branson, MO)
Murray SawChuck (Comedy Magician from Las Vegas, NV)
John Shryock and Mari Lynn (Close-Up and Manipulation Magicians from Tucson, AZ)
Sos & Victoria (Sos and Victoria Petrosyan, Quick Change Artists from Altrip, Germany – Sos is originally from Yerevan, Armenia and Victoria is originally from Moscow, Russia)
Titou (Baptiste Molard, Illusionist Pasadena, CA)
Rick Thomas (Illusionist from Branson, MO)
Arthur Trace (The Artful Deceiver, Close-Up Magician from Sherman Oaks, CA)
Michael Turco (Illusionist from Valencia, CA)
Vixen (Cat LaCohie, Fire Performer and Glass Walking Magician from Hollywood, CA)
Fielding West (Comedy Magician from Las Vegas, NV)
Tommy Wind (Illusionist from Las Vegas, NV)
The first episode kicking off the second season of Masters of Illusion on The CW on Friday, July 10, 2015 will feature magicians Greg Frewin, Barry & Stuart, Sos & Victoria, Murray SawChuck, Michael Turco and Rick Thomas.
Masters of Illusion is produced by Associated Television International with returning Executive Producers David McKenzie (“The 38th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards,” “Marie”), Gay Blackstone (“The World Magic Awards” 2007-2009), David Martin (“The World Magic Awards” 2007-2009, “Marie”), and Al Schwartz (“The 38th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards,” “The Golden Globe Awards” 2013 and 2014, “The Gulf is Back”), along with Co-Executive ProducersJustin Pierce (“The Rocky Saga: Going The Distance”) and Jim Romanovich (“Robert Earl’s Be My Guest”). Associated Television International (ATI) is an Emmy Award-winning company that has been the world’s largest producer of magic for both stage and screen for over three decades. ATI’s television series, specials and feature films have aired on all U.S. broadcast networks, major cable channels and with television partners all over the world. Current series in production include: “The Hollywood Christmas Parade,” “Masters of Illusion,” “Robert Earl’s Be My Guest,” and the Emmy Award-nominated “Laura McKenzie’s Traveler. ATI has also been Emmy Award-nominated for its various television specials and series. For more information, please visit: www.associatedtelevision.com
. To view a trailer of promotional footage of Masters of Illusion please visit (60 seconds) https://vimeo.com/131695458
Penn & Teller, the acclaimed magic-making duo, are back on Broadway for the third time, with a collection of their old favorites and stunning new tricks.
It wouldn’t be prudent to pack a cell phone if you plan to catch Penn & Tellerat the Marriott Marquis July 7-Aug. 16. At every performance, some poor patron is relieved of his-or-hers, but it surfaces later in the show — in an unlikely (and ungodly) place.
Top hats aren’t advisable, either. “Pulling a rabbit out of a hat is the cliché of magic — a figure of speech, really — but, in 60 years of magic, I have never seen that,” admits the mononymous Teller, and he intends to correct that oversight with this show. “I thought maybe there’s a reason I haven’t — and there is: you need a hat big enough to contain a rabbit. You can’t pull that out of a baseball cap or a cowboy hat. You need a top hat, and, for it to be convincing, you have to borrow a top hat. You can’t just drag your own on stage because people just figure there’s a gimmick to it.”
