Even within the daytime, probably the most hallowed floor contained in the Magic Citadel in Hollywood has a manner of casting a spell on hard-nosed cynics who would possibly usually take into account themselves resistant to the artwork of illusions.
Contained in the William W. Larsen Memorial Library, a way of marvel is palpable among the many cabinets filled with books on magic, mosaic stained glass and pictures of the Larsen household founders and plenty of well-known magicians who’ve graced its halls.
On a current afternoon, comedic magician Justin Willman sits in an opulent, burgundy velvet chair match for a wizard, soaking within the gravitas of a spot recognized for carrying sacred magic texts signed by Harry Houdini.
“This is the only room in the Magic Castle where nonmagicians are not allowed. This is a rare exception,” he says. “But you’re not allowed to crack a book open.”
Within the spirit of not inviting any additional curses this week, we take him at his phrase.
Although magic is unquestionably severe enterprise for the star of the hit Netflix present “Magic for Humans” and extra not too long ago the streamer’s “Magic Prank Show,” Willman’s new particular, “Magic Lovers,” goals its wand at our childlike sense of marvel via well executed methods that lead the viewers’s thoughts via twists and turns with loads of laughs alongside the way in which.
Premiering Tuesday, the hour-long particular thrives on Willman’s mixture of crowd work, storytelling and complicated methods impressed by on a regular basis life. The purpose is to have interaction skeptics and followers alike from the consolation of their sofa. Willman spoke to The Occasions about what impressed this new particular, his most transcendent moments on stage, previous performances bloopers and his secret to retaining his illusions weighted in actuality.
This dialog was edited for size and readability.
Your debut Netflix particular combines comedy and magic with the purpose of interesting to each the magic lovers and skeptics. How does “Magic Lovers” showcase your expertise for individuals who need to benefit from the expertise of magic in addition to those that simply need to work out the way you do what you do?
I feel when individuals hear magic, they arrive into the theater with an concept about how they really feel in regards to the artwork kind as a complete. There’s the individuals who love magic, who already know that they like magic — I like these individuals. However the individuals who they convey with them, they generally take a look at magic as a puzzle or as a problem. Or they simply get hung up on the thought “does this guy really think that we think that he’s a wizard?” I like the thought of addressing that elephant within the room proper off the bat, as a result of I actually need to do a present for everyone. I’m not making an attempt to show the skeptics into magic lovers essentially, however I would like them to know that this present can also be for them. I love to do a trick the place [the audience] thinks they understand how I do it, after which allow them to know you’re proper. After which allow them to know — truly, you’re flawed. It’s form of like somewhat little bit of a mini-roller-coaster.
How do you view the connection between magic and comedy?
They’re like kissing cousins. I really feel like my reside present that I tour with lastly received to a spot the place it held up for the individuals on the sofa [watching at home on TV]. As a result of magic is a reside artwork kind. There’s a lot doubt that may get in your thoughts if you find yourself not there in particular person watching it. Particularly as of late, you’ve received AI and deepfakes, so I feel magic, greater than ever, is that this lovely factor to be skilled reside and in particular person. And I wished to strive as finest I might to make the people who find themselves watching it on Netflix really feel like they have been there within the theater that evening and make them part of the viewers.
“I’m not trying to turn the skeptics into magic lovers necessarily, but I want them to know that this show is also for them,” Willman stated of his new Netflix particular, “Magic Lover.”
(Annie Noelker / For The Occasions)
You may have this fascination with numbers in your act — particularly guessing the proper metropolis related to ZIP codes shouted out by members of the viewers in the course of the particular. How did you grow to be obsessed sufficient to get so good at that?
As a child, I simply liked that math and magic have this connection. I used to be all the time fascinated by that. However then once I graduated school, I began touring school campuses everywhere in the nation, doing the NACA [National Assn. for Campus Activities] circuit. And I hit all 50 states fairly fast. And that was the place this love of simply ZIP codes and telling individuals the place they have been from got here to life once more and step by step grew to become a part of the act. Individuals prefer to be seen for the place they’re from. They like to consider the nostalgia of the place they got here from. And I really feel like mixing some issues which might be actual with some issues which might be clearly an phantasm is form of enjoyable. It simply throws somewhat additional layer on there and makes individuals marvel, “What the heck is up with that guy?”
What’s your thought course of on the subject of growing a magic trick?
There’s by no means one constant path. Typically an concept will come absolutely fashioned, and I’m like, “Oh, I got it!” And that usually is as a result of it was impressed by one thing that occurred in my life. My son, Jack, actually did ask me, “Dad, what’s inflation?” And I actually was like, “I got a magic trick that will explain this because I bet people would relate to that.” Anybody who has children is aware of, you get these questions from [them] which might be typically brilliantly arduous to reply. Different [trick ideas] sit on the again burner for years. Typically I’ve a crush on a trick, and I do know I need to do one thing with that, however I don’t know what it’s, or I don’t know what it’s about. I’ve been obsessive about time journey for a very long time, and I feel I lastly cracked a trick the place I can create the true feeling of time journey on stage that I’m excited to tour with fairly quickly. However the trick itself is rarely sufficient. It additionally must be the supply system for some kind of concept, whether or not it’s one thing humorous that can stick to individuals, or one thing autobiographical, or one thing that’s simply honest. It [should offer an] angle on some scorching take {that a} trick can form of assist encapsulate. That’s form of the key sauce for me, and it’s arduous to possibly tick all these packing containers directly.
I don’t know if this is sort of a chef who goes out to eat or one thing, however while you see magic executed by one other magician, are you choosing stuff aside like a skeptic or are attempting to be the magic lover?
I’m positively making an attempt to be the magic lover. I’m positive you are feeling this manner while you learn nice journalism and nice writing the place you don’t need to decide it aside and be form of put your editor/author thoughts on. When somebody can truly whisk you away, it feels actually good. So I understand how lots of magic works, however once I can watch and be fooled, that’s what made me need to be a magician within the first place. So I strive to not overthink that.
“When you can see the wonder and excitement on their face, when you blow their mind, or that they’re part of something that blows the audience’s mind, I think everyone relives a little smidge of their childhood in that,” Willman stated. “I’m not doing a kid show. It’s just a it’s a human show. It’s for it’s for everybody.”
(Annie Noelker / For The Occasions)
You convey children on stage at sure factors within the particular. Being a dad your self, why do you suppose children are the perfect crowd members and what makes them a singular supply of inspiration for magic?
I received my begin doing exhibits at children’ birthday events. So I like performing for teenagers. After which for years, I did the comedy membership circuit, the place there’s no children, however there’s drunk adults. Children and drunk adults are very comparable. They’ll say what they’re feeling. Children are actually good at calling out your methods. Typically individuals suppose, “Oh, it must be easy to amaze kids.” No! They’re so good, typically more durable to misdirect, more durable to form of simply psychologically go the way in which that you simply predict.
However I feel what’s nice about it’s that once I tour, I’ve received households within the viewers, I’ve received {couples}, I’ve received date nights, household date nights — I’ve received everyone. And I like once I do a trick with children, like I did on the finish of the [special]. I really feel like they they’re in a position to overlook that that is being filmed, and so they behave authentically. When you’ll be able to see the marvel and pleasure on their face, while you blow their thoughts, or that they’re a part of one thing that blows the viewers’s thoughts, I feel everybody relives somewhat smidge of their childhood in that. I’m not doing a child present. It’s only a it’s a human present. It’s for it’s for everyone. Mother and father typically are reminded once they have a child, you relive your childhood somewhat bit. I feel we frequently grow to be actually cynical over time, and it’s good to recollect how pure simply marvel and pleasure may be.
And if you happen to flip a fan’s $1 invoice into $100, I’m positive they’ll be a fan for all times.
That’s proper, however if you happen to flip their $100 right into a $1, they’ll be ready exterior for you after the present.
Has it ever occurred the place one thing goes flawed with a trick and it’s important to inform an viewers member “Sorry, I guess I owe you a 100 bucks”?
They all the time say, like, the present should go on and so they don’t know you screwed up till you allow them to know you screwed up. So nothing is a failure till I succumb to that. So I strive by no means to [do that], however there have been some. I used to be doing a celebration once I first moved to L.A. in Burbank, within the yard — a fantastic day. I used to work with animals. I had a chook and a bunny in my present. So I’d open the present by making my dove seem, and I’d shut the present by making my bunny seem. At one level once I made the dove seem and somewhat gust of wind causes it to fly up right into a tree. That’s not purported to occur. I don’t know what I’m gonna do, however I act prefer it’s a part of the present — [but the dove] didn’t come down. Later within the act, I make the bunny seem, and the children are petting the bunny. I notice I’ve received one other celebration to get to, so I advised [the parents] I used to be going to come back again in two hours and produce a ladder and I’ll attempt to rise up there and get [the dove] again. And once I got here again two hours later, they weren’t excited to see me. As a result of they advised me that proper after I left, a hawk began circling within the sky and swooped in throughout [while the kids were singing] “Happy Birthday” and snatched that chook and took her away. So I might have been like, “ Ta-da! that was supposed to happen,” however that was unavoidable, so I don’t work with animals anymore. I simply work with individuals.
“I wanted to try as best I could to make the people who are watching it on Netflix feel like they were there in the theater that night and make them a part of the audience,” Willman stated.
(Annie Noelker / For The Occasions)
Why is does this really feel like the appropriate time to place collectively a particular showcasing the magic you’ve executed for therefore lengthy do, and what do you hope individuals get out of it?
It’s about giving individuals a chance to create core recollections at a present and giving individuals a present that they will sit up for, or hopefully all get enthusiastic about going to and simply keep in mind — “That was the night that grandma and grandpa were there, and we had everybody there.” You get to see any individual smile in a manner that burns itself in your reminiscence. So it’s particular to be part of that. That is the primary time that I’ll have been on Netflix doing what I do probably the most, which is do magic on stage. It’s one factor to do magic on the road. However you don’t essentially watch like that and suppose, “I want to go find that guy on the street.” However you see it on stage, you’re form of like, “Oh, I want to be in that audience.” Hopefully that’s what persons are pondering. So I’m excited to hopefully domesticate a brand new batch of cynics and magic lovers and produce them alongside for the experience.
