Seeing magician’s craft a little differently

     Ivan Amodei is an illusionist who travels the country preforming slight-of-hand tricks for kids from ages 3 to 103. His act includes several awe-inspiring feats never before seen by man. 

     “People say it’s hard to fool a magician, it’s not. You just have to show them something they’ve never read about,” said Amodei before one of his recent shows at the Boston Park Plaza.

     For this reason, Amodei. creates his own tricks, ranging from pin eating to goldfish creating. It can take him up to six months to develop a trick, including several trips to Home Depot and a lot of experimentation.

     His aim isn’t to fool people, it’s to amaze them.

     “An audience tends to go into a show trying to figure out the tricks,” said Amodei. “I try to disarm them so they can have fun.”

     Amodei’s act relies on the entire audience. If he had to rely on paid plants, the show would cost more than it makes. Audience members are chosen randomly by throwing a ball around the crowd and non believers are promptly chosen for tricks.

     Based in at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, Amodei does four or five shows a weekend. Jam packed with magical wonders, the show is a captivating way to spend 90 minutes. Go see it. 

–July 11, 2014–