Magicians: Life in the Impossible Page #2

in person,

You know that what you're

seeing is actually real,

Because you're seeing it

with your own eyes.

that is awesome.

you're never gonna

get the same experience

If you watch it

on television.

But it's fun to try.

Here you go.

Good-looking guy, huh?

You like really good close-up

magic, and I love it,

We have a young man

tonight from the magic castle,

brian gillis.

Magician brian gillis.

Brian gillis.

A very clever magician,

brian gillis is here tonight.

Brian gillis.

Brian?

my favorite performance

that I've ever done

Was performing

for johnny carson

on "the tonight show."

I think johnny's favorite

trick that I did

Was one that I invented,

the sweet 'n' low trick.

It involves somebody

taking a bill and tearing off

the serial number

So they can

identify it later.

And then I light

the bill on fire,

- ay, yi, yi.

-Went in the sugar bowl.

And it ends up inside

a sealed sweet 'n' low packet

That's been on their table

the entire time.

- can't be done.

- there's no way.

it's a trick, I tell you.

there is a bill in here.

match the number.

Make sure it's the same.

I do not believe

what I'm seeing.

-Are you guys ready

for some magic?

-Of course.

Can I scoot in here,

so you can all have

a good vantage point?

Somebody have a bill,

like a 20, a 50, a 100?

Write your initials

on jackson's forehead,

So now I can't

switch the bill.

You guys may have

seen me do this one

on "the tonight show."

I did it on "the tonight show,"

both for johnny and for jay.

We're gonna fold this back

into itself, light it.

It's a bill inside,

slightly burned.

Got your initials.

is that cool?

Want me to take this home

and dispose of it?

Appreciate that.

Thank you.

Did you have a dog

when you were little?

- I did.

-Okay, think of it.

When I came over here,

I brought a little dog with me.

It's a little stuffed dog,

and the collar of the dog,

In little beads,

it spells out a name.

If it matches the name of

the dog you're thinking of

It'd be pretty

impressive, right?

Yeah.

What was

the name of the dog?

Snorky.

Oh my--!

It's a miracle!

you get to keep that.

Oh, my god,

thank you!

I'm gonna cry!

Oh, my gosh.

- snorky!

- -snorky.

-That's unbelievable.

-I have two gifts for you.

You get the free dog.

You also get the free watch.

You get the free watch.

-The free watch.

-Huh? Ah!

I love doing it,

but it's exhausting.

Every time I perform at a table,

I have to be totally aware

Of where

everybody's looking,

What they're doing

with their hands.

Everything takes

a lot of concentration.

Did you see what happened?

See, this floats up

instead of down.

Thank you, sir.

I think of what

I want now.

I think of where I want

to go with my career.

Over the years,

I've been copied a lot

by other magicians,

So my style and everything

is not as unique as it was

20 years ago.

I think there's ageism

in the business, you know.

I'm getting older.

They want younger guys

or whatever.

I would like to be comfortable

and not have to

Hustle as much as

I used to have to hustle,

But, um, from here

I don't really know where

I'm heading,

So it's a little

disconcerting.

so it must be great

to be at the riviera.

yeah, frank sinatra

and liberace,

And they all

were on this stage,

all the big stars.

Did you hear we just

got voted best magic show?

That was gonna be my next

question, actually.

the best of vegas.

There are some big names in vegas.

-Yeah, absolutely.

-So this is a good-- yeah.

And I think

the other magicians--

how you say?

They are okay with it.

can you hear me?

yes, I can hear you, frank.

Can you give us,

in general,

Just a little bit more light

backstage, something?

direct from germany,

Master illusionist

jan rouven.

thank you very much

for your applause.

My name is jan rouven,

and I came all the way

From germany to be here

for you tonight.

What you are about

to see tonight,

It's dangerous.

For this show,

for "illusions,"

I wanted to bring something

you never, ever saw before

In other magic shows.

-Great job!

-Thank you!

I signed that for you.

- Thanks for coming.

- -thank you.

All the best.

Au revoir.

I'm soaking wet,

jump out of my cloth.

I blow-dry my hair all

in three and a half minutes.

That's my biggest

miracle.

Good night!

Amazing as always.

- Ah, yes, this is good.

-It's not real.

-Yeah, it is.

-Touch it.

-It's a real tattoo.

- How cool is that?

See, that's a true fan.

if I do any sort

of marketing,

I sell me

and not magic.

There's this sort of

geek chic-ness now,

right?

'cause it's cool

to be this way?

It wasn't always cool.

I've been this way

my whole life,

But now it's cool

to be this way.

So-- and now that

it's cool to be this way,

I think it's totally

fair that I can be--

I'm cool, and so I'm going to

put that out there

And be-- look, hey,

I'm a geek but whatever.

You're supposed

to love me anyway.

I've been coming

to comic-con as a fan

For many, many,

many years.

Because of this comic book

that I helped create

That does magic

and is about magic,

I get to be on

the other side of the table,

Taking people who

might not like magic

And then make

fans out of them.

Comics is an amazing medium

in which you can direct

Someone exactly the way

you want them to go.

The author is

in complete control of

what they're seeing.

You just tell me when

we see the two of hearts.

And magic's the same way.

I'm in control

Of what you see

and what you won't see,

And give you the experience

that I want you to have.

I am sitting here

right now with mike costa

and jon armstrong,

Creators of

"smoke and mirrors."

It's an amazing book that

actually does magic for you

As you read it.

It's incredible.

You see these cards here?

All right,

so just think of one.

Got one?

All right.

So now as you turn the page

and you read along

in the story,

He's gonna tell you that

your card is gone, and look,

your card is gone.

-Yeah, yeah, okay.

-Well.

Yeah.

-And how did you do that?

-It's magic.

Look at that.

There'll be a q&a

at the panel.

By all means,

ask at the panel.

Thank you.

- We do "smoke and mirrors.

- " -we love "smoke and mirrors."

You love "smoke and mirrors"?

They love "smoke and mirrors"!

That one there?

All right, take it out.

You can look at it

but don't show me.

Just say--

just say "stop."

-Stop.

-Okay, good.

There you go.

-Put it back in.

-Upside down.

There you go.

We have one left of our

exclusive con-- issue one,

But I'm sold out of issue

twos and threes and fours.

- that's good.

-Sold out of everything.

Now this is very,

very important.

This card here...

Is that your card?

No? All right,

do me a favor.

Go

on the card.

Yeah?

Okay, good.

That's it?

Thank you very much.

All right.

No problem, man.

When you ask me

what it feels like,

I am giving them something

special and memorable,

But it's also scary to me.

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