"A Nuanced Parlor Show with Intimate Mentalism"

-Forbes

Bonus Video

When you have a unique skill set, you find yourself in strange situations.  I was asked to sneak into the BuzzFeed headquarters, disguised as a psychology student, in order to surprise the staff with some magic and mind reading.  Warning: the alcohol led to some NSFW language.

Gary performed a parlor show for 25 adults at our annual holiday party and every single guest LOVED him. He has a warm and genuine personality and is naturally funny. His magic is astounding and his personality lights up the room - could you ask for more?! Book him without reservation!" 

Read hundreds of unanimous five-star reviews on:

Gary MADE our wedding. During the cocktail hour he performed and he set the tone of the room perfectly. Many people were meeting for the first time and his amazing talent and humor was the perfect ice breaker. He was so charming we were all sad to see him leave! I wish he was my new best friend!"

A glimpse behind the curtain...

The most magical day...

Bringing global teams together...

Volunteers play a critical role in my performances. They help keep me present, help draw the rest of the audience into the experience, and (when it comes to mentalism) sometimes even supply the content of the show. So it's no surprise that people often ask me, "How do you get picked to be a volunteer?" As a professional magician, I figured I'd share a little bit about my thought process.  Let me start off by saying that there's no way to guarantee that you'll be called up into the spotlight. But there are certainly ways to help increase your odds.

Random Selection:

• Some magicians prefer to choose volunteers at random to ensure fairness and unpredictability. They might use methods like drawing names from a hat, tossing a ball into the audience, or using a random number generator to select an audience member. I personally avoid this method in most instances, since it can lead to a volunteer that absolutely does not want to be a part of the show. Which leads us to...

Willing Volunteers: 

• Other magicians typically ask for volunteers by inviting people to raise their hands or respond to specific questions. Those who eagerly raise their hands or express enthusiasm are more likely to be chosen. Again, as a professional, I find it's best to avoid this approach as well. Why? If someone is that eager to get on stage, they must have some sort of an agenda. Maybe it's to appear funny or witty in front of their friends. Or because they are eager to try to disprove an effect. Either way, those are people I'd rather not invite on stage. But fear not! There are ways to still signal that you would like to participate.

Body Language: 

• Without explicitly asking who wants to be a volunteer, I typically scan the crowd for body language. If you are sitting up straight, appear enthusiastic, engaged, and find yourself nodding along with what I say, you quickly make my shortlist of possible volunteers for the show. I'll scan the crowd during my opening trick and create a mental note of where those people are seated.

Uniqueness: 

• Once I have my short list, there are two main things that will bump you to the top. The first is some sort of unique aspect of the volunteer. This could be a bold patterned shirt, wearing sunglasses indoors, a resemblance to a celebrity, anything really! But if it's something that could lead to further comedy once you're a part of the show, then I try to find a way to make it happen, since these are the unique moments that clients remember forever.

Stage Presence: 

• The second thing that will bump you up the list is stage presence. There are certain people who happen to look miserable, even when they are having the time of their life. If this is you, no offense. It's perfectly fine, just not on stage. Why? Because the rest of the audience tends to live vicariously through the volunteer's experience. If you have strong reactions, vivid facial expressions, and an outgoing personality, you'll transmit that energy and response to the rest of the room, which makes me a very happy performer. 

Prior Agreements: 

• There are two boring options that will sometimes get you onstage. In some cases, I may have prearranged agreements with clients. This may sound like cheating but let me explain! They may say "you must feature my boss in the show!" and I'll then pick the boss as the volunteer because I want the person hiring me to be happy. So I suppose this is the simplest of all the methods mentioned. If you absolutely need to be on stage a) start your own company b) hire me c) tell me that you need to be picked as the volunteer.

Specific Needs: 

• The final reason you might be chosen to participate in the show is that a trick might need something you specifically have. A watch? A $100 bill? An identical twin on a different continent? Since there is no way to anticipate this one, it's best to ignore it. 

As you can see, there's a lot of thought that goes into this process, since choosing a volunteer can make or break an effect.  It's important to note that I always prioritize the comfort and consent of my volunteers to ensure a positive and enjoyable experience for everyone involved.