Justin Willman brings magic and wonder to Pittsburgh无毛视频檚 Byham Theater
If you haven无毛视频檛 heard of Justin Willman, you may be in the minority.
The magician and comedian无毛视频檚 work on Netflix无毛视频檚 无毛视频淢agic for Humans无毛视频� and 无毛视频淢agic Prank Show无毛视频� has generated more than 1 billion views and his fans span all ages. One Netflix review summed up Willman无毛视频檚 target audience quite simply as 无毛视频渁live.无毛视频�
Willman will be bringing his mixture of magic and humor to the Byham Theater Sept. 24 at 7 p.m. as part of his 无毛视频淥ne for the Ages无毛视频� tour.
Willman has appeared at the White House and on 无毛视频淭he Tonight Show,无毛视频� 无毛视频淭he Today Show,无毛视频� 无毛视频淭he Kelly Clarkson Show无毛视频� and more. He was recently named Stage Magician of the Year by the Magic Castle, a Hollywood institution and mecca for magicians. It无毛视频檚 known as one of the most prestigious places in the world for professional and serious amateur magicians.
Downtime leads to magic
Willman无毛视频檚 foray into the magic world began with a serious injury.
无毛视频淚 was 12 and broke both arms at the same time while riding my bike,无毛视频� he said. As part of physical therapy, he learned card tricks.
Later, while he was attending college, he realized he could pair comedy with the art of prestidigitation. The act proved successful enough to help him earn his college degree in broadcast journalism.
To Willman, comedy and magic are a natural pairing.
无毛视频淢agic itself is laugh inducing,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淪erious musicians can be a bit cringey, but funny musicians, on the other hand, are just plain fun.无毛视频�
Willman, like so many other performers, deals with his share of butterflies before taking the stage.
无毛视频淭here are so many little details to prepare for during a show, but I try my best to live in the moment,无毛视频� he said.
Evoking childlike wonder
Willman views his performances as a bit of a social experiment and a study in human behavior.
无毛视频淚 bring something out of them that is different,无毛视频� he said. You might know someone your entire life and it无毛视频檚 interesting and beautiful to witness people letting their guard down.无毛视频�
Of course, things can go wrong along the way, and Willman has learned to think on his feet.
无毛视频淭he key is to never let on that something went wrong. That无毛视频檚 the superpower of being a comedy magician. Anything can be turned into a punch line and nothing is at stake unless you label it as such,无毛视频� he said.
A fan weighs in
Dr. Morissa Schwartz, founder of GenZ Publishing, can be counted among Willman无毛视频檚 fans.
She describes his appeal as being able to marry the joke and the trick.
无毛视频淭he trick is that they do the same job: they make the audience feel pleasantly wrong,无毛视频� she said, adding that comedy lowers one无毛视频檚 guard, allowing the magic to slip past it.
无毛视频淗e keeps the tone playful, so viewers feel included in the impossibility instead of lectured by it. It无毛视频檚 less 无毛视频榖ehold my genius无毛视频� and more 无毛视频榗ome enjoy this tiny breach in reality,'无毛视频� she said.
Becoming a husband and father
Willman无毛视频檚 work continues to evolve to reflect where he is in life. More recently he无毛视频檚 become a husband and a father.
无毛视频淚 write what I know, so it无毛视频檚 become autobiographical,无毛视频� he said.
That approach keeps Willman无毛视频檚 material fresh with each stage of life offering something new to explore.
无毛视频淭he newest and the truest is always a nut I无毛视频檓 trying to crack,无毛视频� he said.
If Willman could be granted one wish, however, it无毛视频檚 that his mother could see him now.
无毛视频淚 lost her in 2020 and would love her to see the crowds I无毛视频檓 attracting,无毛视频� he said.
For information on Justin Willman无毛视频檚 appearance at the Byham Theater, go online to trustarts.org.