Mystifying Mentalist at TCAN 11/1, Mike Super: Magic and Illusion

Voted America's Favorite Mystifier thanks to a win on NBC's Phenomenon, Mike Super is the only magician in history to win a live magic competition on primetime US network television. His spectacular illusions and down-to-earth style have helped him pioneer a new form of magic that transcends "trick." Magic's newest celebrity, Super has a legion of fans numbering in the millions.

Watch him perform a mind-blowing trick while competing on Phenomenon, the search for America's favorite mentalist and mystifier. 

In this interview, Super discusses his time on Phenomenon, the art of magic, and what advice he has for aspiring magicians hoping to reach his level of success. This performance is suitable for all ages. For tickets, visit the TCAN website. Children under 11 are 50% off of the non-member price.

Q. When did you know that you wanted to be a performer? Are there any magicians that inspired you as a kid?  
A. At 6 years old in Walt Disney World... David Copperfield and other people like Walt Disney were both huge influences, and continue to be today.

Q. What is your favorite part of performing live shows?
A. The interaction with the audience. I love different personalities... Each audience is different and unique...I love how they surprise me.

Q. What makes magic and illusion special in the realm of performance art?
A. The level of expectation for magic can be higher... If Peter Pan flies, and you see a wire, it is forgiven...conversely with magic, they expect the appearance of real levitation. So in addition to touching the audience emotionally, you must also fool them totally.

Q. You got a lot of exposure from your appearance on NBC's Phenomenon. What did you learn most from that show?
A. That an overnight success truly takes 20 years. :)

Q. What's the first illusion you ever learned to do?
A. A card trick where three jacks (robbers in the story) are put in different parts of the deck, and the king (playing the cop) finds them together impossibly. I could teach you to do it in 60 seconds... LOL.

Q. We have a wide variety of programming here at TCAN, but you'll be the first magician to do a featured show. What should audiences in Natick expect from your show? How does it differ from what they might expect from a traditional magician?  
A. It completely differs from what they may be expecting. I like to call it a magic show, turned on its side, and dumped out into the audience. Everything I do is done with legitimate spectators from the audience. I have no assistants like you'd see in Vegas.  It is a family-friendly show where people of all ages will truly become wrapped up in what they are seeing. The show is also very funny. It's actually three shows in one.

Q. Do you have any advice for aspiring magicians?
A. Perform, perform, perform! With each performance you'll learn something. Whether it's for your family, casual friends, or a formal audience, (an official show), keep performing... it’s the only way to learn the craft.

Visit the TCAN website for more information and tickets to Mike Super, an all-ages show.