The Beginning of My Magic Journey
In 1980, I packed up my 1973 metallic green Firebird, left college, and drove to Orlando, Florida, with only fifty dollars in my pocket and a sense of adventure. When I arrived, I took a job in construction to make ends meet. But under the relentless Florida sun, I quickly realized that I needed to find something more fulfilling—and something that didn’t leave me sunburned and exhausted at the end of each day.
I started asking around to see what industries were thriving in Orlando, and it didn’t take long to discover that entertainment was at the heart of the city’s energy. That’s when I began to wonder if there might be a place for me in that world. I remembered an experience from my college days, when I had once helped a magician on stage. It was fun, fascinating, and seemed—at least at the time—simple enough.
Curious, I began studying magic in earnest. I bought several books on sleight-of-hand and practiced every night after work. One day, I stumbled upon a local attraction called the Mystery Fun House, a whimsical tourist destination filled with curiosities—and, to my delight, a magic shop. Behind the counter was Phil Schwab, a skilled magician whose smooth technique immediately caught my attention.
I asked Phil if he would teach me some of the tricks he demonstrated. He smiled and said, “Sure—if you buy the products.” So, after work each day, I returned to the shop to learn, practice, and refine my routines under his guidance. Phil’s mentorship helped me transform from a curious hobbyist into a confident performer.
One afternoon, while I was there, a man walked in whom Phil introduced as a “great card manipulator.” As I reached to shake his hand, I noticed both of his hands were wrapped in gauze. He explained that he had been working with flash paper when an accident occurred—he lit a piece, tossed it into the air, and it fell into a box of flash paper on his lap. In his attempt to extinguish the flames, he suffered second-degree burns on both hands. His name was Joe Conrad, and despite the injury, his passion for magic burned brighter than ever.
Meeting people like Phil and Joe in those early days shaped my understanding of the art of magic—not just as performance, but as a craft built on dedication, resilience, and mentorship. That was the true beginning of my lifelong journey into the world of magic.
From the Magic Shop to the Stage
A few months later, Joe began working alongside me at the Mystery Fun House as a fellow demonstrator. We spent countless hours performing tricks for tourists, exchanging ideas, and pushing each other to improve. Then one day, an exciting opportunity appeared—a new venue was opening in downtown Orlando’s iconic Church Street Entertainment Complex: Shakespeare’s Tavern. The owners were looking for a magician to entertain guests between acts, and Joe decided to audition.
He got the job.
While Joe was performing nightly at Shakespeare’s Tavern, I continued honing my craft behind the counter at the Mystery Fun House. About six months later, Joe received an offer to become the ship’s magician on a cruise line—a dream opportunity for him. Before he left, he told me there would soon be an opening for the magician’s position at Shakespeare’s.
I hesitated. “I’ve never performed a stage show before,” I told him.
Joe grinned and said simply, “Then put one together.”
So I did.
I went to a local magic shop and searched for something that would make an impression. Hidden in a corner, I found an old three-foot-tall head chopper illusion. I took it home, studied its mechanics, and rebuilt it into a 13-foot-tall guillotine illusion—my own creation. To add variety and elegance, I purchased a Nielsen vanishing dove cage and began studying dove productions, learning how to handle and care for the birds while mastering the subtleties of timing and misdirection.
After weeks of late nights and trial runs, I finally assembled a ten-minute stage act. Nervous but determined, I auditioned for the role of house magician at Shakespeare’s Tavern.
I’ll be the first to admit—I wasn’t great that first night. My timing was off, my pacing uneven, and I could feel the audience’s hesitation. But I didn’t give up. Night after night, I refined the act—sharpening the jokes, tightening the illusions, and learning how to truly connect with the crowd. Over time, my performance evolved into a polished 13-minute comedy magic act that blended laughter, suspense, and astonishment.
That act became my signature performance—and for the next ten years, it was the foundation of my career as the house magician at Shakespeare’s Tavern and later at King Henry’s Feast, one of Orlando’s premier dinner entertainment venues.
King Henry’s Feast was a much larger venue, seating nearly 700 guests per show, with two performances each night. The atmosphere was electric—medieval banquets, booming laughter, and grand entertainment filling the massive hall. I was one of four featured variety acts, each bringing a unique style and energy to the stage.
During my years there, my career expanded well beyond the theater. I performed on television, at trade shows, hospitality suites, and corporate functions, and I often served as Master of Ceremonies for major events. These experiences taught me how to adapt my performance for any audience—whether it was a family enjoying dinner, executives at a corporate gala, or viewers watching from their living rooms.
My time at King Henry’s Feast marked a defining chapter in my career. It was where I learned to merge comedy, storytelling, and illusion into a single experience—where every performance was a chance to create moments of pure wonder.
