Imagine if magician David Copperfield put a birthday suit whammy on audiences as a member of the Thunder From Down Under, the popular Aussie male strip team. Talk about Magic Mike.
That’s the concept of “The Naked Magic Show.” Famed Australian magicians Christopher Wayne and Mike Tyler attempt to take the art of magic outside of its trick box, so they take off their pants.
Wayne, a successful Aussie TV magician, and Tyler, a popular live performer, unveiled the show, both literally and figuratively, on Valentine’s Day 2014 in their homeland. Since then, they’ve levitated their R-rated comedic production on tour to New Zealand, Asia and here in the States. It requires them to keep their physiques and performance chops sharp so they can flex both in tandem. A two-night stand at the Buckhead Theatre promises a show where the magicians can’t hide anything up their sleeves (or anywhere else).
And it’s not just the dropping of drawers that’s causing the dropping of jaws. According to Wayne, the blue humor and befuddling feats of stage illusion do the heavy lifting.
“By the end of the show, you’re thinking more about the comedy and the magic,” Wayne said over the phone while in the midst of the American tour. “The skin is kind of a bonus.”
Wayne said the idea arose as the pair chatted about uncharted magical territory: to boldly and buffly go where no magician had gone before.
“We wanted to open up magic to people who might not normally go see a magic show,” Wayne said. “We were both so passionate about magic, but thought the industry was kind of done and had faded.”
They mulled it over, and ran the pitch by friends and family. Wayne said they thought they either struck magic gold or it would sink their careers faster than sleight of hand.
So they went for it, creating a cheeky — pun intended — stitch-shredding magic show. Wayne remembers feeling physically ill just before baring all for the debut.
“The first time was terrifying,” Wayne said. “We weren’t strippers or anything like that and had never been sexualized on stage. Then, all of a sudden, we were standing naked in front of hundreds of people that (first show). We were so nervous, our hearts were beating out of our chests.”
Then, he said, something strange occurred. Once they delivered the full monty, a flood of screams and cheers crashed upon the stage. According to Wayne, a bit of hysteria ensued. Since then, they haven’t looked back.
The expected demographic helps fill many seats at “The Naked Magic Show.” Packs of women, many celebrating bachelorette parties, ring in a girl’s night out with magic and man candy. And a strong LGBT fan base joins in for the party.
“We see lots of couples, too, which is really cool,” Wayne said, “because it’s a very fun date night. … The atmosphere in the room feels more like a rock concert than a magic show.”
Although audiences have fallen under their spell, Wayne said the typically tight-knit magic community hasn’t been universally supportive. Some say “The Naked Magic Show” insults the institution, and Wayne and Tyler opt for a cheap gimmick.
Critics aside, Wayne said he and Tyler keep smiling, even if that’s all they’re wearing at the end of their shows.
“The best part of our day is when we’re standing on a stage in front of 500 to 2,000 people and we’re completely naked,” he said. “There’s nothing more fun than that now.”
8 p.m. July 8; 5 and 9 p.m. July 9. $29-$39 plus fees. Ages 18 and older. Buckhead Theatre, 3110 Roswell Road, Atlanta. 1-800-653-8000, ticketmaster.com.
WHERE ELSE TO FIND MAGIC IN ATLANTA
Atlanta lays claim to its own magical landscape. Yet often like the craft itself, it offers more than meets the eye.
Ken Scott
Arguably the most prolific magic man on the Atlanta scene, Scott packs his presto into more than 350 shows annually. His comedic, family-friendly, guy-next-door shtick appeals to all ages, and Scott crafts separate shows for both tots and grown-ups. A total of five White House appearances; yearly weeklong stints at the Magic Castle in Los Angeles; and birthday parties for Shaquille O’Neal, Tom Glavine and other celebs pop up on a resume nearly as long as an endless silk scarf. Summer means Scott embarks on a free public library tour to promote reading. The exhaustive schedule includes stops in Social Circle and Loganville (July 8); Newnan (July 11); Whitesburg and Decatur (July 12); Madison and Monroe (July 13); and Carrollton (July 14). And the list goes on. Audiences know him best for an act he calls “fantasy magician.” Scott slips a tuxedo jacket on a volunteer from the audience. Instead of allowing their arms in the sleeves, Scott steps behind the volunteer and puts his own arms through the specially modified jacket. He then performs, giving the illusion that it’s the volunteer doing the trickery.
Eddie’s Trick Shop
Magicians, both newbies and vets, need to conjure the tools and tricks of the trade. Since 1978, Bob McKinnon has been operating Eddie’s Trick Shop, an inner sanctum retail experience for wannabe wizards. Greenhorn performers can pick up the basics in the form of Chinese linking rings, a set of magical cups and balls, and other standards. Step it up a notch with more complicated card tricks and professional stage magic. Costumes, theatrical makeup and novelty gifts pair well with the prestidigitation. The Marietta Square locale holds the most hocus pocus and almost doubles as an attraction. The more intimate Decatur store occupies the front part of the company’s warehouse. Or simply go online, click and drag, and Eddie’s wares materialize on your doorstep.
70 S. Park Square, Marietta. 770-428-4314; 262 Rio Circle, Decatur. 404-377-0003, eddiestrickshop.com.
The Atlanta Society of Magicians and the Georgia Magic Club
These clubs — both have been sanctuaries for magical razzmatazz since the 1930s — allow working magicians and serious hobbyists monthly opportunities to converge and talk shop. According to Dale Adamson, a member of both and president of the Georgia Magic Club, you might rub wizarding elbows with everyone from a budding teen performer to a Georgia Tech math professor. The Atlanta Society of Magicians gathers for its dinner meetings in the back room of a Moe’s Southwest Grill in Atlanta. After making burritos disappear and talking over club business, four or five members test out tricks for the group. The evening continues with a 30- to 45-minute lecture on topics from dealing with hecklers to revisiting old-school routines. The Georgia Magic Club convenes at Mount Vernon Presbyterian Church, where members put up their enchanted dukes in a monthly competition for the club’s coveted royal blue pin. Got an interest in magic and think you might want to join? Both groups invite the public to come and check things out. Although members will happily teach others, they adhere to the enduring magician’s code of not deliberately and carelessly revealing secrets. The Georgia Magic Club’s members-only lectures take place from 7 to 7:30 p.m. before the performances, and visitors can come in after and soak up the show. Meetings are free, but each club requires dues for membership. The Atlanta Society of Magicians and the Georgia Magic Club serve as area chapters for the Society of American Magicians and the International Brotherhood of Magicians, respectively.
The Atlanta Society of Magicians. 6:15 p.m. the second Tuesday of each month. Moe’s Southwest Grill, 2484 Briarcliff Road N.E., Atlanta. sam30atlanta.org.
The Georgia Magic Club. 7 p.m. the third Monday of each month. Mount Vernon Presbyterian Church, 471 Mount Vernon Highway, Atlanta. gamagicclub.com.
‘The Illusionists — Live From Broadway’
The Broadway hit manifests on the Fox Theatre stage, part of the Broadway in Atlanta series. Magic fans experience not one, but a troupe of seven magicians with distinct styles and looks. A brooding goth and a charismatic showman can be found among the cast. Each showcases that magician's own specialty and bears a name proclaiming that person's respective miraculous niche. Ben "The Weapon Master" Blaque goes wacko with a crossbow. While the crowd gasps, Andrew "The Escapologist" Basso holds his breath for more than four minutes in a water-filled cell. Houdini's likely grinning from the great beyond.
Sept. 27-Oct. 2. Tickets go on sale July 24. Tickets start at $33.50, maximum price not yet released. Fox Theatre, 660 Peachtree St. N.E., Atlanta. 1-855-285-8499, foxtheatre.org.
About the Author
