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Q and A with magician Seth Grabel Allison Duck
Sat, Feb 20, 2010 (11:59 a.m.)

Photo: Shane O’Neal Photography
Anyone can say “abracadabra,” but few can say it while suspended from the ceiling on silks.

Magician Seth Grabel isn’t your garden-variety illusionist. The multi-talented entertainer, who opens for The Amazing Jonathan at his Harmon Theater show, incorporates his gymnastics background into his act.

Grabel also has regular gigs at the Foundation Room on Friday and Saturday nights where he wanders through the crowd showing club goers his magic tricks up close. Catch Grabel this Saturday as he headlines his own show at Club Fortune Casino.

Do you ever use your skills as an icebreaker at parties or to pick up ladies?

Oh, all the time. That’s one of the reasons why I got into it, because it’s a fun thing to do to entertain people. People are standing around bored and then I bring it out and it breaks the ice.

How did you get your start in magic?

I actually started doing close-up magic in my apartment in San Luis Obispo, and I started little by little picking up new things. It’s basically trying to impress people with slight of hand. My favorite trick is the watch steal, which is rather comedic. Basically I take someone’s watch off without them knowing. I do a pick-pocketing act on stage. That’s kind of my comedy bit. I bring two people on stage and I take everything from their watch, their wallet, their shorts, suspenders, ties. It depends on what they have that I can take off. I take it off and show the audience, and they get a big kick out of it.

CalendarSeth Grabel
February 20
9 p.m.
Club Fortune Casino
Beyond the Weekly
Seth GrabelPick-pocketing is an unusual skill. How did you come to discover you were good at it?

I just decided to try it to see if it worked. At first I was a little nervous to be taking someone’s watch without them knowing or allowing me. I just did it and it worked. Then I gave it back to him and he said, “I didn’t even feel that. How did you do that?” It kind of became an addiction, and I started doing it more and more.

What type of magic do you do with Amazing Jonathan?

I work with him one week out of the month. I open the show. I do all silent magic because he’s the comedian, so I don’t even talk. I get on stage and do a lot of physical magic. I call it acrobatic magic. It’s like Cirque du Soleil meets David Copperfield. I’m a gymnast. It depends on the stage, but I usually come out with a round-off back flip. Then for the finale I do silks, aerial acrobatics. It’s so cool to see the audience’s faces when I fly over them.

Are there any magicians you really admire?

I admire different people for different reasons. I mostly admire entertainers, for example, Gene Kelly or Fred Astaire for their dancing, or Michael Jackson, for that matter. He’s a phenomenal performer in every way. As for magicians, I admire Criss Angel for his marketing abilities, not necessarily for his performance abilities. I’m a businessman and I appreciate his marketing ability. Everyone is so quick to bash him, but I try never to bash anyone because I’ve made errors in my career too. Amazing Jonathan has amazing timing. I watch him and he just has impeccable timing.

Have you ever gotten in trouble for your pick-pocketing act?

I haven’t. Everyone seems to think I have and I think that I should have, but I haven’t yet. I haven’t because of my happy-go-lucky nature I guess. I steal it, then I say, “Oh, this must be yours. I’m sorry.” They’re just happy to get it back. I love people’s reactions. That’s really how I got into magic.

I’ll be performing at the City Winey in New York on March 25th at 8pm!  Come check me out if you’re in town.

155 Varick St New York, NY 10013
(212) 608-0555

View my events calendar

New Mexico Tour Magic in New Mexico Seth just returned from his tour of New Mexico. The one-hour, highly interactive show at the New Mexico State Fair featured two showgirls, an Acro-DJ, and a stilt walker! Seth and the rest of the crew had an absolute blast, and the tour was a great success! Acromagic Show New promo video! Grabel uses his dance and acrobatic abilities to give the audience a stunning magical stage show. Acromagic is an original high energy show, for all ages. Watch the video! Rave Reviews What are they saying about Seth Grabel?   “Seth is a very talented entertainer who brings a whole new level of energy to showtime – a must see!” – Vinnie Paul, Pantera      “Seth has brought magic to an exhilarating level. His show is not to be missed.” – Amazing Johnathan, Comedy Magician    “Seth’s unique approach to magic creates a new flair that the art has never seen before.” – Anthony Cools, Hypnotist, Paris		New Mexico Tour Acromagic Show Rave Reviews Seth uses this newsletter to keep in touch with all his fans. You can also email Seth, or follow him on Twitter.           What can Seth Grabel do for you?                          Close-Up Magic                          Pickpocketing  Our Official Sponsors   © 2009 Seth Grabel Productions         Acromagic Show Magic Moves Show Aerial Artistry Levitation Quick Change Go to www.sethgrabel.com or call 702.614.4559 to find out more!   “I have so much fun with magic,” says Master Magician Seth Grabel. “It’s just a joy because I can go anywhere and even if I don’t know anybody, doing magic is an immediate icebreaker. Everyone loves magic!”

The Latest News from Seth Grabel

In This Issue

New Mexico Tour
Magic in New Mexico

Seth just returned from his tour of New Mexico. The one-hour, highly
interactive show at the New Mexico State Fair featured two showgirls, an
Acro-DJ, and a stilt walker! Seth and the rest of the crew had an absolute
blast, and the tour was a great success!

[http://www.vimeo.com/7299694]

Acromagic Show
New promo video!

Grabel uses his dance and acrobatic abilities to give the audience a
stunning magical stage show. Acromagic is an original high energy show, for
all ages. [http://www.vimeo.com/7299694] Watch the video!

[http://www.vimeo.com/7299694]

Rave Reviews
What are they saying about Seth Grabel?

“Seth is a very talented entertainer who brings a whole new level of
energy to showtime – a must see!” – Vinnie Paul, Pantera

“Seth has brought magic to an exhilarating level. His show is not to be
missed.” – Amazing Johnathan, Comedy Magician

“Seth’s unique approach to magic creates a new flair that the art has
never seen before.” – Anthony Cools, Hypnotist, Paris

[http://www.vimeo.com/7299694]

New Mexico Tour
Acromagic Show
Rave Reviews
Seth uses this newsletter to keep in touch with all his fans. You can
also [mailto:seth@sethgrabel.com] email Seth, or follow him on
[http://twitter.com/sethgrabel] Twitter.

“I have so much fun with magic,” says Master Magician Seth Grabel.
“It’s just a joy because I can go anywhere and even if I don’t know
anybody, doing magic is an immediate icebreaker. Everyone loves magic!”

What can Seth Grabel do for you?

Close-Up Magic

Pickpocketing

Acromagic Show

Magic Moves Show

Aerial Artistry

Levitation

Quick Change

Go to [http://www.sethgrabel.com] www.sethgrabel.com or call 702.614.4559
to find out more!

Our Official Sponsors: Vlado Footwear, Ketel One, and Goorin Hats.

© 2009 Seth Grabel Productions

SETH GRABEL: Abracadabra acrobatics
Henderson man’s high-energy mix gets crowds going
By LAUREN ROMANO
VIEW STAFF WRITER
Duane Prokop/ViewSeth Grabel shows off a little dexterity during an opening routine inside the Harmon Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort, Feb. 5. The local magician also has a hotel management degree from UNLV.
Duane Prokop/ViewAcrobatic magician Seth Grabel does a backflip during his opening number for Amazing Johnathan inside the Harmon Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort.

Seth Grabel, like so many valley residents, had no intention of staying in Southern Nevada when he moved here to attend UNLV.
But six years later, his hotel management degree forgotten about, he has become a part of the neon city’s entertainment community.
Grabel, an acrobatic magician, as he calls himself, has a regular gig opening nightly for Amazing Johnathan at the Harmon Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort.
“I started doing magic in college,” the Henderson resident said.
“I’d just be at a friend’s house and start doing manipulation for them and get a crowd going. People started to ask me to come to their parties, and I thought, ‘Sure, if you’re going to pay me to have fun. I’ll do that.’ ”
Grabel honed his skills for friends, and when he decided to make a go at performing, he locked himself in his house for a few months to get his act down.
His first professional show was at Palace Station, where he was the master of ceremonies at the L.A. Comedy Club.
“I basically got up there and did five to 10 minutes at the beginning and introduced the comics,” Grabel said.
Grabel said being backstage before his first show was nerve-racking.
“But once I saw the crowd, I was hooked,” he said.
The Los Angeles native has performed at special events at many Las Vegas hotels, as well as in Southern California and New York. His client list ranges from Hugh Hefner and Elton John to BMW and Pfizer.
“Seth is a very unique, talented entertainer,” said Vinnie Paul, drummer from Pantera. “He brings a whole new love and energy to the show.”
Grabel was part of the “X Burlesque” show at the Flamingo before joining Amazing Johnathan four months ago.
“Johnathan has given me a great opportunity because he lets me try new things,” Grabel said of the show’s namesake. “I needed a stage. I can’t do it without a stage.”
Grabel just added two new illusions to his act.
He levitates a woman before he makes her vanish, and he paints a girl on canvas and then produces her on stage.
The magician said his show is very physical.
“It’s a cross between Cirque du Soleil and Lance Burton,” he said. “I’m working on a trick where I do a flip and disappear.”
It’s no surprise to Grabel’s family that he is a professional magician. His dad always did magic for fun, and his mom was a professional belly dancer.
“I got the magic from my dad and the stage presence from my mom,” Grabel said.
As a child, Grabel did gymnastics and began free running, or running and performing movements through structures, in high school.
He incorporates free running and gymnastics in his show.
“It started by running up walls, and I still do it, but I don’t do things that are as crazy as when I was in high school,” Grabel said.
Grabel said he would like to take his show on the road in a few years, but he’s going to take it one step at a time and enjoy performing now.
“When I came here, I didn’t think I’d be doing magic,” Grabel said. “I thought I’d have to get a real job.”
Amazing Johnathan appears at 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday at the Harmon Theater, 3663 Las Vegas Blvd., South. Tickets start at $65.
For more information, visit www.harmontheater.com or www.sethgrabel.com.
Contact Henderson View reporter Lauren Romano at lromano@viewnews.com or 477-3839.