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.
