He started his magic career performing at age six in his backyard by charging a nickel per person. He then went on to perform on live television, beat the competition to become the winner of NBC’s “Phenomenon,” and perform all over the United States. Mike Super, an accomplished magician, was the first big performer to take the stage at the Aetos Center for the Performing Arts on Feb. 18.
Super creates his own magic, with every show being brand-new.
“I’ve been doing magic for a really, really long time, so I just like to try to create something,“ Super said. “I like to start with a concept — I wondered, what if I had an imaginary friend that proved he was there? And that’s what I ended up using as a concept for ‘America’s Got Talent,’ and they loved it.”
Super sees his shows as more than just a simple magic show.
“Magic is pretty universal, age-wise, so unfortunately when people think of a magician, they think of a birthday party guy in a tuxedo pulling scarves out of their sleeves and it’s kind of lame,” Super said. “But magic doesn’t have to be like that. I think in today’s times, it is one of the few pieces of live entertainment where you can engage everyone on different levels.”
The idea of making a vehicle appear on the Aetos stage was inspired by previous magic Super had seen.
“So I wondered how I’d get a car off the dealership lot, without [the audience] knowing it, and the audience gets to pick the make, model and color,” Super said. “All that comes together and I have 30 seconds to make it appear.”
During Super’s performance, however, no audience member was lucky enough to drive away with the vehicle, but one did appear during the act.
Super’s passion just so happened to be magic, but he said he believes everyone should pursue their dreams, regardless if it’s something they’re getting paid for.
“Go out and find something you’re passionate about doing that you would do for free anyway,” Super said. “If you pursue that, you’ll definitely find a way to make a living out of it. That’s really the takeaway — not just for magic, but for anything.”