Penn & Teller are continuing their quest for complete magical dominance on television with an appearance tonight on the recently relaunched Showtime at the Apollo.
.@PennJillette and @MrTeller don't do normal magic tricks. Check out #ShowtimeApollo TONIGHT on @FOXTV at 9/8c and see what they've got up their sleeves! pic.twitter.com/rW8m3TdLt3
— Showtime at the Apollo FOX (@ShowtimeApollo) May 10, 2018
No telling quite what they have up their sleeves for this evening’s performance, but knowing their reputation, it’ll be something that’ll confound even the most skeptical member of the notoriously fickle audience.
Showtime at the Apollo has already seen its fair share of magicians, including appearances by Jay Mattioli and Spidey. The show airs Thursdays at 9pm/8pm Central on Fox in the United States. As soon as a video of the performance is available online, we’ll be sure to share it with you all.
If you’re a prominent celebrity, watch out: a magician might use your own work against you to freak you the heck out. That’s what mentalist Spidey did during his recent appearance on Showtime at the Apollo, when he decided to open with a little story about how he was inspired by host Steve Harvey’s book, Act Like a Success, Think Like a Success.
“There was a chapter about visualizing and the power of your imagination, a quote that said, ‘Your imagination is everything,'” Spidey explained. “I custom-wrote this piece based on those words.” He then proceeds to magically bend an ordinary spoon and fork with the power of the audiences’ collective imaginations. They might have gone a little overboard with the brainwaves, though, because it’s clear that no one was expecting that explosive finale.
Check out the clip in the video above, visit Spidey’s YouTube page or website for more of his spooky take on mentalism, and watch Showtime at the Apollo Thursday nights at 9/8 central on Fox, or stream it on Fox.com.
Looks like there was a half-off discount on haircuts at Showtime at the Apollo, because Jay Mattioli found himself in pieces during a performance of his salon routine on the second episode of the rebooted Fox show.
The episode featured a variety of talents, including seven-year-old rapper Yung Hunnid, singer Sarah Ikumu, and more alongside the 36-year-old magician. While Ikumu ultimately won the evening’s competition, the notoriously difficult crowd dug Mattioli’s electrifying performance enough to wave him on to the final judging round of the episode.
While his performance on Showtime at the Apollo hasn’t made it onto YouTube yet, you can watch a recording of his Hair Salon routine from a live recording made back in 2013 in the video below. You can also watch the full episode here on fox.com – his performance begins at around the 30 minute mark. We’ll update this post with the official clip of his routine from the show once it’s uploaded.
This actually isn’t the first time Mattioli has tried his hand at the variety show circuit. Back in 2009, he actually made it onto season 4 of America’s Got Talent, climbing all the way to the Las Vegas semi-finals before being eliminated. You can check out his performance from that show in the video below.
To see more of Mattioli’s work, and for more information on upcoming gigs, check out his website here.
The televised talent show is having quite a moment in the sun, but that means magicians have yet another avenue for showcasing their skills. This week kicks off a new season of Showtime at the Apollo, the program that kickstarted the whole genre. The premiere episode is on Thursday, March 1, at 9 pm Eastern on FOX, and Steve Harvey will host.
The reboot is going to have at least a little bit of magic. Bedros Spidey Akkelian, a mentalist and hypnotist who performs under the stage name Spidey, shared to Facebook that the Apollo will be one of his televised performances this year. We’ll be staying tuned to see if any other prestidigitators manage to wow the crowds at the famed theater.