Private party mentalist & magician in Los AngelesThrow the party people are still texting each other about tomorrow.
A great party at home needs one thing that nobody expected. I’m that thing. I’ll spend an hour or two in your house reading minds and doing close-up magic for a few guests at a time, your college friends will end up arguing with your work friends about how it’s done, and you’ll get to enjoy your own party for once.
What people have me in for
Big birthdays
Thirty, forty, fifty, sixty. The crowd is always mixed, there’s a guest of honor, and there’s usually a toast. I save something personal for the birthday person and do it right before the cake. More about birthdays here.
Dinner parties
Eight to twenty people around a table. I’ll perform between courses, or do the short parlor show after the main. It’s a tiny audience and they react like a big one, which I love.
Anniversaries, engagements, housewarmings
Any party where two families or two friend groups are meeting for the first time. Four minutes of being amazed together gets people talking faster than a name tag ever has.
Holiday open houses
The kind where people drift in and out all evening. There’s never a moment when everybody’s there at once, so a show wouldn’t work anyway. Walking around does.
What having me there involves
Not much. We’ll talk on the phone beforehand about timing and who’s coming. I’ll get there about half an hour early (street parking is fine) and I’ll introduce myself to your guests, so you don’t need to announce me or keep an eye on me. For up to forty-five people or so, an hour is enough. Bigger than that, book two. When I’m done I say goodnight and go. I don’t have any gear to pack up.
From hosts
“My father-in-law doesn’t like anything. He followed Shayne around the backyard for half an hour.”
“Hired him as a surprise for my wife’s birthday and figured it’d be a fun twenty minutes. Two hours later people were still trailing him from room to room.”
“Our photos ran forty minutes over and nobody noticed. People keep telling us cocktail hour was their favorite part of the wedding, which, rude, but I’ll take it.”
Questions about private parties
Is this a magician for adults?
Yes. I don’t do kids’ parties. The material is written for grown-ups, and mentalism especially tends to land on people who are sure they can’t be fooled. If there are kids at a family party they’re welcome to watch, and they usually do.
Our place is small. Is that a problem?
No. Kitchens are great, actually. Everyone ends up in there anyway. For twelve to twenty-five people I’d suggest an hour of strolling or the short parlor show, and we can figure out which on the phone.
Can it be a surprise?
Yes, and it often is. I can walk in like any other guest and start without an announcement, or you can introduce me. Your call.
How do I book you?
Send me the date and your number. I’ll call, we’ll talk for ten minutes, and I’ll give you a price. If you want to go ahead, a deposit holds the date.
Tell me about your party and I’ll call you.
I’d rather talk for ten minutes than trade six emails. I’ll ask about the crowd and the timing, tell you what I’d do, and give you a price before we hang up. You don’t have to decide on the call.
Sets start at $700.