There’ll be magic happening in Olympia on February 8, 2020 at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts. On the Mainstage will appear two Australian magicians from Brisbane who have stripped down a traditional magic show and will perform wearing some fantastic suits – ahem, their “birthday suits.” The Naked Magicians, Mike Tyler and Christopher Wayne, firmly believe that “good magicians don’t need sleeves, and great magicians don’t need pants.”
With nothing to hide behind, the co-creators of this R-rated magic show have been delighting audiences since 2014. The “best mates” and co-stars were both full-time (clothed) magicians first. “We designed The Naked Magicians together as a crazy idea – something we came up with to premier the Brisbane Comedy Festival,” says Mike.
That was nearly six years ago now, and since then the duo has shown audiences in over 250 cities worldwide a rollicking good time with their good looks, witty charm and masterful command of magic.
Along with performing in London’s West End, the magicians are coming off of a Las Vegas residency in the first half of 2019 where they performed six shows a week at MGM Grand in addition to maintaining their sleek physiques.
“It was crazy being in Vegas with some of the biggest names,” Mike says in a Facebook Live video. “It was Celine Dion down the road, and David Copperfield was in the same casino as us!”
“That was amazing.” Chris agrees. “We both grew up watching and loving Copperfield. That was for me, probably the coolest part – performing under the same roof as the greatest magician/entertainer of all time.”
With Vegas already under their belts, (had they been wearing them), January 2020 kicks off what will be the magician’s fifth U.S. tour with Olympia lucky enough to make it onto their jet-setting schedule. “It’s crazy to think we’ve spent more time touring USA than any other country in the world,” Mike says, “even Australia. This tour consists of 20 cities spread across three months, including performing in New York City, which is a bucket list city for us – alongside Olympia of course!”
Americans are no strangers to these hot and hilarious performers. They’ve appeared on television as special guests on a 2017 episode of “America’s Got Talent.” Not used to performing in front of families, the performers toned it down a bit, but for their Febru‘bare’y show at the Washington Center, all hats are off… Well, everything’s off, and that’s why patrons must be 18-years-old or older to view the show. Emphasis on “view.”
In addition to being two buff magicians in the buff, Mike and Chris are true performers, and have crafted a very tastefully-done evening of world-class magic. They’ve stripped away the capes and magic stereotypes and bring a new definition to “now you see it.” They begin the show fully clothed and are completely naked by the end. They provide viewers with the “full-frontal illusion.” “In the USA, we generally aren’t allowed to show our ‘magic wands’ so there’s normally props cleverly placed or held in front,” says Mike, “but at times there’s just us standing on stage covering up with our hands.”
When asked about what it’s like to make all of your clothes disappear on stage in front of a packed house, Mike recollects on the duo’s journey. “I vividly remember performing The Naked Magicians for the very first time back in 2014,” he says. “Getting naked on stage was the most terrifying thing. But that quickly changed as we received so much applause, laughter and cheering from the audience. Our favorite part of the show now is the moment we get it all off and stand on stage with nothing but a top hat and a smile.”
And of course, things are always easier, (or at least more fun) with help from friends. “They say, it’s always more fun to get naked with someone else,” Mike shares. “Chris and I have been best mates for almost 10 years, which makes touring the world and getting naked on-stage way more interesting when it’s with someone you have fun with every day.”
A love of magic, performing and comedy have been a common thread that has always knitted Mike and Chris together, although there’s rarely much fabric between them. Mike says he learned magic in his early 20s, after trying to impress a pretty girl with an impromptu magic trick, and Chris had early influences from watching Copperfield on VHS at his grandfather’s house. Chris then went on to become the first (clothed) Australian magician in television history to have his own TV series, “More Than Magic,” a children’s program, before becoming an internationally-renowned Naked Magician.
In this “now you see it, now you don’t” evening, it will certainly be easy to see why critics have hailed the performance as “Definitely the hottest ticket in town” (Australian Arts Review) where viewers “Come for the magic, stay for the naked,”(Las Vegas Review Journal) in what the Los Angeles Times calls an “Orgy of Magic, Comedy and Nudity.”
“If incredible magic, non-stop naughty humor, and a couple of Aussie lads getting their clothes off doesn’t sound like a show for you, then stay at home,” Mike says.
But, it’s unlikely that you will…
Washington Center for the Performing Arts
Washington Center Mainstage
512 Washington Street SE, Olympia
The Naked Magicians
Saturday, February 8, 2020, 7:30 p.m.
18-years-old and older – Includes male nudity, sexual references and coarse language.
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