Mágico português nos trilhos da Broadway

É este o título da notícia publicada na edição de hoje do semanário GRANDE PORTO, cuja imagem se reproduz.

VENCER e vencer

Reconheço que vencer é um verbo que pode ter vários significados, que resultam dos diferentes contextos em que o mesmo é empregue. Vencer um obstáculo que, à partida, parece ser intransponível é, naturalmente, motivo para "cantar vitória". Por exemplo, sempre que alguém atinge o ponto mais alto dos Himalaias, ouvimos dizer que conseguiu vencer o Monte Everest. Não há, neste caso, nenhuma competição em curso e, portanto, tal vencedor não corresponde a alguém que chegou lá acima primeiro do que outros.

No entanto, quando se faz referência a uma competição, o significado de vencer é um e um só: ser o primeiro dessa competição! Por exemplo, quando se está a falar da Volta a Portugal em Bicicleta e se refere que "o ciclista Fulano venceu na Senhora da Graça", queremos com isso expressar que esse ciclista foi o primeiro participante a cortar a meta na dura etapa referida.
Tenho verificado que, com alguma frequência, aos segundos e terceiros lugares de certas competições é dado o mesmo tratamento de vencedor que apenas o primeiro merece. E uma dúvida me assaltou: seria "culpa" do novo acordo ortográfico que, porventura, teria atribuído um novo significado ao verbo vencer?

Hoje encontrei uma evidência que a minha suspeita era infundada, pois os nossos vizinhos espanhóis (alguns, pelo menos) também adoptam idêntica "liberdade interpretativa" no significado de "ganador".
Ora vejamos. Recebi hoje um mail com a divulgação de um conferência do mágico americano Gregory Wilson em Espanha no qual se podia ler: 
"Con Gregory Wilson tendremos una conferencia llena de mucha magia, comedia, misdirection, magia improvisada y algo de pick-pocket de manos de alguien  que es dos veces ganador del FISM mundial." (sic)

Ao ler isto as "campainhas da minha memória" começaram a soar, pois, tanto quanto me lembrava, Gregory Wilson (apesar de ser um excelente mágico como tantos outros que nunca venceram na FISM)  nunca se tinha sagrado Campeão Mundial de Magia, tendo obtido, em Cartomagia, um terceiro e um segundo lugares em dois congressos mundiais FISM consecutivos. Uma consulta a http://fism.org/web/championship-contests/fism-winners/fism-winners-2000-to-2009/ permitiu confirmar que a minha memória não me traíra.

Esperemos que o próximo acordo ortográfico que venha a ser estabelecido encontre uma maneira de diferençar o "VENCER" que se refere ao primeiro duma competição do "vencer" que se refere aos segundos e restantes. Talvez a utilização de maiúsculas e minúsculas (como fiz na frase precedente) seja uma boa ideia.

A propósito da diferença entre ser primeiro e ser segundo recomendo esta bem-humorada visão de Jerry Seinfeld:

Jomaguy

Mágico português Helder Guimarães nos trilhos da Broadway com «Nothing to Hide»

Em http://www.verportugal.net/Porto/Porto/Noticias/Magico-portugues-Helder-Guimaraes-nos-trilhos-da-Broadway-com-Nothing-to-Hide=007109 pode ler-se uma notícia sobre NOTHING TO HIDE. Seguidamente se transcreve, com a devida vénia, o respectivo conteúdo.

Mágico português Helder Guimarães nos trilhos da Broadway com «Nothing to Hide»

Helder Guimarães, duplamente considerado pela Academia de Artes Mágicas de Hollywood como o Melhor Mágico do Mundo, vai ter o seu espectáculo «Nothing to Hide» em Nova Iorque já a 25 Outubro. No entanto, a estreia oficial acontece a 6 de Novembro, ficando em cena até 8 de Dezembro. Mais um marco importante numa carreira que tem tido uma ascenção fulgurante.

É mais um passo marcante na carreira do mágico português Helder Guimarães. O espectáculo «Nothing to Hide», um verdadeiro recorde de bilheteira, vai entrar nos trilhos da Broadway, em Nova Iorque. Após inúmeras repetições, assistências lotadas sem precedentes e quebrando vários recordes de bilheteria na Geffen Playhouse, em Los Angeles, o espectáculo atravessa o continente americano e chega a Nova Iorque, onde estreia a 25 de Outubro e permanece em cena até 8 de Dezembro.

Helder Guimarães (2011 e 2012 Parlour Magician of the Year) criou o espectáculo com Derek Delgaudio, e ambos são os protagonistas deste show, que tem encenação assegurada por um vencedor de um Emmy Award, Neil Patrick Harris. "Helder é um mestre, um intelectual hilariante, e um verdadeiro cavalheiro. Trabalhar com ele é um verdadeiro privilégio. É aberto a sugestões, notavelmente altruísta, e está sempre disposto a melhorar. É tudo o que um encenador quer”, considera Neil.

Com apenas trinta anos de idade, o mágico português, que actualmente vive em Los Angeles, nos EUA, já venceu por duas vezes o Prémio de Mágico do Ano, considerado como o “óscar” da magia. O sucesso de «Nothing to Hide» foi uma alavanca para a conquista deste prémio, uma vez que o espectáculo recebeu rasgados elogios da crítica especializada e conquistou espectadores como Eva Mendes, Maria Sharapova, Barbara Streisand, Steve Martin, Aziz Ansari, Ryan Gosling, JJ Abrahams, Zack Galafinakis, Jimmy Kimmel ou Aimee Mann.

Currículo

Nascido em 1982, no Porto, Helder Guimarães começou muito cedo a mostrar apetência pela magia e prestidigitação, tendo feito uma primeira apresentação pública logo aos quatro anos. Com apenas 12 anos já participava em competições nacionais e internacionais.

Em 2004, tornou-se o primeiro português a ganhar o Prémio Ascanio, o mais prestigiado prémio nesta área em Espanha, que é a maior potência a nível mundial na área da prestidigitação. De realçar que foi o primeiro não-residente em Espanha a consegui-lo.

Mais tarde, em 2006, sagrou-se Campeão Mundial de Magia com Cartas, na Suécia, sendo o primeiro e único português a alcançar esse galardão. Este foi um momento que fez catapultar a carreira de Helder Guimarães, que a partir daí começou a realizar espectáculos um pouco por todo o mundo.

Duas opiniões sobre NOTHING TO HIDE

Com a devida vénia, se transcrevem duas opiniões expressas a propósito do espectáculo NOTHING TO HIDE.

"We have all become jaded disbelievers. To see Nothing to Hide is to be reminded of one of the greatest joys in life: that it is still possible to be amazed. To witness with your very own eyes feats which you know are patently, infuriatingly impossible. This show is a sweet, funny, artful celebration of the craft. I've seen it multiple times. You really should, too." -JJ Abrams

"Wonder and curiosity are two of the most inspiring and noble emotions of the human experience. Nothing To Hide deeply taps into these, allowing us to truly resonate with what it is to be human. Joyfully so!" - Rick Rubin 

Magic Extravaganza NOTHING TO HIDE Headed Off-Broadway

O website BROADWAY.COM foi lesto a anunciar a estreia de NOTHING TO HIDE em Nova Iorque (http://www.broadway.com/buzz/171965/magic-extravaganza-nothing-to-hide-headed-off-broadway-directed-by-neil-patrick-harris/)

Seguidamente se transcreve, com a devida vénia, o conteúdo de tal notícia.

Neil Patrick Harris is having quite the magical week! Fresh from his hosting duties at the Emmy Awards, the star will direct an off-Broadway engagement of Nothing to Hide, the unconventional magic show that broke box office records in Los Angeles. Starring magicians Derek DelGaudio and Helder Guimaraes, the production will play a limited engagement from October 23 through December 8 at the Romulus Linney Courtyard Theatre in the Pershing Square Signature Center.

“After seeing Derek and Helder perform their amazing set at the Magic Castle I knew they needed to be seen by a wider audience,” Harris said in a statement. “My suspicions were right—it broke the Geffen Theatre's box office records in L.A. and extended 5 times! I couldn't be more pleased to now have a discerning New York theater audience get to experience Derek and Helder for themselves. I'm positively proud to present this pair of unprecedented prestidigitators. Say that 5 times fast…”

Nothing to Hide takes audience members on an imaginary journey through a series of diverse and engaging vignettes brought to life solely from the words and hands of two masterful magicians. The production originally opened November 27, 2012, at the Audrey Skirball Kenis Theater in Los Angeles.

Guimaraes became the youngest World Champion of Card Magic at age 23. His one-man shows include The No-No Show, This is Not Normal and Incomplete. DelGaudio has performed at SoHo House, Art L.A. Contemporary, ART Annex and The Kitchen. Harris is a three-time Emmy Award winner and host of the 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2013 Tony Awards. As an actor, he has appeared on Broadway in Proof, Cabaret and Assassins. He will headline the Broadway production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch beginning March 29, 2014, at the Belasco Theatre.

NOTHING TO HIDE em Nova Iorque

O espectáculo NOTHING TO HIDE (protagonizado por Helder Guimarães e Derek DelGaudio), que foi um sucesso de bilheteira em Los Angeles, vai realizar uma curta temporada em Nova Iorque, tendo estreia marcada para 23 de Outubro de 2013.

Todas as informações podem ser lidas em http://nothingtohidenyc.com.

Helder Guimarães conquista, de novo, o prémio PARLOUR MAGICIAN OF THE YEAR

Pelo segundo ano consecutivo, Helder Guimarães conquistou o cobiçado galardão "PARLOUR MAGICIAN OF THE YEAR", o qual é atribuído pela Academia de Artes Mágicas de Hollywood (Magic Castle).

Seguidamente se reproduz a foto de tal galardão.

NOTHING TO HIDE - Tweet de Max Maven

Max Maven assistiu, pela 3ª vez, a NOTHING TO HIDE e deixou no Twitter a sua opinião, a qual, seguidamente, se reproduz.

NOTHING TO HIDE - Comentário de Tina Lenert

Derek DelGaudio anunciou, através do Twitter, o fim da temporada de NOTHING TO HIDE no Geffen Playhouse. O comentário de Tina Lenert a tal anúncio foi o seguinte:

Helder Guimarães na NOTÍCIAS MAGAZINE

A revista NOTÍCIAS MAGAZINE #1086 (incluída nas edições do Jornal de Notícias e do Diário de Notícias de 17 de Março de 2013) incluiu uma reportagem de duas páginas sobre Helder Guimarães intitulada A DAR CARTAS EM HOLLYWOOD. Tal peça jornalística pode ser lida em http://www.dn.pt/revistas/nm/interior.aspx?content_id=3113222.
Seguidamente transcrevo, com a devida vénia, o respectivo conteúdo.

A dar cartas em Hollywood

por Rui Pedro Tendinha

Fotografia de Brad Fulton

No ano passado, Hélder Guimarães venceu em Los Angeles o título de «Mágico de Salão do Ano». Agora está novamente nomeado. Em menos de um ano, o jovem portuense conquistou a América, mas por cá poucos sabem. O seu espetáculo, Nothing to Hide, em que mistura comédia e magia, esgota constantemente a Geffen Playhouse, em Hollywood, e pode ser visto até ao próximo sábado. O público rende-se. E as celebridades de Hollywood também.

Há coincidências difíceis de explicar. Ou se calhar é magia. No dia em que a Notícias Magazine está em Los Angeles para ver o espetáculo Nothing to Hide , no prestigiado Geffen Playhouse, um ilustre membro da realeza do cinema americano está esfuziante com o que acabou de ver e quer cumprimentar os artistas. Steve Martin, comediante, músico e dramaturgo, tem um fraquinho por ilusionismo. Também na fila para o beija-mão estão Benedita Pereira e Leonor Seixas, atrizes portuguesas a residir em Los Angeles. Tudo por causa de Hélder Guimarães, o ilusionista português que partilha o palco com Derek Delgaudio.

O espetáculo, que alia truques de cartas e interatividade hilariante com o público, nasceu de um número de magia no Magic Castle, o templo da magia em Hollywood, uma espécie de loucura mediática em Los Angeles. A brilhante encenação de Neil Patrick Harris - o mítico ator da série O Menino Doutor , que entretanto cresceu e agora encanta várias gerações em Foi Assim Que Aconteceu ( How I Met Your Mother ) - também ajuda. Casas esgotadas, crítica de imprensa tremendamente positiva («Derek e Hélder conseguem elevar a magia a um patamar de arte», lia-se na LA Weekly ) e celebridades loucas com os truques de Guimarães, desde Ryan Gosling a Eva Mendes, passando por Maria Sharapova ou mesmo Barbra Streisand. Todos querem ver ao vivo aquela hora e meia de magia encenada com muito humor, onde Hélder faz de Hélder, ou seja, uma persona de si próprio que brinca com orgulho com as origens portuguesas.

Com um cenário discreto, a peça, a performance ou o show , o que quer que seja, vive de um diálogo entre os dois mágicos que passam grande parte do tempo a apresentar os maiores truques de cartas alguma vez vistos ao vivo e a meterem-se com o público. «Mais importante do que enganar o público, para mim, tudo passa por transmitir emoções e trocar ideias. Sendo completamente honesto, o meu interesse em enganar as pessoas que estão na sala está na mensagem que estou a transmitir. Uma mensagem que tem de ser mais forte do que o engano. O próprio espetáculo fala disso. Não há nada a esconder, conforme o título...» Por isso não se aborrece quando alguém lhe diz, no final, que percebeu como o truque foi feito. «O único problema é se perdem o objetivo do espetáculo.»

Apesar de ter apenas 30 anos, este emigrante de sucesso já se sente veterano. Desde os 4 anos que explora o mundo da ilusão, ao lado do pai, engenheiro eletrotécnico que fazia magia como hobby . Corre a lenda, entre a comunidade americana de mágicos, que algumas habilidades de Hélder com um baralho são únicas. «Tem tudo que ver com prática. Desde os 12 anos que estou sempre com um baralho de cartas. Ao estudar, quando era miúdo, estava sempre com as cartas na mão.» E põe a mão no bolso para tirar um baralho. Com 23 anos, venceu o prémio World Champion Card Magic (as olimpíadas da magia) e agora está no trono da magia internacional. E no ano passado a Academia de Artes Mágicas de Hollywood considerou-o o «Mágico de Salão do Ano», título que pode renovar já em abril. «Está tudo a acontecer porque acreditam no meu trabalho», diz no final do espetáculo, com um sotaque tripeiro que faz questão de não disfarçar. «Claro que ser tudo em menos de um ano é surreal! Estava no momento certo com o trabalho certo. Trabalhei muitos anos para isto... Neste momento, com tanta visibilidade, começamos a ter contacto com outras áreas. Estamos a ver como vamos lidar com isso.»

Inevitavelmente, o facto de estar em Hollywood leva-o a pensar em voos mais altos, como o cinema ou um formato televisivo. Para já, juntamente com a namorada portuguesa, quer apenas continuar a desfrutar do sol de Los Angeles e continuar a beber um copo de vinho no camarim com Steve Martin. Isto apesar de o espetáculo - cuja temporada termina no próximo sábado - seguir depois para a Broadway, em Nova Iorque.

NOTHING TO HIDE - Um dos melhores espectáculos de magia de todos os tempos

"NOTHING TO HIDE é um dos melhores espectáculos de magia de todos dos tempos" é o título da crónica que pode ser lida em http://www.hollywoodsoapbox.com/?p=10624.
Seguidamente se transcreve, com a devida vénia, o respectivo conteúdo.

LAST CHANCE: ‘Nothing to Hide’ is one of the best magic shows of all time

LOS ANGELES — When Derek DelGaudio and Helder Guimarães looked me straight in the eye, I couldn’t help but get nervous. They offered me the chance to choose a card, any card — a proposition that’s fairly typical for magic acts. With a theater full of people looking at my careful choice, I hesitated for a split second, mostly out of fear that this was going to lead to some annoying audience-participation bit.

But this was different. The two magicians, who are finishing up an extended, sold-out run of their hit show Nothing to Hide, didn’t want a typical “magic” moment. You know, the ones where the performer asks the crowd to “give it up” for the nervous audience member. We know that routine all so well: “What’s your name?” “Where are you from?” Then, a couple more jokes later, presto!

No, DelGaudio and Guimarães were after something deeper. My careful selection of that playing card was an affirmation of my decision to enter this mysterious fray. They offered me the chance to choose any card, and they even allowed me to change my mind. It doesn’t take a conjurer to predict that the two performers were able to summon my chosen card with ease. The final reveal elicited well-earned “oohs” and “aahs,” and the obligatory round of applause.

Most magic shows would move on to the next act, but DelGaudio and Guimarães did the entire scene over again. I chose another card, once again had the option of changing my mind, and then another final revelation: The card from the earlier “trick,” seemingly untouched under an empty glass, had somehow morphed into the card from the second “trick.” The performers had blown my already-blown mind, and Nothing to Hide was only a few moments into its 65-minute duration.

The show, which began at The Magic Castle in Hollywood, is one of the only examples of a new method of magic appreciation and application. Call it existential magic — a theatrical art form that welcomes self-reflection. Perhaps it’s best described as an event somewhere in that hazy area between Penn & Teller and Ricky Jay.

The show winds its way through a framework of sleight-of-hand tricks that give complete control to the audience (or so we’re meant to believe). DelGaudio and Guimarães want to make sure that their revelations are rightfully shocking. They up the ante (or “raise the bar,” as Guimarães says) to make sure we are satisfied with our choices. They work in collective decision-making, randomness and the ability to modify.

They’ll go to one audience member and ask a question. But then they’ll debate whether that’s “good enough.” Perhaps the person is a plant. Perhaps this solitary example will fail to impress. So they look around the theater and start asking questions to everyone. At one point, a trick involves more than a dozen people — all simultaneously wowed by the results.

As Nothing to Hide progresses, one gets the feeling of resurrection, a phoenix rising from the ashes of an industry in need of some adrenaline. The two performers know of the jaded perception that magic holds in the world (they reference it in the show). For DelGaudio and Guimarães to divert from the well-worn path is welcoming, but for them to consciously bring us through the thought process on why they’ve veered so far off course is revelatory.

The show earns laughs and smiles, and that’s chiefly because of the banter between the two performers. At times they compete with each other (the opening chess match is superbly crafted), and other times they play off each other’s cultural differences (Guimarães is a native of Portugal). They seem brought together less out of comfort and compatibility, and more out of shared interests. Each performer retains his uniqueness: DelGaudio perhaps a little more reserved; Guimarães perhaps a little more open.

Directed by Neil Patrick Harris, Nothing to Hide will conclude its run at the Geffen Playhouse’s intimate Audrey Skirball Kenis Theater on March 31 (the theater is not quite intimate enough; they’ll need an extremely small venue in New York City to strike lightning twice). The staging is simple and effective. A square table, a backdrop of cards stuck in glass bottles, a few props on the side, a rope hanging down seemingly ready to toll a distant bell — that’s it. It’s up to the performers to fill in the blanks, to populate the stage. The fact that they achieve their lofty goals is something to cherish. The fact that they do so without compromising their dedication to their individuality is astonishing.

With thoughts of how they chose my card two times in a row, I continued to let Nothing to Hide weave its way into my brain long after the final blackout. I’m unable to shake that experience. It can’t be classified as magical; it’s far too realistic, scarily realistic.

By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com

NOTHING TO HIDE - Tweet de Chris Kenner

Chris Kenner (que é "apenas" Produtor Executivo e Consultor Mágico de David Copperfield...) assistiu a NOTHING TO HIDE e deixou a sua opinião no seguinte tweet:

NOTHING TO HIDE - Tweet de Daniela Ruah

A actriz portuguesa Daniel Ruah (que reside, actualmente, em Los Angeles) foi assistir a NOTHING TO HIDE e manifestou a sua opinião através do seguinte tweet:

NOTHING TO HIDE - O último prolongamento da temporada

A temporada em cena de NOTHING TO HIDE no GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE foi, novamente, prolongada (até 31 de Março de 2013). 

Este é último prolongamento da temporada de NOTHING TO HIDE devido a compromissos da sala com outra produção. Os recordes de bilheteira obtidos para aquela sala intimista do GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE são dignos de realce!

Tal informação pode ser lida em http://losangeles.broadwayworld.com/article/NOTHING-TO-HIDE-Closes-331-in-Los-Angeles-20130305#

Seguidamente se reproduz, com a devida vénia, o respectivo conteúdo.

After breaking box office records for single highest sales day ($34,348) and highest weekly box office gross (over $91,000) in the the history of the intimate Audrey Skirball Kenis Theater, Nothing to Hide featuring Derek DelGaudio (2011 Close-Up Magician of the Year) and Helder Guimarães (2011 Parlour Magician of the Year) and directed by Neil Patrick Harris, must close on March 31, 2013 after four months of sell-out performances. The production must close due to the Geffen's scheduled run of Neil LaBute's highly anticipated world premiere adaptation of August Strindberg's Miss Julie which begins previews in the Audrey on April 23, 2013.

The sleight-of-hand performance earned acclaim from every major critical outlet including The New York Times, Los Angeles Times and Variety. Nothing to Hide will have tripled its originally announced run, marks the fifth production in the Audrey to extend since 2009 and comes on the heels of three extended productions last year alone.

"We had our first public performance only a few days after Thanksgiving last year," recalls DelGaudio, "and Helder and I are grateful to have had the opportunity to work together for four months in the beautifully intimate Audrey Skirball Kenis Theater."

Artistic Director Randall Arney commented, "What a thrill it is to see audiences respond to Nothing to Hide with as much excitement as we do. Neil, Derek and Helder, all amazing talents, have collaborated to create a unique, artful and mind-blowing evening that theater-goers will be talking about for a long time. We love these guys."

Performances of Nothing to Hide continue through March 31 only; audiences are encouraged to book early as performances are expected to sell-out quickly now that the final closing date has been announced.

Helder Guimarães nomeado para Prémio AMA (Magic Castle)

Pelo segundo ano consecutivo, Helder Guimarães está entre os nomeados para PARLOUR MAGICIAN OF THE YEAR!!! Esta nomeação é, por si só, uma grande honra. Seguidamente reproduzo a lista dos nomeados nas diversas categorias.

CLOSE UP

Derek DelGaudio

Andrew Goldenhersh

Bill Goodwin

Armando Lucero

David Regal

PARLOUR

Chris Capehart

Michael Carbonaro

Helder Guimaraes

Derek Hughes

Phil Van Tee

STAGE

Mike Caveney

Pop Haydn

Chipper Lowell

Shoot Ogawa

Rob Zabrecky

LECTURE

Harry Anderson

Rafael Benatar

John Carney

Joe Monti

Shoot Ogawa

Entrevista a Derek DelGaudio e Helder Guimarães no Huffingtonpost

Em http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/28/derek-delgaudio-helder-guimaraes-nothing-to-hide_n_2736949.html pode ler-se mais uma entrevista aos protagonistas de NOTHING TO HIDE. Seguidamente reproduzo, com a devida vénia, o conteúdo de tal entrevista, realizada por Sasha Bronner.

Derek DelGaudio & Helder Guimarães, 'Nothing To Hide' Stars, Take Over The City: My LA (PHOTOS)

Many Angelenos would call LA a magical city, but the actual culture of magic has a ravenous fan base in the city of Angels. Derek DelGaudio and Helder Guimarães' two-man show at the Geffen Playhouse, "Nothing To Hide," illustrates this point to a tee. Directed by Neil Patrick Harris, the show has taken the city by storm, selling out night after night and receiving an extra 9-week extension.

DelGaudio, 28, was born in Huntington Beach, Calif. but grew up in Colorado Springs, Colo. Guimarães, 30, sports a fantastic accent from his hometown of Porto, Portugal. They are both magicians at the height of their careers, performing top shows at LA's Magic Castle and other venues all around the world. Neil Patrick Harris saw the two perform together at the Castle (he's te President of the Board) and immediately reached out to get them to do a show at the Geffen Playhouse. Turns out he has quite an eye for talent -- the show has received rave reviews from practically every news outlet and some patrons are even returning to experience the show for a second time.

Many of us at The Huffington Post have now seen the show and HuffPost LA wanted to make sure we grabbed these two before they slipped through our fingers -- or worse -- vanished entirely.

The Huffington Post: I saw "Nothing To Hide" and jokingly titled my review of it "I Don't Like Magic." What do you think are some of the biggest stereotypes about magic that keep some people from engaging in it?

Derek DelGaudio: I am never surprised when I hear someone say, “I don’t like magic.” However, I have come to realize, in most cases, what they actually mean is, “I don’t like magicians.” Magic suffers from its practitioners. If someone doesn’t like magic, it almost certainly stems from seeing a bad magician, which there are plenty.

Helder Guimarães: I think most people think magic is cheesy or antiquated. It is very difficult to convince them to abandon the misconception that magic is about fooling them. When someone goes to a magic show to find how the magician does what he does, they are missing the point of being in the room.

Tell me about each of your first experiences at The Magic Castle.

DelGaudio: I was 15 years old. I sat out front while my older friends went in and hung out. After a few hours, they came out and gave me a bowl of chili. Then they went back in and I waited some more.

Guimarães: I was invited to perform there in 2007. As a kid, back in Portugal, I was always thinking about one day being able to perform there so I was thrilled when I received the invitation. Since that moment, the Castle as always been a special place for me.

What were you both like as children?

DelGaudio: Shy, but outspoken. Friends with many, but didn’t belong to a particular group. A daydreamer and a chronic underachiever.

Guimarães: As a child, I wasn't a child at all. I started doing magic when I was four and that says it all. I was shy and always felt more comfortable on the stage. At one point in my childhood I wanted to be a dentist, but after age eleven, I've always wanted to be a magician.

The moment you knew you wanted to be a magician?

DelGaudio: The moment I learned “magician” has more than one meaning.

Guimarães: I don't remember myself not being a magician. The moment I realized I wanted to only do magic was when I was eleven years old and saw Juan Tamariz, still today my favorite magician, perform live. He did an hour show with just a deck of cards and that for me was the purest experience of magic I've ever felt.

What was toughest about working on a two-man show?

DelGaudio: The biggest challenge with collaborating like we have is finding the balance between two artistic visions. Ironically, this balance is often what makes the work better.

Guimarães: It's always a challenge to work with someone else, even if the goals are similar, because it's always a compromise between two visions. I would say that we both believe in magic, but in different ways.

I personally believe in it as a concept that can be seen and experienced in very different ways but, as a craft, I like magic to be the combination of an intellectual deception and an emotional deception joined to create a unique moment.

Tell us about your daily lives. What is your creative process? Give us a crash course on the life of a magician. When do you get your best ideas?

DelGaudio: My days basically consist of a nonstop series of questions I ask myself, followed by my failed attempts to answer those questions. Occasionally (mostly late at night), I’ll answer half of one part of one question. Those days are the very good days.

Guimarães: There is no crash course to be a magician. Each one is different and everyone has probably a different method. I like to read, listen to talks in a variety of subjects that appeal to me and see movies and live shows. I like philosophy and try to make sure that all the projects I embrace have meaning and make up a part of who I am.

What music do you put on to get pumped up before a show?

DelGaudio: I didn’t know that was a thing. I will try that.

Guimarães: I wouldn't say "pumped" is the word, and I rarely listen to music before I go on stage. I actually prefer a few minutes of silence. But my favorite bands are Radiohead and a Portuguese band called Ornatos Violeta, and a project called Foge Foge Bandido.

Favorite meal at an LA restaurant?

DelGaudio: Kazu Sushi.

Guimarães: I have not been here time enough to make that call. Too much pressure.

Do you have a key to the Magic Castle? Is it like summer camp? Do you all hang out and have late night dinners there with goblets of wine?

DelGaudio: I think you’re thinking of Medieval Times.

Guimarães: I don't have the key because I lost it. Damn it!

What are some of the most important qualities a magician can possess?

DelGaudio: The best magicians I know are passionately, relentlessly, shamefully, desperately, brutally honest.

Guimarães: Knowledge, commitment and learning how to listen to others including fellow magicians, other performing artists and audiences.

Magic has a very strong community in Los Angeles. Why do you think that is? Where is your number one favorite place in the world to perform?

DelGaudio: The Castle certainly has a lot to do with that, but LA is pretty great, so it’s not surprising there is a sea of talent here. The Geffen is my favorite place to perform, as of now.

Guimarães: I think the Castle has a lot to do with that gathering of people interested in magic. I love to perform in the United States, Spain, Argentina and Japan. Very different audiences from each, but very fun ones overall. But if I had to pick a favorite place, it would still be the place I started performing regularity in. It's called Tertúlia Castelense, near my hometown Porto.

Do you have significant others, and if so, are you always playing tricks on them?

DelGaudio: Yes. No.

Guimarães: I do, but we leave magic out of the equation for most of the time.

"Nothing To Hide" has been extended for nine extra weeks. Do you have any theories about why this show has been so wildly popular? People are flocking to it!

DelGaudio: I think it’s very simple: People love magic, deeply. This show reminds them.

Guimarães: I believe that when people see real magic they really like it. It's an experience that differs from any other thing you can see and experience. I think that's the feeling people get after seeing our show.

We've heard that celebrities like Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes were seen trying to get a spot at the 50-seat theater for your joint show at The Magic Castle. Who makes you star-struck in LA?

DelGaudio: Hmm … I’m not sure I would be “star-struck” as much there are folks I’d love to sit down and chat with. Steve Martin. Artist Chris Burden. JJ Abrams. Quentin Tarantino. Louis C.K.

Guimarães: We had a common friend call them and say, "You have to see this or we are not friends anymore!" They came and they loved it. When you like magic, you like magic. Doesn't matter if you are famous or not. Maria Sharapova came to see our show and at the end asked us to take a picture with her. It sounds ridiculous but, if you think about it, it's not.

There is such a sense of wonder in your show -– I'm sure you hear it every day, but I just could not believe my eyes. What brings out that sense of wonder in you?

DelGaudio: Good art often blows me away. A great live show can really do it for me. "Absinthe" in Vegas kicked my ass. Also, "The Book of Mormon" rocked my world.

Guimarães: Absolutely. There are so many great things about the world we live in that is a shame that they are so covered in bullshit and uninteresting content. But now, in an era where information circulates at the speed of light, we can search for the information we are interested in and enjoy it.

Let’s just say it: you are considered two of the world's most gifted sleight-of-hand artists. When did you know you had made it?

DelGaudio: “Made it?” Not even close. Hell, I’m just getting warmed up.

Guimarães: I think of my life as a process, that's still in the middle. So, I would answer those questions in the future.

What is next for both of you?

DelGaudio: “Nothing to Hide” will most likely be going to New York and I have a few projects I am very excited to begin.

Guimarães: Life.