A NEW MEXICO NEW YEAR
There are a lot of options for ringing in 2017
Farrell Dillon is about to pull of his greatest magic trick yet.
He’s about to go into Costco, just days before Christmas. “Wish me luck,” he says with a laugh. “I’m one of those crazy people who shopped at the last minute.”
All kidding aside, Dillon is making sure everything is in line before he heads out for some shows on the “Masters of Illusion” tour.
The tour will make a stop for two shows at Route 66 Casino Hotel on Saturday, Dec. 31.
The show features Dillon, Michael Turco and Jonathan Pendragon.
Dillon says “Masters of Illusion” is a touring magic and illusion show and is one of the largest in the world.
“We were on the CW for three successful seasons,” he says. “The show airs in the summer.”
The show has also been touring around the United States for six years.
“I’ve been on every iteration of the show,” he says. “It’s an old-style spectacular. A lot of sleight of hand. Personally, I’m a comedy magician. But we also have some grand illusions.”
Dillon is known for combining hip, hilarious, stand-up comedy with mindblowing magic.
He is an honors graduate of the Chavez Studio of Magic in California — the most prestigious magic school in the world.
“I’ve been doing magic since I was 12, so it’s about 20 years now,” he says. “When I first got interested in magic, my mom got me this Garfield magic deck of cards. At first I thought it was silly. Then one day I was bored and I played with it. I was able to do things that nobody could do. Then I found a magic shop, and my curiosity grew from there.”
Dillon was taught at magic school by Dale Salwak, who is a legendary teacher.
“Dale was my direct teacher,” he says. “When you watch my act, I do a lot of the same magic he does. The goal of a student of his is to learn the routines and then do something else to make them your own. That’s the mark of success.”
Dillon constantly works on his routines, which makes them better.
“We also have a producer on the show who will give us an opinion,” he says. “The great thing about magic is that there is always room to grow. You never quite perfect something, because it’s a live show. There’s always room for some type of error, and that’s the best part about doing something live. It’s a rush.