"It was great having you! Everyone was very impressed and entertained." - Emma Lyons, Happy Fish Parties
www.magicsam.com/page/History"I've wanted to be a performer ever since I was a kid. I remember writing an essay for my third grade class about how I wanted to be a comedian.
I started studying the piano when I was in the fourth grade. My dad played the trumpet, and I wanted to play the saxophone. My parents convinced me to start with piano - especially convenient since the neighbor lady across the street taught lessons. I kept up lessons all the way through the end of high school, becoming especially interested in jazz. I even hosted my own jazz radio program through my high school's 200-watt radio station, WSDP-FM.
I didn't find magic until I was a sophomore at Michigan State University. Before long, I was doing shows around campus and performing at birthday parties. I started getting involved with the local chapter of the International Brotherhood of Magicians, and found my way to the Abbott's Magic Get-Together in Colon, Michigan.
After college, I applied and was offered a job with Fun Incorporated, American's largest magic manufacturer. So I moved to Chicago in the fall of 2007. Wanting to take full advantage of my new surroundings, I started to take improv classes at The Second City. I wanted to take lessons learned from improv and apply them to my magic act. From there, I got involved in working as a piano accompanist for improv comedy theaters all around Chicago.
I can often be seen behind the keyboards at Comedysportz Chicago, the iO Theater, the Laugh Out Loud Theater, and the Second City Training Center. I worked on numerous sketch reviews with groups like Stir Friday Night, and still kept up performing close-up and stage magic in various public and private events. I've even done a bit of teaching - I have taught musical improv workshops for Tara DeFrancisco's The Improv Retreat since 2011.
In 2017, I decided to semi-retire from the improv world to focus full-time on the Chicago Magic Lounge, which I co-founded. We opened a full-time magic bar and theater at 5050 N. Clark in Chicago's Andersonville neighborhood. I left there in 2019.
On top of all this, I remain active with the local chapter of the Society of American Magicians. I served as president of the club from 2013-2016, and then decided to go for higher office. I am serving as the 107th National President for the 2023-2024 year.
-John
I started studying the piano when I was in the fourth grade. My dad played the trumpet, and I wanted to play the saxophone. My parents convinced me to start with piano - especially convenient since the neighbor lady across the street taught lessons. I kept up lessons all the way through the end of high school, becoming especially interested in jazz. I even hosted my own jazz radio program through my high school's 200-watt radio station, WSDP-FM.
I didn't find magic until I was a sophomore at Michigan State University. Before long, I was doing shows around campus and performing at birthday parties. I started getting involved with the local chapter of the International Brotherhood of Magicians, and found my way to the Abbott's Magic Get-Together in Colon, Michigan.
After college, I applied and was offered a job with Fun Incorporated, American's largest magic manufacturer. So I moved to Chicago in the fall of 2007. Wanting to take full advantage of my new surroundings, I started to take improv classes at The Second City. I wanted to take lessons learned from improv and apply them to my magic act. From there, I got involved in working as a piano accompanist for improv comedy theaters all around Chicago.
I can often be seen behind the keyboards at Comedysportz Chicago, the iO Theater, the Laugh Out Loud Theater, and the Second City Training Center. I worked on numerous sketch reviews with groups like Stir Friday Night, and still kept up performing close-up and stage magic in various public and private events. I've even done a bit of teaching - I have taught musical improv workshops for Tara DeFrancisco's The Improv Retreat since 2011.
In 2017, I decided to semi-retire from the improv world to focus full-time on the Chicago Magic Lounge, which I co-founded. We opened a full-time magic bar and theater at 5050 N. Clark in Chicago's Andersonville neighborhood. I left there in 2019.
On top of all this, I remain active with the local chapter of the Society of American Magicians. I served as president of the club from 2013-2016, and then decided to go for higher office. I am serving as the 107th National President for the 2023-2024 year.
-John