Today we’d like to introduce you to Brent Geris.
Hi Brent, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
I opened The Magic Apple The Magic Store on the Second Floor in August 2003! At the time there were about 5 other magic shops in Southern California… there is now only one brick-and-mortar shop. I’ve always loved magic, my grandfather performed and taught me my first trick and then my mum got me magic kits and the rest is history!
The Magic Apple is more than just a magic shop, but is a hang-out for magicians, a meeting place before The Magic Castle, and we even have a Pinball machine!
We offer private magic lessons, and we have a full-service illusion rental section! Yes, you can rent an illusion to cut someone in half… or in thirds! Most recently, I have been hired as a magic consultant for various TV shows, Films, Commercials, and reality shows (America’s Got Talent, Matilda & Gordon Ramsay, to name a few). I love the consulting side of the business ALMOST more than performing! Magic consulting really IS one of my favorite things to do! I’ve worked on some amazing projects! Some of them are Modern Family, Dr. Strange into the Multiverse, CSI New York and Cyber, General Hospital, All Rise, Disney’s Magic Camp, Stuck in the Middle, and the new Mrs. Davis on Peacock TV.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
No, not at all. Obviously from 2020 to 2022, it was a ROUGH road. I wasn’t allowed to be open, people didn’t have extra money to buy things and magicians were simply NOT WORKING. I started an Instagram “show” called Magic Apple LIVE at 11 and did a 20ish minute show every single day for over 3 months. I had guests on, showed magic, performed magic, and just talked to anyone that was watching! For some of the shows, I offered FREE magic props to anyone that sent me a DM. I was sending out magic tricks, rubber bands, balloon animal balloons, and all kinds of little things, and then teaching people once the items arrived! I shipped ALL OVER THE WORLD! Canada and Australia had a lot of viewers! Some people would send me messages and emails saying that MAGIC APPLE LIVE at 11 was one of the ONLY things they were looking forward to day by day. Everything else on TV was a re-run or simply just bad news about the pandemic and Covid-19.
After 3 months I started to do Magic Apple LIVE at FIVE and continued for 52 straight shows (the same number as cards in a deck). I asked friends to come on the live show and perform and if they wanted, teach magic. I had guests like Tori Spelling, Rich Sommer, Justin Wilman, Michael Carbonaro, Chris Williams, Darren Boussman, Zabrecky, Jonathan Sadowski, and dozens of local magicians like Eric Buss, Danny Cole, Matt Marcy, Tony Clark, and guests from all parts of the world from NY Jason Ladanye, Chris Kenner (Copperfield’s Exec Producer), Nathan Kranzo, David Regal (this now sounds like just a name dropping session), and so many others!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
The Magic Apple is the ONLY magic shop in Southern California that offers magic, gags, pranks, lessons, consulting, and illusion rentals! I have released about 20 different magic products on the market and continue to create magic products for the magic community.
I am involved at The Magic Castle as the chairman of the Audition Committee and help out when I can with events and their magic University.
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
Magic is hard. Learning a secret in magic is EASY but performing it is hard.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.themagicapple.com
- Instagram: @MagicAppleStore
- Twitter: @MagicAppleStore
Image Credits
Taylor Wong – Magic Castle Photography
