Today we’d like to introduce you to Brady Glen.
Hi Brady, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I was first exposed to magic in elementary school. I started doing easy sleight of hand and then quickly outgrew the hobby. Then, in 1992 my father-in-law purchased a bunch of magic books for me as a gift. I was hooked! I quickly became obsessed with this fantastic hobby and joined the Magic Castle. The rest is history. I became friends with some of the best in the business hanging out at the Castle. I was exposed to books, lectures and fantastic magicians. I started doing small gigs in the Orange County area and working in some of the local bars and restaurants. My passion grew through the years as I became more serious and then I started working as a performer at The Magic Castle. That was a game-changer. There is nothing like performing there.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I don’t think any entertainer has a smooth road. After many years of doing magic and gigging, I decided to go full-time. Just as business was taking off, Covid hit and shut down the industry. It was horrible. I did my best working online gigs and zoom calls. It served its purpose but it just was not the same. In some ways, I’m glad it happened. Those that continued working through Covid really did become better performers. We had to get very creative and adapt to our environment. I’m glad we are through that phase though. I’m much happier working with live people versus online meetings.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a professional magician and I specialize in close-up magic and mentalism. Most performers I know seem to choose magic or mentalism but I find that a blend of the two to be very rewarding and fun. I want my magic to be interactive and fun for all. I try to connect with my audience and I include lots of humor in my shows. That said, I don’t consider myself a comedy magician. I want the show to be funny, but more importantly, I want hard-hitting magic to be what you walk away with. I have worked for years to come up with an act that demonstrates mind-blowing magic that seems to happen in your hands. I want you to feel as though I’m not doing anything, the magic is seemingly taking place on its own. It’s ironic that so much work goes into an act that feels like the magician isn’t working! I try to avoid the current trends and magic that “everybody” is working on. I want to perform effects that are off the beaten path and unique to me.
What do you think sets you apart from others?
I think what sets me apart from others is my passion. I devote so much time and effort into my effects and I truly want to connect with my audience and make the event special for them. I involve as many people as possible and I truly care about them as individuals. I have made so many friends through the years and it’s not uncommon for me to perform for some of them on a pretty regular basis. I do magic because it’s part of who I am. I absolutely love performing and engaging with others. What am I most proud of in regard to magic? I would have to say the accomplishment of performing so many times at The Magic Castle in Hollywood. The audition process was so much more difficult than I ever imagined and it pushed me to be so much better as a performer. Every time they call me back to perform I re-live the excitement I had when I received that first booking call.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
I’m a dreamer. More specifically, I dream about magic. I have had dreams about effects, scripts, and ideas. In fact, my latest mentalism show has an entire routine that came from a dream. The presentation, script, lighting and concept all came from dreams. It was so cool how it came to fruition that I speak about it as part of the presentation. After my show, people often ask if it’s a story or if it really happened in my sleep. They are surprised to hear that it really did come from my dreams.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.magicbrady.com
- Instagram: @magic_brady
- Facebook: @bradyglenmagic
- Youtube: @bradygutekunst333
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-magic-of-brady-glen-anaheim
