60 :: OUT & ABOUT
shows in 20 countries in the last year. Adam
> 28-year-old Adam Trent is wowing the
world with his wits and magical talent as a
self-taught illusionist, comedian and singer.
He has been described as Justin Timberlake
meets David Copperfield due to his mix
of swagger, smooth magic tricks and humor.
Adam mixes Vegas-style magic with danc-
By Kelly Lamano ing and singing to entertain the audience.
He is able to capture any audience of any age,
and he has performed more than 300 live
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appeals to so many through his ability to en-
tertain musically, comically and theatrically.
I really liked the combination of both
the dancing and music with the mag-
ic, says Adam. My goal for the show
is that even for someone who doesnt
like magic, they will still like the show.
What sets Adam apart from most ma-
gicians is his ability to engage the audi-
ence. His show is different each and ev-
ery time, including new tricks and crowd
participation. Adam breaks the bound-
ary between performer and spectator
by connecting with audience members.
They get to come onstage with me and
experience the magic firsthand, says
Adam. There are a lot of shows where
theres a wall between the audience and
the performer. In my show, I take that
structure and throw it out the window.
He says he especially appreciates audiences
who are just as excited to watch the show, as
he is to demonstrate his illusions and tricks.
I enjoy enthusiastic audiences. If people
come to have fun, then its going to be a
great show, says Adam. I tell audiences
at the beginning of my show, This is a mu-
tual thing here. I feed off the energy that
you guys are going to give me. Lets come
together and make this a great night.
Adam began learning magic when he was
just nine years old. He received a book
of magic from his aunt and began practic-
ing card tricks. He says the first trick he
learned was a simple card trick. From there,
he started performing for small audiences
at childrens birthday parties. He quickly
became inspired after watching acts such
as David Copperfield. Adam would watch
Michael Jackson videos, impersonating the
King of Pop for fun, then watch David Cop-
perfield videos to learn how to mix comedy
and music with magic. He wanted to show
his tricks to anyone who was around to
watch. His family and friends were always
very supportive. Adams father helped him
gain more exposure, taking small steps by
calling local nursing homes to perform for.
I always needed an audience to prac-
tice, says Adam. If there was ever a time
when there wasnt an audience, I would
find someone near me, or go to a mall. I
goes back to the old saying in which I find
I ENJOY ENTHUSIASTIC
AUDIENCES. IF PEOPLE
COME TO HAVE FUN,
THEN ITS GOING TO BE A
GREAT SHOW
would bring a briefcase. Id set up, draw
crowds and start doing tricks there.
At age 15, Adam began a small magic tour
with the help of friends and a truck. He
traveled around the state of Colorado,
performing in auditoriums. From there, he
took his magic act to comedy clubs and
college campuses. This gave Adam the op-
portunity to gain experience in front of
a brand new demographic. He quickly
learned to integrate comedy and music
with magic in his live shows since the tech-
nique was quickly becoming well-received.
This opened up a new avenue for his act
in order to expand to larger audiences.
That was a whole nother level of perform-
ing for me because it was performing in a
more professional setting, says Adam. It
was an amazing chance to do all of that.
For the next three years, Adam traveled,
putting on 350 live shows per year in 20
different countries with his combined act
of illusions, humor, singing and dancing.
Its my favorite kind of performing because
I get to bring my style of performance to
different parts of the nation, says Adam. It
gives me a great reason to come to places
and share what I love to do with people.
To top it all off, Adam landed a spot on the
hit television show Shake It Up on Dis-
ney Channel. He danced and performed
as himself, as opposed to playing a ficti-
tious character on the television show.
That was kind of another big break in
my career because at that point, it ex-
posed me to a national audience, says
Adam. I got to play myself, so it re-
ally gave some face-name recognition.
Another aspect which sets Adam apart
from other magicians is his ease and youth
in the business. He is the only magician to
win back to back medals in the P.C.A.M. Pro
Magic Challenge. This is considered to be
one of the most prestigious magic compe-
titions in the world. He was also recently
voted Small Venue Entertainer of the Year.
It was the result of years of working,
which went into making that happen,
says Adam. It felt great. But to be hon-
est, when something like that happens, it
seems like it has come out of nowhere. It
OUT & ABOUT :: 61
that the harder I work, the luckier I get.
Even with television appearances and
awards, theres nothing that Adam loves
more than to perform live. He enjoys the
opportunity to impact and shock audi-
ence around the world. He says there is a
sort of uncertainty about live shows, and
that is the more thrilling thing about them.
Its very exciting performing live, says
Adam. Ill come out on stage and Ill know
Im going to do A, B, C, D, and E. There are
going to be gaps between each one. Theres
an adrenaline rush that comes from the
uncertainty. You try to control that uncer-
tainty, but once that curtain opens and the
music starts, the show is going through.
Adam has short-term goals such as hav-
ing his own television series and im-
proving his live shows each month. He
wants his audience to be as enthusias-
tic as he is, to receive his shows well and
to continue with audience participation.
Theres nothing in the world that makes me
happier than performing. I will be perform-
ing until there is dirt on top of me. Ill prob-
ably die on stage. The happiest moments of
my life are when Im on stage, says Adam.
Adam says a long-term goal of his is to
change the way individuals view magic, which
he is very well on his way to accomplishing.
I want to be a game-changer. I want to be
the one who flipped the whole art form
on its head and how people view things,
says Adam. I want people to look back on
it in 50 years and think, That was the be-
ginning of the era of this style of magic,
and Adam Trent was the one who started
combining magic with different art forms.
I want to be the game-changer of magic.
Adam Trent will be performing A New
Wave of Magic in Largo on Jan. 18, 2014.The
magic will take place at the Largo Cultural
Center at 8 p.m. For tickets and more
information, visit www.adamtrent.com.
Largo Cultural Center
105 Central Park Dr.
Largo, FL 33770
727-587-6751
www.largoarts.com <
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