Shazam! The Magic Show
After over 20 years, Shazam! is back on the road with a brand-new company of wonderworkers, featuring magic’s brightest young star, Matthew Laslo. This new edition of Shazam! pays tribute to the late, great master magician, Stan Kramien, who toured North America for more than 35 years with his large scale illusion shows, Magic Capades, Magicazam, and Shazam!, along with numerous appearances on radio and television, including Johnny Carson’s, The Tonight Show. The Kramien family has a long history of traveling from town to town across America to thrilling audiences, first with Stan's circus, and later with their grand scale illusion shows.
For 25 years, Stan and his son Rick Kramien hosted the Northwest Magic Jamboree, an annual magic convention at Rick’s property, Big Top Ranch, in Newberg, Oregon, where iconic names in the magic world like Harry Blackstone Jr, Mark Wilson of CBS’s The Magic Land of Alakazam, Shimada from Tokyo, Ali Bongo from London, Johnny Thompson and Murray of Las Vegas, and many more. These acts would perform, lecture, and judge talent competitions for aspiring magicians of all ages.
In 2012, the final year of the Jamboree, 11-year-old Matthew Laslo made the decision to go for his dream of becoming a professional touring magician. He prepared his act and headed to Newberg, hoping to get a nod from the pros. He competed in the all ages stage magic competition, where he won the top prize for originality and showmanship. Stan and Rick saw something special in Matthew and knew that the future of magic was right in front of them.
Stan and Rick kept in touch with Matthew over the next few years, mentoring and following his journey into show business. During this time, Stan and Rick had dreams of putting together one final show, but Stan’s health declined and he passed away on March 27th, 2015, just shy of his 90th birthday. Rick’s passion and love for show business drove him to create a new version of Shazam! in honor of his dad Stan. It was time to pass the torch from one generation of magicians to the next, keeping the magic alive!
Rick knew that Matthew Laslo was the perfect candidate to take that torch. At just 19-years-old, Laslo is one of the youngest magicians on the international circuit. He made his national television debut on Penn & Teller: Fool Us where he impressed the duo with his entertainment value. In 2019, he was featured on China’s #1 television show, The Amazing Magicians, where he wowed 270 million viewers with his youthful, innovative approach to the art of magic. He recently filmed for CW network show, Masters of Illusion, set to air in the summer of 2020.
Today’s show is a new chapter of Kramien magic. Shazam! The Magic Show also features seasoned director Greg Tamblyn, along with professional actors Erin Tamblyn, Kayla Dixon, Kelly Sina, Adam Davis, and Peter Liptak, and lighting designer Mark LaPierre. This cast and crew bring together their many talents to assist in creating this wonderful new world of magic.