Magic is His Life

Dallas Smith caught the magician's bug early, landing his first paying gig at the age of 11. After a hiatus in the corporate world, Smith is back to what he loves: working as a full-time magician.

Patch had a chat with the Wesley Chapel resident to discuss the tricks of the trade, Thumper the rabbit and his anti-bullying-themed children's shows. 

Patch: How did you become a full-time magician?

Smith: I was a full-time magician in the early '90s. I was on the road a lot (comedy clubs, cruise ships and corporate shows) and my wife and I decided we would start a family in a few years so I went back into corporate America and moved from Jacksonville, Florida to Tampa. We purchased a house, adopted a little girl from China and life was going on.

My daughter started school and had some bully issues with her race. I decided -- it had been tugging at me for years -- to use my talents and teach children using magic and storytelling on different subjects. The anti-bully show I created started this process.

Patch: How many shows do you perform a year?

Smith: I just started back a year and a half ago so I basically am starting over. I will have done over 125 shows at the end of this year alone. My goal is to be back where I was in the '90s of doing between 250 to 300 shows a year.

Patch: What kinds of venues do you perform at?

Smith: I currently am performing for all types of venues. I still do a good bit of adult standup comedy magic shows and close-up (street-style magic) for cocktail hours. I have picked back up a few of my corporate accounts and have flown to many different cities promoting their items in trade shows.

I am promoting the school shows the hardest; that is where my heart is. I have done well so far with them considering I am basically new to their circuit. I have received a multitude of thank yous from teachers, guidance counselors, principals, assistant principals and students. They really learn a lot from the visualization of the magic with the hidden message in the story line.

I also do a lot of birthday parties for all ages -- children and adults. I also perform at malls. You will find me performing once a month at 10 a.m. for the and during the holiday season I perform there for family shows in the evenings in between light shows. During the summer, reading programs. I present my reading shows at libraries, and I also have a Christian show for churches to use as community outreach.

Patch: Where did you learn how to perform your tricks?

Smith: When I was 7 years old to about 15 I took lessons from an older Vaudevillian magician. I then continued to study on my own with books. I did my first paying birthday parties starting at age 11. There is really no way to perfect this trade without performing live, so in the early years I did any show anywhere I could, paid or not.

Patch: Do you have a signature trick?

Smith: In my children’s show now I produce Thumper the Rabbit. Thumper and I start out talking to each other to introduce the theme of the show and he then asks me to tell the students about that subject.

In my adult show I borrow a $100 bill (when I can get it). The person comes up, there is a lot of byplay and I burn it up after they sign it and read the serial numbers out loud. After a little more comedy, I pull out my wallet and show a zippered compartment. I unzip it in full view and pull out a sealed envelope. I show it all the way around and on the front is printed “Fire Insurance.” I then rip it open and pour out the contents in their hands and they show it is their bill with signature and serial number.

Patch: You mentioned having an anti-bullying show and seem passionate about that cause. Tell me more about that.

Smith: Like I said above, it started when it was done to my daughter so I felt like I could help make students aware in a fun way. I did a lot of research on it and based my show on the Department of Education slogan which is “Take a Stand Lend A Hand.” I teach them what a bully is and how to handle the situation. I also use an acronym B.A.N.D.: Bullying is not ok. Ask for help. No one deserves to be bullied. Do your part.

I have performed this program also quite a bit at family nights in schools to help educate the parents.

 More Information: To hire Smith, visit www.dallassmithmagic.com.