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Ben Seidman

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Ben Seidman
Born (1984-12-01) 1 December 1984 (age 40)
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
OccupationMagician
Websitehttp://www.benseidman.com

Ben Seidman (born December 1, 1984) is an American sleight-of-hand performer, actor, comedian, and creative consultant who has won the entertainer of the year award for Princess Cruises and guest starred on Netflix's "Brainchild".[1] He is the only person to have served as the Resident Magician at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.[2][3] In 2013, Seidman co-starred in Magic Outlaws on Travel Channel.[4][5][6] Following the debut of his TV specials, Ben taught Johnny Knoxville magic tricks for his film Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa.[7] Seidman’s performances are notable for featuring original magic effects. His inventions are employed in A&E’s program Mindfreak, starring Criss Angel, where Seidman served as writer and adviser for three seasons.[6][3][7] Seidman tours globally, bringing his live show—a combination of sleight-of-hand, pickpocketing, and comedy—to colleges, parties and events.

He is currently based in Los Angeles, where he performs at the Magic Castle in Hollywood and The Comedy & Magic Club in Hermosa Beach.[7][8]

Performances/TV Specials

In 2011, Seidman starred in a series of hidden camera videos using his pick-pocketing skills to slip computers into people’s handbags without them knowing. The “I Was Framed” project, directed by Jamie Kennedy and Michael Addis, and also featuring Bob Arno, gained online popularity and quickly reached over 900,000 views.[9][10][11]

In 2013, Seidman co-starred in Magic Outlaws on Travel Channel.[6] The two TV specials, High Noon in Austin and 3:10 to Vegas, follow Seidman and fellow Los Angeles-based magicians Chris Korn and David Minkin, as they travel across the country performing close up magic for onlookers.[12][4] In 2018, he guest starred on three episodes of the Netflix original series "Brainchild," produced by Pharrell. [1]

Seidman was featured on two national comedy tours produced by Just For Laughs in 2010 and 2013. The 2013 tour spanned 21 cities throughout Canada and is the subject of a documentary produced for The Comedy Network. The documentary also features tour-mates Tom Papa, Alonzo Bodden, Jeremy Hotz, Robert Kelly, Orny Adams, and host Darrin Rose.[13][14]

In his performance career, Seidman has headlined the Atlantis Casino in the Bahamas, performed 120 Shows at The Venetian in Macau, China, and was featured in a four-month run at Harrah’s Hotel and Casino.[2] He has performed for a number of celebrities including Robin Williams, Christina Hendricks, Stephen Merchant, and Carrot Top.[15][16] Seidman, along with Marcus Monroe and Luke Jermay is a founding member of The Optical Delusions, a 2008 touring show that billed itself as "an evening of new-school variety."[17] In 2019 Seidman began performing a two-person show with Shin Lim, winner of America's Got Talent: The Champions. [18]

Creative consulting

In 2006, Seidman was hired as a magic consultant for Mindfreak on A&E starring Criss Angel. Seidman created content, invented magic effects, and served as a creative/technical advisor to the show for three seasons.[6]

Seidman spent the summer of 2011 in Stockholm, Sweden writing and directing Helt Magiskt for SVT, the prime television channel in Sweden.[19] Helt Magiskt, the Swedish adaptation of the BBC show The Magicians, followed Charlie Caper, winner of Sweden's Got Talent, Michael Halvorsen, Star of Cirque du Soleil’s Koozå, and large-scale illusionist Joe Labero, as they performed alongside celebrities.[20] Shortly after, Seidman returned to Stockholm to work with Charlie Caper creating a performance piece using iPads.[21] The video has over 3.36 million hits on YouTube.[22]

In 2013, Seidman taught actor Johnny Knoxville magic tricks for his role in Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa, an Academy Award nominated hidden-camera comedy film written by Spike Jonze, Johnny Knoxville, and Jeff Tremaine. Seidman taught Knoxville a number of tricks and gags for the film, most notably, how to pull flowers out of his pants.[23][24]

References

  1. ^ a b "TV Guide". TV Guide.
  2. ^ a b "Barry Ball Artists". Barry Ball Artists.
  3. ^ a b "Summit Comedy Inc". Summit Comedy Inc.
  4. ^ a b "Travel Channel: Magic Outlaws". Travel Channel: Magic Outlaws.
  5. ^ "Internet Movie Database". Internet Movie Database: Ben Seidman.
  6. ^ a b c d "OnMilwaukee". Milwaukee native runs with "Magic Outlaws".
  7. ^ a b c "Showcase Talent Agency". Showcase Talent Agency: Ben Seidman. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  8. ^ "Magic and Mixed Drinks: An ATOD Excursion to The Magic Castle". ATOD Magazine: A Taste of Dawn.
  9. ^ "Toshiba Launches Portégé Z830 Ultrabook". Little Black Book Online.
  10. ^ "Kennedy & Addis helm "I Was Framed" campaign for launch of Toshiba & Intel's Portégé Z830 Ultrabook". First Wave TV. Archived from the original on 2014-02-25.
  11. ^ "I Was Framed" The Ryan Setup. Archived from the original on June 30, 2014.
  12. ^ "Magic Outlaws on Travel Channel". TV Guide.
  13. ^ "Just For Laughs". Comedy Tour '13.
  14. ^ "Canada's National Arts Centre". Just For Laughs Comedy Tour.
  15. ^ "Ben Seidman: Robin Williams". BenSeidman.com.
  16. ^ "Performing Strolling magic for Carrot Top at Las Vegas Party". BenSeidman.com.
  17. ^ "Optical Delusions Magician Mini-Trio hits Grand Little Theatre". VolumeOne.
  18. ^ "Ct Post". Shin Lim, winner of ‘America’s Got Talent: The Champions,’ to appear at Foxwoods.
  19. ^ "Artist Diary: Ben Seidman in Stockholm". Theory 11. Archived from the original on 2014-02-23.
  20. ^ sv:Helt magiskt
  21. ^ "d1gits".
  22. ^ New iPad Act - Stockholm with Charlie Caper and Erik Rosales.
  23. ^ "Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa (2013) Full Cast & Crew". Internet Movie Database.
  24. ^ "Nominees for the 86th Oscars". The Oscars.
  • Olig, Nick. "Ben Seidman's Sleight of Hand." Shepherd Express 3 October 2013. Express Milwaukee
  • Hintz, Martin. "Magic Man." M Magazine January 2013. GM Today
  • Nuñez, Candace. "Magician steals more than show." La Verne Campus Times 1 March 2013. Campus Times
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