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EVENT | SANTA FE

Keeping it teal: Magician Naathan Phan comes to Santa Fe with ‘Masters of Illusion’

Phan, Dan Sperry and Joseph Gabriel bring their biggest routines to Hilton Santa Fe Buffalo Thunder

Naathan Phan, alongside Dan Sperry and Joseph Gabriel, will be performing at Hilton Santa Fe Buffalo Thunder on Friday, Aug. 28, as the "Masters of Illusion."
Published

‘Masters of Illusion’

WHEN: 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 28

WHERE: Hilton Santa Fe Buffalo Thunder, 30 Buffalo Thunder Trail, Santa Fe

HOW MUCH: $31.85-$63.65 at 

Naathan Phan said he spends hours dyeing shirts to the perfect teal for his magic routines.

“It’s my favorite color, and then it’s become a bit of a signature for me,” Phan said.

The color of his shirt isn’t the only thing that makes up his distinct style. He combines “equal parts comedy, magic, singing” into his performances.

“I still consider myself very much … a comedy showman who happens to also be good at magic,” Phan said.

He became interested in magic at a young age when his grandfather showed him two tricks — card reading and a trick similar to the three-shell game. His family continued to nurture his love of magic.

“I just kind of started learning and doing more from there,” Phan said. “They always knew that I liked being the center of attention, and I think they just realized if he actually gets good at something, he won’t be as annoying when he’s asking for attention.”

As he learned, Phan began mixing magic, stand-up, celebrity impressions and musical theater. Over the years he found a way to be himself on stage, learning to trust his instincts on when to lean into each niche.

Watching different comedians and magicians helped him learn more about what his style could look like, he said. He found inspiration from people like Sammy Davis Jr., Robin Williams, Lance Burton and Derren Brown.

One magician, David Williamson, showed him that he could have a comedic, high-energy act.

“He was kind of my first realization, ‘Oh, you can be manic and funny and still do magic,’” Phan said. “Great, because that’s kind of who I am. So I think he really opened up a door for me.”

“I realized, ‘Oh wait, you can be yourself. You can have your own personality while doing it,’” Phan said. “So I embraced my more silly side.”

Phan, alongside Dan Sperry and Joseph Gabriel, will be performing at Hilton Santa Fe Buffalo Thunder on Friday, Aug. 28. Phan said Sperry is a shock illusionist and Gabriel is one of the classic masters. He said each performer is capable of doing a two-hour show on their own, so for the 90-minute “Masters of Illusion,” they bring their biggest and best routines.

“You have to make sure that everyone is a totally different performance style,” Phan said. “So that the audience never feels like they’re getting too much of the same thing.”

His routine is a mix of “what stuff gets great reactions, what stuff do I love doing,” he said. Some pieces, he said, are mind-blowing for people who like analyzing everything.

He said the show will be well-paced and he’s excited to perform for a new audience.

“I don’t really know what to describe it other than like be ready to get your minds blown and to have a great time,” Phan said.

Elizabeth Secor is an arts fellow for the ϼ. You can reach her at esecor@abqjournal.com.