INTERVIEW: Finished with Hogwarts, mind reader Chris Cox joins Broadway’s ‘Illusionists’
Photo courtesy of the artists / Provided by BBB with permission.
Chris Cox, a hugely successful mind reader, is a funny guy, and he loves telling people what he does for a living and seeing their reactions.
Case in point: “Twenty minutes ago I went through security here in Atlanta, and the guy was like, ‘What do you do for a living?’ ‘Oh, I’m a magician,’ which is sort of the thing you should never be able to say is your job.”
Cox is now making his Broadway debut as “The Mentalist” in The Illusionists: Magic of the Holidays, playing a special limited engagement at the Neil Simon Theatre in New York City. Previously Cox appeared in the successful magical franchise in London’s West End and on a world tour. He is joined on stage by a group of masterful magicians who are experts in everything from sleight of hand to levitation.
“I was lucky,” Cox said of his career. “I used to think I always loved doing it as a kid, and I remember I saved up my student loan to go and do the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. That went OK, and then I did another show, slightly better. … Luckily, I seem to magic it up. Oh God, that was a terrible pun. I’m so sorry.”
Cox is never too far away from a joke, which is a large part of what makes his mind-reading act so unique. In fact, he may be the only working mind reader who fully admits he cannot read minds, and he’s still amazed that The Illusionists found him in the first place.
“It’s sort of a mystery really,” he said with a laugh. “I’ve done shows for years on my own in the Edinburgh Festival, and then I did a show in London’s West End. Shortly after that, I got an email asking for availability from The Illusionists, and I never thought I was a person who was right for the show. I literally replied to that email saying, ‘Are you sure this email is for me?’ I thought maybe they’d made a mistake.”
When he joined The Illusionists family, headed by creative producer Simon Painter, he was able to offer some of his best acts to the franchise, and because they loved his magic tricks on stage, they welcomed him with open arms.
“I came with the act that I’ve done for some time and worked toward creating a version of that act that was right for their show, and now I have done those bits around the world for the last few years,” he said. “It’s sort of exciting because it allowed me to take something I was very comfortable with and knew worked and then put new spins on it to make it work for a big ensemble show like The Illusionists. And then they added their expertise and these amazing production values to make it really something I never thought it would be when I started coming up with those ideas.”
Cox said he and his fellow magicians in The Illusionists are like a small family. For this Broadway engagement — the fifth time the show has played Midtown Manhattan — Cox is joined by Dom Chambers (America’s Got Talent semi-finalist) as “The Showman,” Eric Chien (another AGT semi-finalist) as “The Manipulator,” Paul Dabek as “The Trickster,” Kevin James as “The Inventor” and Enzo Weyne as “The Unforgettable.”
“We’ve all become very good friends,” Cox said. “We have moments in the show where we do all work together and do big tricks at the beginning and the end of each show. Then, also, we’re up there on our own. The nice thing is it’s a real family, and we watch each other’s acts and then give each other thoughts and notes. It means the show is always improving. The tough thing about being a magician often is that it’s a solitary thing, so to be with a group of other magicians, doing this amazing stuff with them and getting their thoughts and opinions, really makes everyone’s acts so much better.”
Audience members may be surprised to know that Cox has a back story that is amazingly similar to the most famous wizard of them all. Here’s how he answered a question about his early days in the world of magic: “I remember it very well. I was 11 years old, and I got a letter that was delivered by an owl. I then spent seven years at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and have been doing it ever since.”
That’s the funny answer, and here’s the slightly more serious one: “At heart, I’m an entertainer, and I want to perform,” he said. “I put all my efforts into working with people and creating fun and funny mind reading without having to put in years of practice. Instead of sleight of hand, my skill is with the human mind, so it’s much more fun. It’s also very personal and involves everyone in the audience in the shows because I can’t do it without you and your minds.”
The thrill of bringing his mind-reading comedy to thousands of people this holiday season is doubly special because it’s Cox’s Broadway debut. This is — as corny as it may sound — a true dream come true for the performer. He loves magic, but his greatest love is theater. These six weeks will be quite special for him because it combines both of those loves.
“I am at my happiest in a theater,” Cox said. “I got married in a theater. I love it so much. I never thought I would be able to play in the West End in London. I can’t sing or dance or act — but luckily magic. Now to think that I’m playing Broadway, it’s incredible. I went for the first time when I was 21 out to Broadway from London, and I remember going to see Hairspray at the Neil Simon Theatre. It was the first Broadway show I saw, so now to think I’m playing that same theater, it’s amazing. It’s so exciting to be part of that Broadway history and Broadway scene. I’ve been listening to the music that’s been done for this holiday version of the show, and it sounds amazing. It’s going to be really special and an amazing way for me to spend the holidays this year, and hopefully an amazing way for the audience to spend theirs.”
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
The Illusionists: Magic of the Holidays, featuring Chris Cox, plays through Jan. 5 at the Neil Simon Theatre in Midtown Manhattan. Click here for more information and tickets.
