Penn and Teller, the famous duo of magicians who are also the judges of the Fool Us magic competition, have made a career out of making the impossible possible.
So, magicians competing on the show have their work cut out for them as they try to put together an act that will take Penn & Teller by surprise. Yet the entertainers you’ll get to know by reading this article managed to do exactly that.
Without further ado, here are four of the most surprising acts to ever be featured on the show.
1. Steven Brundage, close-up magician
Most often than not, magic is all about misdirection and tricking the eye.
Sometimes, though, it’s about outstanding mental and physical dexterity. Such is the case of this top magic routine performed by Steven Brundage, a master of the Rubik’s cube.
To fool Penn & Teller, Steven used the six-sided color puzzle in a variety of mind-bending ways which left everyone wondering how he did it.
To nail this performance out of the park, Steven’s timing had to be absolutely perfect – and his fingers had to move at an incredible speed. Check it out in the video below.
2. Javi Benitez, close-up/card magician
Javi Benitez has been perfecting his craft ever since he was a child and it definitely shows. His card handling abilities are out of this world and Javi made sure to put them on full display with his performance on Penn and Teller.
The act involved a series of apparently blank playing cards which transformed in unbelievable ways – shifting from a quartet of jokers to queens, artistic patterns, and aces before turning blank once again.
Judge Penn Jillette referred to Javi’s performance as some of the best sleight of hand he’s ever seen and given Penn’s experience, that’s a huge compliment.
Plus, the music of the performance was set to make it stand out even more. You need to see this! It’s one of the most surprising acts from the show.
3. Ryan Hayashi, coin magician
From simple street-magic tricks to more elaborate routines, there are countless coin magic tricks magicians can perform.
But few are as surprising and intricate as the ones presented by Ryan Hayashi on Penn and Teller: Fool Us.
It’s even more impressive considering that Ryan only used a pocketful of change and four playing cards to deliver a complex performance that looks both seamless and mystifying.
To make things even better, Ryan topped off his act with a hilarious monologue which showed off his wittiness. This has to be one of the most surprising acts from season 5, at least.
Take a look:
4. Suzanne, close-up magician
The first woman magician to be granted the acclaimed Close-up Magician of the Year award from the Magic Castle showcased her skill with this act from Penn & Teller.
Her routine which included host Jonathan Ross involved placing a Band-Aid on the host’s hand and another on her forehead. The surprising part came when Suzanne somehow managed to switch the inscription which was on each one of the two Band-Aids.
Although the two judges had a chance to examine Suzanne’s props up close, they still couldn’t figure out the secret to her technique.
Sometimes, it’s deceptively simple tricks like this that are most surprising and bewildering. Take a look:
Want to Feature Surprising Acts from Penn and Teller at Your Event?
The acts we’ve included in this article represent some of the best routines from Penn & Teller: Fool Us! They are the kinds of performances that create a lot of engagement and interest, leaving a lasting impression on all those who have a chance to watch them.
But if you have an event coming up and want to generate the same level of excitement and surprise with your choice of entertainment, we can help.
Our portfolio of entertainers features over 1,800 premium magicians, speakers, musicians, comedians, and more. Start browsing now and don’t hesitate to reach out to us at (615) 283-0039 in case you need further assistance
