Magician Jon Dorenbos is coming to Hard Rock Event Center on Saturday, March 16 for “An Evening with Jon Dorenbos – Magic, Comedy & Football”. We caught up with the superstar to chat about magic, inspiration, and more.
Your story is an staggering one– from an unfortunate loss growing up, to discovering a heart condition that took you away from your football career, to practicing magic and motivating people around the world. Your incredible and inspiring optimism has transcended your circumstances. What was the key behind surpassing your circumstances and becoming the inspiration you are now?
I was fortunate to have family and people that loved me around me when I was young. I went through aggressive therapy that formed my way of thinking when I was 12 and 13. In my opinion, the reality is that life does not care. Meaning we all struggle, we all lose loved ones, we all get fired, we all at times feel that life is coming down on us, but that is simply life. When these events happen we make a decision– will we live in vision or will we live in circumstance? I believe that is the moment that separates us. I chose to not be a victim in life. Instead, I understand that tragedy and chaos is part of life and the sooner we grieve with the situation, the sooner we have closure to find happiness.
What would you advise to someone who might be in a rough situation but is looking to change their perspective to better their circumstances?
When life is tough, look in the mirror and don’t listen to the voice of negativity and doubt in your head. Instead, look at yourself in the mirror, talk to yourself and tell yourself how you want your life to be. Convince yourself that it will happen. Don’t listen to yourself, talk to yourself. But be careful what you say… because I believe those words will pave the way.
Do you have any habits or practices that keep you inspired, motivated, or optimistic day to day?
I look at my wife and dog everyday. I look around at everything in my life that I am thankful for. I focus on those things way more than I focus on the things I don’t have. Be thankful. Be kind. Give off the joyous energy to the world that you want to have come back to you.
You’ve said you turned to magic at an early age to ease your mind, but it quickly turned into a passion. When did you realize you wanted to do magic as more than just a hobby?
I knew when I was 14 that I wanted to perform the rest of my life. The energy that performing gave was awesome. It made people smile. Magic was my tool to connect to people.
How long did it take you to master your magic?
When I first started I practiced for two straight years before I ever did a trick. Fortunately I’ve gotten to a level where the budgets and production values are awesome. It creates a much higher level of creative freedom. The creating process is fun. We come up with an idea and then say “how the hell do we do that?” Then it’s go time!
What is the most rewarding part of being a magician?
I use magic as a tool to connect to an audience and tell my story. People watch my show and see how much fun I’m having and how much I love it. After the show people come up to me and tell me the changes (for the positive) that they want to make in their life. That is powerful. To inspire people to unlock a little more happiness in themselves is really cool — I love it.
What is your most difficult magic trick?
All of them. They all have their challenges.
How do you create your magic tricks? Is there a process?
I have a great team. We come up with ideas and then work backwards and ask ourselves, “how the hell do we do it?” It’s a lot of trial and error. It usually takes a lot of time to finalize a trick before its “ready” for the stage.
Have you ever used your magic in real-life situations?
It’s the greatest ice breaker when meeting people.
What was your approach in merging magic, comedy and inspirational speaking?
It just happened. When I did ‘America’s Got Talent’ I became known as the inspirational magician and I love it. Come see the show and you will see how it all comes together.
Were you always a natural at storytelling and public speaking? How have you evolved?
No. I was nervous talking on stage while performing for years. Then my rookie year when I was with the Buffalo Bills, Kevin Elko asked me to tell my story and do a few tricks for a group. I did and it changed my life. I loved it and it remains my style today.
What is the most important message you try to get across to your audiences in your shows?
LIFE IS MAGIC. Everything around us. Hate a little less. Blame a less, forgive a little more and watch the world of happiness unfold.
What can fans expect from your show?
You’re going to laugh. You’re going to reflect on your life. You’re going to be entertained, amazed. You will leave inspired and happy. It’s rock star. It’s the show I am so very proud of. I can promise you this— you won’t see anything else like it. It’s my life story.
Tickets to ‘An Evening With Jon Dorenbos’ at Hard Rock Event Center are on sale now!