Piff the Magic Dragon and the Spectacular Magicians Piff the Magic Dragon, a comedic magician, has captivated audiences around the world with his unique brand of magic and comedy. With his grumpy demeanor and dragon costume, Piff adds a whimsical twist to the traditional magic show. Piff's act includes a variety of tricks and illusions that leave audiences in awe. He combines classic magic tricks with his own comedic flair, resulting in a one-of-a-kind performance that is both entertaining and mystifying. From card tricks to levitation acts, Piff's repertoire is filled with surprises that keep audiences on the edge of their seats. What sets Piff apart is his incorporation of comedy into his magic show.
“All those kind words were an honor,” van der Put said. “It certainly helped.”
Van der Put s career started to take off in 2008, which was when he started sporting the dragon costume and worked humor into his act, which the audience embraced. Oddly, the first one you see is from a guy who wrote this about you He has the energy of a man who has had to perform as a dragon for way too many kids birthdays and is now officially done with life.
What sets Piff apart is his incorporation of comedy into his magic show. He engages his audience with witty banter and sarcastic remarks, creating a lighthearted and fun atmosphere. Piff's comedic timing and clever delivery have made him a crowd favorite, and his humor adds an extra layer of entertainment to his magic tricks.
Piff the magic dragon and the spectacular magicians
If you’ve never witnessed a Piff the Magic Dragon show in Las Vegas or elsewhere, you are in for a real treat. The recent “triple crown” winner in the 2019 Best of Las Vegas Awards for Best Comedian, Best Magician and Best Headliner is coming our way. Piff will be performing at Park City Eccles Center on Sunday, December 22nd at 8pm. I can’t think of a better way to enjoy the holidays than at a Piff the Magic Dragon show. In advance of his appearance in Utah, I sat down with Piff in Las Vegas for a chat.
TS: Congratulations on winning the triple-crown in Vegas. You won for best magician, best comedian and best headliner. Which takes more work: magic or comedy?
Piff: When you talk to stand-up comedians, they always talk about turning their material over every year. And that is much more achievable in comedy than in magic. Because in comedy, if you have an idea, you can try it tonight and find out whether it’s funny. Whereas in magic, if you have to have an idea, you have to make it work first, and that can take, you know, three or six months … or a year. And that’s just to get the idea working. Then you have to take it on stage to see if anyone even likes it.
TS: Confession: The only magic I really watch is Penn and Teller and you. So this might be a rookie question, but, for example, the notorious “urine” trick that you recently did with Penn Jillette in Florida is a variation on an already existing trick. So the question is: is all magic and illusion a variation on something that’s been done before? Or is it still possible to create something that’s brand new?
Piff: I guess you can. Like, with any sort of writing you’re using the same alphabet. But you can reconfigure it into a way that is new. So, it’s the same with magic; there are building blocks, but it’s the way you put them together. Penn and Teller are the kings of that. Everything they do looks like nothing else; they really put their stamp on it.
TS: You were raised as an evangelical Christian. I ran across this term reading about you. What is “gospel magic?”
Piff: Gospel magic is when you use magic tricks to spread a bible message … to preach with magic tricks.
TS: You went through a very serious bout with acute pancreatitis some years ago. This was before Piff came into existence. Did all that ordeal lead to Piff the Magic Dragon as a career?
Piff: Maybe. It just meant that certainly I would rather concentrate full-time on something that I’d been doing part-time. So I quit my IT job and I really tried to make a go of the magic. And then also, it encouraged me to not take things for granted. You know, not be like, ‘Well, I’ll try it but if it doesn’t work out then I can try it next year.’ I was a bit more like, ‘Maybe we should try and get this working today.’
Photo courtesy Piff the Magic Dragon
TS: I was looking at your America’s Got Talent videos on YouTube where some 10.5 million people have viewed your performances and there are, like, 5700 comments. Oddly, the first one you see is from a guy who wrote this about you: “He has the energy of a man who has had to perform as a dragon for way too many kids’ birthdays and is now officially done with life.”
Piff: Yup. I spent 10 years doing restaurant magic … doing the same 10 minutes over and over again, 10 or 15 times a night, 5 nights a week. And so yeah … I definitely felt like ‘this is Groundhog Day.’ I thought it would be funny to put that onstage and build a character around that vibe.
TS: A reader wanted me to ask you: Was it difficult to adjust to moving from “moist” England to a place like Vegas, with a climate that’s closer to the surface of the sun?
Piff: No. Every year I used to tour Australia in January and February and March, because I was so fed up with the English winters. So I was very happy to get out here and I love it.
TS: Do you get recognized in public without your dragon frock?
Piff: Not very often, but more than I’d like. I love being anonymous.
TS: I feel like somewhere lurking within Piff the Magic Dragon, there’s some bawdy, ribald material wanting to get out.
Piff: You know, I like trying to tread the line. And in our shows we can sort of dance around that line, whereas on shows like America’s Got Talent you have to be very clean. But you know, honestly, for our shows we get kids and we get families and I quite like those dynamics.
TS: You have a way of blindsiding your audience with your humor and comedy. They don’t see the jokes coming and you don’t telegraph them. Do you work at that? Like, when you do a card trick and tell the audience member on stage that they picked the wrong card.
Piff: Right. I don’t know, I mean I think there’s a thing in the world of magic where magicians go on stage and they tell the audience they have these amazing powers and then when things to wrong, the magicians I’ve seen kind of have a tendency to blame the audience. And I just thought doing that intentionally would be really funny.
TS: One of our readers said he suspects that you have a ‘punk’ sensibility. Maybe that comes from the PiffPod podcast theme song.
Piff: There’s definitely like, that iconoclastic element to it … I always try to question things. In magic, people are always like, ‘Well, this is how you should do it.’ And I’m always like, ‘Really?’ And sometimes it’s funny and sometimes I end up going, ‘Oh, now I understand why you should do it that way.’ There’s a technique in magic where before you do a ‘reveal’, you recap what has happened in order to fully maximize the applause. And I prefer to not explain or recap [he says, laughing]—to do the reveal and then berate the audience for not fully understanding what happened. That’s much funnier to me. So that would be an example of doing things backwards in magic. Magic 101 would be ‘maybe you should explain what happened before you do the reveal.’ I’m on Magic 102.
TS: You’re coming to Utah just before Christmas. Do you have anything special lined up for the holiday audience?
Piff: We’ll probably do a couple of Christmas-y tricks. The great thing is that we put these shows together and we do a mix of old favorites and new tricks on the road. So every time someone comes out to our show, there’s usually at least half of it they haven’t seen before. And every time we do a trick, we use someone from the audience. So it’s always different anyway. It’s always amazing to me how different each night is.
Jade Simone aka Mrs. Piff, Author, Ted Scheffler, & Piff the Magic Dragon
Originally trained as an anthropologist, Ted Scheffler is a seasoned food, wine, and travel writer based in Utah. He loves cooking, skiing, music, and reading, and spends an inordinate amount of time tending to his ever-growing herd of guitars and amplifiers. Ted is also the author of the Utah Bites newsletter, which is published in partnership with Utah Stories. Before moving to Utah, Ted lived in New York City, and numerous states in the US, as well as in various countries overseas, Spain, Japan, Canada, Brazil, and Mexico. He earned a Master’s Degree in Anthropology from the Graduate Faculty of The New School for Social Research.
TS: You have a way of blindsiding your audience with your humor and comedy. They don’t see the jokes coming and you don’t telegraph them. Do you work at that? Like, when you do a card trick and tell the audience member on stage that they picked the wrong card.
Alongside Piff, there are many other spectacular magicians who have made a name for themselves in the world of magic. From famous illusionists like David Copperfield and Penn & Teller to up-and-coming magicians like Shin Lim and The Clairvoyants, the world of magic is filled with talented individuals who continue to push the boundaries of what is possible. These magicians combine sleight of hand, mentalism, and grand illusions to create mind-blowing performances that leave audiences amazed. Their dedication to their craft and their ability to create illusions that defy logic and reason is what sets them apart. In conclusion, Piff the Magic Dragon and the spectacular magicians of the world bring a sense of wonder and delight to audiences everywhere. Through their unique combination of magic and comedy, they continue to amaze and entertain us with their incredible skills and talents. Whether it's Piff's grumpy dragon persona or the awe-inspiring illusions of other magicians, these performers never fail to leave a lasting impression. So, if you ever have the chance to witness their magic firsthand, be prepared to be amazed..
Reviews for "From Las Vegas to Broadway: Piff the magic dragon's remarkable rise to fame."
John Smith - 2 stars - I was really disappointed with Piff the magic dragon and the spectacular magicians. The whole show felt chaotic and lacking in entertainment value. Piff's jokes were stale and the magic tricks were predictable. I was expecting to be amazed and entertained, but unfortunately, I left feeling bored and unimpressed. I wouldn't recommend this show to anyone looking for a captivating magic experience.
Jessica Davis - 1 star - Piff the magic dragon and the spectacular magicians was a complete waste of time and money. The jokes were unfunny and Piff's attempts at comedy fell flat. The magic tricks were basic and lacked any wow factor. I was hoping to be entertained, but instead, I was left feeling disappointed and bored. Save your money and skip this show.
Sarah Thompson - 2 stars - I had high hopes for Piff the magic dragon and the spectacular magicians, but it ended up being a letdown. The show lacked cohesiveness and the tricks were underwhelming. Piff's banter with the audience felt forced and unnatural. Overall, it was a forgettable experience and I would not recommend it to others.