CBS recently launched a new television series, Same Name, which pairs up celebrities with average citizens who happen to share their same names. For instance, the actor David Hasselhoff and another fellow named David Hasselhoff switch lives and see how their namesake lives.

Although I don’t foresee ever watching a single episode, the program reminded me of some amusing guests who have come to visit at my Chamber Magic shows in New York.

One week I had a man sitting in the front row whose name was Sherlock Holmes. The very next week, there was a man in the audience named James Bond. Of course I asked both of them to show me their drivers licenses, and sure enough those were their actual names!

Another month or so passed, and a fellow in the audience was named Bruce Wayne. (Batman’s alter-ego)

Is there a trend of fictional crime-fighters that [...]

Being the Millionaires’ Magician has placed me into some pretty amazing situations. Like the time I entertained at the White House Correspondents Dinner in Washington DC, during the Bloomberg after-party. This is the most “glam” party to attend, held at the Russian Trade Mission. Michael Bloomberg was there. Donald Trump was there. A-list celebrities at every turn. And it was my job to entertain them.

As I performed privately for two of the guests, I noticed that a photographer was furiously snapping pictures over my shoulder.

The photographer later informed me: “Those two men you just entertained were the Secretary of the Treasury and Secretary of Transportation. The only person who can usually bring them together is the President of the United States. And you just did the same thing with magic!”

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This reminds me of another occasion, when Michael Bloomberg invited me to his Park Avenue office in NYC prior to being elected mayor. After chatting for twenty minutes about golf, memory techniques, and how to master a second language (he was studying Spanish), Bloomberg asked me to show him some magic.

I asked [...]

Today the NY Times ran an amusing story titled, “Calling Steven Cohen. No, Not That One.” The article states that there are too many famous Steve Cohens involved in politics and academia, and as a result they frequently get confused in the media. I was surprised to find that I was briefly mentioned in the article, along with other Steve Cohens: a wrestler, a soccer player, and (most famous of all) a hedge fund trader.

Hedge fund billionaire Steven A. Cohen (shown above, with me and his charming wife Alex) has been to my show in NYC, and has also invited me to perform privately in Connecticut. We first met at [...]

For the past twenty five years, I’ve been invited to a friend’s NYC apartment on Central Park West and 72nd Street to enjoy the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Their apartment is on the third floor, in the building right across the street from the Dakota House. The parade balloons pass right in front of us, [...]

If you’ve ever worn a custom-tailored suit or dress shirt, you know that they typically embroider your name into the garment. However, have you ever come across a custom hanger with your name on it?

Recently a man came to my show and introduced himself afterward. He said that he has something for me back home (in Montreal) that I’d be sure to like. A couple of weeks later, a package arrived with a heavy black hanger inside. The hanger was printed with gold lettering across the top, with the words:

S. Cohen

I thought to myself, how flattering. This man went out of his way to make a custom hanger for me. Then I read his letter, which explained [...]

My 5-year-old daughter enjoyed this performance by Groucho Marx, so I’m posting several versions here. The song? “Lydia The Tattooed Lady,” from the Marx Brothers movie At The Circus.

According to Wikipedia, among the items, persons, and scenes tattooed on Lydia’s body are the Battle of Waterloo (on her back), The Wreck of the Hesperus (beside it), the red, white and blue (above them); the cities of Kankakee and “Paree”, Washington Crossing the Delaware, President Andrew Jackson, Niagara Falls, Alcatraz, Buffalo Bill, Captain Spaulding exploring the Amazon, Lady Godiva (with her pajamas on), Grover Whalen, the Trylon, Treasure Island, Nijinsky, a fleet of ships (on her hips), and Lydia’s own Social Security number.

I’ve included a second clip of Groucho singing on the Dick Cavett show later in life, and also a funny version by Kermit the Frog on the Muppet Show.

I like the way this photo shows the utter despair of someone experiencing an impossible moment. Of course I look pretty intense here, too. This shot was taken at an event I did in Switzerland at the ParkHotel Vitznau, located on the shore of Lake Lucerne. It was one of the most luxurious resorts I’ve [...]

The FedEx telephone agent said, “Sorry, we can’t change the weather.” I retorted, “Yeah, but you’re FedEx! What happened to your guarantee?” [...]

Once you’ve flown on a private jet, there’s no going back. I just landed in Cancun, on a Bombadier Challenger 605. And it’s all thanks to card tricks. My flight bag is loaded with six decks of Tally-Ho cards, a purseful of antique silver dollars, one red silk hanky and two false thumbs. Try explaining [...]

A major highlight in my performing career took place on April 26, 2009. The Waldorf-Astoria’s Director of Diplomatic Affairs invited me to entertain Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, of Saudi Arabia. The Crown Prince and his royal court were staying in the Waldorf Towers during an extended visit to New York. After [...]

In 2007, I was invited to be the featured performer at a high-society fundraiser in Manhattan. Two hundred very wealthy people were gathered in the ballroom of a private Park Avenue clubhouse, and I performed a modified version of my Chamber Magic show. Having presented this show over 2000 times by that point, I felt [...]