Joshua Jay became a world champion in close-up magic as a teenager and has gone on to cement his place as an internationally acclaimed performer.
Sold-out shows at Carnegie Hall. Wowing on The Tonight Show. Fooling Penn and Teller on Fool Us. Holding a Guinness World Record for card tricks. Performing for US Presidents.
And now…Jay is bringing his craft to Dayton to entertain you—for the benefit of Hillel Academy of Greater Dayton—in two shows on Sunday, November 2nd, at 2PM and 7PM at the Roger Glass Center for the Arts.
“We chose to bring Joshua Jay in because his world-class, captivating talent brings people together through wonder, laughter, and shared amazement,” said Dr. Anna Smith, Head of School. “It’s the kind of joyful, uplifting experience that builds community and reflects the heart of who we are.”
Going to a one-person close-up magic show is uniquely intimate and impactful.
“Attendees are in for a dazzling evening of jaw-dropping illusion and storytelling–Joshua has been called one of the world’s most engaging magicians,” said Dr. Smith. “It’s a one-of-a-kind experience that brings the entire community together for an incredible evening of unforgettable entertainment, a sense of awe and joy, and all for a great cause.”
Modern Audiences: Still Thirsty for Awe and Joy
Our world is saturated with digitally-created illusions, both realistic and fantastical. Yet to trick us, magicians still ply the same simple, everyday objects like coins and cards that they have for centuries.
Top talents, like Jay, also master communication, flair, neuroscience, psychology, and deft movement to transform you from spectator to participant by gaining your trust, and capturing and redirecting your attention.
“How can magic survive in a world with so many amazing things competing for our attention?” Joshua Jay asked. “My answer to this question is proximity. I think magic puts you inches away from impossible things, and that is something technology just can’t replicate. The live experience of magic is so personal and involves people in the show itself, and these are things that are, thankfully, timeless.”
Might day school families be tougher audiences than the professional entertainers Jay has wowed, like James Corden and Jimmy Fallon?
“I’ve observed many times that the hardest audience to fool is children,” Jay said. “They have no preconceived notions of magic, nor are they particularly concerned with manners or social norms. If they don’t like a trick, or they see something, they tell you.”
Luckily, he loves a challenge, which also helps with the incessant practice his vocation demands. But the most difficult thing he’s still learning in his career?
“Saying no!” Jay said. “I love what I do so much that years pass–and I mean it when I say ‘years’–in which I spend barely 3 weeks in my own bed. I have said for over a decade that ‘I’m going to slow down in a few months,’ but then show inquiries come in for South Africa and Bulgaria and Australia and a China tour…and how can I say no to seeing these wonderful places?”
For New York-based Jay, performing in Ohio is special.
“I was born and raised in Akron, and attended Ohio State University,” he said. “[M]y Ohio roots run deep. So I absolutely love audiences here, and I have many magician friends all over the state.”
Why Being Jewish Is Magical
Staying competitive in the magic world year in and year out requires continual study and innovation.
“The ultimate high for me now is creating a new illusion that really resonates for an audience,” Jay said. “That process–from conception to putting it onstage–is so fraught with complications and side quests, that when it occasionally works, I’m euphoric.”
He credits his Jewish identity as a driving force.
“I have an insatiable curiosity about how everything works,” said Jay. “I want to know everything about a subject, or place, or thing that I encounter. I think that’s why I’m so drawn to magic: because it’s fundamentally about engineering things in a way that masks how they’re done. I believe this particular kind of curiosity is, itself, a trait that many Jewish families encourage. Mine did.”
Jay’s work ethic and inquisitiveness helped earn him the moniker “Magic’s Renaissance Man.” He’s published numerous books about the history and art of magic, and he co-owns an online magic shop, which features his and others’ books and tricks.
This passion has also led to a personal collection of thousands of industry artifacts, including a straightjacket worn by a fellow Jew, Erik Weisz, also known as Harry Houdini.
Throughout history and today, being Jewish has its challenges. Turning to humor and entertainment is a coping mechanism for tragedy. This, and being barred from other professions in the past, ultimately led to an outsized Jewish representation in the arts.
In addition to Jay and Houdini, famous Jewish magicians include David Blaine, David Copperfield, and Raymond Teller.
Jay travels the world to steal people’s breath, and he’s witnessed a variety of reactions to his craft.
“It can be prickly to paint with such a broad brush, but here’s what I’ll say,” Jay said. “Jewish audiences tend to love entertainment. We value it. We appreciate talent and put it on a pedestal. And that makes shows at Jewish institutions, which I do a lot of, enormously fun. There are plenty of cultures and places who don’t particularly appreciate magic.”
Come experience the great Joshua Jay on November 2nd and join in our history of delighting in the art of magic, and support Hillel Academy of Greater Dayton.
“I’m so excited to come to Dayton with my show,” said Jay. “I think if you come with an open mind, you’ll have a blast and experience a kind of magic you haven’t seen before.”
Buy your tickets before they disappear (and that’s no illusion).
