I knew David Roth’s trick on Penn & Teller’s Fool Us was going to be amazing before he even began. How, you ask? Well, there’s his background (he’s one of the greatest magicians in recent history, has won awards for his close-up magic and literally wrote the book on coin magic). And then Jonathan Ross, the MC, made a disclaimer reminding viewers that what they see on Fool Us has not been edited to make the magic happen; it’s all happening that way on stage too. That means that whatever David Roth has planned, the Fool Us producers anticipated that angry people would take to Twitter to call bullsh*t on the show and claim that the magic was done in the editing room instead on the stage. That alone is a great compliment.
Roth didn’t disappoint. His close-up magic was a joy to watch. Even though you know it’s sleight of hand, you can’t catch any of his moves. He did a quick series of tricks before having a blast showing off his mastery of sleight of hand.
Indeed, when it was time for the moment of truth, Penn explained that they did know how he did most of the trick — but only because, as young magicians, they had literally studied the books he wrote about how to do those tricks (Roth invents much of the magic he performs). Penn said that even though they technically knew how most of it was done, they still considered themselves fooled and everyone wins there. Roth got the Fooler trophy and Penn & Teller get to have David Roth perform with them as part of their Vegas show sometime soon. Oh, and we got to see some truly amazing magic. Win-Win-Win.
— Kayleigh Roberts
Entertainment Weekly (ew.com)
“David Roth is, flat out, a great magician, and the best coin magician I have ever seen.”
“To David Roth, with thanks for an evening of great coin magic.”
“Warmest wishes to who I consider the greatest coin manipulator in the entire world.”
“Thank you for joining Bear Stearns for the Financial Industry Conference dinner on October 13th. You and your magic were a huge success: you were the talk of the town.”
—Elizabeth Monaco, Bear Sterns
“Thank you for making our Seagram’s V.O. banquet a huge success. Not only are you an outstanding magician, but the manner in which you joined in with our guests is to be highly commended.”
—Seagram’s Incorporated
“We all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves at the excellent performance you gave at our conference. Your magic was highly entertaining and truly fascinating.”
—B. Charles Milne, Vice President Citibank, N. A.
“Warmest thanks to you for your splendid performance at our annual holiday party. Your professionalism and skill were a genuine pleasure to behold and your presence lent a truly magical air to our party. I personally found your presentation to be extremely entertaining and look forward to seeing you again.”
—Ira G. Kawaller, Director Chicago
Mercantile Exchange, New York Office
“Thank you for helping to make the FAO Schwarz Annual Easter Party for the Press and their Children such a resounding success. The entertainment and demonstrations you provided delighted our guests—young and old. We are deeply appreciative of your generous contribution of your talents and time. Norma Lee and Peter Cott join me in expressing our gratitude.”
—Peter Oechsle,
President Norma A. Lee Company