The Millionaires’ Magician

An Interview with Steve Cohen, Chamber Magic

EDITORS’ NOTE Steve Cohen, The Millionaires’ waldorf=astoria. is entirely interactive. i Magician, has the long-running show at The they weren’t doing never know who is going Waldorf Towers, which has been described by magic shows there to be in the crowd or what Forbes magazine as “the world’s greatest magic but a mutual friend their response will be so i act.” Most recently, Cohen was the star attraction suggested they give have to be quick and come at a private party in Omaha for . me a shot. up with responses to un- Other notable fans include Mayor Michael over the course predictable interjections. Bloomberg, Jack Welch, and U.S. Senator Chuck of time, the waldorf Do you know be- Schumer. Cohen has been featured on CNN, saw they were gain- forehand that the show CBS Evening News, and the History Channel, ing revenues from is going to go a certain and has appeared in the times, the food and bever- way? Are you surprised Financial times, the London sunday times, age sales, because anymore? and the London evening standard. He has per- guests were com- not really. i wrote a formed at venues including Lincoln Center, the ing into the hotel having dinner at the restau- book called Win the Crowd, and one of the te- New York Stock Exchange, the United Nations, rants and bars before and after my show – i nets in the book is to “expect success.” if you and Wynn Las Vegas. He began his career per- was bringing in 200 to 300 people every week- expect success, then you won’t be surprised forming at family gatherings and gradually end who were becoming customers of the ho- when you achieve it. if you go in worried that made his way onto the public stage. He earned tel. people were also sometimes buying out my maybe something will happen, then you prob- a degree in psychology from whole show and were beforehand renting out ably won’t perform at your peak. and spent a year abroad studying at Waseda the private dining room and having $150/plate When you look back to those days in University in Tokyo. He has native-level profi - dinners with 50 or 60 people at a time. the late ’90s at your friend’s apartment, ciency in Japanese and has worked as an in- additionally, i was bringing in publicity for could you ever have imagined that, a little terpreter for the Japanese government. Cohen the hotel because of television and newspaper over 10 years later, you would have had this is the author of win the crowd, and holds the appearances. so after awhile, they realized it type of success? esteemed rank of MIMC (Member of the Inner was working. i envisioned this 10 to 12 years ago, and Magic Circle) with Gold Star, awarded by The initially, i was losing money because i was i’m following out my mental plan. other people Magic Circle in London. renting the room, paying for a publicist, and beg- have tried to imitate me, and they all failed be- ging my friends to come to the show. then my cause they didn’t create the thought to begin Can you give us the background on the evo- manager introduced me to theatermania.com, with. the person who creates the thought is lution and development of Chamber Magic? a site that sends e-mail blasts to people inter- the one who can follow through, because it’s i started this show in 1999 at my friend’s ested in theater. we sent out one e-mail and the inspiration factor. the reason i’m able to victorian-style apartment in the west village, suddenly i was booked for two or three months. charge money for what i do is because i have and was bringing in personal clients for about another site called dailycandy.com posted dedicated my life to it. it’s not a matter of saying three weeks before i got kicked out – my one dedicated e-mail about me and, suddenly, casually, i’m going to set up a show and imitate friend’s wife didn’t want so many strangers in i was sold out for about a year. all my audi- that guy in new york. her living room. ence members were young attractive women Has this become more of a business for i then became a member of the national with their boyfriends – the site post brought in you over time? Is it diffi cult to differentiate arts club in gramercy park, a beautiful town- an entirely different demographic. the passion you have for it? house with a lovely victorian-style drawing then the international media started to i’m a showman. i love what i do more than room, which reminded me of the venues where cover me from china, germany, and england. i anything. but in order to enable that passion 19th century magicians held their performances. did the show in London at the Langham hotel to exist, i need to have a business acumen and i’m a historian of magic, and one of my heroes for a month; i was on tv there and that gener- sense. is magician Johann hofzinser, who had done ated an entirely sold-out run for 40 shows. i don’t have to market my show anymore drawing room entertainment in vienna, austria. i came back to the u.s. and was covered because it kind of markets itself by word of so i decided to recreate the victorian salon in on cbs Sunday Morning, and that ended up mouth and media. but i do need to focus on new york and do it on a long-term basis – i selling the show out again for many months. the business or i’m not going to be working wanted to make it a 20-year run even before i they re-aired the piece and it sold out for an- next week. started. other year, and i had to start adding saturday the thrill of performing for me is seeing the management at national arts club afternoons and evenings because i used to only grown adults who are really worldly melt into chil- allowed me to work there for three months do Friday nights. dren, on the edge of their seats with the wide open before they closed for summer. i decided to How critical is audience engagement eyes of a child. it’s what keeps me engaged.• fi nd another place, and fortunately, at one of for you, and is that something which early the last shows i did there, i was introduced on you were intrigued by and sought out? Steve Cohen entertains Warren Buffett and friends, to tracey brown, director of catering at the absolutely. this type of magic performance Omaha, Nebraska

156 Leaders posted with permission. copyright © 2010 magazine, inc. volume 33, number 4