Mark Phillips
The old adage is, of course, that a magician never reveals his secrets.
But let’s be honest, we love it when magicians tell us how they do what they do. Us mere mortals are fascinated by the talent it takes to make the impossible look effortless, and we want to take a peek behind the curtain.
Magician Ryan Phillips (he’s the tall, silly one in red) doesn’t give away his tricks. In fact, he goes out of his way to make sure we can’t figure it out. Audience members check his pockets, his sleeves, his cards – and then he proceeds to fool us anyway.
He and magician Mark Phillips (no relation – he’s the older, mustachioed gentleman in blue) compete twice a night on Saturdays to not only fool the audience, but win them over in The Magic Duel.
They’re going head-to-head to be named ‘DC’s Best Magician’ at the Mayflower Hotel, where they’ve been with a rotating cast of competitors since 2014. They compete in four rounds consisting of different tricks of the trade (literally) selected by the crowd – my audience was treated to ‘slight of hand’ and ‘mentalism’ among others.
Mark Phillips
They really play up the competition of the whole thing. Age difference for one competitor means more experience for the other. So while they’re trying to impress you with their tricks, they’re trying to outsnark and outwit each other. Ryan quips that Mark brings to magic ‘what Verizon brings to customer service.’
I hate calling Verizon: point for Ryan. He gets it.
That’s what they’re trying to do the whole time. Charm you, schmooze you, impress you, so you’ll cast a vote for them during intermission.
And they will.
Their home at the Mayflower allows for a small scale, but never not exciting performance. Seeing something so flashy up close is quite the treat and with intimate audiences, they get just about everyone in on the fun.
That’s where you come in to play. If you buy a ticket to The Magic Duel (and you should), come in expecting that your odds of getting on stage to help perform a trick (or maybe be tricked) are quite high. The night that I saw the show, more people left having performed some magic during the evening than not.
How many shows of any kind can you basically guarantee you’ll get to participate?
And that’s the reason to see The Magic Duel: you can really immerse yourself in an evening out. Get there early and on your way in, stop off at the Mayflower’s bar, The Edgar (named after J. Edgar, who used to dine there regularly) and order The Junior – you can take it in the show.
Once you’re settled, prepare to participate.
Ryan’s act requires more audience participation than Mark’s does. Ryan is all of things you think of when the word ‘gangly’ is invoked – minus the awkwardness. He’s young, but calm. Sharp-tongued, but well-rehearsed. His jacket purposefully clashes with his vest. He’s silly, but resolute.
Mark Phillips
Mark has a few more years of magic under his belt (probably more than Ryan has been alive) and brings that gravitas to his performance. He’s performed these tricks bazillions of times, but he’s still excited by wowing you. He’ll do some tricks you’ve seen before, but his slick professionalism makes them exciting.
That’s their biggest trick of all: bringing the fun to some of the tricks you’ve seen before. They’re not making elephants vanish, they’re not sawing people in half – they’re playing ‘Is this your card?’ and making objects disappear. But they’re doing it right in front of your eyes. It’s impossible to not be impressed.
And they’ll do it with humor, pizzazz, and good ole fashioned competition.
The Magic Duel runs about 90 minutes with one 15 minute intermission. The show is not recommended for children under 14 years of age due to the more adult humor.
The Magic Duel is an on-going show at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington DC with shows Saturdays at 5:00 PM and 8:00 PM. Visit the official website for more information.
Mark Phillips
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