Amazing Johnathan: the clear choice for bizarre fun
The Amazing Johnathan's nightly act at the Harmon Theater at the the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino is not for the faint of heart. Applying gore and bizarre, edgy comedy in equal measures, the stand-up comedian/magician's bonafide don’t-try-this-at-home act has been described as “where magic and comedy collide.”
From the moment the comedy magician walks out on stage, the Amazing Johnathan offers a crystal-clear, streak-free picture that's “bizarrely funny” — even when he’s not gulping down Windex, a feature of his act.
Nightly packed houses have seen the Amazing Johnathan eat razor blades, put a knife through his arm, push a pencil into his ear and pull it out from his nose and perform other amazine feats. These are the same sort of cringe-inducing tricks he performs on the My Network magic series Masters of Illusion — although, when appearing on the broadcast show, Johnathan has to clean up his comedy material considerably.
Even without the help of his trusty assistant, the Psychic Tanya, Johnathan can see clearly into his future: His one-of-a-kind act is here to stay.
“I think that maybe people want to see an edgier act,” says the Amazing Johnathan, the stage name of John Szeles. “I’m really edgy and as politically incorrect as I can be. I’m not waving a flag and saying that I love the audience, and I’m not worried about offending people — someone is always offended about something," he says.
"It’s all in fun. There is a line you can cross that goes from being mean-spirited funny to offensive. I don’t cross that line, which is why I’m different.”
The Amazing Johnathan's fast, furious and funny approach earned him rave reviews from national TV shows such as Late Night with David Letterman. Rolling Stone magazine referred to him as “one of the best comics working today.” Among his honors, he's a two-time winner of the International Magic Award for “Best Comedy Magician.”
“Penn & Teller come the closest to what I do, but they are more in the magic mode and don’t go for the comedy the way that I do,” Johnathan explains. “There are two real magic tricks in my show, and the rest is spoof.
"My demographic is very wide: people 10 years old to 65 years old. I do use the “f” word in the act, however," he warns.
“My show has become a Vegas tradition. It’s one that I think will be here for a long time to come.”
- by Bobbie Katz, Las Vegas Reporter for HelloMetro
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