Wes Iseli's 6th annual 24 hour magic show

Wes Iseli's Mystery Card

What does Lana do while we are performing?

Everyone asks about baby Lana, so this month I thought I would fill everyone in on what she does backstage while we are performing. In smaller shows we can watch her because neither myself or Natalie are on stage at the same time, but during our larger shows we need help. We ended up having my Uncle Freddy watch her this summer and I know he had a blast. They walked around everywhere at Massanutten Resort and at Shenandoah Crossing Resort they played in the pool. He & his wife spoiled her too. Several weeks this summer he showed up with gifts for her, from clothes, children's CD’s, to toys for her stroller.

Here are some photos of them from this summer: 

Thanks for everything Uncle Freddy!

Our show at Shenandoah Crossing Resort

Natalie & I have been performing our Illusion show at Shenandoah Crossing Resort for several years now and we really enjoy it there. This Resort has horseback riding, boating/ fishing on the lake, tennis courts, mini golf, indoor & outdoor swimming pools, an arcade & more. If you’re staying the night you can choose from a hotel, campground facilities, cabins, or you could pull your own camper. I almost forgot to mention they also have an award winning magician & Illusionist who performs there weekly during the summer months (me).

Below are some pictures before and after our show at Shenandoah Crossing Resort:

                                                   Here I am backstage getting ready to go on

 Natalie taking a break after the show

before we start packing it all up 

  A picture of stage left and the rest 

     of the items that fill the stage                                                             

Wes Iseli's Borrowed Bill Illusion

Wes Iseli's Magic Contest

This contest is now over, for our newest contest check out my channel on youtube

Natalie's Silk & Dove Routine

My magic show is not witchcraft or Voodoo

My magic show is not witchcraft or Voodoo. I thought that was common sense, but this week I witnessed something I never thought I would. Let me go back a bit; I have worked for a certain school in Northern Va for over 7 years now, approximately 3 times a year. When I perform at this school the majority of the teachers are doing something else and leave the aids and other staff members to watch the kids. Sometimes these aids would rather be cleaning the bathrooms than watch another show (I'm guessing by reading their faces), but after the show I am told over and over how much they enjoyed the show and that I am not silly or clown like. Some teachers or aids you just can't win over, even if I produce elephants they would still have a sour puss on their face. The school I worked at this week had one of those aids; she does not smile, she does not talk to Natalie or I before or after the show and by all of her body language signals she does not want to be there. This week she sat in the back of the audience and she was the same as normal, no smile & standoffish.
During the show I call up an adult spectator out of the audience which was a young lady and Natalie dresses her as a magician and she does magic in the show with Natalie's help. At this point I turn on music and I always walk to the back of the audience to help get the audience involved in clapping & cheering for the spectator. As I walked back there I heard a bass like humming, I thought someone had a radio on and as I looked over the one aid had her hands clamped together, she was sitting on the edge of her seat and was rocking back & forth and mumbling and chanting which was making the bass humming I just heard. I instantly found the person who hired me and explained what I just saw and she walked in to witness everything for herself. I told the lady who hired me I think this lady thinks I am doing voodoo or witchcraft and I think I am scaring her. The lady told me what made everything worse was the spectator I got from the audience was the aid's daughter. They then told me this was her first job in this country and she had been standoffish with other activities. I suggested that maybe that lady should not have to come to my show next time and they said if they had known she had an objection to my show she would not have had to go this time or any other. I felt really bad for her, she was so scared, you could see it in her eyes. After 16 years in business this was a first...

Wes Iseli's Metamorphosis

Foster Care Shows

This year Natalie & I were invited back to Louisa, VA for this year’s celebration and appreciation dinner for local foster care families.  They had us not only perform a show but we also did face painting and balloon animals for all the families while they were entering the party and during dinner. The speaker they had was terrific and the speech was very heartfelt. Even though I have worked for Foster care groups in the past this show really touch me, maybe because I am a new dad, I am not sure.
After the show they asked me to pass along this message.
“There is a great need for more foster care or adoptive parents and if you yourself would like more information on this subject or know someone else who may be interested, please take time out to check out your local department of social services.”
You could also check out www.fosterparents.com
Thanks again for having us, We had a great time!

Wes Iseli's Floating Box Illusion

This is our newest illusion, the box is wheeled out onstage on a dolly and comes to life. The audiences are really enjoying seeing this levitation with a surprise ending.

Gearing up for our new season

As I am writing this I am also brainstorming and working out the kinks of several new effects for our summer illusion show season.       

We are working on several new effects: 

* Houdini’s metamorphosis: I have never performed this classic of magic because most magicians who perform it do it poorly. Natalie & I will be trying to add our spin to this classic of magic. 

 * A haunted packing crate: a new illusion where a box is wheeled out on stage and shown to be light as a feather then it starts to move and levitate all on its own. As it is floating Natalie pops her head out and is reveled to be also floating inside the box. 

* Our new comedy routine where we turn a spectator into a magician 

* A signed bill to impossible location: We borrow a bill, it is signed and disappears only to be found later in a single portion box of cereal that has been hanging above the stage the entire show. 

Here are a couple photos from

 rehearsals this year: 

Headlining FCM Convention in 2013

What is the FCM? The Fellowship of Christian Magicians is an international organization of people, from all walks of life, dedicated to using a high standard of presentation of the Gospel and to leading the lost to the saving grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. Why do we use the various performing arts to teach and preach the “Good News?” Because a person will only retain a small percentage of what they hear, but if you give them visual illustrations along with the lesson, their retention factor increases greatly. Add to the illustration a mystery or surprise ending, and you lock in on their curiosity and they will long remember what you’ve taught. Natalie & I are honored to have been asked to headline the 2013 Fellowship of Christian Magician Convention in Columbus, Ohio. We will not only be performing in the Gala show, but we will also be lecturing and setting up a vendor booth to sell magic I have created and more. I have been a member of the Fellowship of Christian Magicians for over 10 years now and I have performed at churches all over the East Coast. Even though I have worked in this field for a while now, this will be my first FCM convention. If you are reading this and are a member of the FCM please try and make the 2013 convention, I have heard just some of the things they are planning and it sounds like this is the year not to be missed…

Wes Iseli's Electric deck of cards

This is one of my newest card tricks I love to perform, it takes everyone off guard and people seem to really love it. This was filmed in Charlottesville Va after my show at a retirement community. The guy in the video was the night clerk at the front desk.

Wild Wing Cafe

I started working at Wild Wing Café at the train station in Charlottesville, Va this January. This restaurant is a lot of fun. They are billing it as a family night, but the customers span the gambit from children to college kids to senior citizens. Even the kitchen staff make sure I stop by each week to show them a magic trick. The restaurant is broken into a family atmosphere downstairs and upstairs is more of a sports bar atmosphere. I work at Wild Wing Café on Thursdays from 5:30-8:30 pm until our crazy summer schedule kicks in at the end of May. So if you get a chance, come see me before the end of May for a great meal in a cool place and free magic right at your table.
Here are some performance pictures from Wild Wing Café
Lana loves it there too

The Magic Van

Our magic van not only carries all of our equipment and gets us from place to place but it sometimes feels at thought it is our mobile office. We spend more time in the van than we do on stage most days.
With the addition of my new bench seat in the back Jacob and Lana can now join us on the road. We try to make it as comfortable as possible and I think we have succeeded.

Sweet dreams guys!

Wes Iseli's year of free bowling

For this month's magic trick I decided to do an effect I have played with but never put in my act. After seeing the footage I think it will be going in this years show. I hope you enjoy the video and remember to check out my other videos and comment and subscribe. You can also check me out at www.wesiseli.com

Our newest employee... Jacob Iseli

With our business growing by leaps and bounds each and every year Natalie and I need help especially now that our baby Lana is on the road with us. My brothers son Jacob Iseli is now working with us to help in the office, help us on the road loading and unloading equipment and during shows he becomes a babysitter. He is really good with Lana and says he really enjoys working with us. He is loving the fact he is able to spend time with his cousin Lana and really enjoys learning magic tricks along the way. We are happy to have Jacob with us and he is a hard worker bending over backwards to lend a hand with anything we need.

Wes Iseli's TV Interview on What's going on

This was our second time being interviewed there. We had a great time! In this interview you will see close up magic, baby bunny magic, and our Doll house illusion at the end. I hope you enjoy.

Howard Stern on AGT

I was excited to hear that Howard Stern was going on Americas Got Talent when I heard that he was hoping for a magician to take the top prize. I can't wait to see what happens, hopefully someone great steps foreword.

Wes Iseli's Impossible Bottles

Definition: An impossible bottle is a type of mechanical puzzle. It is a bottle that has an object inside it that does not appear to fit through the mouth of the bottle. The glass cannot be cut or blown around the objects.

My newest endeavor in the field of creativity and art is Impossible Bottles. I enjoy crafting and making things with my hands (I think I get this from my mom, I grew up seeing her painting, knitting, and creating projects all the time). These bottles are a nightmare! While making them I am consumed with feelings of being overwhelmed and just wanting to quit, but once I am done the feeling of accomplishment is well worth it. Each bottle is painstakingly made by hand with hours and hours of work in each one. The pictures below are magic themed with an entire deck of cards sealed inside.



These bottles are now for sale only at wesiseli.com

Wes Iseli's 1 of a kind production item

Wes Iseli's 1 of a kind production item is a production trick with a surprise ending. I have been tossing around ideas for this effect for several months and this is what I came up with. I hope you enjoy and remember to subscribe, I post a new video each month. Check us out online at www.wesiseli.com

New Years Eve 2011

This New Year's Eve has been on my mind for several months. 12/31/11 was the due date of our little girl Lana. The only bad thing about that was I had a contract to perform an illusion show for a country club that night; New Year's Eve is always a great payday for entertainers. Lana came early on Dec 28th and I was able to bring Natalie & Lana to the show. We did not do the illusions I had planned, but instead I did a 100 foot rope tie escape and a new mind reading routine which uses 5 adult volunteers from the audience. Both of those tricks "pack small and play big" which was nice since Natalie could not help like we both thought she would be able to. Natalie did assist me during the show but did so for the most part from a comfy chair behind me. Lana was out in the audience being watched by friends of ours we met in birthing classes. The show went great and at the end of the show I got to bring Natalie & Lana out onstage and introduce her and as a family wish everyone a very happy new year. Afterwards we went to our friends home and brought in the New Year while drinking sparkling cider and watching the ball drop on TV.

Lana Elizabeth Iseli has been produced

On December 28th at 1:14 am Natalie "Produced" our beautiful baby we named Lana Elizabeth Iseli. She weighed in at 7lbs 14oz. Mom and Baby are doing great! Natalie even worked a New Years Eve illusion show just 4 days after giving birth "The Show Must Go On". I am so proud of her and we are so blessed to have so many friends reaching out to congratulating us, bringing gifts/meals, & visiting. Lana will be raised in a magic family & I already am working on a levitation for her. More to come so stay tuned...