Close-Up Magic That Happens
In Your Hands, Not On A Stage
Sleight of hand and sleight of mind, performed inches away, with your guests holding the cards and thinking of the words.
The Kind of Close-Up
People Still Talk About
Close-up magic is the most personal way to entertain a room. There is no stage, no distance, and nothing between the performer and the person watching. It happens at arm’s length, in small clusters of guests, with the impossible occurring in their own hands.
Daniel Nicholas is a magician and mentalist who has performed at over 1,000 events. His close-up work is a blend of sleight of hand and sleight of mind. Cards and coins are part of it, but so is real mind reading: a guest thinks of something private, tells nobody, and hears it said out loud a moment later.
That combination is what separates it from the close-up magic most people have seen before. Sleight of hand is impressive. Being told the name you were only thinking of is something else entirely, and it is the moment guests describe to everyone who was not standing there.
For cocktail hours and receptions, Daniel moves through the room in a strolling format, working small groups for a few minutes at a time so everyone gets a turn. For seated dinners, he works table to table between courses. Both formats need no stage, no sound system, and no changes to your run of show.
He also performs a stand-up mentalism show for events where the whole room gathers to watch together. Many clients book both: close-up during the cocktail hour, then the show once everyone is seated.
“Daniel is truly spectacular! He did a trick at a networking event I attended a few months ago that blew me away. How does he do it?”
Daniel carries a 5.0-star Google rating across 100+ reviews, and a large share of his work each year is repeat bookings and referrals from planners who have seen him work a room.
He is based in New York and performs across the tri-state area and nationwide. If you are planning an event and want close-up magic and mentalism that guests remember, the fastest way to start is to check your date.
Rooms That Have
Hosted It
Daniel’s close-up work has been performed at the American Museum of Natural History, Tavern on the Green, the Waldorf Astoria, The Plaza, the Rainbow Room, Cipriani 42nd Street, Gotham Hall, Casa Cipriani, the New York Athletic Club, Carbone, Shinnecock Hills, Gurney’s Montauk, Oheka Castle, Château Briand, Winged Foot, Baltusrol, The Borgata and Crystal Springs Resort, along with hundreds of private homes, offices and restaurant private rooms.
The reason close-up travels so well is that it asks nothing of the venue. No stage, no sound, no lighting cue, no space set aside. It works in a ballroom of four hundred and in a living room of twelve, because the performance happens in a circle of five or six people at a time and then moves.
That also makes it the safest booking when you do not yet know the shape of the evening. If the run of show shifts, if the speeches overrun, if the room never quite settles, close-up is unaffected. It fills whatever gap exists rather than requiring one.
What Planners
Usually Ask
What actually happens during close-up magic?
Daniel moves through the room and works with small groups for a few minutes at a time. Guests hold the cards, examine the coins, and think of words or names he could not know. It is sleight of hand and mind reading together, performed at arm’s length rather than from a stage.
How long should we book?
One hour covers roughly forty to fifty guests properly. Ninety minutes to two hours suits larger receptions or events where you want everyone reached without rushing. For a cocktail hour that runs an hour, one hour of close-up matches it exactly.
Do you need a stage, a microphone or any setup?
Not for close-up and strolling. That format needs no stage, no sound system, no lighting change and no adjustment to your run of show. The stand-up mentalism show needs a moment where the room genuinely gathers and a clear focal point. If your event has neither, close-up alone is the better booking and Daniel will tell you so.
How many guests does this work for?
Close-up and strolling works from around ten guests to several hundred, because Daniel performs to small clusters at a time rather than the whole room at once. Roughly one hour covers forty to fifty guests properly. The stand-up mentalism show suits a seated audience from around twenty upward.
Where do you perform?
Daniel is based in New York and works throughout the tri-state area, including Manhattan, Long Island, Westchester, the Hamptons, Connecticut and New Jersey. He also travels nationwide for corporate engagements.
Where Else
Daniel Works
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Bring Close-Up Magic
To Your Next Event
Popular dates book months ahead, particularly in the spring and around the holidays. Check your date and we will come back to you personally.
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