Today we’d like to introduce you to Ben Jackson.
After the dining room table had been cleared from a sumptuous Thanksgiving Day feast in Lawrence, Kansas, an eight-year-old Ben Jackson was asked to guess the color of a face down playing card.
“Red or black?” asked a family friend, Blaine Sampson. “Uhhh… black?” replied Ben. “And this one?” posed Blaine.
“Red?”
This procedure continued until the deck had been divided into two packets of Ben’s choosing. Pausing for dramatic effect, the two piles were revealed to have been separated perfectly: all red cards in one and all black cards in the other. It was Paul Curry’s classic effect, “Out of this World”, that pulled the proverbial rug out from under Ben’s feet and subsequently introduced him into the world of magic.
Living in Houston, Texas, afforded Ben the opportunity to attend Magic Island. For his 13th birthday, his parents arranged for Ben to speak with the Entertainment Director and Resident Magician, Scott Hollingsworth, who suggested a curriculum of “Mark Wilson’s Complete Course in Magic” and “The Royal Road to Card Magic.” Ben thumbed through the texts, watched the VHS tape “PBS’ The Art of Magic”, and started seriously practicing his craft at age 15.
At age 17 he befriended local restauranteur, Rick Mausser, the owner of Campioni, a local privately-owned Italian restaurant, and started table-hopping on Friday evenings after school. Combining his four years of high school theatre arts, love of Jerry Seinfeld albums, and increasing fascination with magic, Ben made several appearances at his high school’s variety show. This followed him to Texas A&M University where he played host to Texas A&M Parent’s Weekend Variety Show. His stage was Rudder Auditorium, a 2,500 seat gorgeous theatre that has hosted national touring productions. Ben would introduce all of the acts with comedic styling: poetry readings, stand-up comedy, piano jingles, and magic.
When the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences selected Ben, Magna Cum Laude graduate (with chemistry and business minors), to represent their school at the December 2009 graduation ceremony at Texas A&M University, the last thing they expected their ceremonial flag bearer to become was a wizard. His parents would agree.
Nonetheless, 31-year-old Houston, Texas, native, Ben, has established himself as a young renaissance man in the magic community. His close-up magic has garnered 1st place awards from the International Brotherhood of Magicians, Society of American Magicians, World Magic Seminar, and Magic Castle in Hollywood, California.
Besides wooing other magicians, Ben has also made headway into the world of television and film. He made his national television debut on the set of NBC’s TODAY Show in New York City. He was selected as one of three magicians by David Copperfield to perform for Matt Lauer and Savannah Guthrie on their segment entitled “Magic Mondays”.
Additionally, Ben was hired by director Robert Rodriguez to serve as the hand-double and private coach to an actor, Joseph Gordon-Levitt in the film, Sin City: A Dame to Kill For. Gordon-Levitt portrayed the character of “Johnny”, a cocky gambler and cardsharp, and received sleight-of-hand instruction from Ben while on set. Ben’s technical execution of the one-handed shuffle and other card and coin flourishes were showcased in the film and helped bring Gordon-Levitt’s character to life.
You may have also caught Ben on America’s first and longest-running hidden camera show, Candid Camera. When television producers were looking to implement a magical twist for their 2014 series on TV Land, they hired Ben.
Whether he was playing the role of a warehouse worker, grocery store clerk, or party store representative, Ben interacted with unsuspecting members of the public as a “magician in disguise,” creating head-scratching situations while injecting the timeless situational humor of Candid Camera. Peter Funt, whose father, Allen Funt, started the program in 1948, selected Ben to be the first magician to appear in Candid Camera’s 60-year history.
Ben makes his living in Houston, Texas, with his wife, Julé, and keeps busy with corporate clients and private events. He has performed for retired CEOs in Aspen, oil and gas clients in Amsterdam, and private cocktail receptions for NASDAQ in New York City. He has been spotlighted in Houston Modern Luxury Magazine, Ivan Amodei’s book “Magic’s Most Amazing Stories,” and Alex Stone’s book “Fooling Houdini.”
Lastly, Ben performs a monthly recurring one-man show inside one of the world’s smallest luxury hotels, Houston’s historic gem, La Colombe d’Or. This 90-minute evening of elegant deceptions has been described as “Houston’s most intimate, theatrical experience”. Guests wander up to the 3rd floor of the former Fondren Mansion, cocktails in hand, and witness an unbelievable performance mere inches from their seats. Ben effortlessly mixes international award-winning sleight-of-hand, witty commentary, feats of the mind, and dazzling piano playing.
Ben is Houston’s own magic man.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
When people ask, “So Ben… what do you do?” and I respond with “I’m a magician”, there are usually one of two immediate reactions.
Either the follow-up question will be, “What instrument do you play?” I have then had to quickly remind them that I said “magician” and not “musician.” The other follow-up reaction will be an incredulous stare and the question, “Oh come on… what do you really do??!?!”
Just like any artist pursuing their craft as their vocation, the road isn’t easy. It’s filled with folks who look down their noses convinced that you’ve wasted your time. You couldn’t possibly be happy or prosperous performing “tricks.” Right?
The truth of the matter is that I wake up every day excited to spend time with my wife, travel the world, and create lasting impressions of impossibility for my audiences. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
The name of my company is “More Than Magic, LLC.” Why is that, you may ask?
Most often my magic is used as a communication tool to connect businesses with their employees and valued clients. Companies contact me to spice up meetings, generate buzz at a trade show booth, or to deliver an impactful message as a keynote speaker.
Additionally, I’m also hired for “entertainment for entertainment’s sake” and my job is to impress the hard-to-impress.
Regarding public performances in Houston:
I perform a monthly recurring one-man show inside one of the world’s smallest luxury hotels, Houston’s historic gem, La Colombe d’Or. It’s a 90-minute evening of elegant deceptions that has been described as “Houston’s most intimate, theatrical experience”.
Guests wander up to the 3rd floor of the former Fondren Mansion, cocktails in hand, and witness an unbelievable performance mere inches from their seats. Tickets and dates may be found on my website: www.BenJacksonMagic.com.
The thing that I’m most proud of is that when potential clients inquire about the various services offered, I answer the phone. It may seem simple and obvious; however, often times it’s met as a genuine surprise. I speak to every customer, understand why they’re calling, and create a customized proposal for our chat. My goal is to provide each potential client with a taste of my professionalism even if they don’t hire me.
What sets me apart?
Corporations TRUST me as a professional speaker and entertainer. There aren’t any tight leather pants or big boxes in my presentations and I never do anything to embarrass audience members. Organizations trust me with their senior executives and valued clients, knowing that I deliver high-energy, clean, and sophisticated entertainment year after year.
What were you like growing up?
A total goofball. When I was in 3rd grade, I made my entire class laugh, and that was it. I had an insatiable appetite for comedy.
I had my hand in improv classes, speech and debate tournaments, and community theatre. All of the theatrical lessons learned in these endeavors were excellent resources as I developed my magic.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.BenJacksonMagic.com
- Phone: 281-745-7087
- Email: ben@benjacksonmagic.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benjacksonmagic
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/benjacksonmagic
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/benjacksonmagic
Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
