A magic reveal pad is a tool that is used in magic performances to create an element of surprise and excitement for the audience. It is essentially a special pad of paper that allows the magician to make a prediction or reveal a hidden message in a seemingly impossible way. The magic reveal pad usually consists of several layers of paper with different properties. The outermost layer appears blank, but when pressure is applied to it, a hidden image or message is revealed. This can be accomplished through a variety of techniques, such as heat or friction. One common use of a magic reveal pad is in mind-reading tricks.
Piff the Magic Dragon brings old dog, new tricks to Spokane Comedy Club
Where: Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague Ave.
Cost: $15, Thursday; $20-$45, Friday and Saturday
When he’s not on the road, Piff the Magic Dragon, like any good dragon, likes to spend time in his cave.
In Piff’s case, his “cave” is a cozy two-bedroom in Henderson, Nevada, that he shares with his chihuahua, Mr. Piffles, who happens to be the “World’s First Magic Performing Chihuahua.”
On the day he spoke to The Spokesman-Review, Piff and Mr. Piffles had just released the latest episode of their podcast, “The Piff Pod.”
“Everyone and his dog has got a podcast these days so we thought we should jump on the bandwagon,” said Piff, the stage persona of magician/comedian John van der Put.
With the podcast released, it would soon be time for the pair to head to the Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel and Casino for their show, a difficult task given Mr. Piffles sleeps 25 hours a day, according to Piff.
Before spending his days prepping a sleepy magical dog for a Las Vegas residency, the England-born Piff was a fan of card tricks. He eventually decided to give them a try and was hooked after seeing the range of reactions his tricks elicited.
He became a member of the Magic Circle, a British organization of magicians dedicated to promoting the art of magic, and began performing in restaurants and at corporate gigs.
Piff was created innocently enough when he needed a costume for a party.
He borrowed a dragon costume from his sister (“It was under her bed,” he said. “I didn’t ask.”) but arrived to find he was the only one who dressed up.
As he got grumpier and grumpier, a friend suggested he incorporate this grumpy dragon into his act. It was then that Piff, the sarcastic magic dragon, was born.
Any other creature, and the act wouldn’t have worked.
“Piff the Magic Panda isn’t really the same…,” Piff said. “I have this grumpy looking face, and I would be sarcastic to people and apparently you need a dragon outfit for that, to make that socially acceptable.”
With a pep in their scaly step, Piff and the also-costumed Mr. Piffles appeared on “Penn & Teller: Fool Us,” where magicians try to fool the duo with spectacular tricks, and opened for folk-rock band Mumford & Sons on their “Tour of Two Halves,” even appearing on the cover of their album “Babel.”
Piff and Mr. Piffles then relocated to Las Vegas and began performing at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.
With a dedicated following behind them, Piff and Mr. Piffles tried out for the 10th season of “America’s Got Talent.”
Walking on stage dressed in his green suit, which is adorned with red and gold spikes and scales, Piff got some confused looks from the judges.
“My name’s Piff the Magic Dragon,” he said, dryly. “You might have heard of my older brother … Steve.”
From then on, Piff and Mr. Piffles quickly became fan favorites and made it all the way to the final round of competition.
Though they didn’t win (Piff proudly calls himself the “loser of ‘America’s Got Talent’ ”), their time on the show led to their current gig at the Flamingo, which Piff said is completely different from the show he and Mr. Piffles will bring to the Spokane Comedy Club this weekend.
“We’re going to do all new tricks, all new jokes, same dog,” Piff said. “Even if you’ve seen Piff or Mr. Piffles before, you won’t have seen this show.”
Booked solid through the end of the year, it’s safe to say America has embraced the magic dragon and his canine sidekick with open arms. More so, according to Piff, than other places.
“We’ve actually found America has been great for what we do because you guys are much more happy, generally, than the English, so you can laugh at a little grumpy magic dragon a lot more,” he said.
That’s a good note for fans, as Piff and Mr. Piffles have a lot more in store.
“Probably more grumpy dragon doing magic tricks accompanied by a cute chihuahua in some degree of peril,” Piff said.
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It’s no illusion that the fur babies are the stars of the show
Most entertainers know the old adage, “never work with children or animals.” That quote was from the famous W.C Fields because kids and critters are unpredictable and completely scene-stealing.
That makes sense as it has happened to me before. I mean, who wants to hear a stand up comedian after hearing a beautiful children’s choir singing about kids waiting to be adopted? Yeah, that went over well. And at an outdoor festival no less!
Comedy works better with no lighting at night. I don’t know of any stand ups out there that have an animal in their act but I do know two illusionists that have dogs in their act and both didn’t start off with a fur baby, they just got wise.
Master illusionist Alex Ramon (who’s on my morning radio show every week for our Magic Monday segment) has been a close friend for years. Alex is no stranger to the Tahoe area having performed up here countless times and currently has a residency at Harveys in their Cabaret Room through Labor Day. Alex puts on a stellar show and has won numerous awards including the coveted “Lance Burton Award,” creating magic for Grammy award winner Taylor Swift and has been described as “Mystifying” by the New York Times.
However, of all his accolades it was his dog, ‘MJ the Magic Doxie’ that stole the show on national TV winning the Penn & Teller “Fooler Award” back in 2021. Sorry Alex! Personally, I think Alex’s magic show was bumped up to a completely different level of entertainment once MJ was added to the bill.
DonateHowie, MJ and Alex Ramon Action in Tahoe: Piff the Magic Dragon at Bally’s Lake Tahoe; Old Dominion at the Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena; Marcus Ashely Gallery Meet the Artist show
When I asked Alex if the kids love seeing a fur baby in his show he said it’s actually the adults that love seeing MJ. This hat makes sense but sometimes it can go their little canine cranium. Case in point: if you notice the electronic billboard outside of Harrah’s you’ll see that MJ gets more space than Alex does. I think MJ has his own agent too but don’t quote me. If you haven’t seen his show yet, treat yourself and a date (or the family) to experience the magic of MJ (Alex is pretty good too).
Last week I had another illusionist on my show: Las Vegas’ Piff the Magic Dragon promoting his show at Bally’s Friday night (his first time performing in Lake Tahoe too). Piff’s had a residency in Vegas these past 7 years being discovered on NBC’s “America’s Got Talent.” Piff was hilarious by the way. I don’t know man, there’s just something about that dry, subdued British mindset that gets me every time. Of course, like most of us it took awhile to create an audience for his brand of comedy and magic.
When Piff (real name John van der Put) started out in his home country (the UK) it wasn’t all that great but he developed his craft performing virtually anywhere and any place that would book him including a wedding which didn’t go over very well. I mean, the couple didn’t break up over it and now probably brag that Piff was their entertainment. It wasn’t until Piff started wearing his signature green, red and yellow dragon costume billed as Piff the Magic Dragon that things really started to take off. With his deadpan humor and stunning visual you couldn’t ignore there was something ‘different’ about this guy.
However, it wasn’t until Piff got ‘the world’s only magic performing chihuahua,” Mr. Piffles that his act became the showstopper that it is today. It was during the very prestigious Edinburgh Fringe Festival of 2009 that Piff realized he needed a gimmick and found it the very next day in the shape of an eighteen month old rescue dog named Alfie.
Known now as Mr Piffles, he has his own following and has become one of the most famous dogs in Las Vegas! I wonder if world famous magician David Copperfield ever considered a canine in his act? On my morning radio show Piff said he ‘re-homed’ Mr. Piffles (adopted it but love the British definition better) and, like Alex Ramon the two are inseparable with their fur baby companions.
Here’s another three degrees of separation: like Ramon, Piff did very well on Penn & Teller giving him even more national exposure. In 2020, Piff was crowned the winner of TBS’ “Tournament of Laughs” beating out comedy stalwarts Jeff Ross, Natasha Leggero and Judah Friedlander.
Let’s face it, you can’t go wrong with a dog. When I ask my audience if they prefer dogs over people the majority will shout, “Definitely dogs!” Which doesn’t surprise me really. I mean, c’mon, the way people have behaved these past few years it’s no wonder a majority of us would choose four legs over two.
But make no bones about it, both MJ and Mr. Piffles contribute quite a bit in both of their magic productions. MJ has performed (along with his human counterpart, Alex) at Harrah’s, Harveys and the Hard Rock up here in South Lake Tahoe having better credits performing at different venues than some well known comedians I know! And, as mentioned before both shows are great family entertainment and also make for a great date night so I wholeheartedly encourage you to check out these great dogs (and their humans who handle them).
Catch Piff the Magic Dragon with Mr. Piffles and his equally talented assistant, Jade Simone @ Bally’s Lake Tahoe Friday showtime @8pm. You can catch Alex Ramon with MJ Tuesday through Sunday (dark Mondays) inside Harveys Cabaret here @ Stateline.
Coming to Count Basie This WeekEnd: Piff the Magic Dragon… & A Tiny Dog
Piff: “I mean that’s the great thing about life – you never know what’s gonna come around the corner next. I never thought I’d be headlining my own show in Las Vegas and touring the country with a six-and-a-half foot singing clown.”
The Aquarian : “And a tiny dog.”
Piff: “And a tiny dog. “
If you love comedy, magic, music, art, or dogs, this show at Count Basie Center for the Arts on October 2 is for you… and for everyone, pretty much. As our conversation with headliner and all-around-superb-and-funny-human-dragon-man shows, there is something for every person who attends this variety show while on the road. Fans new, old, from Vegas explorations, or America’s Got Talent viewing are finding this night to be fulfilling and raucous and insane and silly and straight up magical. (None of which surprises us, longtime fans of the funny-human-dragon-man.)
Reptile Dysfunction, your show available now on YouTube, is everything. For those who have yet to tune into this truly multifaceted special, can you sum it up in a sentence or two and really wet the appetite of our readers, magic lovers, comedy fans, and all the above?
Sure. It’s the life of a magic dragon in Las Vegas with a tiny dog and a mind-blowing show
[Laughs] Yes, and for everyone who doesn’t know – but should know – Mr. Piffles is this adorable little chihuahua, but equally as notable at this point as you, Piff the Magic Dragon. At what point did you think of or want to incorporate him or a dog at all into your act and overarching brand?
Well, back in the day I was doing shows on my own and I was like, “You know what? This thing needs a gimmick.” I put a chihuahua in the show, who was owned by the girl who was running the venue, and it was such a big hit. The next day I went out and found Mr. Piffles and we’ve been together ever since.
That’s amazing. It feels so seamless and natural and silly – in the most wonderful, magical way.
Yeah. Having a tiny dog is magical.
To kind of round out this little family of magical dragons, we have now been introduced to Pop the Magic Dragon who is Penn Jillette, a superstar in his own realm and in his own right. A friend of yours, a mentor of yours, who just so happens to be your magical reptilian father.
Yes, my father that comes back to visit is Pop the Magic Dragon.
I think that is genius. We have Mr. Piffles, we’ve got Piff, you, and we have Pop. Who do you think would be a good choice for a magical reptilian mother, the grandmother of Mr. Piffles, if you will?
Well, who knows – it doesn’t have to be reptilian. Ah, because I’ve watched enough Game of Thrones, I would think Emilia Clark can get the job.
She’s great and also has a lot of talent under her belt. Luckily you’re bringing said talent of yours to New Jersey, which is where we are based out of, for a show at Count Basie Center for the Arts. I’m curious as both a fan and journalist what you think of New Jersey audiences, because I know comedy is subjective and magic can be, as well. Do you find that certain places on tours resonate with your act more than others? And where does New Jersey fall in line with that?
We’ve always had a great time in New Jersey – lots of laughs. We played in New Brunswick a couple of times and we’ve always been very warmly received.
Similarly, thinking about touring, we talked to a lot of musicians and entertainers. Can you compare at all being on tour and the audiences abroad to that of being a staple in Las Vegas and the types of crowds drawn there? Because they really are their own entity.
Yeah, so Vegas people come from all over the world to this same place. You are dealing with a multitude of different people [at once], whereas on tour, everyone’s from that same city so the audience has a bit more camaraderie with each other and us. And, as a result, they’re usually a little more vocal and a lot of fun.
I love that. We know that you’ve also played alongside some just as intriguing and top notch acts. We have Puddles Pity Party now, and this is – as you guys have pretty much called it – as show of AGT losers and their subsequent misery. I think you’re clearly winning and far from actually miserable in this Misery Loves Company tour. It’s such a hit. Why do you think the combination of you and Mr. Piffles Puddles make so much nonsensical sense?
I think there’s something for everyone. If you like magic, if you like music, if you like tiny dogs, then there’s something in the show for you. And let’s be honest, who doesn’t like one of those things?
That’s true – this does make it a little bit more of a variety show and it appeases many.
I know it is gonna be a ton of fun. Speaking of fun, you haven’t been doing this for a little bit – you’ve been at this for quite a long time. You have immense talent and stage presence, but given the last two or three years, how does it feel like to play in front of people versus having a magic special online or are doing comedy things over the internet? Do you find that connecting with people in real life is just more your speed because you can feed off that energy?
Yeah, I think performing live is always my favorite thing to do. You know, we were actually the first show back from the pandemic in Vegas and the first to be back on the Strip. It’s been great to be able to get back and see people while we’re doing the show and then meet them afterwards and say hi. At heart, that’s me – I’m a live performer.
FOR TICKETS TO SEE PIFF THE MAGIC DRAGON AND PUDDLES PITY PARTY, CLICK HERE! TOUR DATES AND INFORMATION ARE THERE FOR YOU!
One common use of a magic reveal pad is in mind-reading tricks. The magician might ask a volunteer from the audience to think of a word or a number, and then write it down on the pad. The magician then reveals the correct word or number that was written, despite not having seen it before.
This creates a sense of wonder and amazement for the audience, as they try to figure out how the trick was done. Another use of a magic reveal pad is in card tricks. The magician might ask a spectator to choose a card from a deck, and then write it down on the pad. The magician is then able to correctly reveal the chosen card, even though they never saw it themselves. This can be done by having a hidden image of the chosen card on a layer of the pad that only appears when pressure is applied. The magic reveal pad is a simple yet powerful tool that allows magicians to add an extra layer of mystery to their performances. It can be used in a variety of ways to create mind-boggling effects and leave the audience in awe. Whether it is used to predict future events, reveal hidden messages, or read minds, the magic reveal pad is an essential tool in the magician's repertoire..
Reviews for "Captivate and Amaze: Unleashing the Potential of a Magic Reveal Pad"
1. John - 2 stars - I was really disappointed with the Magic reveal pad. The quality of the materials used was subpar, and it felt flimsy in my hands. Additionally, the magic reveal effect was not as impressive as I had hoped. The colors looked muted and dull, making it difficult to create a vibrant and impactful reveal. Overall, I expected more for the price I paid and would not recommend this product to others.
2. Sarah - 3 stars - The Magic reveal pad had an interesting concept, but it fell short in execution. The pad itself was too small, and I struggled to fit all the necessary words or images for a reveal. The included marker was also lacking in quality and started to dry out after just a few uses. While it was an okay product for casual use, it didn't meet my expectations for a professional or polished magic performance.
3. Alex - 2.5 stars - I purchased the Magic reveal pad, hoping for an innovative tool to enhance my magic tricks. Unfortunately, I found the pad to be quite gimmicky and not as versatile as advertised. The reveal effect was limited to a specific visual style, which could become repetitive and predictable to frequent spectators. Moreover, the construction of the pad was not durable enough, and it started to show signs of wear and tear after minimal use. Overall, I found the Magic reveal pad to be average at best and not worth the investment.
4. Emily - 1 star - I have to say, the Magic reveal pad was a complete waste of money for me. The pad did not live up to the hype at all. The reveal effect was barely noticeable, and the colors were not vibrant enough to create the "wow" factor I was expecting. The pad's surface also started peeling off after just a few uses, making it look cheap and poorly made. Save your money and look for better magic accessories elsewhere.