Mac King
Encyclopedia
Mac King is a comedy
magician
who has performed on television
specials, often as a co-host. He has his own family-friendly show, "The Mac King Comedy Magic Show," at the Harrah's Las Vegas
in the Clint Holmes
Theater.
On the NBC
The World's Greatest Magic
specials, King taught the audience a minor effect before and after each commercial in segments referred to as the Mac King School of Magic. He is the only magician to be in all five of the network's specials.
In addition to the TV specials and Harrah's performances, King performs at more than 60 private corporate events each year. Some of his better-known effects involve goldfish
, Fig Newton
s, and a yellow raincoat
he claims is a magic cloak of invisibility
.
One of King's most memorable moments occurred while performing his cut-and-restored rope routine. King has said that one of his biggest pet peeves is that some magicians use dull scissors
, and he makes it a point to keep his scissors razor
sharp. While performing the routine, he accidentally severed the tip of his thumb. He quickly tried to stop the bleeding by wrapping his thumb in tape, but the injury was too severe. He asked the audience if there was a nurse present, and, luckily, a nurse did step forward. She managed to stop the bleeding. King continued with his show and finished his second show later that evening before going to the hospital
to have his injury treated.
. He became interested in magic as a kid because both of his grandfathers (Elwood Huffman and Pax King) were keen amateur magicians. King was a student at the J. Graham Brown School
in Louisville, Kentucky
and attended Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minnesota, graduating in 1981 with a double major in Anthropology and Magic.
King married Jennifer Sils in 1985, having met her when she was an audience participant at one of his shows. In his younger years he performed with fellow Kentuckian
Lance Burton
over the summers they had off between college semesters. He is also friends with Penn & Teller
.
King's home was also featured on HGTV
.
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
magician
Magic (illusion)
Magic is a performing art that entertains audiences by staging tricks or creating illusions of seemingly impossible or supernatural feats using natural means...
who has performed on television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
specials, often as a co-host. He has his own family-friendly show, "The Mac King Comedy Magic Show," at the Harrah's Las Vegas
Harrah's Las Vegas
Harrah's Las Vegas is a hotel and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. The property is owned and operated by Caesars Entertainment Corp.. Harrah's has over 1,200 slot machines....
in the Clint Holmes
Clint Holmes
Clint Holmes , is a singer-songwriter and Las Vegas entertainer. He was born in Bournemouth, Hampshire , England, the son of an African-American jazz musician and a white English opera singer...
Theater.
On the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
The World's Greatest Magic
The World's Greatest Magic
The World's Greatest Magic was a series of American television specials showcasing magic acts.The first of five shows was broadcast by NBC in 1994, and continued with annual editions through 1998. These shows were most often first telecast during the Thanksgiving holidays when special programming...
specials, King taught the audience a minor effect before and after each commercial in segments referred to as the Mac King School of Magic. He is the only magician to be in all five of the network's specials.
In addition to the TV specials and Harrah's performances, King performs at more than 60 private corporate events each year. Some of his better-known effects involve goldfish
Goldfish
The goldfish is a freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae of order Cypriniformes. It was one of the earliest fish to be domesticated, and is one of the most commonly kept aquarium fish....
, Fig Newton
Fig Newton
The Fig Newton is a Nabisco trademarked version of the ancient fig roll pastry filled with fig paste. Their unusual shape is a characteristic that has been adopted by many competitors including generic fig bars sold by most supermarkets.-History:...
s, and a yellow raincoat
Raincoat
A raincoat is a waterproof or water-resistant coat worn to protect the body from rain. The term rain jacket is sometimes used to refer to raincoats that are waist length. A rain jacket may be combined with a pair of rain pants to make a rain suit.Modern raincoats are often constructed of...
he claims is a magic cloak of invisibility
Cloak of invisibility
A cloak of invisibility is a theme that has occurred in fiction, and is a device which is under some scientific inquiry.-Cloaks of invisibility in fiction:...
.
One of King's most memorable moments occurred while performing his cut-and-restored rope routine. King has said that one of his biggest pet peeves is that some magicians use dull scissors
Scissors
Scissors are hand-operated cutting instruments. They consist of a pair of metal blades pivoted so that the sharpened edges slide against each other when the handles opposite to the pivot are closed. Scissors are used for cutting various thin materials, such as paper, cardboard, metal foil, thin...
, and he makes it a point to keep his scissors razor
Razor
A razor is a bladed tool primarily used in the removal of unwanted body hair through the act of shaving. Kinds of razors include straight razors, disposable razors and electric razors....
sharp. While performing the routine, he accidentally severed the tip of his thumb. He quickly tried to stop the bleeding by wrapping his thumb in tape, but the injury was too severe. He asked the audience if there was a nurse present, and, luckily, a nurse did step forward. She managed to stop the bleeding. King continued with his show and finished his second show later that evening before going to the hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
to have his injury treated.
Personal life
King was born December 2, 1959 in Hopkinsville, KentuckyHopkinsville, Kentucky
Hopkinsville is a city in Christian County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 31,577 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Christian County.- History :...
. He became interested in magic as a kid because both of his grandfathers (Elwood Huffman and Pax King) were keen amateur magicians. King was a student at the J. Graham Brown School
The Brown School
The J. Graham Brown School, or The Brown School as it's usually called, is a small public school located in downtown Louisville, Kentucky, USA. It has approximately 700 students in kindergarten through 12th grade, and attracts students from all over Louisville. It is a part of the Jefferson...
in Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
and attended Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minnesota, graduating in 1981 with a double major in Anthropology and Magic.
King married Jennifer Sils in 1985, having met her when she was an audience participant at one of his shows. In his younger years he performed with fellow Kentuckian
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
Lance Burton
Lance Burton
Lance Burton is a stage illusionist. He has appeared on numerous television programs, and also performed for Queen Elizabeth and President Ronald Reagan...
over the summers they had off between college semesters. He is also friends with Penn & Teller
Penn & Teller
Penn & Teller are Las Vegas headliners whose act is an amalgam of illusion and comedy. Penn Jillette is a raconteur; Teller generally uses mime while performing, although his voice can occasionally be heard during their performance...
.
TV Shows and Specials
- An Evening at the Improv
- Comic Strip LiveComic Strip LiveThe Comic Strip Live is the oldest stand-up comedy showcase club in New York City and the world. Located at 1568 Second Avenue .-Beginnings:...
- The World's Greatest MagicThe World's Greatest MagicThe World's Greatest Magic was a series of American television specials showcasing magic acts.The first of five shows was broadcast by NBC in 1994, and continued with annual editions through 1998. These shows were most often first telecast during the Thanksgiving holidays when special programming...
- The World's Greatest Magic II
- The World's Greatest Magic III
- The World's Greatest Magic IV
- The World's Greatest Magic V
- Houdini: Unlocking His Secrets
- The World's Wildest Magic
- Penn and Teller's Sin City Spectacular
- Donny and Marie
- The Other HalfThe Other Half (TV series)The Other Half was an American daytime talk show which aired on NBC between 2001 and 2003. The show was hosted by music and game show host Dick Clark, former child actors Mario Lopez and Danny Bonaduce, and cosmetic surgeon Dr. Jan Adams . It was intended as a male counterpart to the popular ABC...
King's home was also featured on HGTV
HGTV
HGTV , is a cable-television network operating in the United States and Canada, broadcasting a variety of home and garden improvement, maintenance, renovation, craft and remodeling shows...
.