Almost 11 years ago, I complained in this column that there weren’t enough illusionists employed amid Orlando’s attractions, and that situation hasn’t improved much since then, as Tony Brent’s kid-friendly dinner show remains the only permanent professional magic show in town. Drew Thomas (drewthomasmagicwowshow.com) — a performer I profiled over a decade ago as representing “the possible future of magic” in the area — is still working to fulfill that promise by putting down roots at the Grande Lakes Orlando resort for his year-long residency of Friday and Saturday performances, with added Wednesday and Sunday showtimes through April 27.
A few weekends ago, I valet-parked my humble Honda Fit at the ritzy Ritz-Carlton, and navigated downstairs to the intimate ballroom-turned-theater that houses “The Magic Show.” Since I last saw him onstage, Thomas’ entourage has been downsized from a cast of eight to just his spouse/assistant, Rebecca Thomas, but that’s enough (with the addition of several audience participants) to run through a repertoire ranging from rope tricks and mentalism to metamorphosis. Although many of his routines remain unchanged — including his bondage-inspired “sawing a lady in half” trick and still-effective “coin in a Coke can” sleight-of-hand — I was happy to see that Thomas has evolved beyond his former flashy Criss Angel-esque aesthetic and attitude in favor of warm Edison bulbs and a warmer stage persona.
Following the show, Thomas filled me in on his 30-year journey as a magician, which brought him from Ohio to Orlando, with stops in 67 countries and on television’s America’s Got Talent along the way. Early in his career, he worked for the now-defunct SeaWorld near Cleveland, and went on to consult on magic production shows for multiple Six Flags and Premier Parks. “With that background familiarity with the theme park industry, coupled with the fact that we did extensive private events [for] all the different major companies up in Ohio, we said, ‘OK, it’s time to relocate and put ourselves in a market where there’s more available.’ And obviously, Orlando is the mecca for theme parks, and it is the number one visited destination on planet Earth for meetings, so here we came,” recalls Thomas.
Vegas may be the dream venue for other illusionists, but Thomas says he’s never had his sights set on the Strip. “I’ve always been a family entertainer, so I’m not sure I’m racy enough for Vegas,” says Thomas. “We stacked the deck in our favor by coming to Orlando, where there were no magic competition on our level.” Thomas reassures grown-ups that his act is “family-friendly, but definitely not juvenile,” promising adult attendees, “We’re going to mess you up.”
Since moving to Central Florida, Thomas continued his theme park consulting by designing gory illusions for the “Carnival of Carnage” shows at Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights in 2007 and 2015. His influence may also be felt within the Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Ministry of Magic land inside the eagerly anticipated Epic Universe theme park, which he consulted on during early “blue sky” development prior to COVID.
“There was a major shift [and] they’re now embracing magic. Before there was a strict restriction on whether or not magic can be affiliated with Harry Potter,” reveals Thomas, who is unsure how much of his input remains in the finished product. “Thankfully, we have all evolved in our understanding of [how] wizardry can be used to incorporate forms of magic, to allow people to experience magic in a real face-to-face situation. That’s been something that they leaned into us heavily for: How do we create some of these effects in real life, without cinematography, without CGI, to create magic moments for people?”
Thomas also created and performed the “Now You See It” magic show for Royal Caribbean cruise line’s Freedom of the Seas, which ended a record-breaking 11-year run in 2017. “It was certainly as big as any of the magic production shows in Las Vegas, not including Siegfried and Roy or David Copperfield, of course,” says Thomas. “But no one ever really was aware of it, because you’re on a cruise ship, and unfortunately, when you’re out there, you may as well be on another planet.”
After their Royal Caribbean contract concluded and COVID closed everything else, Thomas “kind of walked away from magic” for a time. “I was just scratching my head. I put my entire life into this, and what are we going to do?” he recalls. “When you face confrontation and frustration and challenge and discouragement, what do you do? Either [it] snuffs you out, or you get stronger, and we decided that there was still a lot more left in the engine.”
That’s when the concept for Thomas’ current show was born, during a private corporate performance at Grande Lakes on the patio of the adjoining JW Marriott. And after his initial soft-opening performances, Thomas already says he sees signs that “people are into this; they want this, they like this, they enjoy this form of entertainment, and I think the stars are aligning,” for illusionists to get their long-overdue due in Orlando.
“What’s great about magic is it travels in a parallel universe, and yet it does something truly inexplicable, but it’s completely analog. I think that contrast between our real lives and what really can happen with ordinary objects is a profound thing.”
Ritz-Carlton Orlando Grande Lakes Resort
The Magic Show presented by America’s Got Talent Finalist Drew Thomas
Sundays, 3 p.m., Fri., Aug. 22, 7 & 9 p.m., Sat., Aug. 23, 7 & 9 p.m., Fri., Aug. 29, 7 & 9 p.m., Sat., Aug. 30, 7 & 9 p.m., Fri., Sept. 5, 7 & 9 p.m., Sat., Sept. 6, 7 & 9 p.m., Fri., Sept. 12, 7 & 9 p.m., Sat., Sept. 13, 7 & 9 p.m., Fri., Sept. 19, 7 & 9 p.m., Sat., Sept. 20, 7 & 9 p.m., Fri., Sept. 26, 7 & 9 p.m., Sat., Sept. 27, 7 & 9 p.m., Fri., Oct. 3, 7 & 9 p.m., Sat., Oct. 4, 7 & 9 p.m., Fri., Oct. 10, 7 & 9 p.m., Sat., Oct. 11, 7 & 9 p.m., Fri., Oct. 17, 7 & 9 p.m., Sat., Oct. 18, 7 & 9 p.m., Fri., Oct. 24, 7 & 9 p.m. and Sat., Oct. 25, 7 & 9 p.m. Continues through Aug. 31
Location: Ritz-Carlton Orlando Grande Lakes Resort, 4012 Central Florida Parkway, Orlando
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This article appears in Mar 26 – Apr 1, 2025.