SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – From a young age, Murray SawChuck was destined for a career in magic and illusion. When he was 7 years old, his parents returned from a trip to Reno with a surprise gift, a Siegfried and Roy magic kit.

This present sparked a lifelong passion.

Instantly, SawChuck took to the kit, devouring the instructions and practicing, practicing, practicing.

---

---

That same year, a family friend taught him a jumping elastic band trick.

“It tweaked my interest,” SawChuck said.

---

---

To do the trick, SawChuck explained, put a rubber band around your pointer and middle fingers, show both sides and make a fist.

“When you open your fist the rubber band has jumped over to the other two fingers,” SawChuck said. “It seems impossible.”

By age 10, SawChuck was amazing friends and family with other sleight-of-hand tricks. At 12 years old, SawChuck’s aunt and uncle, Bill and Olga Sawchuk, gave him a 75-piece magic set.

The young prodigy became obsessed, spending every spare moment mastering illusions.

A few years later, the Sawchuk asked him to perform at his cousin’s party.

He did it for free.

They gave SawChuck $10 spurring his entrepreneurial spirit.

At this point, SawChuck’s talents began turning heads in his hometown of Burnaby in British Columbia, Canada.

It led SawChuck to perform at birthday parties and corporate events for $50.

SawChuck was booked 5 to 6 days a week often incorporating dancing, accordion, keyboard, and saxophone. At that point, he started booking other magicians and taking a 10% commission.

SawChuck’s charisma and showmanship made him a natural entertainer.

In 1999, SawChuck competed and won the International Magicians Society competition for “World Champion” on China Central Television in Shanghai, China.

“Overnight, I became well known in China,” SawChuck said. “That was my first time having that attention overnight. It was a cool moment.”

In the summer of 2010, SawChuck exploded onto the entertainment scene in the U.S. after judges Piers Morgan, Sharon Osbourne, and Howie Mandel made him a semi-finalist on NBC’s “America’s Got Talent”.

To get to be a semi-finalist, in front of a live audience SawChuck squished a girl in box and made her disappear; produced a Ferrari from thin air; and transformed a girl locked in a cage into a 450 pound tiger.

“That really changed things overnight,” SawChuck said. That year, “America’s Got Talent” was the No. 1 show with 22 million viewers.

For SawChuck’s final act, he made a 1918 steam train locomotive disappear. To this day, the locomotive disappearance was “America’s Got Talent” largest trick ever.

“People the next day at the airport would ask me where’s your train?” SawChuck said. “The phone did not stop ringing for four hours … it was kind of a cool moment.”

SawChuck is an accomplished magician, illusionist, and international star with 1.8 million YouTube subscribers, 1.2 million Facebook followers, and 6.5 billion online views across all platforms.

He has performed in South Asia, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Monaco, Paris, and Las Vegas. And of course, he’s done the Playboy Mansion.

SawChuck has won more than 30 awards in his career including The Hollywood F.A.M.E. Award for his contribution to Magic on TV and the LA Comedy Award for Best Comedy Show in 2014.

In addition to touring, SawChuck’s regular gig for the last 12 years was performing at the Laugh Factory in the Tropicana Las Vegas, which was recently demolished. SawChuck will continue to perform at its new venue, which should be announced this month.

SawChuck will perform at The Loft in South Lake Tahoe through May 14.

“Come to the show to forget about all your problems worries and concerns and have some laughs … we’ll have a great evening,” SawChuck said.

The Loft Theatre-Lounge-Dining in Heavenly Village is South Lake Tahoe’s award-winning live performance theatre, high-end ultra-lounge, and TASTE at The Loft. It’s an American tapas restaurant that offers handcrafted cuisine from culinary expert Frank Trotta. The Loft Lounge features a full bar and award-winning wine list that won Best of Tahoe 2016.

SawChuck recommends making a dinner reservation before the show.

“It’s a nice evening out,” SawChuck said. “Every seat in the house is a great seat.”

Since it’s a small venue, SawChuck will do a meet-and-greet and sign autographs after his shows.

To buy tickets and make dinner reservations, go to https://www.tixr.com/groups/thelofttahoe and/or https://thelofttahoe.com/reservations/

Brenna O’Boyle enjoys covering Lake Tahoe entertainment. Her beat includes Incline Village, Kings Beach and Tahoe City. She loves to write travel pieces and report on food/alcohol-related events. Brenna is also a Reno Public Art Committee member who identifies, reviews, and recommends artists for public art opportunities.