Whatever Happened to Wonder?

If you’re unfamiliar with Michael Carbonaro, he’s an award-winning magician, comedian, and actor best known for his hit television show, The Carbonaro Effect. He’s also been named Magician of the Year by the Academy of Magical Arts.

My brother introduced me to the show, and I was hooked. It’s a riot! Michael disguises himself as an ordinary person, performs impossible tricks on unsuspecting people (all caught on hidden cameras), and convinces them that what they’re seeing is perfectly normal. It’s hilarious, and I’m always amazed by the tricks themselves.

When I was in elementary school, my family took a trip to Las Vegas. I spent every day at the magic shop inside the MGM Grand, spending all my money on tricks. Whenever my parents had friends over for dinner, I’d pull out my latest trick and put on a show (my poor parents and their poor friends).

So sitting down with Michael was especially fun.

It turns out Michael had a similar childhood. He grew up fascinated by monsters, horror movies, special effects, and magic shops. He loved making people react to something they couldn’t explain. Today, he’s turned that fascination into a career.

Michael’s current live tour, WONDERBOY, is all about returning to the imagination and freedom we had as children. He even has a moment where he runs around the stage pretending to be a dinosaur. Why? Because he did it as a kid, and nobody thought twice about it. Somewhere along the way, we start worrying about looking ridiculous. I wonder how much creativity, laughter, and joy we leave behind because of that.

One of my favorite parts of our conversation was when Michael explained that some of his best moments happen when a trick doesn’t go according to plan. He’s learned to have a backup, change direction, and remember that the goal isn’t to perform every step perfectly. It’s to create a moment of wonder.

I asked Michael to perform a trick for me over Zoom. He grabbed a deck of cards, had me think of one, and revealed the exact card I chose: the seven of hearts.I have absolutely no idea how he did it.

I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did. WONDERBOY performances are scheduled across the country. Consider taking the family (my brother is taking his).



See Michael’s upcoming performances:mich

aelcarbonaro.com

We could all use a little more wonder.