Ben Seidman understands the value of putting something out into the world. He knows that, when done right, one’s art and skills can be something special and can make a difference.
It’s that drive that has led him to his latest project, "Magic Outlaws," which will air at 8 p.m. on Sunday, March 10, on the Travel Channel.
"The concept is simple, but it is very cool," Seidman, a graduate of Shorewood High School, said about the show. "We go to a town for one to two days, see the sights, do some magic and then do the show."
Seidman, Chris Korn and David Minkin arrive in a city in a classic Cadillac, split up and let their individual approaches shine through performances.
The two episodes that will air were shot in Austin, Texas, and Las Vegas.
"We threw out the idea of coming to Milwaukee," Seidman said. "If it gets picked up for a series, I will definitely push for it."
The two shows of "Magic Outlaws" is considered a single special on the Travel Channel. However, the two half-hour shows are also an aired pilot. This means, if the ratings are high enough, the network may request production of more episodes to air.
Seidman has gained first-hand experience on what it takes to put a TV production together. After once performing before Chris Angel, he was brought on as a magic advisor for three seasons of "Chris Angel Mindfreak" that ran on A&E.
"I’ve learned how to work with limited resources," Seidman said, explaining that it is a misnomer that people think that a show gets produced in front of multiple audiences with many takes and then it gets edited together. "You have to be able to work under pressure. If you have 45 minutes, and they have to set everything up, get ready and travel, you have to go out and say, let’s make it happen."
Seidman said that he and his "Magic Outlaws" partners have a great crew, mentioning that if he pulls off the greatest illusion and the lighting is bad, no one will ever see it. The magician takes pride in taking a classic trick and making variations of it to create something no one has ever seen. He promises there will be items on the show that have never been on television before.
"From the streets of the biggest cities to the smallest towns and rural back roads of America’s heartland, people everywhere share a common explosive emotional reaction when confronted with an unbelievable or miraculous feat of magic. Magicians, more than any other type of performer, have the uncanny ability to literally ‘freak people out’ up close and in public," the Travel Channel offers in its synopsis of the show.
"In each episode of ‘Magic Outlaws,’ three world class magicians are going to travel the country, like a cross between a classic street magic show, a travel log and ‘The Hangover,’ these incredible magicians will descend on a city or town in their convertible Cadillac and explore everything that makes this place great, giving the viewer a first-hand look into the people, places and things through the eyes of groundbreaking original street magic."
You can find out more about the show on Facebook.
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