Magician to reveal headline predictions Nov. 7 at Hemmens

Bill Blagg III is a young magician on the rise (and we're not just saying that because he includes levitation as part of his act).

Though Blagg is just 28, this native of Zion is making a name for himself with a series of effects that seemingly defy explanation.

One of those that caught our attention at the Daily Herald was Blagg's powers of prediction.

Blagg says he made an audio recording on Wednesday, Sept. 24, predicting headlines that would appear in the Friday, Nov. 7, edition of the Daily Herald. That recording was then sealed and mailed to The Hemmens Cultural Center in Elgin, where it has been on display under lock and key in the lobby (the recording will be played back at Blagg's 8 p.m. Nov. 7 performance).

We at the Daily Herald asked ourselves, "Are we that predictable?" So we decided to interview Blagg to find out more.

Q: "How do you do headline predictions?"

A: "It's this unique ability that I have, so I love taking the opportunity to showcase it in a variety of different theaters."

Q: "Isn't it also a sneaky way to generate free publicity for your show?"

A: "Sometimes. It's publicity for your paper, too, since everyone talks about it."

Q: "I talked with some people on our copy desk and they mentioned that some headlines pretty much repeat over time."

A:: "A really unique case with this one is that the elections were just a few days prior. So no one can really tell you what the outcome is going to be. There is always something new going on, to be honest with you, and I've never had a single prediction be the same in over 12 months."

Q: "Any reason you chose Nov. 7 instead of, say, Nov. 5 right after the election?

A: "I typically do it the day of the performance because it's the most current news available. We'll actually give (the audience) copies of that paper so they can physically have it in their hands to reference it."

Q: "Exactly which headlines do you predict?"

A:: "Just the major ones on the front page. Do you want to help me out by putting some big splash about Bill Blagg performing at The Hemmens?" (laughter)

Q: "Any insights to what is actually going to happen that day?"

A: "The unique thing about it is that you can't tell anyone about or it doesn't work. Because honestly, I would be predicting lottery numbers and taking a finder's fee all day long if I could."

Q: "I also noticed that you have a guarantee that if you get the predictions wrong, you're going to refund the audiences their tickets. Isn't the Hemmens going to be unhappy with that?"

A: "That's why we have an amazing insurance policy. Fortunately we haven't had to utilize it yet."

Q: "What was it that pushed you into magic?"

A: "I received a magic set from my grandparents for Christmas when I was 5 years old. From that moment, I never put it down. I was just bit by the magic bug. I got a real big fascination watching people's amazement on their faces and them saying, 'How did you do that?'"

Q: "What were some tricks you did as a kid?"

A: "The first trick I learned was 'the vanishing quarter,' where you rub a quarter on your forearm and then it disappears. And the cool part was when I was doing that (after the quarters disappeared) I would keep them. I could do the trick about 12 times a day and I'd take my $3 and go to the pharmacy and buy candy."

Q: "I also see that you won the Abbott Magic Get Together competition at the age of 18."

A: "I tried to enter that competition just to see how I measured up against my peers. It was very unique, to say the least, because when I walked backstage at this competition, I thought I was dead because I saw everybody's large scale illusions and the massive amount of props that they had. I thought, 'What have I gotten myself into?' But my parents just said, 'Go out there and do the best that you can.' And that's exactly what I did and I won the competition."

Q: "What was your winning act?"

A: "It was actually a routine that I call 'The Dancing Handkerchief.' It's where I take a white pocket handkerchief and put it inside of a radio. It pops out of the radio and jumps around the stage and breaks down some better dance moves than Michael Jackson."

Q: "Do you still do it?"

A: "It's one of those pieces that I'm known for and if I did a show that didn't have the handkerchief in it, I would get lynched."

Q: "What are other tricks in your current act?"

A: "The new effects we have are cutting a lady in half vertically while she's standing up - we actually open the door so people can see the two halves of her body. I also take a random volunteer from the audience and I actually make them levitate over 4 feet high in the middle of the stage. We have other effects with jumbo-sized beach balls with predicting a dream vacation that the audience puts together - it's like a giant, huge game of hot potato. I also make it snow with my hands."

Q: "OK...The Hemmens is touting your act as the first large-scale magic act to have played there. Nervous about that?"

A: "I feel very confident that we'll live up to expectations - it's a high-energy action-packed show which is family friendly so kids from the age of 5 to 95 all enjoy it. I call it a Las Vegas-style family show. It has all the music and visuals of a Vegas production but it's family oriented so it's appropriate for everyone."

Q: "So do you want to continue touring or is there a goal of playing Vegas, or, dare we say, Branson, Mo.?"

A: "To be honest with you, I really don't have any ambition to play such a place like Vegas because I think it's very saturated with magic and a lot of times people go to the show because they got the tickets free with their hotel stay and buffet as opposed to a performer they truly want to see. There's just a whole different reaction when you're coming to somebody's town in a historic theater or the performing arts venue presenting your show."

Q: "Did you learn all this from just being on your feet, or are there other influences?"

A: "It was actually just a lot of performing and getting out there and learning that the best way to do your show is being yourself on stage. I mean, you could ask my mom, and she says I've been hyperactive since I was 6 years old. Some things never change."

"The Magic of Bill Blagg III" plays the Hemmens Cultural Center, 45 Symphony Way, Elgin, at 9:45 a.m., noon and 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 7. Tickets are $7 for daytime shows; $20-$150 at night ($10 kids tickets available at the box office). (847) 931-5900 or hemmens.org.