Kaua‘i magician Matthew Singer to deliver 12 performances at Poʻipū resort this summer

Abracadabra! A local magician and mentalist will launch a series of 12 performances next month, at the Grand Hyatt Resort & Spa in Poʻipū on the South Shore of Kaua‘i.

Matthew Singer – who teaches at Island School in Līhu‘e when not reading minds onstage – began his magical journey while growing up outside of Los Angeles. At the age of 12, he began a decade of study at the Academy of Magical Arts’ world-famous Magic Castle, an exclusive club in the Hollywood Hills. (The organization counts actor Neil Patrick Harris among its former presidents.)

“It’s a passion of mine … It’s a thrill to be onstage in front of people,” Singer, now 33, said. “As an artist, it is like the canvas on which I’m able to express my philosophy of life, and it’s a place where I’m best able to express who I am.”

In addition to philosophy, Singer claims his brand of magic also incorporates neuroscience. It all adds up to a production designed to impart a message.

“The theme of the show, which is never explicitly stated, is to believe in yourself,” he explained. “That comes across as essentially, the things that you think can come to fruition through taking motivated action.

“As the years go on, [the show is] going to head more and more into that direction, which is using magic as a medium, ironically, to express truth,” Singer continued. “But sometimes you have to peel away the deception to get to that point.”

Singer’s show, titled “Into the Subconscious Mind,” features all-original material including two tricks the magician is particularly fond of: “Dimensional analysis” and “subconscious electrical sensing.”

The first act sees an audience member draw a picture of a universe on a Post-it note. Singer then repeatedly burns the note to ash, only for it to reappear – completely restored – in different locations.

Singer duct-tapes his eyes shut when performing subconscious electrical sensing, during which he identifies random objects and the audience members to which they belong.

“It’s a world-class magic and mentalism show that is thought-provoking,” Singer said. “It will leave the audience with a sense of wonder and hopefully, when they leave, they feel as though they have learned something about the world that they can take with them into their everyday life.”

The Kaua‘i magician is now studying under longtime Honolulu performer and mentor Curtis Kam, the top magician in the state of Hawai‘i. Singer eschews technology in his act, preferring a classic approach.

“My feeling is that anything that’s posted on the internet can be staged, and quite frankly, a lot of it is. But when you’re sitting there live and things are happening right up close, right in front of you, it’s mesmerizing and unbelievable,” Singer said. “That’s the appeal of going to see a live magic show … I don’t have electronic gizmos in my show. I think that the art looks better when it’s refined and when the magician is using everyday objects.”

Pat Gegan, who works alongside Singer as a teacher at Island School, has witnessed his colleague perform magic onstage and occasionally in the classroom. It never ceases to amaze.

“It’s raw, you know? You can’t hide behind any electronics or anything. He’s just using regular cards,” Gegan said. “He’s using everyday items that we have around, right in front of your face. He’s making things disappear or change.”

“Into the Subconscious Mind” will run at the Grand Hyatt Resort & Spa from mid-June through mid-July. Tickets for the all-ages, two-hour show start at $39 and may be purchased by calling 808-240-6456 or by visiting MatthewSingerMagic.com.