Mrs. Alan and Mr. Alan take the stage, crowds clap and cheer as the latter delights them with mind-boggling up-close-and-personal magic, the former bending their minds with mentalism — a skill that uses body language and intuitive abilities to read the participants mind.
The show marks Cleveland’s longest-running magic act.
The duo formed the show in 2013, just three years after they met. The combination of Jason’s sleight-of-hand magic and Stacy’s mentalism has entranced crowds ever since.
At one point, the couple even appeared on the CW show Penn & Teller: Fool Us. A decade later, Jason and Stacy Alan preform their monthly interactive comedy-magic show at The Metropolitan at the 9, inside the luxurious Alex Theater.
Melding romance and professional work might seem like a daunting task, but Jason and Stacy bring their passionate partnership from home to the theater seamlessly.
“Our dynamic as a married couple really plays into our performance,” Jason says, “We’re realistic people — it is fun to work together, but we’re also married; we have to find a balance.”
Stacy uses her experience as a therapist to fuel her mentalist approach to wowing crowds by reading the minds of participants in real time. In one of her tricks, she carefully watches the body language of an unsuspecting guest in order to predict the word they are thinking in their head.
Her husband, Jason, performs magic tricks sure to fool any doubtful eye — a sleight-of-hand master able to sprit objects away in front of the most skeptical eye or seemingly transport matter to new locations.
The benefit of being coupled coworkers: the ability to pull magical inspiration from their daily lives.
“Sometimes we will take the dog for a walk and see something that sparks a new idea for our show,” Stacy says.
Jason cultivated his magic skills from the age of 13, but it wasn’t until he met Stacy, a professional therapist with a degree in psychology, that his decade-long solo performance became that of a duo. Now, they challenge the old saw-the-girl-in-half trope with their fresh take on the medium.
When it comes to performing, Stacy says she enjoys the closeness of The Alex, and the intimate nature of their show is adaptable to really any type of event. Outside of the standard show, the couple offers private, customizable, performances for anything from corporate events to weddings.
“We work really closely with our clients to decide if our show is right for them,” Jason says, “ if it is, then we can personalize the show to fit.”
For partners looking to work together, Jason gives advice from a place of experience.
“One goal a day. We try to get something done every single day,” Jason says. “You can leave the day upset, but you should never go to bed upset.”
Stacy backs him up by saying that there is “a line between work and your relationship. You have to define that line, and it has really helped us.”
Fans can experience the Alans' mystifying work at their next performance on April 22, at 7:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Tickets for the show are available for purchase here.
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