Mat Franco Headlines UNLV Hall of Fame Induction in Star-Studded Las Vegas Gala

 Source: Las Vegas Review-Journal

Las Vegas continues to celebrate its biggest names in entertainment—and this week, one of magic’s own is taking center stage.

Mat Franco, best known as the first-ever winner of America's Got Talent, is being inducted into the University of Nevada, Las Vegas College of Fine Arts Hall of Fame. The honor comes during the school’s 21st annual gala, held at the luxurious Wynn Las Vegas.

Franco, who has spent the past decade headlining his own show on the Las Vegas Strip, joins a diverse group of honorees spanning entertainment, education, and the arts. His induction marks yet another milestone in a career that helped redefine modern close-up magic for mainstream audiences.

A Big Night for Entertainment Innovation

Also making headlines at the event is Sphere Entertainment, which will receive the inaugural Global Impact Award. The company is behind the groundbreaking Sphere—a $2 billion immersive venue that has transformed the live entertainment landscape since opening in 2023.

CEO James L. Dolan, the visionary behind the project, will accept the award recognizing the Sphere’s massive influence on the future of performance and production.

Honoring a Legacy in the Arts

The evening will also pay tribute to the late filmmaker and longtime UNLV professor Francisco Menéndez, who is being inducted posthumously. Over a career spanning more than 30 years, Menéndez played a major role in shaping the university’s film program and mentoring future creatives.

Additional honorees include producer Cindy Doumani, Broadway in the Hood founder Torrey Russell, jazz vocalist Jonathan Karrant, arts advocate Denise Wunderlich, and alumni Wendy Kveck and Iñaki Sandoval.

A Celebration of Creativity

The gala also marks the 25th anniversary of Nevada Conservatory Theatre, adding another layer of celebration to an already packed evening.

Since its founding in 2003, the UNLV College of Fine Arts Hall of Fame has recognized some of the biggest names in entertainment—including legends like Penn & Teller, Liberace, and Wayne Newton.

Final Thoughts

For magicians, Mat Franco’s induction is more than just another award—it’s a reminder that magic continues to evolve and thrive on the biggest stages in the world.

From winning a national TV competition to headlining on the Strip for over a decade, Franco’s journey shows what’s possible when strong magic meets strong presentation.

And now, he officially takes his place among the greats.

Jade on Fool Us

 

International Festival of Magic 1957

 

The Erdnase Project

 Now available at www.magiciansmagicshop.com 

Introducing The Erdnase Project - Marcos Waldemar

A Monographic Study on the Erdnase Change

The Erdnase Change is one of the most iconic, studied, and debated techniques in card magic.

It was first published in English in 1897 by August Roterberg in New Era Card Tricks, under the name "Excelsior Change", attributed to Adrian Plate.

Years later, it would be popularized by S. W. Erdnase in the classic The Expert at the Card Table.

Since then, it has been reinterpreted by generations of magicians... When executed well, it may be the most powerful and practical color change there is.

When executed poorly... it's an abomination.

15 Years of Obsession

For over 15 years, Marcos Waldemar has lived with a deck of cards in his hands, obsessed with this technique.

This is not just an explanation.

It is the result of years of study, trial, error, and refinement.

Today, for the first time, he shares:

His secrets

His personal variations

And the invisible subtleties that turn a move into a real illusion

What You'll Find Inside

A complete journey through the Erdnase Change, from its foundations to advanced applications:

1. M.W. Erdnase
Foundations of the original technique and Marcos' personal approach
Technical details, structure, and control

2. Multiple Erdnase Change

3. Covert Erdnase Change

4. Middle Erdnase Change

5. Step Erdnase Change

6. No Deck Erdnase Change

7. Waldemar's Favourite Sequence

8. Bonus Trick

Take your Color Changes to the next level.

Download now!

Alex Voz on Local on 2 in Nashville

 

Penn & Teller Take Their Skepticism to the Supreme Court

 

Legendary magic duo Penn Jillette and Teller—known worldwide as Penn & Teller—are no strangers to exposing deception. But their latest move has taken them far beyond the stage and into the courtroom… all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The iconic performers recently filed a friend-of-the-court brief urging the Supreme Court to review the case of Charles Don Flores, a Texas death row inmate. At the heart of the case is a controversial investigative technique: hypnosis.

When Magic Meets the Justice System

Penn Jillette, the outspoken half of the duo, was quick to clarify his position. He openly admitted that while he doesn’t know whether Flores is guilty, he strongly opposes the death penalty in all cases. But what truly drew his attention—and concern—was the reliability of the evidence used in the conviction.

“I’ve spent my life deceiving people on stage,” Penn essentially argues. “And I could do what that officer did.”

That statement cuts to the core of the issue: the use of hypnosis as a tool to recover memory.

The Problem with “Investigative Hypnosis”

The case centers around a witness whose testimony changed after undergoing hypnosis conducted by a police officer with no prior experience. Initially, the witness described suspects who looked nothing like Flores. But after the session, her identification shifted dramatically.

According to Penn & Teller, this highlights a dangerous misunderstanding of how memory works.

They argue that the common belief—that memory functions like a video recording that can be replayed—is simply false. In reality, memory is far more fragile and easily influenced, especially under suggestive questioning.

During the hypnosis session, the officer reportedly asked leading questions that may have shaped the witness’s recollection. By the time of the trial, the witness expressed absolute certainty—despite earlier contradictions.

Skeptics On and Off the Stage

Fans of Penn & Teller will recognize this territory. The duo has long built their career not just on illusion, but on exposing it. Their Showtime series Penn & Teller: BS! famously tackled pseudoscience, fraud, and questionable practices—including the misuse of hypnosis.

That background made them uniquely suited to weigh in on this case. Their brief emphasizes how easily perception and belief can be manipulated—something magicians understand better than almost anyone.

A Case with Big Implications

There is no physical evidence tying Flores to the crime, and much of the case hinges on the altered testimony. While many states now restrict or ban testimony influenced by hypnosis, those rules don’t apply retroactively in Texas.

Flores’ legal team is now attempting to reopen the case under a law that allows convictions to be challenged when based on discredited scientific methods—a difficult path that has yet to succeed for any death row inmate.

Final Thoughts

For Penn & Teller, this isn’t about proving innocence—it’s about questioning how truth is determined.

Penn summed it up bluntly: the methods used to obtain the evidence were no more reliable than the tricks performed nightly on a Las Vegas stage.

When magicians—experts in illusion—step forward to challenge the validity of evidence, it raises an unsettling question:

If deception is easy to create… how certain can we really be of what we believe?

Cyril Takayama Tribue Mahka Tendo