| Franz Harary | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1962 (48 years old) Ann Arbor, MI |
| Occupation | Magician |
| Known for | World's Greatest Magic |
Franz Harary (born 1962) is an American magician and inventor who has appeared on television shows such as the first episode of NBC's The World's Greatest Magic, where Harary vanished the Space Shuttle.
While studying music at Eastern Michigan University and aspiring to be a singer and dancer on Broadway, Harary was designing illusions as a hobby. He began performing publicly after convincing the university's marching band leader to let him appear as part of the halftime show. Between 1982 and 1984, Harary's Odyssey In Illusion team designed and executed illusions for ballet troupes, ice revues, marching bands and symphony orchestras. It was featured on ABC-TV's live telecast of the 1983 Thanksgiving Day Parade in Detroit. At the end of 1983, Harary sent Michael Jackson a videotape of Odyssey In Illusions greatest-hits tape and, within a week, was invited to perform as part of the Jacksons' "Victory Tour" in 1984 Harary made Jackson levitate and disappear on one side of the stage to reappear with his brothers on the other side.[1]
Among other music acts he has designed illusions for are N*SYNC, Cher, Snoop Dog, Tupac Shakur, Tone Loc, Styx, Dr. Dre, Usher, Boyz II Men, Queen Latifah, Hammer, Tina Turner, Reba McEntire and Missy Elliott.[2]
In 1996 Harary created all the magic segments for the Broadway production Ragtime which had Houdini as one of its main characters.[3]
Harary's own touring show is especially popular in Asia and the Far East. In the U.S. he is most often seen in Atlantic City.
Franz Harary recently appeared as a technical advisor for the Magic Challenges during seasons 3 and 5 of America's Best Dance Crew.This was highly rated and critically acclaimed in the industry.
In 2010, Franz Harary was the principal judge in a magical T.V series called India's Magic Star which is being telecast on the Indian channel Star One. In addition to acting as judge and "magic guru," Harary designed over 90 original new effects, performed by himself as well as the other magicians on the show. The program is presently being shown in the UK.
In 2011, he also performed in India between 21 January to 21 April at the Kingdom of Dreams in Gurgaon, India.
4. http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-11-09/gurgaon/28226936_1_ticket-rates-ticket-prices-kingdom