Steve Cohen has been performing a highly unique magic show in the luxurious Waldorf Astoria Hotel since 2000. His small audiences have included such admirers as Woody Allen, Barry Diller and Martha Stewart. He does not saw women in half or produce tigers from boxes. Rather he calls himself The Millionaires' Magician, and performs smaller, more sophisticated magic that never fails to astound his select groups of well-dressed spectators. It's been called one of New York City's best-kept secrets. StageBuddy sat down with Mr. Cohen between sold-out performances in his private suite.

I have to say what a wonderful show you have. It’s very unusual. In it, you speak of your childhood, especially about your uncle, who taught you magic and inspired you to become a magician. But what was the inspiration for Chamber Magic, and its presentation in such a unique setting?

In the 19^th century there were two seminal figures in the world of magic, both from Europe. One was Robert-Houdin, from Paris, and the other was Hofzinser, from Vienna. They made their names performing for the upper classes of their respective cities. In those days people would gather in salons to talk about politics and the news of the day. People also enjoyed having various philosophical conversations, and for this they met in the salon. So these two guys had the idea to have magic salons. Particularly Hofzinser, he charged Broadway ticket prices for people to come to his salon where he would do an hour of closeup magic, mostly using cards, but he did other magic too. As a young magician, growing up, I read about him. And although I always wanted to do a big show somewhere, as I developed as a performer I never really developed a booming personality or a booming voice; I’m more genteel. And although I have some comic elements to my style of performing I’m not really suited to a comedy club. One day I was walking down the street in the Upper West Side of Manhattan and I had a eureka moment, I’d just been reading about Hofzinser again and I thought, wait a minute I can do a Hofzinser style salon magic show in New York, because the people he used to meet in the old days were royalty and the people I want to work for now are the essentially the royalty of the modern day, the millionaires and billionaires of New York.

It had a precedent in the 19^th century, you see. The audience then was never a large one, about thirty people or so. And it was important for the magician to see the whites of the audience’s eyes. You can really see their expressions, whereas on a true stage you’re blinded. The lights are shining on you so brightly that you can’t see the audience. You know they’re there, but you can’t see them. But in this type of a show I can see everyone’s eyes, and I can use that to my advantage by directing their attention. I can see them.

In addition to your uncle and the magicians you’d read about, was there ever a famous magician you actually saw in your childhood that made you say, “I want to do that”?

Yes. It was Doug Henning. I used to watch his TV shows in the 70s, and I thought, “I need to do that.” And then my parents took me to see his show Merlin on Broadway, which had an immeasurable number of previews, it almost never opened! They did previews for months and months. I saw that show when I was a kid, and also Doug Henning’s World of Magic on Broadway. Those two shows knocked me out. I saw magic as something viable for me. I started doing magic shows in my hometown and then I branched out into birthday parties and blue and gold banquets for the Cub Scouts and libraries. It gave me what I needed which was stage time. A pilot needs flying time, it’s the same principle. Some of the shows were wonderful and some were terrible, but I got to perform in front of thousands of people and that is what is needed to become a polished performer.

You are also known for the History Channel program Lost Magic Decoded, in which you travel the world searching for legendary magic illusions that may or may not be real, including the infamous Hindu Rope Trick. Is there a magic effect that has continued to elude you or that you have yet to find?

There is one that I’d really like to see. I know where to find it. It’s an ancient Japanese trick from the 1700s. It’s eating a live horse. The way it looks to an audience is that a magician looks at a real live horse, a curtain goes up and when it comes down the magician has, sticking out of his mouth almost like a funnel, the back end of the horse. The rest of it has been ingested into his body. The curtain goes up and when it comes down again just the tail is sticking out. Then after the screen goes up and comes down again, it’s just the magician standing there; there is no horse anywhere to be seen. There are no trap doors and no backstage area. That’s one I really want to see.

Well, good luck with your search. I have one final question. So many well known artists and entertainers of the 20^th century have a connection with magic. Orson Welles, most notably, Woody Allen, who I know is a big fan of yours, Johnny Carson and others. Is there an artist outside of magic who has particularly inspired you and perhaps shaped you in some way?

One of my closest friends is a violinist from Germany, Anne-Sophie Mutter. She has inspired me for many years, and continues to do so because of her precision. I just attended a performance of hers two nights ago at Carnegie Hall and when you experience her playing you feel like she is performing directly for you. But she makes it so effortless, all the technique appears effortless. When you are in the audience you think, “This music just speaks to me.” And she reminds me that although I need to do some difficult maneuvers and techniques, I need to make it look absolutely effortless. And I try also to speak to each person individually through my art, which is not music but magic. She does that, and so she continues to be an endless source of inspiration for me.

Thank you so much for talking with me and congratulations on the success of your show. I enjoyed it immensely.

I’m glad you did. Thank you.

For more information and tickets, visit https://www.chambermagic.com/