Kenny Rosales
Naked Aussies Christopher Wayne (left) and Mike Tyler with Catherine Capellaro.
Let’s get some business out of the way: You’d have to try pretty hard to get a good look at a penis at the Naked Magicians show. But Mike Tyler and Christopher Wayne are most certainly unclothed — minus small microphone packs and strategically placed top hats — by the end of the Feb. 22 show at Overture’s Capitol Theater.
Their sculpted abs and tight bums are on full display, but part of the magic is the seeing/not seeing of the dangly bits.
That’s a bit of a spoiler. The two “best mates,” who hail from Brisbane, Australia, start the show clothed in stylishly tailored suits. They announce — in charming Down Under accents — that if people want to see them naked, they’re going to have to “work for it.”
But a self-selecting crowd that purchases tickets to the Naked Magicians is not hard to engage. When Mike polls the audience on how many people are there for girls’ night, the theater fills with whoops.
They are superlative entertainers, as adept at comedy as they are at magic. They are also phenomenal dancers, incorporating tasteful bits of striptease. They perform mentalist (mind-reading) tricks, including predicting the made-up title of a porn flick chosen at random by audience members.
The material is peppered with dick and cock jokes, but the two mates are so adorable and having so much fun that the material rarely crosses the line into uncomfortable territory.
At a post-show Q&A and photo session for VIPs, Chris and Mike hold their top hats over their crotches. They share a capsule version of their origin story. “We were both regular clothed magicians. Mike was a high-end corporate entertainer,” says Chris. “I was a magician on a kids’ show. We had a funny idea for a naughty magic show.” The first six-night run in 2014 sold out a month before it opened.
VIPs ask burning questions about how they stay in shape and whether they wax or shave.
Someone wants to know if the top hat has ever been dropped by the volunteer chosen to shield Chris’ private parts while the magician conducts a series of rope tricks. Chris says he’s learned this lesson: “Never pick someone from a bachelorette party. Never pick anyone who has a light-up object, like a penis straw or devil horns. I know who to look out for.”
The volunteer has to feel comfortable, says Chris. “I get nervous every single night with that. I know that sounds wanky, douchey, but I’m really trying to get a feel for them so it doesn’t drop. Because when it does, there’s a big ole dick swinging in the wind.”
I want to know how all this goes over in the #metoo era, and they explain how they communicate with the volunteers. “We have little moments where our microphones are turned off and we give them a little wink or a little squeeze on the shoulder,” says Chris. “So they see us off character for a second. When Mike’s putting the blindfold on the lady, he checks with her. All that stuff’s really important. It was important before the whole #metoo stuff. We knew if we were going to do cheeky stuff we have to be the objects, and the audience has to feel safe and respected.”
The deeper magic of this duo is rooted in their relationship. “That’s the bit that’s real, the fun,” says Chris. “We were best friends before we wrote this. We are best friends now. Sometimes we are tired, but we get out on stage and we are the two luckiest guys. It’s the most fun ever.”
Cost of tickets to the Naked Magicians: $46-$77
Cost of VIP tickets including Q&A and photo: $77
Number of cities they have performed in since 2014: 300
Number of shows they will have performed by the end of the current tour: 1,000
Number of times the audience volunteer has dropped the hat that shields Chris’ penis in the penultimate act: 3
Title of final trick: “Cumfetti”
[Editor's note: This article was edited to remove spoilers.]
