My name is Derek Hughes.
I am a master magician.
And right now, it is time for magic.
Actually, this isn't magic.
This is a trick.
I start with a trick.
I don't know if you've seen
a live magic show.
If I came out-- if the first thing I
did was a miracle, like if I came out
m'am with the ropes
and the first thing I did
challenges your sense of reality
so completely that even just
for a moment
you were forced to cry out,
"Who am I?"
(audience laughing)
That's not why we're here.
We're here to have fun.
So I'm going to start with a trick
and then we'll ease into the mind
bending magic.
So first a trick with three pieces
of rope.
Rope number 1
is the exact same length as rope
number 2.
Rope number 2
is the exact same length as rope
number 3.
Three pieces of rope,
the exact same length.
That's not the trick.
You look freaked out.
Oh, my gosh.
(audience laughing)
How?
(audience laughing)
I bet scissors.
It's a simple trick.
It's not that simple.
Here comes the magic.
Rope 1, rope 2, rope 3, if I snap
and cast a shadow of mystery.
You guys are supposed to go Ooh!
(audience laughing)
(audience oohs)
When I do it.
(audience laughing)
We'll get it done.
Shadow of mystery.
- Ooh!
- And the magic happens.
The ropes once equal in length
have now changed length.
(audience laughing)
Behold, rope number 1
is a giant piece of rope.
It starts down here,
comes up through my hand ends
all the way over here.
Rope 2, medium-sized rope.
Rope 3, itty-bitty rope.
Starts here, ends here.
It's tiny.
The transformation.
(audience applauding)
What's your name, backwards cap,
red shirt?
- Oh, Scott.
- Scott, Derek.
Suddenly, you don't seem impressed.
(audience laughing)
You have the bad angle Scott.
Every room has a bad angle
for the performance of magic tricks.
As a magician, every time I perform
there's always one or two
seats they get the bad angle.
And when I walked beautiful space
but I saw that seat front table
and I was like,
"that's the bad angle."
They did not change length rest
of the room.
(audience laughing)
Scott, by crossing two pieces
of rope near the ends
it creates an illusion
like an optical illusion
of a short rope
and a long rope kind of held here.
And from your angle
it's not very good, in the balcony
stunning.
(audience laughing)
But some magicians are so
good Scott.
When they snap and cast a shadow
of mystery.
- Ooh!
- It's going to be a good night.
(audience laughing)
People believe they think they see
a short little tiny rope.
They believe they see it Scott.
They think they see a long rope,
a medium-sized rope.
But do not buy into this, OK?
Remember, this is a trick.
We're starting with an illusion.
Rope number 1 is always
the exact same length
as rope number 2
which is the exact same length
as rope number 3.
You guys that's the applause cue.
(audience applauding)
Three pieces of rope,
the exact same length.
(audience applauding)
That's the start of the show.
Welcome to my show.
This is exciting.
(audience cheering)
Hey, I've got to tell you
too this trick I just showed you
guys I performed this trick center
stage at Radio City Music Hall
as a top 10 finalist
on NBC'S America's Got Talent.
This trick.
6,000 New Yorkers.
15 million people watch me do
this trick live
from their television sets.
What I'm trying to tell you Dry Bar
is this trick lost me $1,000,000.
(audience laughing)
Hey, what's a $1,000,000, right?
Come on, what is a $1,000,000?
It's $40,000 a year,
spread out over a 40-year annuity
if you win America's Got Talent.
(audience laughing)
Who's calculating?
My kids are going to love community
college.
(audience laughing)