newjerseynewsroom.com

Tom Murro goes back stage with the two famous magicians

BY ALLISON RUPPINO

Penn and Teller may have never tuned into "The Real Housewives of New Jersey" or "The Jersey Shore," but they have caught onto the fact that New Jersey has been a major topic of conversation recently because of all the latest TV exposure. The two famous magicians made their way back to the Garden State this past week.

Penn Jillette and Raymond Joseph Teller of the dynamic duo, Penn & Teller, added three New Jersey stops to their tour. Tom Murro, NewJerseyNewsroom.com's Celebrity Magnet was able to attend their last show at the Bergen Performing Arts Center in Englewood, N.J., Sunday night and caught up with them back stage. "We like to come back to the east coast as often as we can, and we haven't been to New Jersey in a while so we came back to do a few shows," said Penn.

One of Murro's first questions to the magical duo had to be about New Jersey's reality TV shows that have hit the waves, such as "The Real Housewives of New Jersey." "I'm not really familiar with them except that they are very popular," said Penn. "Jersey is a lot more than just Jack Nicholson and Springsteen now, isn't it? ''I guess it's moved on from Jack and the Boss, Jack and the Boss, now that's funny''

For those who can't always make their way over to Vegas, Penn & Teller wanted to bring the show to them, as they did by awing the crowd with their amazing knife tricks and psychic powers. They also turned water in a bowl into coins and goldfish; and be rest assured that none of the animals were harmed during this act.

One of the most memorable moments for Murro and his wife Kelly was at the end of the show while witnessing Penn perform his fire-eating act, with assistance from Teller. "I swallow a teaspoon of lighter fluid every time," said Penn. "Carnival acts who do 30 shows a week, need time off after awhile to let their liver regenerate from swallowing so much lighter fluid."

A lot of the tricks they perform are dangerous, and Murro asked them how they handle things when an act might go terribly wrong. "A lot of the stuff we do is dealing with rather dangerous things, so we can't really afford to have them go terribly wrong," said Penn. "So we're happy with their just going a little wrong all the time."

All of Penn & Teller's performances include a high level of audience interaction. And, The Celebrity Magnet was able to see this first-hand as his own wife Kelly was chosen for the levitation act. He watched as they pulled away each chair from underneath her, and there she was floating above the floor. Although nervous, he knew she was in good hands. He told her that he just watched her levitate. "I didn't even know it," she explained.

Penn & Teller have been working together since 1981, and they currently perform nightly at the Penn & Teller Theater at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. For anyone who has never seen their show, it is known for humorous storytelling that weaves magic tricks and illusions. Throughout this performance, Penn tells a story while Teller is the subject of the trick. Teller is also a mime and does not speak throughout the show.

Teller is also a writer and director, and he took on both roles in "Play Dead," which is his off-Broadway play in New York City. "It is doing very well," said Penn. "It is a trip through terror for adults; it's very intense and also funny. Written and directed by Teller, as is pretty much everything in the country today."

Surprisingly, The person who actually wrapped up the interview was the usually silent Teller. Murro told Teller that it was good to hear his voice. Teller responded, "I'm not actually talking, Penn is just a great ventriloquist."