Rogue. Local magic impresario and retailer Roger Quan, known in the magic community by his stage name Rogue, has filmed a performance for the current season of the TV program America’s Got Talent. His appearance was videotaped April 6 in the Theater at Madison Square Garden. “It’s amazing. I think it’s the best thing you can actually do if you love to perform, to be in front of thousands of people,” Rogue said about his experience performing for the show. “I guess it’s my 15 seconds of fame. I’ve never done anything that big before.” Rogue is currently waiting for word of when his episode will air and confirmation that he will return for another episode.
Rogue is the proprietor of Rogue’s Magic and Fun Shop, a retail magic store in Elmhurst, Queens, and also the impresario of Rogue Magic Bar which opened in March in Rego Park. Representatives from America’s Got Talent first reached out to Rogue via Twitter, resulting in a tryout for producers from the show in December 2013. Rogue auditioned with a version of the Invisible Deck in which he shakes the cards up in two mouth-to-mouth red drink cups, like a cocktail shaker, before revealing that the named card is the only one reversed in the pack.
Rogue is the proprietor of Rogue’s Magic and Fun Shop, a retail magic store in Elmhurst, Queens, and also the impresario of Rogue Magic Bar which opened in March in Rego Park. Representatives from America’s Got Talent first reached out to Rogue via Twitter, resulting in a tryout for producers from the show in December 2013. Rogue auditioned with a version of the Invisible Deck in which he shakes the cards up in two mouth-to-mouth red drink cups, like a cocktail shaker, before revealing that the named card is the only one reversed in the pack.
“I didn’t expect anything. I performed in front of two people from AGT, and they loved it,” Rogue said. “They said you can hang around for a few hours and fill out some paperwork and we’re going to get you on in front of the Executive Producers.” After those two rounds of auditions over the course of a long day in December, it was about four months later that Rogue was contacted and told to prepare an act that he would perform in two weeks in front of the cameras - and judges - at Madison Square Garden.
Rogue chose to perform Staple Gun Roulette an effect in which a spectator randomly picks staplers one by one for Rogue to fire into his head. Each staple gun is found to be empty except for the last one remaining which Rogue shoots into a block of wood to prove that it is loaded and working. The spectator who joined Rogue on stage to help with the trick was one of the program’s judges, Mel B.
“I thought ‘thousands of people, I have to play really big, and I want something definitely involving the judges because if I just stand up there and just manipulate some cards, everybody’s doing that. If I involve the judge, her reaction is going to reverberate to the audience,’ which it did. She cursed, she screamed, it was awesome.” At the request of the producers Rogue has submitted videotaped performances of effects for four additional appearances.
While Rogue describes his appearance as his “15 seconds of fame,” he is also aware that the program has boosted the careers of magicians like Kevin James, Dan Sperry, Murray Sawchuck, and others. Yet the show has been subject to criticism by some performers who have turned down the opportunity to appear because of what they feel are overly restrictive contractual obligations to which contestants must agree. Rogue, however shrugs off such concerns and is focused on the positive aspects of appearing on the program. “I would love to win the million dollars, actually,” he said. “That can’t hurt. Either that or I get exposure. It’s fine. I’m just trying to get my name out there. That’s the worse case scenario, get exposure. The best case scenario is I win a million dollars. I think it’s a win-win situation.”
Rogue chose to perform Staple Gun Roulette an effect in which a spectator randomly picks staplers one by one for Rogue to fire into his head. Each staple gun is found to be empty except for the last one remaining which Rogue shoots into a block of wood to prove that it is loaded and working. The spectator who joined Rogue on stage to help with the trick was one of the program’s judges, Mel B.
“I thought ‘thousands of people, I have to play really big, and I want something definitely involving the judges because if I just stand up there and just manipulate some cards, everybody’s doing that. If I involve the judge, her reaction is going to reverberate to the audience,’ which it did. She cursed, she screamed, it was awesome.” At the request of the producers Rogue has submitted videotaped performances of effects for four additional appearances.
While Rogue describes his appearance as his “15 seconds of fame,” he is also aware that the program has boosted the careers of magicians like Kevin James, Dan Sperry, Murray Sawchuck, and others. Yet the show has been subject to criticism by some performers who have turned down the opportunity to appear because of what they feel are overly restrictive contractual obligations to which contestants must agree. Rogue, however shrugs off such concerns and is focused on the positive aspects of appearing on the program. “I would love to win the million dollars, actually,” he said. “That can’t hurt. Either that or I get exposure. It’s fine. I’m just trying to get my name out there. That’s the worse case scenario, get exposure. The best case scenario is I win a million dollars. I think it’s a win-win situation.”
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