Murray SawChuck
Encyclopedia
Murray John Sawchuck is a stage illusionist, magician, comedian, actor, and host. Based in Las Vegas, SawChuck has dubbed himself "The 'Dennis the Menace
' of Magic," and his shows often consist of a blend of "comical mishaps" that result in illusions and magic tricks. He was featured in the fifth season of America's Got Talent
, and is the resident magic historian on Pawn Stars
. SawChuck has also appeared as a magic coach on five episodes of the VHI series Celebracadabra
, and has been a guest star on shows such as Reno 911, Last Comic Standing
, Celebrity Blind Date, War of the Worlds 2: The Next Wave
, and Ring of Darkness
. He regularly tours worldwide.
, keyboard
, and saxophone
at age five. He learned Ukrainian dancing at age five as well, and at age 7 began taking dance lessons in a variety of genres. He was also active in sports.
At age 7, his aunt and uncle gave him a Siegfried and Roy magic kit. Sawchuck, who then idolized entertainers such as Dean Martin
, Johnny Carson
, Lucille Ball
, Danny Kaye
and Phyllis Diller
, began working on incorporating magic, music, and dance into routines. He performed his first paid show at a birthday party when he was 11 years old. As a teenager, Sawchuck has stated he did five to six kid's shows a week for six years, often incorporating dancing, accordion, and saxophone. He also worked over 21 jobs, including bus boy, lifeguard
, and fixing bicycles. He graduated high school and received a college degree in Broadcast Communications and Journalism.
, Monte Carlo
, and throughout Europe. Between touring he lived for some time in Orlando, Florida
. After a tour of Canada he moved to Las Vegas, Nevada
, headlining on the Las Vegas strip
. He also toured in South Asia
, including Singapore
, Thailand
, Malaysia, Vietnam
, and Hong Kong
.
In 1999, he was named "Magic Champion" at the Pacific Rim Professional Magic Challenge. Sawchuck has won over 24 awards, and at one point received the title of "World Champion." He was purportedly the first magician to invent a professional magic act involving the manipulation of multiple CDs. He became a US citizen in 2009.
, where magician and celebrity pairs competed for a prize and title of "Best Celebrity Magician." He was teamed up with Kimberly Wyatt
of the Pussycat Dolls
.
show America's Got Talent
. Judges Piers Morgan
, Sharon Osbourne
, and Howie Mandel
voted him on into the semi-finals, and at one point he received a standing ovation from Osbourne. Among the illusions he performed for the show were producing a car from thin air, and transforming a woman locked in a cage into a live tiger, then having the woman re-appear next to the judges. He also disappeared a 1918 steam locomotive. The train trick was an homage to SawChuck's long family history in the train industry. Reviews for his appearances were positive, with About.com
saying "Murray seemingly did everything right. He successfully managed to ramp-up the magic and impact as he rose through the eliminations - something that earlier magicians haven't been able to do."
regularly features Sawchuck as the resident historian for antique magic devices. He also hosts the live Pawn Stars tour events that travel to various cities.
series The Jadagrace Show. The series will star 11 year old Jadagrace Barry, who appeared in Terminator: Salvation, and Sawchuck's comedic role is re-occurring throughout five episodes.
s Last Comic Standing
, Celebrity Blind Date, War of the Worlds 2: The Next Wave
, the Jerry Lewis Telethon, a number of news channels, Stars of Magic, and Ring of Darkness
.
' of Magic," and his shows largely consist of a blend of "comical mishaps" that result in illusions. He has named his favorite professional magician as Cardini, who performed in the early 1900s.
According to SawChuck, "I think we've [magicians] dropped the ball a bit on originality and keeping magic real and not edited on TV. I think that future magic needs to be smarter than the audience and right now it isn't." While SawChuck occasionally works with wild animals on stage, he does not own the animals himself, instead working with the animals' owners.
Dennis the Menace (U.S.)
Dennis the Menace is a daily syndicated newspaper comic strip originally created, written and illustrated by Hank Ketcham. It debuted on March 12, 1951 in 16 newspapers and was originally distributed by Post-Hall Syndicate...
' of Magic," and his shows often consist of a blend of "comical mishaps" that result in illusions and magic tricks. He was featured in the fifth season of America's Got Talent
America's Got Talent (season 5)
The fifth season of America's Got Talent, an American television reality show talent competition, premiered in the United States on the NBC network and on Canada's Global on June 1, 2010...
, and is the resident magic historian on Pawn Stars
Pawn Stars
Pawn Stars is an American reality television series on the History Channel, produced in Manhattan by Leftfield Pictures. The series is filmed in Las Vegas, Nevada, where it chronicles the daily activities at the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop, a 24-hour family business operated by patriarch Richard...
. SawChuck has also appeared as a magic coach on five episodes of the VHI series Celebracadabra
Celebracadabra
Celebracadabra is an American reality television series on VH1 that premiered on April 27, 2008. The series involves celebrities attempting to learn and perform magic. Magician/actor Jonathan Levit serves as the host. On Thursday June 12, 2008 C...
, and has been a guest star on shows such as Reno 911, Last Comic Standing
Last Comic Standing
Last Comic Standing is an American reality television talent show that has aired from 2003 through 2010.The goal of the program is to select a comedian from a group, who will receive a development contract with the NBC network, and a television special first to air on the cable-TV network Comedy...
, Celebrity Blind Date, War of the Worlds 2: The Next Wave
War of the Worlds 2: The Next Wave
War of the Worlds 2: The Next Wave is a 2008 direct-to-DVD science fiction film starring and directed by C. Thomas Howell....
, and Ring of Darkness
Ring of Darkness
Ring of Darkness is a horror/fantasy movie, released in 2004, directed by David DeCoteau. Although never released into American theaters, the movie was released worldwide, and translated into several languages other than English, such as French, Spanish, Italian and German.-Plot summary:The lead...
. He regularly tours worldwide.
Early life
Murray John Sawchuck (November 25, 1980) was born in Vancouver, British Columbia to John and Arlene Sawchuck. His father and extended family have a history of working with railways and trains for over 150 years. His father was also a musician and played in bands when Sawchuck was young, and he has cited that musical exposure as an influence on his later showmanship. Sawchuck began learning accordionAccordion
The accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
, keyboard
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, and saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
at age five. He learned Ukrainian dancing at age five as well, and at age 7 began taking dance lessons in a variety of genres. He was also active in sports.
At age 7, his aunt and uncle gave him a Siegfried and Roy magic kit. Sawchuck, who then idolized entertainers such as Dean Martin
Dean Martin
Dean Martin was an American singer, film actor, television star and comedian. Martin's hit singles included "Memories Are Made of This", "That's Amore", "Everybody Loves Somebody", "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You", "Sway", "Volare" and "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?"...
, Johnny Carson
Johnny Carson
John William "Johnny" Carson was an American television host and comedian, known as host of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson for 30 years . Carson received six Emmy Awards including the Governor Award and a 1985 Peabody Award; he was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1987...
, Lucille Ball
Lucille Ball
Lucille Désirée Ball was an American comedian, film, television, stage and radio actress, model, film and television executive, and star of the sitcoms I Love Lucy, The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour, The Lucy Show, Here's Lucy and Life With Lucy...
, Danny Kaye
Danny Kaye
Danny Kaye was a celebrated American actor, singer, dancer, and comedian...
and Phyllis Diller
Phyllis Diller
Phyllis Diller is an American actress and comedian. She created a stage persona of a wild-haired, eccentrically dressed housewife who makes jokes about a husband named "Fang" while pretending to smoke from a long cigarette holder...
, began working on incorporating magic, music, and dance into routines. He performed his first paid show at a birthday party when he was 11 years old. As a teenager, Sawchuck has stated he did five to six kid's shows a week for six years, often incorporating dancing, accordion, and saxophone. He also worked over 21 jobs, including bus boy, lifeguard
Lifeguard
A lifeguard supervises the safety and rescue of swimmers, surfers, and other water sports participants such as in a swimming pool, water park, or beach. Lifeguards are strong swimmers and trained in first aid, certified in water rescue using a variety of aids and equipment depending on...
, and fixing bicycles. He graduated high school and received a college degree in Broadcast Communications and Journalism.
Early career
Sawchuck soon met Marvyn and Carol Roy, also known as "Mr. Electric." The couple, who had toured worldwide as magicians for over 50 years, mentored Sawchuck. He began performing in Europe, with his first show in Brussels, Belgium. He has stated that one of his biggest breaks was performing Paris, France on the Le Plus Cabaret du Monde, a television show which aired across Europe. He also performed in MonacoMonaco
Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...
, Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo is an administrative area of the Principality of Monaco....
, and throughout Europe. Between touring he lived for some time in Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
. After a tour of Canada he moved to Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, headlining on the Las Vegas strip
Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas Strip is an approximately stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada; adjacent to, but outside the city limits of Las Vegas proper. The Strip lies within the unincorporated townships of Paradise and Winchester...
. He also toured in South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
, including Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, Malaysia, Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, and Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
.
In 1999, he was named "Magic Champion" at the Pacific Rim Professional Magic Challenge. Sawchuck has won over 24 awards, and at one point received the title of "World Champion." He was purportedly the first magician to invent a professional magic act involving the manipulation of multiple CDs. He became a US citizen in 2009.
Celebracadabra
SawChuck appeared as a magic coach on five episodes of the 2008 VHI series CelebracadabraCelebracadabra
Celebracadabra is an American reality television series on VH1 that premiered on April 27, 2008. The series involves celebrities attempting to learn and perform magic. Magician/actor Jonathan Levit serves as the host. On Thursday June 12, 2008 C...
, where magician and celebrity pairs competed for a prize and title of "Best Celebrity Magician." He was teamed up with Kimberly Wyatt
Kimberly Wyatt
Kimberly Kaye Wyatt is an American showgirl, singer-songwriter, dancer, model, actress and choreographer. She is best known as a former member of the American pop/R&B girl group and dance ensemble, the Pussycat Dolls. She joined the Pussycat Dolls in 2003...
of the Pussycat Dolls
Pussycat Dolls
The Pussycat Dolls are an American pop girl group and dance ensemble based in Los Angeles; currently consisting of Lauren Bennett, Vanessa Curry, Kristal "Lyndriette" Smith, Tiffany "Taz" Zavala, Kia Hampton and Paula Van Oppen. The Pussycat Dolls were founded by choreographer Robin Antin in 1995...
.
America's Got Talent
In late summer of 2010, Sawchuck was featured on the fifth season of the NBCNBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
show America's Got Talent
America's Got Talent (season 5)
The fifth season of America's Got Talent, an American television reality show talent competition, premiered in the United States on the NBC network and on Canada's Global on June 1, 2010...
. Judges Piers Morgan
Piers Morgan
Piers Stefan Pughe-Morgan , known professionally as Piers Morgan, is a British journalist and television presenter. He is editorial director of First News, a national newspaper for children....
, Sharon Osbourne
Sharon Osbourne
Sharon Rachel Osbourne is an English television host, author, music manager, businesswoman and promoter as well as the wife of heavy metal singer-songwriter Ozzy Osbourne....
, and Howie Mandel
Howie Mandel
Howard Michael "Howie" Mandel is a Canadian stand-up comedian, television host, and actor. He is well known as host of the NBC game show Deal or No Deal, as well as the show's daytime and Canadian-English counterparts. Before his career as a game show host, Mandel was best known for his role on...
voted him on into the semi-finals, and at one point he received a standing ovation from Osbourne. Among the illusions he performed for the show were producing a car from thin air, and transforming a woman locked in a cage into a live tiger, then having the woman re-appear next to the judges. He also disappeared a 1918 steam locomotive. The train trick was an homage to SawChuck's long family history in the train industry. Reviews for his appearances were positive, with About.com
About.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
saying "Murray seemingly did everything right. He successfully managed to ramp-up the magic and impact as he rose through the eliminations - something that earlier magicians haven't been able to do."
Pawn Stars
The History Channel series Pawn StarsPawn Stars
Pawn Stars is an American reality television series on the History Channel, produced in Manhattan by Leftfield Pictures. The series is filmed in Las Vegas, Nevada, where it chronicles the daily activities at the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop, a 24-hour family business operated by patriarch Richard...
regularly features Sawchuck as the resident historian for antique magic devices. He also hosts the live Pawn Stars tour events that travel to various cities.
The Jadagrace Show
As of May 2011, Sawchuck had filmed a role as "Murray the Magician" in the upcoming tweenTween
Tween may refer to:* Tween , preadolescence, that is, the stage between middle childhood and adolescence in human development, in the range of 10 to 12 years old* Tween 20 and Tween 80, types of polysorbate detergents...
series The Jadagrace Show. The series will star 11 year old Jadagrace Barry, who appeared in Terminator: Salvation, and Sawchuck's comedic role is re-occurring throughout five episodes.
Guest appearances
He has also guest-starred on Reno 911, NBCNBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
s Last Comic Standing
Last Comic Standing
Last Comic Standing is an American reality television talent show that has aired from 2003 through 2010.The goal of the program is to select a comedian from a group, who will receive a development contract with the NBC network, and a television special first to air on the cable-TV network Comedy...
, Celebrity Blind Date, War of the Worlds 2: The Next Wave
War of the Worlds 2: The Next Wave
War of the Worlds 2: The Next Wave is a 2008 direct-to-DVD science fiction film starring and directed by C. Thomas Howell....
, the Jerry Lewis Telethon, a number of news channels, Stars of Magic, and Ring of Darkness
Ring of Darkness
Ring of Darkness is a horror/fantasy movie, released in 2004, directed by David DeCoteau. Although never released into American theaters, the movie was released worldwide, and translated into several languages other than English, such as French, Spanish, Italian and German.-Plot summary:The lead...
.
Style
SawChuck has dubbed himself "The 'Dennis the MenaceDennis the Menace (U.S.)
Dennis the Menace is a daily syndicated newspaper comic strip originally created, written and illustrated by Hank Ketcham. It debuted on March 12, 1951 in 16 newspapers and was originally distributed by Post-Hall Syndicate...
' of Magic," and his shows largely consist of a blend of "comical mishaps" that result in illusions. He has named his favorite professional magician as Cardini, who performed in the early 1900s.
According to SawChuck, "I think we've [magicians] dropped the ball a bit on originality and keeping magic real and not edited on TV. I think that future magic needs to be smarter than the audience and right now it isn't." While SawChuck occasionally works with wild animals on stage, he does not own the animals himself, instead working with the animals' owners.
Interviews
- The Magic Newswire: Celebracadabra with Murray Sawchuck - Audio Interview
- Vegas Talk Radio: Murray SawChuck
- Cigar Weekly: Murray SawChuck Interview
- Magic: Murray SawChuck Talks About Las Vegas Magic (May 2010)
- East Valley Tribune:East Valley TribuneThe East Valley Tribune is a publication concentrating on cities within the East Valley region of metropolitan Phoenix, including Mesa, Tempe, Chandler, Gilbert and Queen Creek....
Murray Sawchuck adds some magic (June 2011) - Las Vegas Tribune: Murray Sawchuck - Exclusive Interview #2 (July 2011)