Michael Grandinetti

With performances on national and international television, in stadiums and theaters around the country, for Fortune 500 companies, and at The White House, audiences around the world have hailed Michael Grandinetti as an extremely talented entertainer with a unique style, a compelling creative vision, and an engaging personality.  Over the past 20 years, Michael has strived to make magic contemporary and to give it a wide, mainstream appeal.  He has been featured on NBC’s “The World’s Most Dangerous Magic II”, “Entertainment Tonight”, ''New York Today", "FOX & Friends", “The Bold and the Beautiful”, "Crook & Chase", and "The Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon", two years in a row.  Michael has also appeared on radio stations across the country, including several nationally syndicated broadcasts.
    
In addition, Michael has created and developed custom presentations for Fortune 500 companies and major corporations including Mazda, Hewlett Packard, Grainger, JDA Software, The American Marketing Association, Harley-Davidson, Benjamin Moore Paints, and Bayer and has designed original illusions for national and international film, television, and stage productions.
    
With a true passion for amazing audiences, Michael has performed at Heinz Hall with three time Oscar-winning composer Marvin Hamlisch and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Grand Central Station and the Javits Center in New York City, Navy Pier in Chicago, the MGM Grand and Foxwoods Resort and Casino in Connecticut, the Fairmont Orchid Resort in Hawaii, and on the red carpet of ESPN's ESPY Awards held at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood.  Michael was also recently honored to be a featured performer at the White House Easter Celebration.
    
Last year, the World Series Champion Philadelphia Phillies invited Michael to open one of their home games at Citizens Bank Park stadium with his original, large-scale visual illusions.  Taking magic in a direction its never gone before, Michael made the 7ft, 300lb Phillies mascot, The Phanatic, instantly appear in the outfield, teleported selected Phillies items from one side of the field to the other, caused 200 baseballs to fill a once empty box, and levitated 15ft over the pitcher’s mound to retrieve the game ball – all while surrounded by a live audience of 45,000 people.  In addition, after the 5th inning, Michael performed one of the largest live interactive illusions in history when he read the minds of all 45,000 people in the stadium at the same time.  After the show, the Director of Marketing for the Phillies wrote, “The reviews are in and you were a big hit.  The show was outstanding!”
    
This year, Michael once again brought his magic to a major stadium when he performed during the Sky Show at Kansas City’s Kauffman Stadium in front of a live audience of 40,000 people.  The show paid tribute to the 25th Anniversary of the Kansas City Royals World Series Championship with a complete audio-visual experience blending pyrotechnics, special effects, grand illusion, high-definition video, and a choreographed musical score.  In addition, the event featured the iconic Kauffman Stadium fountains and CrownVision - the largest HD video board in baseball.  With LED ribbon boards throughout the stadium, the show was truly a 360-degree experience.  Once again, a sold-out audience watched Michael levitate, vanish, appear and even shrink in size from every possible angle.
    
Performing magic and illusions in a stadium, outdoors, while surrounded by bright lights and people in every direction certainly creates a unique challenge.  However, Michael and his team enjoy taking on such challenges.  Having studied magic for over 20 years, Michael applies his vast knowledge of illusion, engineering, and psychological principles to create his illusionary designs.  Then, working with a team of builders who have constructed larger than life effects for David Copperfield, Michael Jackson, and several Broadway shows, Michael guides his creative visions from abstract to concrete, bringing them to life.
    
With his unique ability to design and incorporate magic to fit any theme, Michael’s work has been featured in sales programs, trade shows, and corporate galas around the country, showcasing his client’s products, messages, and team members in unique and memorable ways.  For example, when JDA Software wanted to illustrate that their company could not be harmed by their competitor’s dangerous lies, Michael magically passed a wall of razor sharp steel spikes through their CEO.  When The American Marketing Association wanted to illustrate ”communication at the speed of light”, Michael caused a computer to teleport across the stage in the blink of an eye and made their CEO magically appear from a two-dimensional video screen.  And this is just a small example of the custom branded magic Michael can create.
    
Michael Grandinetti has come a long way since first taking up the art of magic at the age of 5.  When he was just 20 years old, Michael created and produced his own two-hour show at Pittsburgh’s historic Byham Theater.  During the performance, a sold-out crowd of twelve-hundred people watched in amazement as Michael made a 500 lb. Harley-Davidson motorcycle appear in mid-air, brought a painting of a beautiful woman to life, and levitated on the point of a razor sharp sword.  That same year, Michael was honored to receive the City of Pittsburgh’s “All-Star Achievement Award”, given to those who have carved positive and noteworthy paths in their industry.
    
Michael’s personality and style were introduced to the world when he performed his original creation “The Spike Tower” on the NBC television special “The World’s Most Dangerous Magic II”.  While covered with a mixture of gasoline and kerosene and secured by chains, Michael had only sixty seconds to escape before two walls of flaming steel spikes were thrust towards him at over 50mph. Bringing together seven of the world’s top illusionists, Michael was the youngest performer on the show.
    
When ABC Family wanted to promote their "World Magic Awards" television special, Michael was contacted to create and stage spectacular live demonstrations throughout New York City.  During the event, passersby watched in amazement as Michael levitated a woman while completely surrounded at various locations including Columbus Circle, Grand Army Plaza, and Grand Central Station.  As a tribute to one of magic’s legendary performers, Doug Henning, Michael repeated the illusion using Doug’s original equipment, this time levitating actress Rachelle Wells high above the beach in Santa Monica, California. 
    
Michael's other live performances include over 150 shows at the world-famous Magic Castle (one of the few performers to headline in all three showrooms), CBS Television's 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular and the Woman of Valor Gala in Beverly Hills with celebrity organizers including Danny DeVito, Rhea Perlman, and Jamie Lee Curtis.  Michael also successfully predicted the exact score of Superbowl XXXVII, two weeks in advance, live on Los Angeles radio and appeared on the nationally syndicated “Westwood One Radio Network”. 
    
As a respected Creative Consultant, Michael Grandinetti is very accomplished behind the scenes. His original illusion designs have been featured at the Grand Palace in Branson and on the television series “Paolo Limiti” in Italy.  Michael was also contacted to contribute an original illusion for the recent Pamela Anderson show at the Hard Rock Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.  In addition, Michael taught magic to the actors on the CBS Daytime Drama "The Bold and the Beautiful" for one of their storylines, consulted on a national commercial featuring sleight of hand for the United States Treasury, and provided additional magic techniques in the instructions for a unique piece of close-up magic marketed by David Blaine and Daniel White.
    
Last year, Michael was a historical/magic consultant for the book “Spellbound”, detailing the life of Doug Henning.  Michael is also featured in the book “Variety Acts: Gaining Respect” along with six other noted illusionists, including famed Las Vegas performer Lance Burton.
    
Michael Grandinetti presents the art of illusion with an engaging, charismatic and contemporary style. By combining stunning magic with compelling music, comedy, suspense, and audience participation, the result is an unforgettable entertainment experience.