Not many men get to say they made Ellen DeGeneres materialize out of thin air; not many men get to boast about sporting the same haircut as her either.
Mike Super can boast about both.
Super is performing this Thursday, Aug. 16, in the Carole & Barry Kaye Auditorium, located inside the Student Union, at 9:00 p.m. This event is part of So Fresh, a series of events put on for new students by FAU’s Program Board, a division of Student Government.
Super can also boast being the only winner of NBC’s one season series, Phenomenon: The Search for the Next Great Mentalist. His visit to FAU will continue the magician’s extensive campus tour this year.
“I have not heard of Mike Super outside of the posters I have seen around campus, and the event that I was invited to on Facebook,” Eddie Amirato, a junior duobile majoring in political science and linguistics said. “But I’m interested.”
While Amirato is mildly interested, others are excited, judging by the comments on the magician’s Facebook page. As the entertainer tours colleges and even Walt Disney World, the reviews are stacking up, complementing Super’s skill, humor and mind reading abilities.
Super’s performance is the day after hypnotist Chris Jones’ visit to FAU. The Program Board — in charge of both events — is making sure the first weeks of fall are filled with campus activity.
“I think it’s vital for the programming during the first weeks of the semester because it helps to engage students,” said Ella Tepper, the Boca Campus Governor in student government. “It gets them excited about the upcoming semester and sparks an interest to get involved on campus.”
Super’s magic is said to demonstrate a new form, combining humor, the will to enchant people, and audience participation, to an ambitious extent. Super does illusions with only audience members. In past shows he’s made members of the audience levitate and even vanish, according to his artist profile.
This excites new students like Anna Gonzalez, a freshman education major. “I would love being a part of it! I am really looking forward to his show and seeing his talent,” Gonzalez said.
Super has also performed for big names such as Jay Leno, Criss Angel, Kim Kardashian and more, according to his biography.
Super starts off every show by playing the song The Final Countdown in reference to Fox TV’s Arrested Development character Gob Bluth, an unsuccessful magician who is usually associated with failure and poor planning.
His references to pop culture and twists on classics such as the old ‘pick a card and I’ll name it without looking’ trick have led to media outlets like Campus Activities Magazine dubbing him “America’s Best Entertainer of the Year.”
So Fresh 2012 starts this Sunday, Aug. 12 and continues until Monday, Aug. 20. The program includes hypnotist Chris Jones, magician Mike Super and a Foam Party to wrap it all up.
For more details on dates and events visit http://www.fau.edu/freshman/sofreshweek.php.
