McMinnville Magician Jordan Winton started doing magic tricks for his family as a child, recently becoming the youngest magician to receive international recognition with The Merlin Award.
Winton said there are 57,000 members of the International Magicians Society who nominate members and vote on the annual award. Winton said until he received a phone call on August 3, he had been unaware of his nomination. He received the unique title Next Star of Magic alongside The Merlin Award in Las Vegas on August 10.
“In order to be different you have to be yourself,” Winton said. “And I think that’s the biggest part of it is just be yourself. And you have to know that things take time. And that’s what I’ve learned over the years really, really, is make connections, meet people, and really just be yourself.”
Winton said he enjoyed the reactions he got from performing as a child which led into his love of magic. He said he continued his practice while he got involved in another side of entertaining through Christmas light design.
Winton said in 2015 he was on ABC’s The Great Christmas Light Fight as a junior in high school. He said he was the youngest contestant on the show and that experience led to phone calls requesting residential and commercial Christmas light design. And he said around that time he began a more serious approach to his magic practice.
“Now I’m the protege of Terry Evanswood who is an award-winning magician,” Winton said. “He has performed in all kinds of places including Las Vegas. He has a show in Pigeon Forge right now.”
Winton said people always ask him what type of magic he does. He says he loves performing grand illusions including big productions like making a car appear or floating a woman onstage.
“It all started from a magic kit and I slowly just kind of reopened that book when I came to figure out, hey this is what I want to do for my everyday life,” Winton said.
Winton said if you want to excel at something you have to love what you do. He said if you love what you do and you have a passion for it, you will naturally support the best in yourself.
“By doing the best you can without seeking recognition or seeking approval from anyone, you will find what niche you fit into,” Winton said.
Winton built his own theater in McMinnville to perform his magic show in when he is not traveling. He said he also provides a haunted house experience called Rigor Mortis which includes some illusions and magic from September through November at 1030 Smithville Highway.
For more information on Jordan Winton’s international award-winning magic, see https://jordanwintonmagic.com/
The post The Next Star Of Magic Has His Own Theater in McMinnville appeared first on News Talk 94.1/AM 1600.