Franz Harary (born July 18, 1962) is an American

magician Magician or The Magician may refer to: Performers * A practitioner of magic (supernatural) * A practitioner of magic (illusion) * Magician (fantasy), a character in a fictional fantasy context Entertainment Books * ''The Magician'', an 18th-ce ...

and inventor who has appeared on television shows such as the first episode of

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's ''

The World's Greatest Magic ''The World's Greatest Magic'' was a series of American television specials showcasing magic acts. The first of five shows was broadcast by NBC in 1994, and continued with annual editions through 1998. These shows were most often first telecast d ...

'', on which Harary made the

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appear to vanish. While studying music at

Eastern Michigan University Eastern Michigan University (EMU, Eastern Michigan or simply Eastern), is a public research university in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Founded in 1849 as Michigan State Normal School, the school was the fourth normal school established in the United St ...

and aspiring to be a singer and dancer on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

, Harary was designing illusions as a hobby. He began performing publicly after persuading the university's marching band leader to let him appear as part of the halftime show. Between 1982 and 1984, Harary's Odyssey In Illusion team designed and executed illusions for ballet troupes, ice revues, marching bands, and symphony orchestras. It was featured on ABC-TV's live telecast of the 1983 Thanksgiving Day parade in Detroit. At the end of 1983, Harary sent

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a videotape of Odyssey In Illusions greatest hits and within a week was invited to perform as part of the Jacksons' "Victory Tour" in 1984. Harary made Jackson levitate and disappear on one side of the stage and reappear with his brothers on the other side. In 1990, a character in

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called The Black Scorpion used magic in efforts to anger the popular

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. Wrestling websites claim Harary was the masked man performing the magic. Among other music acts he has designed illusions for are N*SYNC, Cher, Snoop Dogg, Tupac Shakur, Tone Loc, Styx, Dr. Dre, Usher, Boyz II Men, Queen Latifah, Hammer, Tina Turner, Reba McEntire and Missy Elliott. In 1996 Harary created all the magic segments for the Broadway production ''Ragtime'', in which Houdini was one of its main characters.Stinett, Dustin, Genii : The Conjuror’s Magazine, Volume 72, Number 8, p. 63 Harary's own touring show is especially popular in Asia and the Far East. In the U.S. he is most often seen in Atlantic City. Franz Harary recently appeared as a technical advisor for the Magic Challenges during seasons 3 and 5 of ''

America's Best Dance Crew ''America's Best Dance Crew'', often abbreviated as ''ABDC'', was an American competitive dance reality television series that features both national and international dance crews. The show was produced by singer, record producer, and former '' ...

''.

Notable Television Appearances

In 2010, Franz Harary was the principal judge in a magical TV series called India's Magic Star, which is being telecast on the Indian channel

Star One Star One was an Indian pay television network based in Mumbai. It was launched on 1 November 2004 and was it owned by Star TV and distributed worldwide by Fox International Channels. In November 2006, Star One was launched in the UK on Sky. ...

. In addition to acting as judge and "magic guru," Harary designed over 90 original effects that were performed by him as well as the other magicians on the show. The program is currently being shown in the UK.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Harary, Franz 1962 births Living people People from Ann Arbor, Michigan American magicians Magic consultants Academy of Magical Arts Performing Fellowship winners Academy of Magical Arts Special Fellowship winners