Staying power. That phrase has been running through my head a lot recently.

April 2010 marks the tenth anniversary of my show. It’s easy to keep track, since my son Alex is also ten years old. I now perform over 250 public live shows a year, and have entertained over 250,000 people at the Waldorf. Looking back at this record takes my breath away.

I have not mentioned this in print before, but since the very beginning my goal has always been to perform Chamber Magic for twenty years. There aren’t too many shows that have staying power. Not only magic shows, but theatrical shows in general.  Ten years have flown by, and I want to keep Chamber Magic alive for ten more. Maybe I’m crazy, but I love performing this show. I’ve molded my life around it.

A commonly asked question is, “Do you ever get bored?” I know instantly what they mean – whether or not I get bored of performing the same act over and over again. Although it’s developed and matured over the years, Chamber Magic is essentially the same show I started with in 2000.

Some entertainers “phone in” a performance. They’re singing/acting/speaking but it’s become rote, or stale.Their mouths are moving, and the correct words are coming out, but they’re actually thinking about what’s for dinner after the show.

In my opinion, a great magician must be able to make each show feel as if it’s his first AND ONLY time presenting the material.

Last month I had the great fortune to see my friend and mentor Juan Tamariz perform in San Diego at the Magic-Con conference. It goes without saying that his performance was exceptional. (Tamariz is my functional hero, and one of the finest magicians in the world.) But to me, something else stood out. He was as great this year as I remember him back in 1990. In other words, 20 years have passed yet he still provides his audience with the same energy, enthusiasm and gusto that I recall during my first encounter with him.

Tamariz reminded me that it can be done. It’s possible to maintain the highest standard of excellence in your work, even over many decades. I’m inspired by Tamariz, and also by music bands that boast long careers: the Rolling Stones, U2 and Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, for example.

So have I become bored? Not one bit.