Teller (of Penn & Teller) was kind enough to write an endorsement of my Waldorf-Astoria show. A few years back, he visited together with Dick Cavett. It was a great night. After the show, we talked extensively about Groucho Marx, Richiardi, and Slydini. Teller expertly performed a Slydini coin vanish, making my silver dollar disappear in the purest fashion.

Here is the full text of the quote that Teller (of Penn & Teller) graciously wrote for my NY Times feature article. The highlighted sentence is the one that was pulled for the NY Times.

“Typically you see magic either one-on-one (“close-up” or miniature magic) or far away, on a stage, where the magician works with big gadgets, armies of secret assistants, blinding lights, and smoke generators. Steve Cohen performs at an engaging, human scale, for perhaps seventy-five guests, in the parlor of a suite at the Waldorf. He works in the style of a soiree at the home of some Vanderbilt or Rittenhouse, where you might expect an evening of light opera but have lucked into an expert magician. This is an immensely satisfying way to experience classic conjuring. It’s a group experience, so laughter and applause come naturally, but you’re close enough to reach out and touch it. So you know what you’re seeing is the result not of stage machinery but of art.”

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I am grateful for the kind words of such a wise man, and can only work to continue living up to them.

Teller is the silent half of Penn & Teller, but I’ve always found him to be wonderfully articulate. I’ll always remember the night he invited me and magician Michael Weber to his house in Las Vegas. The tour was like visiting a carnival fun-house, with quirky and imaginative twists built in: secret doors behind false bookshelves, mirrors positioned to make a hallway look longer, and one-of-a-kind magic, movie and literature artifacts. He told marvelous stories along the way – ones I still remember and marvel at.

Do you have any interesting stories or personal experiences with Teller? If you haven’t seen the Penn & Teller show in Las Vegas, do yourself a favor during your next visit to Sin City.