Out Magician Michael Carbonaro Wants to Astound You with 'Lies on Stage'

Is it possible to remake an established entertainment meme with new tricks? That's what out actor and magician Michael Carbonaro has done with his hit truTV series "The Carbonaro Effect," which has aired some 100 episodes during the past decade and established him as one of the Internet's funniest pranksters.

His website writes that on the show he "performs inventive tricks on unsuspecting members of the public who are unaware that he is a magician. Jaws drop when he causes a car to disappear from under a security guard's nose or makes alien crabs transform into kittens in a science lab. Whether posing as a coffee shop barista, museum curator, or seemingly unremarkable store clerk in the REAL world, Carbonaro's illusions – along with his absurd, matter-of-fact explanations – leave REAL people bewildered and families at home laughing out loud.

Throughout his career, the leading man-handsome Carbonaro has mixed magic with acting, having developed the former craft in his youth, then studying acting at New York University, and has appeared in Todd Stephens' 2006 wacky comedy "Another Gay Movie." But it was his appearances on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" a decade ago with his hidden-camera "Magic Clerk" segments that led to "The Carbonaro Effect" in 2014. In those segments he tricks unsuspecting customers at a convenience store, which he expanded for his web series.

He has put "The Carbonaro Effect" behind him as he is developing a a new television show and tours with his new show, "Carbonaro: Lies on Stage," which is taking him to dozens of dates throughout 2023, including a Las Vegas residency during June. Before that he heads to dates in New York, Massachusetts, and Pennyslvania. (For more on his upcoming dates, follow this link.)

EDGE spoke with Carbonaro about what magic means to him, his coming out, and what to expect from his show.

EDGE: Why magic?

Michael Carbonaro: Magic presents us with possibilities beyond what we think we know. It's an exhilarating feeling, and we all need it.

EDGE: What was the very first trick you mastered?

Michael Carbonaro: Tearing up a piece of art that I drew with a crayon and then restoring it whole in front of my parents. They flipped out and I felt that first surge of being able to show them something impossible.

EDGE: The title of your new tour is "Carbonaro: Lies on Stage." What can you tell us about this new show?

Michael Carbonaro: It is a blast. My favorite part about the show is that every night I bring two people from the audience onto the stage and make them disappear.

EDGE: Tell me a little more about your creative process. How do you develop your act?

Michael Carbonaro: I like to find inspiration in anything I see. A lot of times, I'll create a prank or trick that is a little bit of a stretch of the truth. I like to see how far I can take it. For example, a cell phone that you're able to communicate on that has no wires connected to it. I get a picture in my mind and then figure out a way to accomplish it.

EDGE: Is your husband Peter your test audience?

Michael Carbonaro: Yes, and he's a tough crowd. He's seen it all. So, I get very excited when he really gets that gasp or his eyes light up and I really hit him with something. I know it's going to be something extra special when he's surprised by it.

EDGE: How do you feel about magicians revealing how tricks are done?

Michael Carbonaro: On one hand, it does gets people interested in magic. I think that people who are interested in magic are going to watch. So, it's not always a bad thing. I think the problem with it is that it's a lot more easily accessible. Before the internet, people had to make a real effort in finding out how magic tricks were done. You had to go to the library and get a book. That's some real research. Regardless of how people learn about magic, as long as they are coming to live events and supporting magicians, then I am happy.

EDGE: What's your favorite magical movie or TV show?

Michael Carbonaro: I think maybe the first movie that ever really affected me, in terms of magic, was Terry Gilliam's 1981 movie "Time Bandits." It's about a little boy who is kidnapped by a band of little time travelers, and they slip in and out of dimensions. Their world just seemed so magical, and the visual effects are outrageous and beautiful. It really got me interested in this idea of there being other realities and dimensions.

EDGE: How has being gay shaped you as a performer?

Michael Carbonaro: For one, I think growing up both gay and as a budding artist I immediately knew that the world didn't operate the way people said it did. There were these standards of the way things were going to be. Everything was very hetero-based – you get married to a woman and you have a family. Very early on I knew these ideas were not my desires. So, I always felt like an outsider. The world operates differently than everybody says it does. Magic really shows us that the world operates differently. There are secret things that we don't know about going on behind the scenes. I think that that's a very powerful place to be, and I'm super grateful to have grown up with that understanding.

EDGE: Will there be more "The Carbonaro Effect?"

Michael Carbonaro: Not of that show. I'm working on a new TV show right now, and I'm hoping to get into production as soon as the fall.

EDGE: What do you want for your audience to walk away with after watching your shows?

Michael Carbonaro: I love getting to see people leave with beaming smiles on their faces and feeling excited that they've had this shared experience. It's similar to the way people say they feel when watching my TV show. I feel like we get that experience in the live show, but a thousand times more because everyone is there experiencing this moment and we are all feeling the same emotional and magical ride together.

For more information about Michael visit, visit his website, and to purchase tickets to see his show at the Chevalier Theatre on May 19th, visit the venue's website.