Culture
Magic, comedy, and a cloned dog: Piff the Magic Dragon brings ‘All Star Vegas’ show to Ohio
By: Emily Votaw
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COLUMBUS, Ohio (WOUB) – Magician and comedian John van der Put, better known as Piff the Magic Dragon, broke into the American cultural mainstream in 2015 with his deadpan delivery, dragon costume, and tiny canine sidekick Mr. Piffles during a memorable run on America’s Got Talent.
That breakout led to a hit Las Vegas residency at The Flamingo, and now he’s taking that energy on the road with Piff the Magic Dragon’s All-Star Vegas, a high-octane variety show featuring fellow AGT alumni, Cirque du Soleil performers, comedians, and more. The show comes to the Southern Theatre (21 East Main Street) on September 10 and the Taft Theatre (317 East 5th Street) in Cincinnati on September 13.
Ahead of those shows, van der Put spoke with WOUB’s Emily Votaw about his place in the long history of magicians, the challenge of bringing Las Vegas energy to the road, and what it’s like performing with a clone of his beloved sidekick Mr. Piffles, who passed away last year at 17.
Find a transcript of their conversation, edited for length and clarity, below.
EMILY VOTAW: You’ve got shows coming up at the Taft Theatre in Cincinnati and at Columbus’ Southern Theatre, which has been hosting magicians since the 1890s. Do you feel a connection to that long tradition, or is the show, Piff the Magic Dragon’s All-Star Vegas, a kind of break from that kind of tradition?
JOHN VAN DER PUT: I definitely share my past with those magicians because a lot of the magic tricks I do are kind of built on the people who came before me. Hopefully we can offer something new to people, something they haven’t seen before. And this time we’re doing a brand new show with a whole ton of different acts. It’s not just me, it’s jugglers, comedians, acrobats, hula hoopers. So there’s something for everyone.
Can you tell me more about those other acts that will be performing alongside you? Will it be a variety type of setup?
VAN DER PUT: Yeah, it’ll be like a variety show. I live in Las Vegas, and a ton of my friends are in Cirque du Soleil. There are all these big circus shows that you see in Las Vegas. So we’re kidnapping a couple of those performers and we’re taking them on the road.
Very cool. Is there anyone you can name in particular?
VAN DER PUT: We actually keep the bill a surprise until the night.
That makes sense. You’ve got a successful residency in Las Vegas but also tour widely — how does performing in Vegas compare with being on the road?
VAN DER PUT: Yeah, in Vegas everyone comes to you. So you know, it’s like the theater stays the same but the audience is different. Whereas on the road, every show is in a brand new space. And also in Vegas, you tend to be like one of the 10 things that someone’s doing. Whereas on the road, it’s like you’re the big plan for that week. So we love being on the road.
Many first saw you on America’s Got Talent — how did that platform change your career?
VAN DER PUT: When I was on America’s Got Talent, it’s like, you know, 15 million people were watching it, and then it went viral online after that. So we got a huge introduction to people in America through it. And it was that kind of built the foundation to have a career.
A big part of your career has been your dogs. You famously cloned your longtime sidekick, Mr. Piffles, who passed away last year, right?
VAN DER PUT: Yeah, it was bad, you know, he was almost 17, so he had a good run, but it was tough.
How has it been performing without the original Mr. Piffles?
VAN DER PUT: We cloned him, so there’s a new Mr. Piffles in the show. He reminds me a lot of the original, so it feels like part of him lives on.
Did that help with the grief, or does it feel completely different?
VAN DER PUT: It’s different, but it helps. It’s great to still have a part of him in the show.
For those who’ve never seen you live, how would you describe your show — why should they spend their night with you in Columbus or Cincinnati?
VAN DER PUT: Honestly, the best thing is to Google “Piff the Magic Dragon.” We’ve got tons of stuff online — a full special, our America’s Got Talent performances, and lots of clips from the show. Check it out, and if you like it, come along. If you don’t, stay home.