magic

America’s Got Talent Finalist ‘Piff the Magic Dragon’ to Perform at Arlington Drafthouse

By Tim Regan

Piff the Magic DragonA man dressed as a green dragon will take the stage with a Chihuahua at Arlington Cinema & Drafthouse (2903 Columbia Pike) next month.

That man is Piff the Magic Dragon and the Chihuahua is Mr. Piffles, his trusty sidekick. Together, the duo’s oddball blend of comedy and stage magic propelled them to the finals in the latest season of “America’s Got Talent.”

Fresh off of a six-month stint at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, Piff and Piffles will perform four shows in two nights on Friday, Jan. 1 and Saturday, Jan. 2, with performances at 7:00 and 10:00 p.m. each night. Tickets are $20.

Piff — who goes by the name John van der Put out of the costume — said he’s ready to show his audiences things they’ve likely never seen.

“Ever wanted to see a chihuahua escape from a straitjacket?” Piff said via e-mail. “Come to the show and cross that off the bucket list.”

Piff added that he’ll showcase some new tricks during his Arlington show, such as teaching his dog, Mr. Piffles, “how to punch a shark in the nose” and something from “the golden age of magic dragons.”

Photo by Virginia Sherwood/NBC

‘Parlour of Mystery’ Replaces Comedy Spot in Ballston Mall

By Ethan Rothstein

Willard's Parlour of Mystery's opening night show, Timeless Deceptions(Updated at 11:15 a.m.) “Willard’s Parlour of Mystery” a theatre showing comedic magic shows, is opening this weekend in the former Comedy Spot space in Ballston Common Mall.

The magic theater’s opening show will be tomorrow night, at 8:00 p.m., with a performance called Timeless Deceptions by brothers Peter and Matt Wood.

The parlour was founded by Willard Royal, a magic enthusiast who has been trying for more than a year to find a way to host shows in the black box theater on the third floor of the mall.

“My motivation was to look for a permanent home for the region’s best entertainers,” Royal told ARLnow.com this morning. “Magic is hot right now, and my friends who have good shows are all looking for venues.”

The Comedy Spot in Ballston Common MallThe opening night show is likely to sell out, Royal said, and tickets start at $45. The parlour occupies the small, several-dozen seat theater in the back of the venue.

There will be shows every Friday and Saturday night intended for adults, and Saturday afternoon shows starting May 9 intended for the whole family. Those shows will be hosted by Barry Taylor, owner of the former Barry’s Magic Shop in Rockville, Md.

The Comedy Spot moved because their lease was up, its owner told us in February. Royal’s lease goes until the end of the year, after which time he said he will “re-evaluate” because of the mall’s pending overhaul.

Photo, top, courtesy Willard Royal