A magician always has plenty of tricks up his sleeve. But Mike Fisher says there are no tricks when it comes to being a good magician.

“Having a passion is necessary, but persistence is the most important,” Fisher said. “The thing that will make you a good magician is to not be in it for yourself. You have to think of it as an art.”

For more than 30 years, Fisher, a 1990 Midland graduate and Fremont native, has exhibited the passion and desire it takes to be a good magician. His craft has taken him to all parts of the United States and has helped him put together thousands of performances during that span.

Magic was not on the mind of Fisher when he enrolled at Midland in the fall of 1985. He majored in behavioral science and had visions of becoming an experimental psychologist when his career, and life, took a magical turn.

“I was fascinated with magic,” he said. “When I was two, I used to pretend I was a ringmaster, so I had the showman part down. I tried being a magician when I was five, but it was too technically demanding. Learning magic back then was a daunting task because you couldn’t learn from the internet, or DVDs or even VHS. And when you met a magician, he wasn’t going to tip his work.”

While at Midland, Fisher became interested in the ways of magic. “I was all set to go to grad school, then I found some investors and got a chance to open a magic shop in Omaha,” he said. 

Going by the stage name of Mike Strange, he owned and operated Mike Strange Magic and Myrth for two years. He then got a chance to work for a group based in Atlanta called Magic Masters. “I would do shows for them and then you would sell the tricks to people afterward,” he said. “I traveled to Chicago, New Orleans and Las Vegas. I did about 10,000 shows over nine years.

It was that schedule that eventually took a grind on Fisher and he left the magic profession. “You would get the same questions and see the same reactions and it was hard to be alive and not be a robot,” he said. “I was so burnt out.”

After three years working as a glass blower, Fisher “mainstreamed myself to be a real person” and became a manager for a Cost Plus World Market store in Phoenix, Arizona.

But it was his venture into the real world that led Fisher to once again believe in magic. “I was in a bar one night and there was a guy sitting next to me doing a few tricks,” he said. “I started showing him a few things and the bar asked me if I’d be interested in coming in a few nights.”

Fisher has worked venues with nearly 2,000 people but most of his shows are of the more intimate version. “I’d say about 70 percent of my shows are in restaurants,” he said. “I like the close-up setting. That’s where you build a rapport. It’s a much different skill set when you’re working a large room.”

Through his work at restaurants, private and corporate parties, Fisher estimates he works about 100 shows a year. “I’d love to have more,” he said. “My biggest complaint about my craft is that I don’t get to do it enough, so I guess that’s a good thing.”

He added that his shows can be enjoyed by magic fans of all ages. “I have some kid-specific shows,” he said. “I kind of compare it to Shrek in that adults will appreciate it for different reasons. I just change the jokes around a little bit.”

It’s not uncommon for Fisher to perform tricks for people in any setting. Being a magician represents more than just a way for Fisher to make a living. It’s become a lifestyle that he embraces every day. “I genuinely love people and I would do magic sitting there with complete strangers,” he said. “It’s a way to connect with people. There is no other craft that puts you in a state of absolute reception. It opens up personalities like no other art form.”

Upcoming Nebraska Performance Dates:
Friday, July 20th - Gringo's 1950 N Bell St, Fremont, NE 68025 • 6pm – 8pm
Saturday, July 28th – Fernando’s  7555 Pacific St, Omaha, NE 68114 • 6pm – 8pm
Sunday, July 29th – The Good Life 1203 S 180th St, Omaha, NE 68130 • 5:30pm – 7:30pm
Monday, July 30th – The Good Life  20231 Manderson St., Next to Indian Creek  G.C, Elkhorn, NE 68022 (202nd and Maple) • 6pm – 8pm
Wednesday, August 1st – Fernando’s 380 N 114th St, Omaha, NE 68154 • 6pm – 8pm
Thursday, August 2nd – Upstream 514 S 11th St, Omaha, NE 68102 • 7pm – 9pm
Saturday, August 3rd – Fernando’s  7555 Pacific St, Omaha, NE 68114 • 6pm – 8pm
Sunday, August 4th – The Good Life 1203 S 180th St, Omaha, NE 68130 • 5:30pm – 7:30pm
Monday, August 5th – The Good Life  20231 Manderson St., Next to Indian Creek G.C, Elkhorn, NE 68022 (202nd and Maple) • 6pm – 8pm
Wednesday, August 7th – Fernando’s 380 N 114th St, Omaha, NE 68154 • 6pm – 8pm
Thursday, August 9th – Upstream 514 S 11th St, Omaha, NE 68102 • 7pm – 9pm
Saturday, August 10th – Fernando’s  7555 Pacific St, Omaha, NE 68114 • 6pm – 8pm