- Font Size:
- Default font size
- Larger font size
BY SHARON PORTA
Times Correspondent | Thursday, June 05, 2003 | (No comments posted.)
HAMMOND -- There must be hundreds of magicians in Northwest Indiana. But not many get the chance to appear on national television like Steve Kellogg. Kellogg, 30, a professional magician from Hammond, will appear tonight on a Fox television show, "30 Seconds to Fame."
"It was really a fun experience," Kellogg said. "I would love to make it big, play Vegas some day, and this show was an experience most people don't get."
The show is a reality-based talent competition. Every day people appear, about 15 to 20 acts per show, they then have 30 seconds to perform.
"There is everything from fire-eaters to dancers to singers to someone playing a harmonica with their nose," Kellogg said. "It's really like a modern day Gong Show."
Kellogg heard that the show was auditioning acts in Chicago in October and went to work getting something together.
"I wanted it to be crazy and have some kind of a theme, so I went with food," he said. "I got a chef's hat and apron and use food-related items. I had milk disappear and turn into confetti, I sneezed a donut. It was like the Swedish Chef from the Muppets."
Three weeks after the audition, Kellogg heard he was being flown out to Hollywood to tape the program. He was there with his wife, Stacey, for three days.
"They really treated me like a movie star," Kellogg said. "We were met at the airport by a limo, stayed in a nice hotel, met people in the entertainment business. I was treated like a king."
During the show, the audience has voting boxes and narrows it down to two finalists. A vote is taken again, and the winner gets $25,000.
"I am legally locked into not revealing who won the $25,000 prize on my show or how well I did on the show," Kellogg said. "I wasn't nervous though, I've performed magic for so long that I just treated this as another gig. The only difference was the movie cameras in front of me."
Kellogg got into magic when he was 15 and working for a traveling theater group while at Elston High School in Michigan City.
"There was a magician in the group, and I was just mesmerized," he said. "I started reading books and teaching myself. I then learned most of my stuff from my mentor, Ron Pascu."
Kellogg now does everything from children's parties to corporate events. He estimates he does 300 shows a year, many of which are booked through his Web site.
"About 50 percent of what I make I put back into magic and my act," he said. "I love entertaining people and being in the spotlight. The best part of being a magician is sitting in the theater and hearing people's reaction, seeing that sheer amazement."
Watch tonight
Steve Kellogg appears on "30 Seconds to Fame" at 7:30 tonight on WFLD-TV, Channel 32.
Back to story No comments posted.
- It wasn't clear, concise or focused on the topic in the story.
- It was a personal attack, vulgar, explicit or degrading, used actual or implied profanity or contained potentially libelous statements.
- It accused someone of being guilty of a crime.
- It promoted violence or illegal acts.
- It contained telephone numbers or street addresses, or e-mail addresses and links to Web sites other than nwi.com or government agencies.
In no way do these comments represent the views of The Times or Lee Enterprises.
Passionate views, pointed criticism and critical thinking are welcome. Name-calling, crude and profane language and personal abuse are not welcome.
Reader comments will not be edited - they will be approved or declined. They may be used in the print edition of the newspaper.
If you feel a posted comment has violated these guidelines, please email our New Media team the commenter's name, the comment and a link to the article.
For more information please read our Terms of Service.
Post a comment Once your comments are approved, they will appear here.
» More Region & State Stories