Mat Franco arrives at the Las Vegas Magazine offices for a cover shoot accompanied by a cadre of publicists and stylists. Upon arrival, he learns that America’s Got Talent will be sending its own video crew by to get footage of him being photographed by our crew for an upcoming “Where are they now?” segment for the popular NBC show that catapulted Franco to stardom two seasons ago. It’s all very meta, and it’s just a small glance into Franco’s now-24/7 world.

Franco’s crew soon learns that the AGT crew is running a bit late—half an hour, to be exact. But although it means extra time in the photo studio and extra time getting styled to look just right, Franco is unfazed. Despite his hectic schedule, he tells us all not to worry about anything—he’s in our hands as long as we need him. By the time the AGT crew arrives, Franco is as fresh-faced as he always is onstage at his successful Linq show, Magic Reinvented Nightly, beaming for all the cameras in the room and manipulating playing cards with a scary ease.

Magician Franco is still amazed at his success, becoming the first magician in AGT’s history to win the million-dollar prize and a headlining show here. In a business where increased attention and fame can sometimes turn into a sense of entitlement and arrogance, Franco remains as humble as he was while performing illusions for his grandmother at his home in Rhode Island. He’s even a bit self-deprecating. “They’re shooting a cover of me?” he jokes to the various photographers assembled. “You know these guys know what they’re doing if they can make me look good enough for a cover!”

But that’s a big part of Franco’s charm and appeal. In a city where some of history’s most famous magicians have taken up residence, Franco has been able to carve out his own niche on the Las Vegas Strip. When not making money appear from Top Ramen flavor packets or transporting cell phones into furniture, Franco’s show takes careful time to tell his story through videos and voice-overs: how he would video tape magic specials and watch them over and over, looking for the secrets; how he wanted his parents to take him to Las Vegas instead of Disneyworld; how supportive his family was of his career and how proud they are of his success.

It’s an appeal that spans the age groups—his audiences include fresh-faced kids and seen-it-all seniors citizens alike. Franco understands the key to success in magic: The audience needs to be watching you and not the tricks. To those who ask, “How did you do that?” Franco responds, “Why do you care?” And however he’s doing it, Franco’s meteoric rise is no illusion.

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