Although 28-year-old Spencer Horsman competed on America’s Got Talent as an escape artist, he’s got more tricks in his hat. He first appeared on David Letterman’s late-night show when he was just 8, as both ventriloquist and magician. Seven years ago, he and his father opened a theater in Baltimore, where Horsman is seen regularly. Through Feb. 24, he fills in for Jan Rouven in Illusions at the Riviera. He took a few minutes to chat with Las Vegas Magazine’s Nina King.
Q: It sounds like you had quite an unusual childhood.
A:I was raised in an entertainment family; both of my parents were clowns in the Ringling Bros. Circus, then they moved to Baltimore and opened up a magic shop when I was a year old. So I started learning magic at four and traveling and performing by the time I was 8 and have been doing it since.
Q: I read that one of your ventriloquist performances was with David Copperfield.
A:Yes, (the first time) I came out to Las Vegas, I was 8 years old ... One of the shows I saw was Copperfield. I was front row center. I had just been on David Letterman at that point and apparently he recognized me. At that point, I had my puppet in a suitcase with me. I was just going to be happy to have a photo op with him. As a spontaneous gesture on his part, he invited me onstage after the intermission to do a quick 5 or 7 minutes. … It was a very, very big inspiration and a nice gesture in support of a younger kid coming up and wanting to do this.
Q: When did you get your escape act going?
A: I was always interested in (it) … I started learning how to pick locks and handcuffs at a young age, just for fun; I never did it as a performance. I didn’t start performing escapes for the public until I was 21. Then America’s Got Talent contacted me in regard to doing escapes, because they had never had strictly an escape artist on the show ... All my escapes that I presented on that show are custom-made and unique to me.
Q: Have you done other tours in other countries?
A:I’ve done a couple of international tours. I spent a couple of weeks in Bristol, England, and in Madrid and Barcelona. I’d love to do more (internationally). I love Japan and Toyko. I’d honestly move there. People are amazing, culture is amazing and I already live off sushi as it is.
Q: You just posted an Instagram pic of a nick on your forehead. Do you often get banged up?
A:(Yes.) When I do sleight of hand, the biggest thing I’m going to have is a paper cut from a playing card. Otherwise, when you’re dealing with illusions, you’re dropping in and out of boxes, there’s things moving around, there’s dancers, so there’s opportunity for an accident. Now, with my escapes, it’s even more so … I’m constantly getting beat up.
Q: What will you do for the show here?
A:I do have some escapes, a version of the water tank that I performed on America’s Got Talent. There’s some traditional magic. There’s a nice piece of magic history from Magic in Vegas ... in the show. Just overall, some nice, dangerous experiments and escapes. It’s a little bit for everyone.
