Two-time America’s Got Talent champion Shin Lim has become comfortable performing in Las Vegas in a relatively short amount of time, and his unique sleight-of-hand skills and cinematic approach to presenting magic have already earned him a spot on the Strip at The Mirage. Lim’s been selling out shows since summertime and recently signed on for dozens of new dates in the first half of the new year. The rising star found some time to talk about his recent success and his upcoming challenges, adding some big new elements to the show in 2020 and house hunting in Las Vegas. “That part is still up in the air,” Lim says.
How does it feel to really establish your show in Las Vegas with this new extension?
It’s awesome. I couldn’t ask for anything better. It’s a dream come true for me, not just as a magician but for any performer. To be in one spot and not have to travel is like a dream, but to (have a show in Vegas) is something I’ve always dreamed of. I’m very lucky to have this opportunity.
When did you feel like you really found your rhythm in the Terry Fator Theatre at The Mirage?
The venue was the biggest hurdle. Magic is so intricate and the show is very sensitive when it comes to certain props and where things are positioned, and it was pretty challenging for me and the team to figure it out and how we were going to maneuver around Terry’s stage. He has a custom stage for his show and magic productions typically require quite a bit of space. We need a lot more technical things for the magic to happen. But I’m proud of how it turned out.
You create such a dynamic and fun contrast with Colin Cloud. How long have you been performing together?
He’s really the perfect guy. I considered having Colin as the opener, but he has so many great acts and adds such a great dynamic to the show, we decided to go one after the other and give the show a different feel. We’ve always performed together in groups (like) The Illusionists, and we’ve toured and performed on Broadway and on the West End. But we’ve never actually performed together like this until we came to Vegas.
You have different styles onstage but you share the same approach to your craft.
Yeah, both of us are a bit more modern, I think. He calls himself a forensic mind reader of sorts, he reads body language and stuff like that, and I think it’s really refreshing to see someone operate like that. He’s a terrific performer.
What can we expect from Limitless in 2020?
I’m really excited to see where this show goes. There are going to be some big changes in 2020 and I’m trying to evolve the show into something different. Right now, we have those core effects I’ve been performing for a while and things I’ve done on America’s Got Talent, and I want to do something different. I think “experimental” is the best word to describe it. It will be more of a magical experience.
