By Stacy Wyatt
ILLUSIONIST, MAGICIAN AND CORPORATE ENTERTAINER
Chris Funk calls himself the Wonderist. People label him as an illusionist, a magician, and those are sufficient terms, but he is, foremost, an entertainer.
He explains, “I am here to make people laugh and then leave scratching their heads wondering how the things I do are possible. I want to put a smile on someone’s face or a question in their head about something outside their world. I do what I do to take people out of daily life and have them experience something that they’ve never seen before, hopefully making their day a little brighter.”
His driver is to get a room full of people captivated and let it become an amazing collective experience where everyone can witness something new together. This is what makes every show unique. People will always react differently and he never hears the same laugh twice. He is motivated by the passion people share for his performances; the opportunity to grab hold of someone’s attention and not let go until they’re smiling and transported from their world into his.
Chris started off being inspired by the greats. He watched Copperfield as a kid and immediately started trying to figure out exactly how he did every little thing. Over the 24 years that he has been performing magic, his inspirations have changed with him, shaping what he does today. He is inspired by music and the rhythm of his show, as well as the actual music he plays in his act. The timing of a joke, a pause and then the laughter as everyone catches on — that’s a song; call and answer.
As a performer, Chris is inspired by monumental life events. Eight years ago he moved into magic full-time and that moment of capturing his freedom, knowing he was going to pursue his dreams, lit a fire within that propels him forward at tremendous speeds. He is performing magic now all over the world and every day he creates new experiences that he can share with his audiences.
“Laughter and the shocked expression on someone’s face when they’ve just witnessed something impossible will never get old, whether I perform in every country on Earth or tour Canada for the rest of my life, and that’s what keeps me going”.
For Chris, anything is possible. Hard work really does pay off. You can find Chris Funk at ChrisFunkMagic.com