Michael Grandinetti

Michael Grandinetti Speaker Biography

With performances on national and international television, in stadiums, arenas, casinos, and theaters around the country, for Fortune 500 companies, with symphony orchestras, and at The White House, Michael Grandinetti has made a name for himself around the world as a talented entertainer with a unique style, a compelling creative vision, and an engaging personality.

Over the past 20 years, Michael has been driven to make magic contemporary and to give it a wide, mainstream appeal.  He has been featured on NBC’s “The World’s Most Dangerous Magic II”, CW’s “Masters of Illusion”, “Entertainment Tonight”, ESPN’s “SportsCenter”, ”New York Today”, “FOX & Friends”, “The Bold and the Beautiful”, “Crook & Chase”, and “The Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon”.  He has also appeared on radio stations across the country, including several nationally syndicated broadcasts.  In addition, Michael has created and developed custom presentations for major corporations including Hewlett Packard, Grainger, Mazda, Harley Davidson, and Bayer and has designed original illusions for national and international film, television, and stage productions.

Possessing a true passion for amazing live audiences, Michael has performed at Heinz Hall with Oscar-winning composer Marvin Hamlisch and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Grand Central Station in New York City, John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, VA, the Cerritos Center For The Performing Arts in Los Angeles, Navy Pier in Chicago, the Four Seasons Resort in Lanai, Hawaii, on the red carpet of ESPN’s ESPY Awards at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood, and at The White House Easter Celebration.  Last year, Michael was honored to be the first illusionist ever invited to perform in America’s Independence Day Parade in Washington DC.  During this national celebration of our country’s history, Michael levitated a girl high above one of the floats as it moved down Constitution Avenue while an audience of 250,000 people lined the streets.

This summer, Michael was one of the headlining performers in “Masters of Magic”, a large scale production show which ran nightly for two months at the Grand Sierra Resort and Casino in Reno, Nevada.  Presented on the world’s largest indoor stage, with a full acre of usable space, Michael caused a 500lb motorcycle to appear in mid-air, levitated 10ft into the air at the front of the stage, created interactive magic with everyone in the theater at the same time, and melted his body through the center of a 7ft tall wall of solid, examined steel.  

Michael is also featured in the 2014 CW television series “Masters of Illusion”, hosted by Dean Cain (Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Hit The Floor). Showcasing the world’s top magicians and illusionists, Michael performed both grand illusions and interactive stage magic in front of the live studio audience, including shrinking a girl to the size of a basketball, vanishing borrowed rings and causing them to reappear baked inside a loaf of bread, and escaping from a platform suspended 20ft above the stage.  Special guest Ace Young, star of American Idol and Hair on Broadway, also assisted Michael onstage for his “Walking Through Steel” illusion.  Michael also appeared in “Masters of Illusion Live!” (based on the television show), the largest touring magic production in the world, in the 5,000 seat Entertainment Center at Casino Rama in Ontario, Canada.  The show played to capacity audiences. 

Striving to take the art of illusion in new and exciting directions, Michael has pioneered live magic in one of the most challenging environments imaginable – major-league baseball and football stadiums and in the round basketball arenas.  When he performed an NFL halftime show at Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium for the Carolina Panthers game against the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants, a live audience of over 73,000 people watched with a 360 degree view as Michael caused people to appear, vanish, shrink in size, and levitate 10ft into the air, right on the 50 yard line.  At Citizens Bank Park, Michael made the 7ft tall, 300lb Philadelphia Phillies mascot, The Phanatic, magically appear in the center of the outfield.  At Kansas City’s Kauffman Stadium, Michael performed one of the largest live interactive illusions in history when he read the minds of all 45,000 people in the stadium at the same time.  This is magic on a major scale.  

For the Miami Marlins vs. Pittsburgh Pirates game at Marlins Park in Miami, Michael had the honor of throwing out the first pitch, after first making the game ball magically appear.  Michael’s recent halftime show for the University of Michigan vs. Michigan State Men’s Basketball game at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor, MI was featured on both the national CBS Broadcast and ESPN’s SportsCenter.  

Michael Grandinetti has come a long way since he received his first magic set for Christmas at the age of 5.  When he was just 16, Michael designed and performed his first large-scale illusion when he caused a girl to vanish from the middle of an open football field and reappear in the stands among the astonished audience for his high school’s football halftime shows.  At 20, Michael created and produced his own two-hour show at Pittsburgh’s historic Byham Theater.  During the performance, a sold-out crowd of twelve-hundred people watched in amazement as Michael performed his original illusions, including bringing a life-size painting of a beautiful woman to life and levitating on the point of a razor sharp sword.  That same year, Michael was honored to receive the City of Pittsburgh’s “All-Star Achievement Award”, given to those who have carved positive and noteworthy paths in their industry.

Michael’s personality and style were introduced to the world when he performed his original creation “The Spike Tower” on the NBC television special “The World’s Most Dangerous Magic II”.  While covered with a mixture of gasoline and kerosene and secured by chains, Michael had only sixty seconds to escape before two walls of flaming steel spikes were thrust towards him at over 50mph.   Bringing together seven illusionists from around the world, Michael was the youngest performer on the show.  

Michael combined the worlds of magic and music when he created a special performance for the Grand Rapids Symphony Orchestra.  During the show, while the orchestra played musical selections specially themed for each illusion, Michael magically transformed a tuxedo into the orchestra’s conductor, made roses bloom and levitate on the stage, and, for the show’s finale, caused the orchestra itself to read the minds of the audience and play songs only thought of.

When ABC Family wanted to promote their “World Magic Awards” television special, Michael was contacted to create and stage spectacular live demonstrations throughout New York City.  During the event, passersby watched in amazement as Michael levitated a woman while completely surrounded at various locations including Columbus Circle, Grand Army Plaza, and Grand Central Station.  As a tribute to one of magic’s legendary performers, Doug Henning, Michael repeated the illusion using Doug’s original equipment, this time levitating actress Rachelle Wells high above the beach in Santa Monica, California.

Michael’s other live performances include over 100 shows at the world-famous Magic Castle (one of the few performers to headline in all five showrooms), CBS Television’s 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular, and the Woman of Valor Gala in Beverly Hills with celebrity organizers including Danny DeVito, Rhea Perlman, and Jamie Lee Curtis.  Michael also successfully predicted the exact score of Superbowl XXXVII, two weeks in advance, live on Los Angeles radio.

As a respected Creative Consultant, Michael is also very accomplished behind the scenes.  His original illusion designs have been featured in productions in Atlantic City, Branson, Seoul, Korea, and on the television series “Paolo Limiti” in Italy.  For the TBS show “Conan” starring Conan O’Brien, Michael consulted on a special illusion design intended to make Zac Galifianakis magically appear at the panel for his interview.  Michael was also contacted to contribute an original illusion for the Pamela Anderson show at the Hard Rock Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.  In addition, Michael has taught magic to the actors on the CBS Daytime Drama “The Bold and the Beautiful”, consulted on a national commercial featuring sleight of hand for the United States Treasury, and provided additional techniques in the instructions for a unique piece of close-up magic marketed after its appearance on a David Blaine special.  

Michael was also a historical/magic consultant for the book “Spellbound”, detailing the life of Doug Henning and is featured in the book “Variety Acts: Gaining Respect” along with six other noted illusionists, including famed Las Vegas performer Lance Burton.

Magic is Michael Grandinetti’s life.  And, through his work, Michael is making the ancient art of magic modern, innovative, and exciting while showing audiences around the world that nothing is impossible.  

To book  Michael Grandinetti call Executive Speakers Bureau at 901-754-9404.