By Marisa Dawson
From the moment Justin Willman bounded onto The Astro stage Saturday night, the sold-out crowd knew they were in for something special. He was quick to tell the crowd, “My target audience is alive.” Laughter erupted immediately and never let up for the full two hours of his One For The Ages Tour stop. What he promised in our exclusive pre-show interview, he delivered in spades: a fast, funny, interactive evening that felt like stand-up comedy rolled into magic, and one that only existed because this exact audience showed up.
Willman wasted no time breaking the fourth wall. He roamed deep into the crowd, microphone in hand, weaving through the floor seats and even climbing the stairs to the balcony- something rarely seen in theater magic shows. “It’ll feel like you are a part of the show no matter where you’re sitting,” he had told us days earlier. He meant it. By the end of the night, he had personally interacted with fans from every corner of the room.
Several kids and adults joined him onstage throughout the evening, each becoming an instant star- we’re looking at you, “Magic Daddy!” Several unscripted, deadpan responses sent the theater into hysterics and inspired callbacks for the rest of the show. The performance from a fan on stage of an impromptu aerial demonstration had Willman himself picking his jaw up from the ground. “Best case scenario, the show takes these little detours,” he explained in our interview. “And then it inspires callbacks later… This can’t happen every night. And that really, truly is the case.”
What stood out most was how ordinary audience members transformed under the spotlight. “Everybody somehow blossoms into this true, vibrant, witty version of themselves,” Willman had said pre-show. “It’s pretty awesome that I’m able to give people the opportunity to get out of their comfort zone and… be a star, right there in that moment.” Omaha’s volunteers proved it. Without fail, they rose to the occasion, turning potential nerves into memorable highlights.
Every illusion landed perfectly seamless- objects vanished, reappeared, and one particularly mind-melting piece involving time travel (originally inspired by his son’s obsession with Back to the Future) left audible gasps followed by stunned silence, then thunderous applause. “My goal,” Willman said before the tour stop, “is that every trick looks simple… Magic should just happen.” Mission accomplished. Even seasoned magic fans walked out whispering, “I have no idea how he did that.”
The Astro was packed with every generation: wide-eyed kids in matching family groups, teenagers on dates, couples in their thirties, and grandparents who laughed harder than anyone. Willman’s signature kindness shone through every interaction- no one was the butt of the joke, everyone left elevated. As a father himself, he shared how fatherhood keeps the magic alive: “As a father, getting to relive my childhood is a new introduction to wonder… feeling that kind of wonder definitely feeds itself back into my work.” That renewed sense of awe clearly infused the performance, making the night feel fresh and genuine for all ages.
Walking through the lobby afterward, the buzz was electric. Families reenacted moments, kids practiced invisible card tricks with imaginary decks, and magic was introduced to kids through Willman’s “magic for everyone” kit, with all proceeds going toward Alzheimer’s research.
Willman closed the night exactly as he said he wanted to be remembered: “The comment I love the most is, ‘I haven’t laughed that hard in a long time.’”
Judging by the beaming faces pouring out of The Astro on a cold February night, Omaha just gave him thousands more of those comments, and a whole lot of new core memories.
Mission accomplished, Justin. Come back soon!
