Noted mentalist Oz Pearlman is coming home.
The internationally known performer, a native of metro Detroit, will return to the area Friday, May 1, for a headlining performance in Royal Oak. The rare hometown stop comes amid a busy national tour and a week of intense press coverage following his featured performance at last weekend’s ill-fated White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner in Washington, D.C.
Pearlman, 43, has built a career blending mentalism, magic and polished stagecraft, with credits ranging from high-profile corporate events to television appearances and sold‑out theaters across the country. His Royal Oak show is part of an event presented by the anti‑bullying nonprofit Defeat the Label, whose annual Bullying Is No Illusion fundraiser has previously featured major entertainers.
Pearlman grew up in Farmington Hills
The May 1 performance is scheduled for 8 p.m., with doors opening at 7 p.m. at the Royal Oak Music Theatre, 318 W. Fourth St. The show is open to all ages and is one of Pearlman’s few Midwest dates this spring.
For Pearlman, the stop is more than just another tour date. He has often spoken about growing up in the region, developing his interest in magic and mentalism here, and working for several years as a magician at BD’s Mongolian Grill in Ann Arbor before his career took him to national stages and into rooms with presidents, celebrities and business leaders.
“I grew up in Farmington Hills,” Pearlman told the Free Press. “Royal Oak has a very fond place in my heart. The first magic store I ever visited was called Wunderground, which was in Royal Oak. (The store is now located in Clawson.) This is a homecoming, right here. This is the origin story! I went to North Farmington High School.”
What is a mentalist?
Pearlman is best known for his polished, high-energy style of mentalism, which includes apparent mind reading, predictions and audience interaction. He has toured extensively and maintains a packed schedule that includes stops in Las Vegas, Atlantic City and Brooklyn later this year.
“Most people don’t really know what mentalism is,” he said. “You know what a magic show is; you can visualize it in your mind. Mentalism is kind of magic of the mind, and it is highly interactive — meaning without the audience, there is no show. The audience is, quite honestly, the star of the show. It’s highly interactive, engaging, and it appears as if I’m reading people’s minds and influencing their thoughts.
“I would say, get ready to gasp in shock and wonder and awe, and laugh a lot and just have a terrific night where not only do you get to watch, but take part in the show.”
He pointed to videos of televised performances that have gone viral as examples.
“(There are) videos that have gone viral where I somehow know exactly what you’re thinking,” he said. “I know names of people from when you were a kid. I know stories that you’ve never told anybody. I have been known to guess people’s ATM pin codes, or know what cards they’re thinking of in a poker hand — all different ways of watching, observing and trying to figure out what’s going on inside people’s heads. It’s all fun; it’s all wholesome entertainment. It’s not psychic readings. I am not supernatural. It’s done just for entertainment, but you leave wondering, ‘How in the world did that just happen?’”
And has he ever used these abilities to his own advantage in his personal life?
“I would say,” he recounted, “that I’ve been very, very good at negotiating when it comes to cars and real estate transactions.”
His Royal Oak appearance comes at a moment of heightened public attention, following his involvement in one of the most talked‑about political events of the year.
Pearlman startled as Secret Service rushed the stage
Just days before his scheduled return to metro Detroit, Pearlman was thrust into the national spotlight as the featured entertainer at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner in Washington, D.C., an event that ended in chaos after a shooting outside the ballroom disrupted the evening.
Pearlman was onstage performing moments before the incident. In interviews afterward, he described hearing what he initially thought was a loud commotion before realizing something was wrong as Secret Service agents rushed to protect President Donald Trump and evacuate attendees.
“Crazy night,” he said, his voice still incredulous. “I don’t think it’s every night that you think you might be next to the president getting assassinated. It was quite insane — there’s no other way to put it. It was very scary, followed by feelings of extreme gratitude that the Secret Service and the D.C. police acted so heroically and decisively and prevented any deaths, given the fact that somebody who was heavily armed was able to break into a secure area.
“I don’t think it was luck. I think it was heroics — the people that were very, very heroic, that did what they were supposed to do and trained to do. In the moment, you didn’t really know what was happening. I’m never going to forget it, as long as I live, but it took a couple days to kind of shake off the adrenaline. And now, life goes on. Fortunately for me, life did get to go on.”
When asked about any post-traumatic stress-related issues, Pearlman said he has not spoken to a therapist but is mostly doing fine.
“Life has been going really, really fast since it happened,” he said. “I’d say it’s been a little harder to sleep. The night of, I could barely sleep, so that was kind of challenging. But no, I don’t know that I’ve experienced any major symptoms. I was prepared to perform; I wasn’t really prepared to go viral based on an incredibly scary incident. I’ve just been taking it one day at a time since.”
Prior to the attack, Pearlman said, the evening was fairly reserved.
“I would say there wasn’t that much going on before, to be honest,” he said. “Before that was just kind of getting ready. I had a chance to be backstage. I did have a chance to meet the vice president, the first lady and the president. My goal for the evening was to make this a highly interactive and memorable show, and to hopefully get the president involved because I think that would have made it quite spectacular. And I think that he was game. I think that, based on what I saw, he was probably going to take part in the show.”
He cautioned, though, that he was not selected or invited by President Donald Trump.
“It’s important (to know) it’s an apolitical event; it is bipartisan,” he said. “It’s been going on for over 100 years, and the person who selects you is actually a member of the press. (This year) it happened to be CBS News and (CBS senior White House correspondent) Weijia Jiang. It is not the president – in fact, the president has not attended the last [several] years. It is not a political rally. In the past, every (other) president has attended, and it’s a celebration of the press and the First Amendment. That is the reason for the dinner.”
‘I don’t really do politics,’ says Pearlman
Pearlman no longer has family in metro Detroit, but many childhood friends he’s looking forward to seeing this weekend.
“I’ve got a bunch coming to my show,” he said enthusiastically. “I’m only going to be in town one day … so I’m squeezing in lunches and maybe right afterwards, going out and grabbing a quick bite. But it’s short and sweet just because of my show schedule.”
Pearlman emphasized again that the show is “very wholesome.”
“Especially given what’s recently happened,” he said. “The show has no politics. I am truly there to give you an escape from your day-to-day stresses and problems and just have a tremendously fun night that is memorable. You’ll be talking about it and laughing, given the recent events. I just want to make sure everybody understands: There is no political messaging. It is all fun. It is wholesome and enjoyable for everyone.
“I don’t really do politics. Also, I really want to highlight the fact that this is an anti-bullying charity that’s being supported, and I believe really strongly in their mission statement of how important it is to prevent bullying — to combat it in any way possible. And I really like what they’re doing.”
Pearlman’s Royal Oak show offers audiences a chance to see the performer back on more familiar ground — and far from Washington’s political drama – as he reconnects with his hometown crowd. For metro Detroit fans, it’s a rare opportunity to watch a globally recognized mentalist where it all began.
“Even thought I’m a Wolverine,” said the University of Michigan grad, “Spartans are welcome. Everybody’s welcome!
“Maybe not Buckeyes.
“I’m kidding, I’m kidding!”
Oz Pearlman
Fundraiser for Defeat the Label
Royal Oak Music Theatre
318 W. Fourth St., Royal Oak
$75.30 & up
axs.com
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Metro Detroit native was onstage with Trump when shots rang out Saturday
Reporting by Duante Beddingfield, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
