In his lifetime, Smoothini has performed over 20,000 original performances worldwide. He speaks five languages and can perform fluently inSpanish, English and Japanese. He has performed formally in 38 states in America, as well as Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Spain, South Korea, Japan, the Philippines, Guam and Australia.
Smoothini’s magic is 100% organic. Born in the Dominican Republic and raised on the streets of Washington Heights, NYC, Smoothini couldn’t afford fancy props or private magic lessons growing up. Instead, he had to make due with a deck of cards and a long piece of rope. Even though the tricks were simple, he had to be able to dress it up and make them entertaining.
Yet, despite being self-made and self-taught, Smoothini is one of the most talented performance artists in the nation. Smoothini, whose real name is Tomas De la Cruz, took up magic at the age of 8. His earliest audiences consisted of the gangbangers who roamed his block. Despite being a scrawny, awkward kid, Smoothini won the respect of his peers because he had the respect of the hustlers on his street.
Armed with a new confidence, Smoothini headed downtown where he would perform for large crowds of tourists in NYC’s Times Square. There, he honed his craft and polished his act.
In high school, Smoothini’s magic consistently got him in and out of trouble. He also captained his highschool’s chess team and, for a brief time, made a living playing chess against tourists in New York’s Washington Square Park.
In 2001, Smoothini was working in downtown New York City at the WorldTrade Center. He happened to take September 11 th off and was not in the building during the terrorist attacks. However, many of his friends andcolleagues weren’t as fortunate and perished when the buildings fell. Shaken by the horrific events and the loss of his friends, Smoothini joined the Marine Corps.
Throughout his 4-year tour of duty, during which he served a combat tour in Iraq, Smoothini gained a new appreciation for the power of magic and non-verbal communication. Even the simplest of magic tricks would instantly break social and language barriers and put scared Iraqi children at ease.
Today, Smoothini has a symbiotic relationship with the places he visits and the people he meets. While his act has a profound effect on his audiences -- the landmarks, culture and inhabitants of each location he visits has an equally profound impact on Smoothini himself. After 10 years of world travel and 20 years of performing, he if finally in Las Vegas performing for the some of the hottest venues on the strip.
You can catch Smoothini currently at Planet Hollywood at the Hawaiian Tropic Zone Wednesday to Sunday nights.
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