I think the bartenders swapping out between Tom Foolery and Richards is going to be awesome, Gleason says. People will be able to go there and have dinner and see the bartenders, and then by the time they go over to Richards, the bartender will be dancing.�
GLEASON SAYS HE AND JONES aim for Tom Foolery to please the palate as well as the eye.
We are going to have really good food there, he says. That is my only stipulation with the whole thing.
Gleason says working models for the restaurant have it staying open until 6 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, providing a place for the party to continue after Richards closes.
There is been a lot of curiosity about it, he says. A lot of people are really excited about it.
The restaurant is set to open early next year.
John was born in Worcester, Massachusetts 'at a very young age' and discovered magic in a library book 'a few years later', performing his first show for neighbors when he was eight. He has since expanded his repertoire to attract an even wider audience, appealing to the child in all of us. After a brief career as a chef, John earned his stripes as salesperson and demonstrator at Hank Lee's Magic Factory in Boston, MA, one of the foremost operations of it's kind on the planet. His first professional gig came in 1983 as resident magician at the heavily-trafficked Tom Foolery's Eatery in Westborough, MA, mingling with customers and performing close-up magic at table-side. Other hotspots have hardly been immune to John's contagious, close-up style. Ski lodges, colleges, clubs, private celebrations, and major corporations have been afflicted by the John Sullivan charm. And they always come back screaming for more.
Unlike some magicians who focus on just one style of performance, Sullivan has developed three distinct 'acts' and his mastery of each ensures that he is always in demand. The most recent addition to Sullivan's repertoire is a stand-up comedy-magic act for 'grown-ups', which has been received with great enthusiasm in clubs and on college campuses. For thirty fast paced minutes, John dazzles his audience with his ready wit and quick hand.
Performing this act as after-dinner entertainment for company functions, civic organizations, and the like, the guest of honor, or other key individual, is used as an assistant on stage. The honoree need not worry, however, for John handles his victims in fun and good taste while still producing side-aching laughter from all involved.
John's charm and mesmerizing blue eyes are especially suited to his close-up magic, which he has performed for major corporations, at trade show booths and hospitality suites; at local colleges; and in a multitude of restaurants and clubs. Ordinary objects, such as coins or a pack of cards, not specially rigged 'magic tricks', pop to life on their own in John's eloquent hands. There is no obvious manipulation on Sullivan's part - the magic simply happens. This is reinforced by the frequent participation of the audience in the routines. There is nowhere to hide at such close range.
What really sets John apart from his peers, however, is his mastery of children's performances. Accompanied by his longtime partner, Lulu, a Netherland Dwarf rabbit, Sullivan, as his kid-show character The Stupendous Mr. Magichead, stirs up a whirlwind of energy, silliness, and magic that leaves the audience.....