On October 16, 2026, Nick Gasparro joined hosts Ji Suk Yi and Sarah Jindra live on WGN-TV’s Spotlight Chicago to talk about mentalism, how he got started, and his upcoming public shows in the Chicago suburbs. He didn’t just talk about it. He performed two routines on air, one built around Chicago’s most iconic places and people, and a book test where he pulled a word straight out of Sarah’s mind.
Watch the full segment on WGN-TV →
What’s Inside
How It Started: A Magic Shop in Washington, D.C.
Ji Suk opened by asking the obvious question: how does someone get into this line of work? For Nick, it started at 11 years old on a family trip to Washington, D.C. Walking through a magic shop, he watched someone make something vanish in their hand. It was simple, and it hooked him.
Through high school and college he was deep into card magic, mostly because a deck of cards fit in his pocket and meant he was never bored. Over time he gravitated toward mentalism and mental magic, which is what he performs today.
Mentalism vs. Magic
“So you read our minds?” Ji Suk asked. “Only the good thoughts,” Nick said.
He explained the difference this way: mentalism stays further away from sleight of hand. It’s built to look like you’re reading thoughts and minds, and it leans on psychology and psychological illusion. Mental magic falls somewhere in between. It creates the same effect but may use more props and more preparation.
If you’ve never seen mentalism and want the longer version, the mentalism FAQ covers what a show looks like and how it works for different crowds.
Routine One: Iconic Chicago
Nick built the first routine specifically for the WGN studio. His idea: Chicago is defined by its places and by the people who shaped them, and WGN is one of the most iconic parts of the city. With Halloween coming up, he also had costume season in mind.
He brought a list of 50 of Chicago’s most iconic places, from Willis Tower (still the Sears Tower to plenty of people), Wrigley Field and the Art Institute all the way down to number 50, the Shedd Aquarium. A completely random choice landed on the Picasso statue in Daley Plaza.
Then came a stack of about 20 iconic Chicagoans: Michael Jordan, Walter “Sweetness” Payton and lifelong Cubs voice Harry Caray among them. After a shuffle and a free cut, the person she landed on was Harry Caray, a name tied to the Cubs and to WGN.
Nick’s punchline: he has never seen anyone dress up as the Picasso statue for Halloween, but he has definitely seen people go as Harry Caray. Then he revealed what had been in the question-mark box the whole time: the Picasso statue, dressed for Halloween as Harry Caray, oversized glasses and all.
“No More Psychic Than Tom Cruise Is a Fighter Pilot”
The hosts asked the question everyone asks: is he planting suggestions without them realizing? Nick kept it honest. At heart he’s an entertainer with a background in magic, and he always tells people he’s no more a real psychic than Tom Cruise is a fighter pilot. The point isn’t to convince anyone he has powers. It’s to give them an experience they can’t explain and can’t stop talking about.
Routine Two: The Book Test
For the second routine, Nick pointed out that if you ask someone to think of a random word, they usually land on something simple like house, tree or car, because those are the words that rise to the surface. So he uses a book instead.
His take on it: authors are magicians in disguise. They create something out of thin air and pull you deep into their world, their thoughts and their imagination.
With roughly 250 words on a page, he flipped through the book until Sarah said stop, then handed it to her so she could find a longer word, about eight or nine letters, and hold it in her mind. Nick worked out the word letter by letter, then named it: videocassette.
“My goodness,” Sarah said. “That was impressive.”
Want to know more about the performer behind it? Read Nick’s background.
Segment Transcript (Edited)
Edited for readability from the broadcast captions. Host questions are condensed. Watch the original segment on WGN-TV for the full conversation.
Ji Suk Yi: Nick, thanks for being here. How does one get into this line of work?
Nick Gasparro: I first got into this on a family trip to Washington, D.C. I was 11, and we were passing through a magic shop. Somebody made something vanish in their hand. It was so simple, and I got pulled deep into it and stuck with it. In high school and college I was really into card magic. I liked it because I could carry cards around with me, so I was never bored. And then over time I kind of gravitated more into mentalism and mental magic.
Ji Suk Yi: What does that mean, mentalism and mental magic? We get that you’re not doing the sleight-of-hand stuff. You read our minds, right?
Nick Gasparro: Only the good thoughts. Mentalism stays further away from sleight of hand. It makes it look like you’re reading thoughts and minds, and it’s more psychology and psychological illusion. Mental magic kind of falls in between. It’s similar to mentalism, but it might use more productions, more prep, some more items.
Ji Suk Yi: Can you give us an example of what someone might see at your shows?
Nick Gasparro: I’d love to. I put this together specifically with the show in mind today. And with Halloween coming up, I was keeping costume decision time in mind too. WGN is one of the most iconic aspects of Chicago, and Chicago is defined by its places and the people who shaped them. So I brought a list of the 50 most iconic places in Chicago. It starts with Willis Tower, maybe Sears Tower to some people, Wrigley Field, the Art Institute, and it goes all the way to number 50, the Shedd Aquarium. I want to make this a completely random choice.
[A random selection lands on the Picasso statue. Nick then introduces about 20 iconic Chicagoans, including Michael Jordan, Walter Payton and Harry Caray. After a shuffle and a free cut, the host lands on Harry Caray.]
Nick Gasparro: I think when we think about Chicago, we think about the Cubs, and also WGN. I always associate him with those. And I’ve never seen somebody go as the Picasso statue for Halloween, but I have seen people go as Harry Caray. You ended up at the Picasso, and you ended up with Harry Caray, and I knew that’s where we would end up.
Host: So as a mentalist, are you giving us suggestions without us realizing it? Are you leading us to something?
Nick Gasparro: I’ll just say at heart I’m an entertainer with a background in magic. And I always tell people I’m no more a real psychic than Tom Cruise is a fighter pilot.
Nick Gasparro: Let me show you something else. If I were to ask you to think of a random word, you might think of a house, a tree, a car, something along those lines, because those words rise to the surface. That’s why I prefer using a book for this next routine. People say authors are magicians when it comes to words, and I always say authors truly are magicians in disguise, because they create from the mind and pull you deep into their world, their thoughts and their imagination. This book has about 250 words per page.
[Nick riffles through the book until Sarah Jindra says stop, then hands her the book to find a longer word of about eight or nine letters. He reveals the word letter by letter.]
Nick Gasparro: Was it videocassette?
Sarah Jindra: My goodness. Thank you so much. That was impressive.
Behind the Scenes at WGN
A few moments from the day, from the dressing room to the control monitors.
See It Live
The segment aired just ahead of Nick’s show at Book Bar in Mokena, and there are more public dates coming up this month, including Fire Pit Bar & Grill in Peotone on October 24 and a Halloween edition at Sip Wine Bar in Tinley Park on October 29. Find tickets and the latest dates on the upcoming live shows page.
Want this kind of experience at your own event? Nick performs for corporate events, private parties and in-home shows, and weddings across the Chicago suburbs. Check availability for your date.