The Masked Magician: Good evening. During the past year, I have shown you how some of magic's most famous illusions are secretly performed. I have done this under the guise of a masked face and an assumed name. This has led to a great deal of speculation about who I really am. Well tonight, the time has come for me to remove the mask, because I have something very important to share with you. There isn't enough time to tell you the whole story, but I will say that journey here has been amazing. I'm not revealing my identity because of all of the controversy surrounding these specials or because of the pressure that I'm receiving from my fellow magicians. I'm facing you tonight because of my love for magic, and to tell you why I chose to reveal these age-old secrets. In recent years, magic has taken a backseat to movies, video games, and other forms of high tech entertainment. I was afraid that magic was going to be forgotten. I wanted to do something about it. I wanted to rekindle that sense of wonder that we all felt when we saw our first magic show. I wanted to get people excited about magic again. Do you remember our first television special last year? The next day, at work, at school, and around the dinner table, people were buzzing with excitement. For the first time in a long while, magic was center stage again. I began to work professionally when I was just thirteen years old. I put on magic shows for kids in nearly every school in town. In these performances, I didn't just perform magic; I showed them how to make their own tricks. And they loved it. I discovered that knowing a few secrets made kids love magic even more. It made them feel part of it. Did I hurt these kids by letting them in on these tricks? I don't think so. Can you honestly say that you've been hurt by watching these television shows? The truth is, you probably love magic more now than ever before. Now you feel a part of it, too. It doesn't hurt the art of magic when the audience is in on a trick, because the secret is a small part of it. The real magic is in the performance. The best magicians like David Copperfield, Lance Burton, and Penn and Teller are the true artists. They lead their audiences through a wide range of emotions, from laughter to fear to sheer amazement. Every magician aspires to be that great, including me.
[removes his mask]
The Masked Magician: Valentino, the masked magician. Before I go, I'd like to leave you with this thought. It is my belief that the art of magic is for everyone, not just a select few who call themselves magicians, but for every single one of you. And especially you kids, because it is you kids that are the future of magic. I'm happy to report that as a direct result of these specials, magicians everywhere have been letting go of their old, tired tricks and moving forward, creating bigger and better illusions, and taking magic where it has never gone before. And now it's time for me to move forward, too. The next time you see me, I'll be performing new and exciting illusions that have never been seen before. Illusions that will thrill and amaze you. I hope I have contributed in some small way to your enjoyment of magic. So until we meet again, remember that the magic is in all of us. Thank you and good night.
