ATHOL, Idaho — When Silverwood parkgoers have their fill of rides and slides, magician Nick Norton keeps them on their toes with a Vegas-style magic show.
Norton's show, 'Phantasm,' consists of more than just rabbits and hats. Alongside his wife Amanda and co-magician Isaiah Daniels, the award-winning illusionist works with a technical team to make each show a unique experience for the audience.
The show has been entertaining Silverwood guests for years.
"Phantasm started as we wanted to do something different than the traditional magic show where it's just trick, trick, trick to poof pure and smoke and then, you know, go to the ending," Norton said. "We wanted to tell a story with it."
Influenced by the work of David Copperfield, Norton worked as a tech at Silverwood in the 1990s before becoming a magician on a dare in 2000. He's been honing his act ever since.
Co-magician Isaiah Daniels heads the show on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. A former apprentice of Norton, Daniels came to Silverwood when he was only 14. Now, he's reached the point where he's hosting shows on his own.
"It's always a work in progress," Norton said. "We've got two new illusions we're trying [that] we're still trying to implement in the show."
Even after countless years of entertaining audiences and adding new illusions to 'Phantasm,' Nick and Amanda Norton still get a thrill out of what they do for a living, especially after noticing the effect it has on their children.
"My favorite is getting the same reaction from the four-year-old in the family as we do from the mom and the dad or the uncles," Amanda Norton said. "They actually will light up. It's the family business at this point. You couldn't make it more magical than that."
"Our kids will probably take over," Nick Norton said. "We're not trying to force it on them. I want to support whatever they want to go into on their own. We don't want to be like stage parents. But, don't get me wrong, what they wanted to learn, we're happy to teach them. It's the best job in the world."