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SCOTT HUMSTON SHARING WONDER
By Lissa Forney
“The mystery of wonder never gets old. The world today is literally at our fingertips. We can get information on just about anything in seconds. To experience something that seems impossible is a wonder that most folks truly love. I engage people’s thoughts, sights, and even sounds to create a memorable experience. My events are full of laughs, too. Humor is an incredible way to connect with the hearts of people.” – Scott Humston He has been described as a comedian, storyteller, gifted presenter, passionate magician, family man, friend to children, and pastor. He is all these and more, working his magical connections with others, one person at a time. Who is he? He is the energetic Scott Humston, whose in-person shows have been seen by more than three million people. Leveling the Playing Field Our story begins when Scott Humston was twelve years old. He was small for his age with a cleft palate that required six surgeries and complicated braces to correct. In spite of those obstacles, however, he was funny and smart and believed with all his heart that he could still be great at something. To capture other kids’ attention, young Scott decided to use his budding interest in magic, something he was good at it. 18
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Practicing his tricks over and over, giving impromptu performances, Scott’s energetic personality soon catapulted the seventh grader to local fame in his hometown of Lakeland, Florida, and gave him the admiration of his fellow students. Invitations to perform started arriving, and through successes and failures and trial and error, he grew comfortable enough in front of his audiences to impress them with his natural wit and humor. All this time, he couldn’t keep his nose out of books: magic texts, biographies, and other publications filled with interesting information and unusual bits of trivia. Best of all, Scott found that he had the ability to connect with people before, during, and even after his shows. For him, that connection was the best part of magic. It helped that his father was a pastor. While growing up, Scott spent much time in church where the principles of the Bible
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Scott’s Pro Kids Family Night Show has been seen by audiences around the world.
and Jesus’ parables formed and shaped him from an early age. “The first real magician I ever saw was in church,” Scott recalls. “Reverend Clyde Sarrott was a pastor and evangelist. My father had him come to our church when I was a boy, and I remember him doing magic tricks. Eventually, he taught me a couple and gave me some simple props.” Never part of the wild crowd, Scott’s popularity grew both at church and at school because he could make audiences laugh. Who doesn’t love the funny kid? Magic was the icing on the cake. As he grew, he went on to win First Place in the youth category at the Florida State Magic Convention in 1989. He was named Central Florida Magic Club Magician of the Year in 1990 and earned the SAM National Junior Second Place in 1990. Turning Point If he could work his way through university by performing, he decided, maybe
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he could earn a living as a performer. While at Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville, Tennessee, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies and Dramatic Arts, Scott met Debi Sessions. As they spent more and more time together outside of class, magic was in the air. He wasn’t interested in a nineto-five, humdrum job. Their mutual goal was to share God’s message of love in a fun and creative way wherever life took them. During this time, one of his mentors, Sammy Smith, who had known Scott since he was twelve, introduced him to Fetaque Sanders, the premiere African American magician since the 1930s. Sanders was then in his mid-seventies and living in a healthcare facility. The two connected often, talking shop, sharing ideas, and reliving Sanders’ unique history as he emphasized planning, preparation, and promotion. He told Scott about life on the road, the importance of keeping a sense of
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Left to right: An engaged audience looks on during Scott’s Pro Kids Show in South Carolina. On stage at a church event in Richmond, Virginia. Parents and children are delighted by Scott’s energy and humor.
humor, and about personal loss and separation. Indeed, Scott received magic tips from one of the greats.
impossible to ignore the fact that performers and entertainers of all genres were alarmed and hurting everywhere. Some venues went out of business. Schools and churches shut their doors and went virtual. Scott talked to Debi and told her things were getting critical. They had a family of six to feed and a mortgage to pay. They prayed for answers and solutions came. Scott began to restructure his ministry and magic presentations. For the Humston family, it was never about quitting. Rather, it was about changing the locations and ways of connecting with audiences. When they weren’t on the road, the Humstons were involved with their local First Baptist Church of Mount Dora in Central Florida. During the pandemic, Dr. Thomas Jamieson, the pastor, reached out to Scott to become the church’s Family and Connections Pastor. This provided steady income and less traveling, and Scott was encouraged to use his talents and skills in magic, comedy, and connect with people right there in Mt. Dora.
Travel and Another Turning Point In the blink of an eye, we jump ahead to the present. Now married for twenty-six years, Scott and his wife Debi are parents to Hannah, Abby, Nathaniel, and Rachel. Since their marriage, Scott has traveled internationally, performing school shows and preaching at church events using magic and comedy to share biblical teaching and moral principles. For more than ten of those years, Scott’s family traveled with him full time. Picture six people in a motorhome with all the belongings needed for babies and little ones – and all the equipment for the live show, including props, sound, stage sets, and more. Some years he performed three hundred shows while he and his wife homeschooled their children along the way. As one would expect, Scott entertained them with silly songs, jokes, and riddles during the long rides. What could be better? Scott and Debi were together Magic Mentors with their family in tow. As he reflects on his world up to now, Supporting his family with his engagements, his calendar was booked at least a Scott totally believes that no one, espeyear in advance. Life was good. Then, in cially not magicians, make it through this March 2020, as the world was struck by unique and crazy life of ours without help, Covid-19, cancellations that started as a without each other. We need a team. “Iron trickle grew to a deluge by June. It was sharpens iron,” he says. 20 www.magician.org The Linking Ring
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As a friend and mentor of nearly forty years, for example, Sammy Smith has given Scott positive and motivating advice throughout his career. He offered him tips on timing and delivery, pointing out the importance of pauses in public speaking. “He also encouraged me to grow as a person and a performer,” Scott recalls, “and to always be grateful and generous to everyone, from the show manager to the custodian of the building.” Smith remembers meeting Scott for the first time. “Scott was too young to drive,” he recalls. “His mother, a remarkable person in her own right, drove him to a library where I was performing. Afterward, we visited at a local restaurant, and I was impressed and delighted by this ambitious young man. It’s been rewarding to watch Scott’s personal and professional growth over the years.” When Scott was twelve, he met Bill Brundell, who was big on practice and perfecting tricks. “It’s not what you do but how you do it,” Brundell said. On managing money, he advised, “One third you save, one third you live on, and the other third you put back into the show.” Brundell’s wife later told Scott’s fiancé, “Honey, if you marry a magician, you’ll never have health insurance or money.” Scott is forever grateful that Debi married him anyway.
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Scott didn’t sit back and wait for mentors to find him, however; he eagerly sought them out. While in Nashville during his college years, for instance, he heard about Steve Pennington, the master puppeteer for Walt Disney World’s Legend of the Lion King, The Voyage of the Little Mermaid, and Beauty and the Beast on Broadway. Pennington’s office was just a couple blocks away from campus, and Scott eagerly took the opportunity to watch him work at a local elementary school. The show entertained and inspired and was exactly what Scott wanted to do with magic. He started showing up at Pennington’s offices, first sweeping the floors and organizing props, anything to be around the pros. Over the next four years, the two developed a friendship. “Steve saw how passionate I was, so he took me under his wing and taught me everything you can imagine about performing,” Scott recalls. “He taught me the importance of scripting and directing, finding myself and my own style. Best of all, he believed in me and gave me incredible confidence.” Pennington was also the founder of The Pro Kids Show! that first franchised the highly engaging school show to Scott. The Pro Kids Show became Scott’s bread and
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A dramatic change from his large church events, the venue for Scott’s Mind, Myth, & Magic show has seating for twenty-six participants.
butter in the business for more than twenty-five years. Rev. Felix Snipes, a master magician booked out four years in advance for fifteen years in a row, also became a close friend and mentor. The two men shared the same faith, and Snipes also presented the gospel in his magic presentations. He worked with Scott on refining his mission and taking his passion to a whole new level. “Tricks and fame will fade,” Snipes said. “The wand will be broken, but, in the end, the time we spend with friends and family is what matters most.” This truth
has stayed with Scott throughout his career and life. Empathy for People Scott has a passionate empathy for others, and he’s found that people all over the world have the wonder and appreciation for magic and humor. “The first time I traveled overseas to Antalya, Turkey, I discovered the sameness of humanity. After my show for English-speaking missionaries, I was sightseeing. Outside the ancient coliseum, I met two middle-aged women selling their wares. They spoke no English, and I didn’t speak their language,
IN MIND, MYTH & MAGIC, SCOTT PRESENTS SET PIECES INSPIRED BY HIS MAGICAL LIFE. EACH ROUTINE IS ENGAGING, EMOTIONALLY RESONANT, AND DELIVERED WITH HUMILITY AND KINDNESS. I LOVED IT. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! –DR. STEVE BEDWELL
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Left to right: A picture of the Donnelly House in Mount Dora, Florida, hangs above one of its fireplace mantles. Scott hosts Mind, Myth, & Magic each month in this quaint and historic setting. Weaving wonders in the Donnelly House, built in 1893. The building is on the National Register of Historic Places.
but as I showed them a simple trick, they reacted with amazement! I understood at that moment how laughter, amazement, and wonder truly transcend cultures, languages, and religious barriers.” He remembers back to his own childhood when, because of his facial surgeries, he became aware of those around him who also had physical or emotional challenges. “I had a natural empathy toward them,” he says. “In high school, one of my good friends was deaf. It was a challenge for him, of course, but it’s not what happens to you but how you choose to use it! Embrace your challenges.”
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Scott remembers the surgeon telling his mom when he was about eight years old, “Mrs. Humston, cleft-palate children are either an extreme success, or they become very reclusive as adults. The face is the first thing we notice when we see someone.” Hearing him tell his mother that, Scott knew he wanted to be a success. Pro Kids Show For twenty-five years, Scott Humston presented a forty-minute school-based show which was seen by more than three million people. The show included music, drama, skits, puppets, illusion, comedy,
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Scott’s performances for schools and churches encourage family participation by parents and children.
and audience involvement. He featured character traits such as attitude, pride, caring, respect, persistence, manners, and more. The students were involved in the show as actual participants. Parents, kids, and administrators were lavish with praise for the positive vibes Scott presented. “The last thing I honestly wanted to do was go with my son and watch a show,” one parent reported to Scott. “But, was I quickly laughing along, following your lesson about warm fuzzies! I had tears running down my face in hysterics. It was a fantastic show, and I am very glad I let my son talk me into it. I just wanted to tell you that you have an amazing talent.” Other parents called the show “Refreshingly wholesome,” “Hilariously entertaining,” and “An experience no one should miss.” In fact, the Pro Kids Show was so popular it was featured more than five times at the annual White House Easter Egg Roll. “SCOTT’S MIND, MYTH & MAGIC SHOW IS FIRST CLASS. I LAUGHED AND WAS FOOLED BY ONE OF THE MOST ENTERTAINING MAGICIANS IN THE BUSINESS.” –BOB
Mind, Myth, & Magic In October 2019, Scott created a local show in his own town of Mount Dora, the antique capital of Florida, whose downtown is like a quaint New England town. Since the 1920s, it has been a popular tourist attraction. Living just five minutes from downtown, Scott had dreamed for many years about hosting a show there. After looking at storefronts, hotels, and other locations, through a college and personal connection, Scott was able to use the Donnelly House, a historic landmark in the center of town. Built in 1893, the house is an ornate example of Victorian gingerbread architecture, a perfect location to showcase parlor magic. Unlike the previous twenty-five years of performing for family audiences averaging five hundred or more, Scott’s new venue was an intimate parlor show for just forty people aged fifteen and up. The show received great response in the fall of 2019, so he decided to host it twice a month in 2020. During January and February, while performing and lecturing in the UK, Scott was also preparing for his new show, Mind, Myth, & Magic, aiming for a March opening date. As the world started falling apart because of Covid, he mulled over launching the show as soon as the house was available again. In June 2020, he jumped back in, reduced the audience size to just twenty, and adjusted the seating to make people feel distanced and safe during the difficult times. He and his crew remade the front rooms in the Victorian mansion into a magical theater with historic magic posters, including unique Fabrini prints, lining the walls. The three fireplace mantles in the home are used to display more pieces from Scott’s collection, including an artifact from Houdini’s home at 278 West 113th Street in Harlem. Scott hosts Mind, Myth, & Magic twice a month, usually to sell-out audiences. During the show, which runs a hundred ten minutes with a short interval, he shares some effects that he typically would not
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Scott opens with Kevin James’ Bowling Ball Production during his Pro Kids Show.
be able to do in his family performances. It has fast become “the event” in Mount Dora. The first half is created around Scott’s Cabinet of Curiosities, and the second half features mentalism with a mix of unique and entertaining pieces, including his closing with pseudo-psychometry. Into the show are woven stories about famous magicians: Thurston, Herrmann, John Calvert, and Fetaque Sanders. There is even a piece based on Erdnase’s The Expert at the Card Table. “This has been my sandbox during Covid,” Scott explains. “It’s helped keep me sane and creative during these stagnant times for many touring performers. It has also helped me create the artistic, engaging, intimate show that I’ve pondered for many years.” Sharing Wonder Scott Humston’s book, Sharing Wonder, is set to be released in September 2022. It is filled with stories, anecdotes, humor, and
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a look back to Scott’s childhood, through the journey of his lifetime to where he is today. He tells his readers about the challenges he faced as a kid with a speechrelated birth defect and the obstacles he overcame through vision, hard work, perseverance, mentors, and a positive attitude. One point Scott stresses again and again is that each of us needs a sense of wonder to fully enjoy our lives, a belief reinforced by his faith. “I believe it’s God’s intention,” Scott says, “that our minds would be blown by the wonder revealed in each of our stories.” Thirty-seven years after magic first captivated his imagination, Scott’s own story continues with his lifelong mission of making connections and sharing wonder. Lissa Forney is a freelance writer and artist from DeLand, Florida. The author of sixteen books, Lissa holds a master’s degree and doctorate in writing, writing for children, and educational writing.
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