Chasing Wonder

Stand-up that incorporates sleight of hand usually treats the magic as an ironic punchline. Taylor Hughes does the opposite, using parlor tricks and padlock escapes as pacing devices between earnest personal monologues.

Filmed at Dynasty Typewriter in Los Angeles in January 2020, the hour documents Hughes after decades working private engagements, corporate events, and the showrooms of Hollywood’s Magic Castle. Hughes spent years in youth ministry before leaving steady employment to pursue performance full-time, a career shift made with two toddlers and roughly six weeks of savings left in the bank.

The stage work draws on that gamble, alongside memories of growing up as the lone brother among seven sisters. Comedy Dynamics distributed the taped show in July 2020. Hughes works entirely clean, choosing open sentimentality and narrative resolution where most club comics hunt for cynicism.