Prepare to be Amazed and Entertained – Lior Suchard

Dec 3, 2024 by Two Sues On the Aisle

By Two Sues on the Aisle, Susie Rosenbluth and Sue Weston

Some know him as “that El Al guy” for the in-flight safety film he hosts using a card trick. Lior Suchard is a Master Mentalist whose December 1 performance in Town Hall was outstanding. Suchard amazed the audience with his ability to predict the thoughts or choices of participants on stage accurately. His combination of showmanship, chutzpa, and transparency sets this performance apart. He repeatedly cautioned that he was not always successful, but then he executed flawlessly. The audience was thoroughly engaged and involved, many were selected to join him on stage, while others participated from their seats (even from the balcony). Suchard delivered an amazing performance.

Suchard doesn’t have any superpowers he uses his understanding of the human mind to perform feats of mentalism. The performance opened with Suchard showing the audience several cards, asking us to select one, mixing the cards, and telling us to memorize our selection. Then comes the big reveal – when he shows the cards and the one we selected was missing. (This is similar to the illusion in the EL AL safety video.) The evening strung together a series of ‘how did he do that’ moments, with Suchard guessing names and information about selected audience members pulling answers out of thin air.

Suchard uses visual and verbal suggestions, body language, and guided imagery in combination with his knowledge of human psychology and neurology to predict what the audience is thinking or to influence behavior.

He demonstrated his advanced powers of memory by recalling the names of each participant (there were a lot) and referencing them throughout the performance. The show flows, with an uninterrupted combination of humor, and hints of ‘why this worked’ before transitioning quickly to the next routine.

Energy, Humor, and Excitement

The evening was filled with humor. Suchard kibbutzes by vocalizing our doubts, ‘How hard could that be?’ to engage our inner skeptic before astonishing us. He went beyond the initial question, for example, he asked a participant to think about someone, not at the show. Then followed with a guess about gender, and the number of letters in the name (5 is most common) before correctly guessing the name, and then calling her back to reveal her relationship to the participant, a younger sister, and that she also had a brother. Both guesses were correct.

Impressive feats included correctly guessing the sequence of numbers that appeared on a random dollar bill (that was in a sealed envelope held by an audience participant), throwing frisbees into the audience to randomly select participants who provided numbers that later appeared on a lottery ticket being held by a participant, and revealing a scroll locked above the stage which included keywords shared throughout the performance.  These tricks were carefully planned and executed.

We found the simple acts, like guessing the number of coins in a participant’s hands by listening to the sound they made jingling, and casually unlocking a participant’s cell phone equally amazing.

Why it Works

Suchard wrote a series of blogs, one explains how body language can help detect lies. Each person has different tells. This can include frequent face-touching, moving the head from side to side, or sudden changes in body posture which may indicate discomfort or tension.  For some, changes in skin color indicate excitement or fear, while others perspire. In addition, people can show signs by speaking slower or faster than usual. Other factors include eye contact, changed breathing patterns, or delayed responses.

Combining the power of observation with known patterns and commonalities elevates the ability to predict behaviors and responses into a science, Suchard skillfully combines his knowledge with experience, practice, and showmanship leaving the audience speechless.

Hatzolah Air

The performance was followed by a VIP After Party at Tabernacle’s Steakhouse in support of Hatzolah Air’s lifesaving missions around the globe providing emergency medical air transportation and rapid response during times of urgent need.

Pure Amusement

The performance was spellbinding, original, and full of laughter and surprises (celebrity illusionist David Blaine was in the audience). Suchard’s parting message was that you can continue to be skeptical, as long as you stay open to the extraordinary, they will create opportunities and fun. Just make sure not to come late to his performance.

It was a night of magic, meaning, and community, a not-to-be-missed event.

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Two Sues on the Aisle bases its ratings on how many challahs (1-5) it pays to buy (rather than make) to see the play, show, film, book, or exhibit being reviewed.

Lior Suchard, in Town Hall, received 5 Challahs