Australia-born magician Harry Milas has been performing a standalone, without walls presentation (aka a WOW show), at the La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego, California, for the last couple of months. The experience is called The Unfair Advantage, which Milas performs for 35 people at a time. In his hour-long performance, he demonstrates how gamblers and con artists use sleight of hand (and other methods) to cheat at cards (and other things). Guests even have to sign a non-disclosure agreement before sitting down for the show to ensure they don’t spill any potential secrets Milas reveals.
“I found this passion very young,” Milas told the San Diego Union Tribune, “and I’ve been doing it my whole life. When people ask me why, I tell them my show is about gambling and my history in the gambling world, but what it’s really about is practice and devotion. Everything that I do in the show—everything—is attainable. Each person who watches me is capable of doing it. It’s about what you’re going to devote your time to.”
He added, “The challenge is less about getting it right; the challenge is about sucking at it for a long time.”
While his run at La Jolla ended in mid-April, he is bringing The Unfair Advantage to the Center REP in Walnut Creek, California, starting on April 29, 2025.
Photos courtesy of Harry Milas