Noalani Helmandottar has always been a funny girl. The Pinson native grew up interested in comedy and theater and even trained as a professional clown. But a magical new path soon revealed itself.
It all started when Noalani was hanging out with a friend who happens to be a magician, watching him perform a trick. Always ready for laughs, Noalani started making fun of the trick – then, to her surprise, her friend told her she should be a magician, too. “He said, ‘You should really do this. You have stage presence,’” she says.
Magic and comedy might not seem intertwined, but both magicians and comedians give a performance. According to Noalani, magic tricks are simple to learn, but the true work of being a magician is engaging with the audience. That’s how her comedic style became important.
Magic City audiences can check out Loft Out Loud, a comedy variety show with music, art, local food, and loads of laughs. Laughacadabra, hosted with her friend Mario Carrares at various venues, also combines magic and humor. In the show, stand-up comics perform magic for the first time in front of an audience and make it their own. “The very first show we hosted, I cried,” Noalani admits. “It’s so good. You can be the best magician in the world, but if you don’t bring your style to the stage, you won’t make it.”
This summer, Noalani hopes to evoke fresh laughter from audiences with a one-woman performance based on her teen diaries. The show is a hilarious, personal series of vignettes, combining, of course, humor and magic. “It’s set in my angsty ‘90s teen bedroom, and everything will be part of the magic show,” Noalani says. “It will be nostalgic, moving, and funny.”
Socials:
@laughacadabra
@loftoutloudshow