Rob Zabrecky

Rob Zabrecky
Zabrecky in 1992 at Al's Bar in Los Angeles
Born Robert Zabrecky
(1968-06-02) June 2, 1968
Burbank, California, United States
Residence Los Angeles, California
Occupation Actor, musician, magician, songwriter
Height 6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Spouse(s) Tommi Zabrecky

Robert "Rob" Zabrecky (born June 2, 1968, in Burbank, California)[1] is an American actor, magician, and songwriter. His career began as a musician while being the front man for the band Possum Dixon. He later found success as a magician and actor.[2][3]

Life and career

Zabrecky was born and raised in Burbank, California. From 1989 to 1999 he was the singer-songwriter and bassist for the Los Angeles group Possum Dixon. The band, originally hailing from Silver Lake, released three albums during the 1990s.[4]

During the mid-1990s, he stumbled into magic and has since become an award-winning magician at the Magic Castle in Hollywood, California. In the mid-2000s he began a career in acting and has since landed roles in films and television programs.[5]

Actor

In 2017, Zabrecky landed a supporting role in the supernatural drama, A Ghost Story. His film credits also include a supporting role in Ryan Gosling’s directorial debut Lost River, playing the master of ceremonies at an underground fetish nightclub,[6] and a starring role in the psychological thriller, Decay, portraying a troubled theme park groundskeeper who falls in love with a corpse.[7] As a television actor he has made several appearances in popular shows including GLOW, Criminal Minds, CSI: NY, Comedy Bang! Bang! and Angie Tribeca.[8][9] He has also appeared in several short films and a wide range of television commercials.[8][10][11]

In theater, he graduated from a two-year training program at Theatre West, where he appeared in theatrical adaptations of the television classic, The Twilight Zone and other productions.

Magician

Zabrecky is best known for an aberrant magician character he portrays by combining irreverent dark humor, mentalism and an artful use of elongated pauses in performances.[12] In 2011 and 2012 he was voted “Stage Magician of the Year” by the Academy of Magical Arts at the Magic Castle. In 2014 and 2015 he was voted "Parlour Magician of the Year" by the same organization.[13][14][14]

After his music career ended he has worked throughout the United States, Japan and Europe as a magician.[15][16] Since 2002 he has been a regular performer at the Magic Castle, where he formed the magic trio, The Unholy Three in 2003.[17] He has also been the featured magician at annual magic conventions worldwide and appeared on the cover of magic-related journals and periodicals including Genii, Reel Magic and the Mandala.[18][19]

The Zabrecky Hour, a one-man variety show, directed by John Lovick and Tommi Zabrecky, was premiered and developed at the Steve Allen Theater from 2010 - 2016.[20] The show featured highlights from his Magic Castle act, song & dance, conversations with the moon and audience interaction.[21]

After Zabrecky performed on Penn & Teller's Penn & Teller: Fool Us in August 2016, Penn Jillette said "We were trying to think if there's ever been a mentalist doing a mentalist act that was sincerely funny and sincerely good. You may be the first ever."[22]

Musician

As the front man for Possum Dixon, Zabrecky became a notable figure in the early 1990s emerging Silver Lake independent music community. During those years he wrote, recorded and performed with several musicians and producers including Beck, Earle Mankey, Tom Rothrock, Pleasant Gehman, Carla Bozulich, Tim O'Heir and others.[23]

In 1998, Zabrecky, with Possum Dixon released New Sheets, which would be the last album by the band. The LP, produced by Ric Ocasek, featured co-written material with Jane Wiedlin, Charlotte Caffey, Dave Stewart and Pat MacDonald.[24] Shortly after the breakup of Possum Dixon he spent time singing for the Los Angeles art rock band, Human Hands and played bass in a Gun Club tribute band alongside original members Ward Dotson and Terry Graham.[25][26]

In early 2010 he appeared on-stage with Maria McKee at a fund raiser in Hollywood. The pair sang a duet to Lou Reed's Satellite of Love.[27] The pair performed the song again as part of a Night of Zabrecky performance at the Steve Allen Theater in 2012.[28]

Auctioneer

He is a skilled auctioneer, trained by Bonhams auction house (known then as Butterfield & Butterfield) during the late 1990s. For over a decade he has helped organizations such as the Silverlake Conservatory of Music, Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Center, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Laguna Art Museum and many others with fundraising events.[29][30][31][32]

Print

Zabrecky has appeared in magazine and print advertisements for Mothersbaugh Eyewear, Vogue Italia, UNICEF and Oliver Peoples among others.[33]

Personal life

Zabrecky lives with his wife, Tommi Zabrecky, whom he married in 1998.

Interviews

  • Three Thousand, Melbourne[13]
  • The Magic Newswire, 2012[34]
  • The Avant/Garde Diaries, 2012[35]
  • Dan & Dave, 2012[36]
  • The Alibi; Illusion Noir, 2012[37]
  • Los Angeles Times, 2011[38]
  • Pop Culture: Sweet Tea Pumpkin Pie, 2011[39]
  • Carson Daly, 2010[40]

Publications

  • Music for Deaf People chapbook (1992)
  • Smartish Pace Art/Poetry Journal (contributor)
  • The Underground Guide to Los Angeles (contributor)
  • Stories of Famous Magicians (contributor)
  • Secrets of My Friends 2 (contributor)
  • MAGIC, The Magazine for Magicians (contributor)[41]
  • M-U-M, The Society of American Magicians (contributor)[42]
  • An Exploration at the Intersection of Magic and Theater (2010)[43]
  • Genii - The Conjuror's Magazine (Cover Feature, April 2013)[44]

Awards and nominations

  • 1999 LA Weekly Award for Best Pop/Rock Band (Award)
  • 1999 California Music Awards (Award)
  • 2008 Parlour Magician of the Year, Academy of Magical Arts (Nomination)
  • 2009 Parlour Magician of the Year, Academy of Magical Arts (Nomination)
  • 2010 Parlour Magician of the Year, Academy of Magical Arts (Nomination)
  • 2010 Stage Magician of the Year, Academy of Magical Arts (Nomination)
  • 2011 Lecturer of the Year, Academy of Magical Arts (Nomination)
  • 2011 Stage Magician of the Year, Academy of Magical Arts (Award)[45]
  • 2012 Stage Magician of the Year, Academy of Magical Arts (Award)[45]
  • 2014 Parlour Magician of the Year, Academy of Magical Arts (Award)[45]
  • 2015 Parlour Magician of the Year, Academy of Magical Arts (Award)[45]
  • 2016 Lecturer of the Year, Academy of Magical Arts (Award)[45]

References

  1. ↑ "Free Family Tree, Genealogy and Family History - MyHeritage". Familytreelegends.com. Retrieved 2016-11-18.
  2. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-11-22. Retrieved 2016-11-22.
  3. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-06-25. Retrieved 2006-04-14.
  4. ↑ "Possum Dixon". TrouserPress.com. Retrieved 2016-11-18.
  5. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-11-22. Retrieved 2016-11-22.
  6. ↑ dawnday9622 (10 April 2015). "Lost River (2014)". IMDb.
  7. ↑ "Decay (2015)". IMDb. 1 November 2015.
  8. 1 2 "Rob Zabrecky". IMDb.
  9. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-11-22. Retrieved 2016-11-22.
  10. ↑ "Echo & The Bunnymen, The Cult soundtrack Super Bowl commercials for Audi, Budweiser". slicing up eyeballs // 80s alternative music, college rock, indie.
  11. ↑ "Some Houses Are Just Not Well". Dread Central.
  12. ↑ Salwak, Dale. "MAGIC, The Magazine For Magicians". Magicmagazine.com. Retrieved 2016-11-18.
  13. 1 2 "STRAY - An interview with Rob Zabrecky - Three Thousand". Thethousands.com.au. 2015-06-29. Archived from the original on 2016-08-29. Retrieved 2016-11-18.
  14. 1 2 "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2010-09-17. Retrieved 2010-12-07.
  15. ↑
  16. ↑ "Monday Night Magic". Travalanche. Archived from the original on 2011-08-31. Retrieved 2011-03-30.
  17. ↑ John Albert. "Rock Magicians". L.A. Weekly.
  18. ↑ "Front Cover". Genii: 1. April 2013.
  19. ↑
  20. ↑ Chris Nichols (19 October 2012). "The Spooky Magic Of Night Of Zabrecky". Los Angeles Magazine.
  21. ↑ "Night Of Zabrecky! Eban Schletter! Janet Klein!". Trepanyhouse.org. 2012-07-23. Retrieved 2016-11-18.
  22. ↑ "Penn & Teller Fool Us Here's Moxie". YouTube. 2016-08-31. Retrieved 2016-11-18.
  23. ↑ Tewksbury, Drew (2010-04-08). "Spaceland Is the Place". L.A. Weekly. Retrieved 2016-11-18.
  24. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2005-03-11. Retrieved 2010-07-15.
  25. ↑ "The Band". Human Hands. Retrieved 2016-11-18.
  26. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2010-09-09. Retrieved 2010-07-15.
  27. ↑ Lina Lecaro. "Empire Burlesque". L.A. Weekly.
  28. ↑ "Ticket Sales - Night of Zabrecky at Trepany House on Tuesday, October 23, 2012". Trepanyhouse.tix.com. 2012-10-23. Retrieved 2016-11-18.
  29. ↑ Lina Lecaro. "Eddie Vedder, Mickey Avalon and Red Hot Chili Peppers at Hullabaloo". L.A. Weekly.
  30. ↑
  31. ↑ "Tickets for HULLABALOO 2007 : Benefit for the Silverlake Conservatory of Music with Red Hot Chili Peppers / Eddie Vedder / Charlie Haden / Ditty Bops / Mickey Avalon - Henry Fonda Music Box Theatre at TicketWeb". TicketWeb.
  32. ↑
  33. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-11-22. Retrieved 2016-11-22.
  34. ↑ "The Magic Newswire - Magic News - MNW #328 :: ROB ZABRECKY". Linkingpage.com. 2011-12-31. Retrieved 2016-11-18.
  35. ↑ "Mercedes-Benz – International Corporate Website". Theavantgardediaries.com. Retrieved 2016-11-19.
  36. ↑
  37. ↑ Marisa Demarco. "Illusion Noir: An interview with Rob Zabrecky". Alibi.com. Retrieved 2016-11-18.
  38. ↑ "Magician Rob Zabrecky is the Odd Man in at Steve Allen Theater". Latimes.com. Retrieved 2016-11-18.
  39. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-04-04. Retrieved 2011-04-01.
  40. ↑ "Video - IMDb". IMDb.com. Retrieved 2016-11-18.
  41. ↑ Nelson, Mark. "MAGIC, The Magazine For Magicians". Magicmagazine.com. Retrieved 2016-11-18.
  42. ↑ A Skeptical Prediction, page 59, October 2010
  43. ↑ "work: The Magician's TaleAMERICAN THEATRE MAGAZINE". Work.chloeveltman.com. 2011-12-01. Retrieved 2016-11-18.
  44. ↑ "Rob Zabrecky article coming soon". The Genii Forum. Genii Magazine.
  45. 1 2 3 4 5 "Hall of Fame". The Academy of Magical Arts.
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