If you aren’t familiar with Andreas and Christian Ehrlich, a.k.a. the Ehrlich Brothers, just know that their magic show is probably unlike any you’ve seen before. The German duo is known for mixing massive illusions with personal storytelling and performing to sold-out crowds in 10,000-seat arenas. Their ticket sales outnumber those of Madonna and Justin Bieber in their home country and thanks in part to a recent push by Andreas’ son for more of a presence on social media their worldwide fanbase has increased. And now the pair will be bringing their show “Diamonds — The Mind-Blowing Magic Show” to the states for their first-ever U.S. tour, starting Sept. 25.
It’s a chance for American audiences to see some of their illusions up close, which includes levitating and disappearing a gold Lamborghini to making a motorcycle leap from a giant iPad screen onto the stage. And if you’re not convinced by their reputation or their admirers — which include everyone from King Charles III to Tom Hanks — consider this: you could leave the show with candy and cash.
“We make the biggest candy jar in the world appear,” Andreas reveals. “And we give that candy out to the audience.” But Christian can top that. “There’s one illusion which is a classic in the Ehrlich Brothers show for 20 years,” he notes. “We ask a spectator to loan us some money. They give us a small bill and I transform it into $100 and give it back. So in every show, at least one person will go home with more money than they came with.”
Asked what else you can expect and Christian offers, “A huge show with a lot of pyrotechnics and storytelling.” In fact, every illusion is driven by story — that giant candy jar, for example, is a realization of a childhood dream. Says Andreas, “This is one of the biggest dreams you can have — to have a wish and just call it out and make it real.”
Adds Christian, “We try to talk to people using the art of magic. We approach magic like a good song that reaches your heart.” He points to the motorcycle jumping out of the iPad as an example. “It’s really a story about how our dad passed away much too early. It’s something everybody deals with and we put a magic twist on it. We want to be really authentic and talk about emotions and feelings that the audience relates to.”
What you won’t see at an Ehrlich Brothers show, they say, is cliché. “We’ve never cut a girl in half or made a girl vanish out of some boxes,” Christian promises. Adds Andreas, “What is the reason to have a beautiful girl on stage only to make her disappear? No, it’s really about the story and showing one illusion after another. So much so that people can’t believe the show is two hours, it feels much shorter.”
The brothers spend years working on their illusions — there’s one they’re hoping to debut next year that they’ve been focused on since 2019. And they have gone from building small-scale tricks in their father’s workshop to employing 40 people who construct and work out the mechanics. Andreas admits the brainstorming phase involves them coming up with “some crazy stuff” and about 5% of those ideas evolve into actual illusions.
Of course, there are perils with such massive illusions. Earlier this year during a rehearsal, Andreas’ hair caught fire when he moved too close to a flamethrower — video of the incident is online and the pair were able to joke about his “new hairstyle.” In 2016, the motorcycle stunt went wrong, causing Andreas to fall and break his ribs. In both cases, the brothers continued with their shows.
It’s humorous to hear that the pair consider the U.S. shows to be “smaller,” as the theaters average more around 4,000 seats than tens of thousands. They also estimate they’ll be down to six trucks from their usual 30. “We need to be a bit smaller because we have so many of our own illusions [at home],” explains Chris. And some — like their Angel of Death illusion — weigh about five tons. But it’s still set to be a massive spectacle.
The pair have entertained audiences from all over the world at their shows, and were inspired to tour America after getting consistent feedback that the show would translate to the States. “For us, it was always a question: Is it a German show, or a show that works on an international scale?’” says Christian. “And so many people from America told us we needed to come, that it would be a big party. So it motivated us to try. And I think people will love it. There’s nothing especially German about it.”
The 10-city tour will kick off in Washington, D.C., and make stops in Pittsburgh, Newark, Las Vegas, San Jose, Phoenix, Anaheim, San Diego, Tucson, Ariz., and Arlington, Texas, giving the pair some time to check out the sights as a German TV crew will be documenting the tour. Asked if they’ll check out Disneyland on their L.A. leg, and Chris jokes, “We’re going to make it disappear so that all the people come to the show just for one day.”
One stop they’re particularly looking forward to is Las Vegas. “It will be a big pleasure to see some of our colleagues there and also check out the shows,” notes Christian. “Though I’m disappointed I will just be missing the Backstreet Boys. I’m a big fan.”
For touring dates and tickets, visit ehrlich-brothers.com/en/