Gerry is a native New Yorker, born on Halloween, October 31st
1962. McCambridge has been a professional Mentalist for over 20
years.
McCambridge was not your typical young child. He
found he was a very verbally persuasive individual. He was able to
talk people in and out of things with ease. His mother described
it as the POWER of PERSUASION! "Even if he was lying, he had a way
of convincing you it was the truth. With skills like those, I
always thought he should be a politician" she claims.
At the age of 8 Gerry received a magic set for
Christmas. He learned the tricks contained with in the set but
more importantly learned the art of visual misdirection.
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At the age of 12, he performed his very first
magic show for money and received a standing ovation. He knew
at that point, performing was his life's calling.
That year, in 1974 he saw his very first
Broadway show in New York City. He went to see "The Magic
Show" with Doug Henning. After the show he snuck backstage
and befriended the hippie magician and snapped a few photos
with him. Doug became a strong influence on Gerry's destiny.
He started giving him advice and guiding him.
At the age of 15, Gerry was touring the country as
an apprentice for various other performers, magic shows and
novelty acts. He learned how to make a living in show business
while paying his show business dues.
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In
early 1997, Gerry flew to Las Vegas and attended every show the
town had to offer including Lance Burton's show and meet Lance
Burton after his show. Gerry always says he thinks is the nicest
man in my business. Gerry left Las Vegas convinced this was the
venue and town for his performing skills.
Gerry felt he needed marquee value before approaching casino
entertainment directors for a job. Gerry was now one of the most
sought after corporate performers, but was a relative unknown to
the general public. Gerry had also become "The Mentalist to the
Stars". He was regularly performing at all the A-list ultra
private parties and in celebrity homes. He realized how
television thrust these people into the public eye. Gerry thought
being on television would catapult him to the level he needed to
be at before moving to Las Vegas.
Gerry wrote an off-Broadway show where two mentalists would
perform at the same time. He figured the media coverage from the
show would get him the recognition he needed to return to Las
Vegas with headline value. After arranging all the financing and
gathering potential investors for the show, Gerry was ready to
launch the off-Broadway show. They selected a theater and waited
until the show currently playing in the theater would close. In
the mean time the mentalist duo would tour the country breaking in
the new show.
Unfortunately, the reaction from the audience was just mediocre.
The investors urged Gerry to go solo when he went to Broadway, but
Gerry insisted on making the two person show work. After touring
with the show for 2 years, Gerry realized the investors were
right. Gerry dissolved the partnership.
Gerry felt it was almost time to return to Las Vegas. His second
wife Kim was pregnant with Gerry 6th child, so he decided to spend
that summer in New York City, close to home with the family. He
took his Las Vegas show and performed it off-Broadway to rave
reviews. The shows success reassured Gerry that he had a strong
show capable of entertaining most audiences.
Gerry closed his critically acclaimed off-Broadway because his
wife was about to give birth. Two days after the show closed, on
August 31st 2004, Luke Vegas McCambridge was born.
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After mother and baby were home safe and sound, Gerry packed his
bags and flew out to Las Vegas to meet with Mr. Steve Wynn. After
witnessing Gerry's performance, Mr. Wynn said Gerry was "the most
unique act he had ever seen". Unfortunately the Wynn Las Vegas
casino was almost complete and getting ready for its grand
opening. They already had two shows contracted to open at the
Wynn, so there was no room for The Mentalist. |
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