Drew Thomas brings out the magical side of Orlando

In front of an Orlando crowd, magician Drew Thomas jokes that he knows it’s a cashless society, but asks if anyone in the crowd has a quarter.

The master illusionist is about to wow the audience with his sleight of hand, coin in a soda can trick.

Thomas’ show also includes sawing his assistant in half and a mind-blowing numbers calculation with numbers taken randomly from the audience. It’s all leading up to his vanishing grand finale.

Thomas, who appeared as a finalist on “America’s Got Talent” Season 4, has lived in Orlando for about a decade.

Orlando certainly isn’t New York City or Los Angeles, but in the shadow of the theme parks at the United States’ No. 1 tourism destination, Central Florida retains talent like Thomas, 57, who forge their own creative path to earn a living.

Thomas performs “The Magic Show” in a residency at Grande Lakes Orlando, home to Ritz-Carlton and JW Marriott hotels. His shows are scheduled throughout the Summer, with Halloween and Christmas-themed shows coming later this year.

Thomas’ career is fascinating.

He was tapped in during the blue sky creative process for Epic Universe, Universal’s new theme park that includes a Harry Potter expansion.

“I got to consult on everything from what characters are doing in the park to what the shows are incorporating magically, to window effects, to how the wands work — a litany from A to Z, anything to do with anything that is part of what a person would would assume is wizardry,” Thomas said.

Thomas already had a long history of working with Universal.

He co-created Jack’s Carnival of Wonders that debuted at Halloween Horror Nights in 2007 and was later reincarnated in 2015. The show was edgy, bloody and gory, a woodchipper included.

“It was so gritty,” Thomas said of the illusions that he “created from scratch.”

These days, Thomas is less dark and more stand-up comedian as he interacts with the audience and brings them on stage.

Thomas grew up in Columbus, Ohio, and remembered his grandparents fostering his love of magic by buying used magic books at the library book sale. 

He was learning his craft despite some books missing pages because his grandma cautiously ripped out the illusions she feared were about the dark arts.

He began practicing basic card tricks and beginner’s magic.

Thomas developed a reputation as the “Magic Man” in school, but he was also a savvy businessman. He was the son of parents who owned franchises to sell vitamins and cosmetics.

When the 16-year-old broke his leg skateboarding, it made him get serious.

“I was raised with that entrepreneurial spirit, and as time went on as I was starting to build my magic career, I decided to really make a big run at this,” Thomas said. “It was like, ‘OK, well, I’m going to go create an opportunity.’”

His first gig was at a kid’s birthday party, doing balloon tricks and other magic. Thomas performed with a full leg cast on and got paid $150.

Then the 17-year-old got hired at a Midwestern chain restaurant to dress as a clown — rainbow afro, big shoes and the works — and perform magic from table to table.

Thomas, inherently shy, learned how to think on his feet and quip wisecracks.

“I give a lot of credit to that helping to shape my ability to be improvisational and funny,” Thomas said. “It was very empowering to realize that I could create something that I was passionate about … and go sell it and people would pay me to do that. That was mind-boggling. That obviously continued to fuel the passion for discovering more and doing more.”

Thomas’ unconventional career included playing one of the lead characters in the Columbus Ballet’s “Nutcracker” and developing entertainment for theme parks and cruises.

At 40, he performed for his most famous crowd yet: “America’s Got Talent” judges Simon Cowell, David Hasselhoff, Piers Morgan and Sharon Osbourne. It added legitimacy for his career going forward, he said.

For Thomas, most adults walk into his hotel show with a low bar for magic. But his show isn’t a kiddie all-you-can-eat pizza buffet with a magician included. 

“I love making people happy. I love entertaining,” Thomas said. “I love making people smile and have fun.”