An ASU senior won over the America's Got Talent judges with a sleight-of-hand card trick that will bring him to the Quarterfinals — a moment that he has "wanted nothing more" since he was five years old.
Geno Ploeger, a senior studying theatre and marketing, has performed his magic across the Valley for years and brought his talent to the homes of millions on June 9.
"Magic's been that special thing that's allowed me to connect with people in a way that other people can't," Ploeger said. "Magic's a way to make adults feel like kids again, and to just give everyone a universal, amazing experience that is hard to describe."
Ploeger will move on to the second round, and said he is excited to show his story in a way that nobody has ever seen before. The episode will air Aug. 25, and audience members will be able to vote on who they want to see advance.
"I have never met anyone who loves anything more than Geno loves magic," ASU alum Tim Nipper said.
Nipper and Ploeger were both involved in PRISM, ASU's student-run theatre company, and Nipper extensively learned about his future roommate's passion for magic.
"He spends probably the equivalent of 40 hours a week, at least, doing magic, thinking about magic, bettering his craft, and working really, really hard," Nipper said. "That's where success comes from."
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Nipper said many of their classmates had seen Ploeger do magic over the years because he always carried a deck of cards. Nipper supported Ploeger by giving him a venue to perform a magic show for ASU students in February 2024.
"He has this very captivating way of commanding the audience, and he's an incredible magician when it comes to sleight of hand," Nipper said. "It was a completely sold-out show. It sold out very quickly."
Ploeger fell in love with magic at five years old after watching his grandfather perform a card trick for him on Thanksgiving.
At age nine, Ploeger watched Mat Franco become the first magician to win America's Got Talent, sparking his aspiration to appear on the show.
"It was the coolest thing for me because I think most of the magic I had been exposed to up until that point was kind of all the same," Ploeger said. "He was such a normal guy, and he was doing really modern takes on magic, and I think that was really inspiring for me."
Ploeger even went on to work directly with Franco.
"I spent six months practicing every single day and refining it," Ploeger said. "Because I have Mat kind of as a mentor now, throughout the last couple years, it was cool to run ideas by him."
Kristin Hunt, the assistant director of theatre at ASU, met Ploeger during his freshman year. Hunt said Ploeger asked if she wanted to see a magic trick when they first met.
"Of course I said sure, with no expectations," Hunt said. "It was fantastic, and made a big first impression."
Hunt also said the next time she talked to Ploeger, he told her about his aspiration to go on America's Got Talent.
"I've been aware of his interest in achieving this particular goal basically the whole time that I've known him, and it's been really exciting to see him go for it," Hunt said. "I'm completely unsurprised that he was able to achieve it."
Hunt encouraged Ploeger to increase his platform across ASU, including performing at a senior showcase and at InfernoFest on Aug. 18.
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"Magic is a performing art, a related discipline," Hunt said. "I think this four years for him has been about refining and clarifying his personal style in a place where he has a lot of opportunity."
Hunt said there is nobody in the ASU theatre program who doesn't know Ploeger and his dream of going on America's Got Talent.
Ploeger auditioned repeatedly throughout his time at ASU, and finally received the email over the holiday break. He said it's been important to him to show his peers that you don't have to be a seasoned professional to accomplish your dreams.
In his audition, Ploeger performed a card trick that described his life story while paying homage to Franco.
"To look out in the audience and see 3,000 people standing and applauding, and the judges standing and applauding, there's no words to really describe it," Ploeger said.
Edited by Alan Deutschendorf, Emilio Alvarado and Sophia Keeling.
Reach the reporter at ajanusee@asu.edu and follow @lexijanusee on X.
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Lexi Janusee is in her second semester with the State Press. She is a freshman studying Journalism and Mass Communications with a minor in Theatre. Lexi also works for Blaze Radio, and is an on-air host for Open Mic.
