I just got off the phone with Jason Christopher, one of the most talented and creative men that I've ever interviewed!

(See what happens when you interview a hypnotist?)

Mr. Christopher -- who has been performing his comedy-magic act in our area for years -- tries his hand at hypnotism with his first Pittsburgh performance tonight at Freddie's II Restaurant & Lounge on South Park Road in Bethel Park (2789 South Park Rd., 412-833-1830)

It's a fundraiser, benefitting the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, so don't be surprised if you find yourself feeling compelled to give. You might think that running a restaurant and lounge would mean that the folks at Freddie's II have enough on their plate, but they're very community-oriented. (It's a 7 p.m. dinner and 8 p.m. show. Tickets $15 for show, $30 for show and dinner; two-drink minimum.)

"We actually do a few fundraisers each year, but this is our first for the MS Society," said Terri Marias, manager at Freddie's II. "We know people in the business that benefit from this, and we like to help them out. And it makes everybody feel good about themselves."

For some time, Mr. Christopher has been performing his comedy-magic show at Freddie's II, and the response has been great, Ms. Marias said. She even booked him to perform at her daughter's wedding reception.

"He has a great sense of humor and he's very popular with our customers," she said.

Mr. Christopher, 38, is our kind of magician, right down to what he calls "the gumband trick."

Originally from Bethel Park, he graduated from Montour High School in 1992, then attended Robert Morris College -- which later magically transformed into Robert Morris University.

"Unfortunately, there was no hypnosis major at Robert Morris," said Mr. Christopher, who was performing magic even then. "I actually majored in accounting. Which was very odd, seeing as I'm an entertainer by trade.

"Accounting was something I wanted to do since high school. I studied that. My first year out of college, I got a job at Mellon Bank, but I was still doing shows.

"I went to do my taxes, and I saw I made 20 grand working 40 hours a week at Mellon and I made 20 grand working four hours a week performing. It didn't take me long to realize I was in the wrong field, and I went into entertaining full time."

Today he describes himself as "a national entertainer," performing his act "in Baltimore, New Jersey, Chicago, Atlanta. Wherever the client needs me to go."

And then there are the regular shows around here. Even the customers at Freddie's II, who see him almost once a week, don't get tired of him.

"With the magic show, people come back and like to see tricks," Mr. Christopher said. "They'll bring friends, and they'll say 'Show him that one trick.'

"If you go to see a Bruce Springsteen concert, you expect certain songs. It's sort of the same thing with me. People come in and they like to see me do their favorite tricks. They'll request things. But they also want to see something new. Or a twist on something they're familiar with. It's a balancing act."

He said he doesn't often watch other magicians or hypnotists because he wants to be his own person.

"I don't want to model myself after someone too much," he said. "A lot of the stuff [magicians] learn is out of books. Myself, I'm not a creator of effects. I'm more of a performer of effects. Very often, the creators aren't good performers. And vice versa.

"Usually what I do is like a lot of stuff that's out there. I like something and I use it and the customers tell me they like it. People all the time want me to do the rubber band trick -- or the gumband trick as we say in Pittsburgh. They love the ring in the shoelace trick. And the card on the ceiling. People comment on those."

It was while performing at proms a few years ago that Mr. Christopher noticed how popular the hypnotists were. He decided to try his hand at that.

"Hypnosis is a new field for me," he said. "Last year, I took an intensive three-day training seminar. And it was great."

(Or at least they made him THINK it was great.)

"Hypnosis and magic are similar in that they're both performing arts," Mr. Christopher said. "I think a lot of magicians gravitate toward hypnosis because they are the 'mystery arts.' There's a realm of magic that's called mentalism, where you make it appear that you read minds. But I don't do that.

"My hypnotism is fun. I make them do funny things on stage. Like I make them forget the number seven. I'll get people to count along the numbers on their fingers, and they'll skip seven and count 11 fingers. Or I'll take them on an imaginary trip to the Bahamas and they'll feel extremely hot. It's very nifty."

Especially when you get to take the imaginary Lamborghini out for an imaginary spin.

"I'm a very comedy-oriented performer. Hypnosis or magic, it's funny," Mr. Christopher said. "If I make someone laugh, I can get away with a lot more stuff that people aren't supposed to see. When they're laughing, they're more comfortable and relaxed, and that enables me to imbed suggestions a lot easier. I develop a rapport, which is a tool in enabling misdirection."

The hypnosis show means he comes with nothing up his sleeve.

"Tonight, I have no props," he said. "It's just me and a microphone and the volunteers on stage. They really are the stars of the show."

I know that by this point, you are tired of reading. You are feeling very sleepy. I want you to close your eyes and imagine that you're going to Freddie's II in Bethel Park for the 8 p.m. show. (It's only $15. It's only $15. It's only $15.)

"I think people will come away with a good feeling," Mr. Christopher said. "They'll have a fun time and they'll know they helped support a good cause."

And on the drive home, you'll bark every time you see a red light.

"Hey, I don't do that," Mr. Christopher said. "There are a lot of people who look at hypnosis like it's embarrassing stuff. My show is funny, but no embarrassing stuff. We all have a good time."

If you have a suggestion for something to do some evening, let us know about it and we'll see if we can get some of our friends to join you. Contact Dan Majors at dmajors@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1456.

First Published: April 23, 2012, 9:15 p.m.
Updated: April 23, 2012, 9:20 p.m.