Touted by David Blaine as his “favorite magic act,” MIND2MIND has earned worldwide acclaim, capturing the gold medal at the 2025 FISM World Championships in Italy and becoming only the fourth mentalism act in the Fédération Internationale des Sociétés Magiques’ 77-year history to take the organization’s highest honor.  Just last week, the duo added another accolade to its growing list of achievements, winning the 2026 Academy of Magical Arts Award for Best Stage Magicians at The Magic Castle in Los Angeles.

So, when I was invited to a preview of MIND2MIND’s new Las Vegas residency at Azul inside Fontainebleau Las Vegas, I figured I’d go, it’d be cute, and that’d be that.  I was wrong.  After watching married mentalists Marina Liani and James Harrington do (do) that voodoo that they do so well—an interactive blend of mentalism, psychology, prediction, influence, and what they call “Second Sight”—I walked away completely gobsmacked, not only by the mentalism itself but by the mentalists behind it.

For those unfamiliar with the different branches of stage magic, mentalism is the theatrical art of creating the illusion of extraordinary mental abilities, whether telepathy, mind reading, psychometry, remote viewing, or precognition.  Unlike performers who claim genuine paranormal powers, mentalists present these feats as entertainment, leaving audiences to wonder exactly how the impossible became possible.

Marina and James—who hail from Ukraine and the United Kingdom, respectively, and currently reside in Dubai with their cat and three dogs—seem as though they were plucked from Central Casting.  Yet as outwardly attractive as the duo undeniably is, what ultimately wins over audiences is their warmth, charm, and genuine rapport with guests.

That connection is amplified by the intimate setting of Azul, which lends itself perfectly to audience participation.  The experience begins with a cocktail reception where guests are treated to close-up magic and prestidigitation before the main performance and concludes with a meet-and-greet, making the evening feel personal from start to finish.  Abracadabra, indeed.

Within MIND2MIND, James provides the structure, combining psychological illusion, logistics, and stagecraft with the easy charm that allows him to serve as a conduit between the audience and Marina.  Marina, meanwhile, brings the instinct, intuition, and uncanny perceptiveness that power the act’s most astonishing moments.

The duo’s signature routine, “Second Sight,” finds Marina blindfolded and separated from James while he moves through the audience, asking guests to present personal items, jewelry, accessories, numbers, and other objects for identification.  When James got to me, he first asked Marina to identify the object he held (my phone). After correctly announcing that it was an iPhone in a case, she delivered the coup de grace by mentioning, almost as an afterthought, that my phone's battery had dropped to 55 percent.  It took me a moment to verify this claim—I wasn’t wearing my readers, so I had to take a screenshot and enlarge it—but I’ll be damned if she wasn’t right.  Of course, if she hadn't been right, it wouldn’t have been much of a show, and I wouldn’t be writing this.

But wait: There’s more.  Noticing that I was taking notes, James gestured for my notebook. Marina delivered another one-two punch, identifying it not simply as a notebook, but as one made by Fendi!  And just like everyone else in the audience, I sat there with my mouth agape, thinking, “How’d they do that?”

MIND2MIND possesses a quality I’ve come to call “go-back-ability,” in that it’s particularly well-suited to Las Vegas locals because no two performances feel exactly alike. Audience participation ensures that each show develops its own personality, making repeat visits every bit as entertaining as the first.

And while the act is undeniably polished, Marina and James infuse every moment with warmth, humanity, and authenticity. That authenticity feels genuine, not manufactured, and it is ultimately what separates MIND2MIND from so many other stage-magic practitioners. The mentalism may leave you scratching your head, but it is the couple’s sincerity that leaves the impression.

This summer, if you’re looking for one of the most engaging and intimate magic shows in Las Vegas, you’d be advised to make your way to Azul at Fontainebleau Las Vegas and let yourself be enchanted by MIND2MIND.

MIND2MIND: An Intimate Evening of Mind Reading
Azul, Level 1 | Fontainebleau Las Vegas
Sunday – Tuesday | 7 PM
Friday and Saturday | 7 PM and 9:30 PM
Through Sunday, September 27
Click HERE for tickets and info

Get into it!
#Mind2Mind