Voila! How Dale Steven Became Stevauni

Have you ever known someone for where they work, a business they own, or perhaps they’re married to someone you know? You only associate that person with that one connection — until the day you find out something exceptional about them. In an instant you’re spellbound. That’s exactly what’s happening around Wichita with someone you might already know. 

Dale Steven, one of the owners of Spangles, is not only the owner of a local business, but he is also a renowned magician. So if you don’t already know him as a magician, let us introduce you to Stevauni the Magician. As Steven himself explains: “I started out as a magician.” 

Steven is part of an entrepreneurial family in town, and one of eleven kids from Joe and Esther Steven who instilled the entrepreneurial spirit in their kids. Dale, along with his brother Craig, opened the Spangles food chain in 1978. Their sister, Rene, is director of operations for the chain, and well known for her role in the Spangles commercials. But before the siblings went into business together, Rene and Dale teamed up in magic. 

“My sister was my assistant for many years,” Steven said. His assistants have evolved over time as well. While Steven’s first assistants were his sisters, now his wife, Rebecca, is his assistant. “I always say she adds class to the show,” Steven said. 

Long before Steven was a well-known businessman in Wichita, he was a magician, dating back to grade school. He started off with smaller coin and card illusions, but by high school Steven had transformed into Stevauni, a stage magician with much larger and more elaborate illusions. In fact, his first stage show was at Kapaun Mt. Carmel, when Steven was a junior, where he entered the talent show and performed magic on stage — a performance that won him first place, with one of the most memorable illusions — the guillotine. 

Collecting Guillotines

Steven got his start with the guillotine by borrowing one from his cousin, Joe Steven, a fellow magician, for the talent show. It’s a fun illusion that involves a member of the audience. Their head is placed into the guillotine, the blade is dropped and it looks as if the audience member’s head is severed, but of course they are unharmed.

“To this day when someone sees me do it, they wonder, ‘What if it doesn’t work?’ ” Steven jokingly added. Steven has become a collector of the device: “I started finding more [guillotines], so I’ve got five of them — people collect cars, I collect guillotines.”

Steven’s favorite illusion is levitation, where his assistant lies flat and he moves his hands above her, causing her to lift from the table and float in mid-air. “It’s truly amazing,” Steven said. 

Stage magic is known for its grand illusions, such as the zig-zag (sawing a person in half), teleporting objects from one area to another, the floating table and, of course, levitation. Through the years, Steven has grown his repertoire — he now brings these illusions and many more. Steven says it takes him about two hours to set up for a 45-minute show. And his act is always evolving. “Close-up magic would be a lot less set-up, but the thrill of stage magic is more exciting for me,” Steven said.

Steven travels around the world to magic conventions, always buying new magic apparatus to improve the show. Just this year he has attended four of the biggest magic conventions in the world. From Las Vegas to London, these gatherings allow Steven a chance to immerse himself in the world of magic, connect with fellow enthusiasts, learn new techniques and trade secrets. “The shows are massive! There are thousands of magicians, tons of lectures, large stage shows and vendors selling various illusions. They really are magical.”

Grand Helicopter Entrance

While the high school talent show was one of Steven’s most memorable shows, being his first, he has also performed for and with some very famous people. He was the opening act for Barbara Mandrell, a popular musician in the 1970s and 1980s. 

“It was an outdoor theater in Branson, Missouri, and I would fly in on a helicopter. The helicopter would land beside the stage, and I’d run on the stage and we did the show in front of 5,000 people,” Steven said. 

Steven had many “magical” adventures. He toured across the country with Darryl Starbird Rod & Custom Show, had official Playboy bunnies as assistants and visited with Siegfried & Roy at their home. Siegfried & Roy were known for their use of white tigers. While Steven was able to view the tigers, he did not attempt any interaction, as he knew he would be the one who “disappeared.”

Ultimately, Steven has come a long way since that teenage magic show over 50 years ago, but he’s still that excited, electric kid at heart. From birthday parties to helicopter entrances, Stevauni the Magician has entertained audiences everywhere, and there’s no end in sight. “I like interacting, I like entertaining the audience other than just mystifying them. Getting people on stage and having fun with them is what I really want to do,” Steven said. However, if you ask him how a certain illusion is performed he will tell you, “It’s magic.”

Many event planners struggle to find captivating entertainment that truly captures the audience’s attention. However, if you book a show with Stevauni the Magician, those worries will disappear. 

If you’re interested in booking Stevauni the Magician, you can find him online at stevauni.com or at 316.461.0280.