I have been getting lots and lots of reviews on YELP.  But, as most people are not aware, Yelp filters reviews that don't fit their criteria. The reviews I receive are unsolicited, unbiased and frank. Having been in this business for 30+ years, I treasure my clients and their feedback.  Here are just a few reviews received in the past 18 months...

Phil was incredible!  We hired him for my 4 year old son's birthday party, and he had the kids very engaged from start to finish.  He was funny, entertaining, and his magic tricks were very age appropriate (the kids loved the bunny!).  He was also so responsive beginning with my first initial inquiry, and followed through every step of the way to the actual event with great professionalism.  He gets 5 stars in my book!
Ana A. / Redwood City, CA
5 Stars; 5/8/2013

Phil is an amazing entertainer and magician.  We have seen Phil multiple times in the past, including in corporate and social settings.  He is always excellent.  So when it came time to selecting entertainment for an event, Phil was our top choice.  Sure enough, he dazzled us again with his magic show.  Phil is also a very pleasant and kind person to deal with.  I highly recommend Phil.
Jay C. / San Jose, CA
5 Stars; 4/6/2013

Phil was fantastic at our son's 6th birthday party.  We was very professional and easy to work with.  He had the kids completely engaged during the show.  My son has special needs and has a hard time focusing.  Phil had him laughing a participating throughout the show.  The kids and parents enjoyed themselves so much.  I strongly recommend using Phil for your next event.  I know we will!
Jessica H. / Tahoe City, CA
5 Stars; 3/26/2013

Phil did an adult magic show for my husbands 55th Birthday Party.  He was awesome!  Everyone was trying to figure out all of the tricks he performed.  The party was two months ago, and we are all still talking about him, and the amazing things he did.  I would definitely recommend him for a corporate or personal event!
Shawn A. / Danville, CA
5 Stars; 3/4/2013

We hired Phil for our 9 year-old's birthday and he was just awesome. He caught the kids attention from the time he entered for setup until he left. Phil was not only very entertaining to the kids, but he also caught the adults attention for the full hour with no problem. Phil's show is Vegas show quality and kids appropriate. His illusions are so believable and yet hard to believe possible. He is a true professional, funny, and full of energy. It was worth every penny and more. All my guest asked for his number and I provided his contact information as well as my co-workers whom I also referred Phil especially for company parties. He made my daughter's party very special and memorable. Thank you Phil and may God bless your business and dream even more.
J.D. / San Jose, CA
5 Stars / 2/11/2013

I've been meaning to write this review since last October when Phil came out to entertain at our halloween event -- got busy, holidays have come and gone, but MAN...  I absolutely have to take a few minutes here to tell anyone out there that Magic Phil is an awesome entertainer, so professional, so fun for all ages - I unequivocally recommend him. This gentleman was born to be a magician and entertainer.
Maggie S. / Los Altos, CA
5 Stars / 2/11/2013

I just held a surprise birthday party for my husband. I invited Phil Ackerly from Ackerly Entertainment to perform. All 50 of us really enjoyed his sense of humor, good and unique magic tricks and had a really enjoyable time for almost an hour. Phil Ackerly is very professional, good speaker and communicator of all the guests at all ages. I definitely strongly recommend him to any family who wants to have a great party!!
Carrie M. / San Mateo, CA
5 stars; 1/31/2013

Phil provided wonderful tableside slight of hand magic at our company's 10th anniversary Christmas Party.  He kept the tables laughing with his "adult" humor and wow'd them with his magic.  Phil knows how to cater to his audience and added a great personal element to this large party. Even with a DJ, Casino tables and photobooths to contend with, many would stay at their tables so he would come by and "give them a show". We love Phil and we continue to get comments sent in from our field employees about how great he was, and that they hope he is back every year.
Carrie B. / Livermore, CA
5 stars; 1/9/2013

I recently booked Phil at my daughter's birthday party.  Phil was great with keeping all the children's (about 12-15 kids under 10) attention, and dealing with all the loud adults in the background.  Older generation Asian folks can be very loud and unaware of their environment at these types of functions when someone is speaking but Phil handled himself and the audience very well.   My friends and family all told me afterward that they really enjoyed his show.  A great mix of humor and performance.  There was one mistake during one of his tricks, but overall show was very good, especially the closeup strolling magic.  Also, he is very responsive to emails and phone calls.  Definitely worth the money.
Miller L. / San Jose
4 Stars; 1/9/2013

Phil was terrific with the kids at our Church. Would love to have him again! He listened to our concerns and was very professional.
Manohar A. / Fremont, CA
5 stars; 11/28/2013

NOTHING BEATS PHIL.
Seriously, if you want to entertain kids or adults and be the center of conversations about what a fantastic party you had, with the magician absolutely stealing the show...call Phil.  If mediocrity is your calling, please refrain. He is bound to elevate your gathering/celebration to the absolute highest level possible.
Pooja K. / Cupertino, CA
5 Stars; 11/14/12

Phil rocks! Just had our son's 6th birthday party with 16 other little people, they all LOVED Phil! I've received at least three calls from parents asking who that Magic Man was. Can't wait for another reason to have a magic show!!
Melanie D. / El Granada, CA
5 stars; 10/24/12

Such a treat to have Phil perform at our son's 6th birthday, were still talking about it!. He is such a gifted performer and artist.  Great communication leading up to the event, prompt arrival, friendly, and reasonably priced. His show was entertaining, thoughtful, hysterical, and overall a joy for both children and adults. Phil was able to maintain a nice balance between honoring the birthday child, siblings and including the crowd. Everyone was made to feel special. My son went to sleep that evening believing in magic!. We cannot thank Phil enough and look forward to an encore performance, Bravo!
Carolyn J. / San Jose, CA
5 stars; 10/16/12

One of my friend had invited Phil for her daughter's birthday party and she highly recommended him. I hired him for my son's 6th birthday party and it was a blast!!!He managed the kids and also the adults so very well and all the guests were entertained.I would highly recommend Phil.The kids loved the goodie bags!! it was a hit!!!!
Kathy T. / San Jose, CA
5 stars; 10/11/12

Phil is so funny and has such a great show! He performed to amaze everyone from the 4 year old in the room to the 80 year old. Highly recommend him!
Nicole R. / Los Angeles, CA
5 stars; 9/24/12

Phil performed last week at our company's annual celebration. The kudos are STILL coming in regarding how amazing he is - what a plethora of excitement he created!!! We selected Phil's "Mingle Magic" for the beginning of the evening, and then tailored the "Holiday Stand-up" show to our audience of ages 2-60+. He took the time to meet with me prior to our event to learn a bit about our company, and those personal touches that he included - like asking some of the children to act as his assistants or doing card tricks for our exec team - also ensured that the evening was a smashing success. I think the highlight of the evening was when he made it "snow" and produced a fully intact newspaper article about our company after having shredded it in front of our eyes. Simply astonishing!!!  I would most highly recommend him for to anyone who is looking for some special entertainment for their party, picnic, or holiday event. We certainly plan to ask Phil to join us again at our company picnic in the late summer - he is SPECTACULAR!!!
Rae C. / Mountain View, CA
5 stars; 1/24/12

Phil was fantastic!  He performed for my seven year old's birthday and he exceeded our expectations.  The kids loved him and had a great time at the party.  He was on time and the complete process was very smooth.  I would highly recommend him if you are looking for a magician for any type of event.
Ron K. / Palo Alto, CA
5 stars; 1/10/12

Phil Ackerly was an amazing magician and has a wonderfully warm sense of humor.  My sisters and I hired Phil to entertain my father on his 80th birthday celebration, after being highly recommended by my daughter's elementary school where he has performed shows year after year.  Phil not only can entertain the very young, he was equally if not more enjoyable to adults alike.  His magic tricks were astounding even with my father's background in magic, we were all very pleased with his performance.  And he was more than happy to accommodate our party details too.  I would definintely recommend Ackerly Entertainment to any and all ages.  We had a blast!!!
Lisa C. / Sunnyvale, CA
5 stars; 11/28/12

Can't say enough good things about Phil! Not only was he the star of my daughter's late birthday/early Halloween party, but the kids are all still talking about him and his magic to their family and friends. How do I know...because all the parents are thanking me for how much fun their child had at the party, especially the magic show!  Phil made the birthday girl feel extra special while also entertaining and getting the other kids involved. When I called to book him for our party, he was friendly and asked many questions about my daughter and what she likes/is like. He tailored the show to the appropriate age group and was a smashing hit!!  Thank you, thank you, thank you!! Not only for putting on an amazing show, but for your professionalism, kind personality, and keeping the 15+ kids we had here at the house focused and engaged so we had a small break from the chaos (and fun) that a parent is sure to experience while throwing their childs birthday party. Even the adults in the house were entertained!

Marla L. / San Jose, CA 5 stars; 10/28/11

I hired Phil to perform two shows for "Family Night" at the Dublin Farmers' Market this month.  He not only arrived on time and was well-prepared, but he was very generous with his time, talking with the families after each show.  There were kids of all ages at each of the performances, and he delighted everyone with his humor and his magic.  He was able to cross the generations.   I've seen a lot of magic shows, but Phil performed many tricks that I had never seen before.  I would highly recommend Phil Ackerly for any party or event!
Shari J. / Dublin, CA
4 stars; 9/27/11

I put together a party for my wife's 30th birthday and wanted some additional entertainment. At first, I was little apprehensive about hiring a magician because many times they aren't age appropriate for adults.  I can say was very pleased with Phil's performance, not only were the tricks impressive to the all adult audience, many of whom are sarcastic and skeptical, but he kept the event lively with his jokes and personal touches. The 25 folks in attendance were not bored, yawning, or walking outside to smoke...their eyes were glued to Phil like doe-eyed 3rd graders!  Thanks Phil!
D.K. Morgan Hill, CA
5 stars; 9/22/11

My wife had seen Phil perform 3-4 years ago, and saved his card for when our son was old enough to thoroughly enjoy the show.  She said that Phil's performance was great for children, but also fun and funny for parents/adults.  Fast-forward to my son's 7th birthday party.  We had about 8 children in our house, and about 7 adults; the children sat in front on the carpet while the adults sat in the background on chairs we'd lined up.  The show was great!  The children had a blast, and many had the opportunity to participate in the show.  At one point, Phil "levitated" my son while my daughter posed under him for pictures.  Near the end, Phil gave a how-to demonstration to the children of all the magic tricks he was including in his magic bag that he was leaving to each child.  And everyone who wanted to got to pet the beautiful bunny.  Phil's story was also motivational... bring up the importance of education, and the belief that you can be anything you want to be.  The only bad part is that my 4 year-old daughter now wants Phil for her upcoming birthday party!  But she also wants to have it at Pump It Up, and she's concerned that Phil won't know the way.  LOL!  I think we'll save Phil's card again for a few more years, and then share Phil with her best friends for her 6th or 7th birthday party.  One word of advice - even though this was a children's party, the parents that stayed loved it as well.  I would definitely invite as many of the children's parents and siblings as possible as they'll all enjoy it, even the very small children loved the bunny!  Enjoy!
Jim B. / San Jose, CA
5 stars; 3/2/11

Here are some important questions you should ask your entertainer before hiring them.  It will assist you in planning your party and coordinating other activities.

1. What is the typical length of a magic show?

2. Does the performer customize his/her program? If so, how?

3. How much space do they require?  Will you have to move furniture.  Can they perform outdoors if necessary?

4. Is it OK to serve food or beverage during the show?  Can we video tape the show?

5. Do they use volunteers?  Does the celebrated person get to assist the magician during the show? If so, how?

6. Is the show appropriate for youngsters? Is there a limit to the number of people that can watch the show?

Last month I started this shout-out column to give thanks and recognition to those that have inspired me along the way.  This month's shout out goes to my friend: David Wilson.

Here's wishing you a happy and prosperous new year in 2013.  I expect to have lots of news to share with you during the year. As I look ahead to a new year, I also look back and reflect on how fortunate I am to be doing what I love. I wouldn't be successful, however, without dedicated clients, friends and family. First, I want to say "Thank you" to all my clients for their continued business. I pick up hundreds of new clients each year, and have many clients that keep coming back. I was thrilled to perform Off Broadway at Monday Night Magic in New York City.   I also celebrated 20 years in business.  And I could not have done it without the support of friends and family.

This year, I will give a ''shout out'' to those that have educated, encouraged, inspired me.  Perhaps my monthly musings will be an inspiration to you too.  So, stay tuned in the months ahead. Thank you for your support for the past 20 years.

Let's start the shout-out column at the beginning: My Parents. 

Both were my biggest fans.  My dad took me to a House of Magic shop in San Francisco, and bought me my first magic book, Tarbell Course in Magic, vol. 1.   My mom sewed my outfits and was quick to give me feedback when I practiced.  When we had friends over for dinner, they would ask me to perform.  I got a lot of ''stage time'' and was amazed at their responses. This only encouraged me to keep learning. In their later years, they were always interested in what I was doing and encouraged me to keep performing. Now that both my parents have passed on, I look back at think of the love they had me and my magic.  I feel a part of them are with me every time I go out on stage. 

The week after my mom passed away, I was performing for the San Francisco 49ers.  As I was leaving their offices, the security guard said hello and asked me how I was.  I told him, I was hanging in there since my mom had just died.  And what he said next stuck with me, "When you lose someone close to you, all you have to do is to look in a mirror and you will see them."