Asi Wind is one of magic's most innovative and influential talents. He has worked closely with David Blaine, creating some of the most effective illusions that Blaine has performed in his TV specials. Asi also toured with Blaine's first national tour as a guest star in the show. Asi is an in-demand performer who performs around the world at high-end parties and corporate events. His off-Broadway show, Concert of the Mind had a sold-out and extended run, and his recent book, Repertoire, sold out in a few weeks of its publication and now is in its second printing. 

Shawn Farquhar is a two-time winner at FISM, the international magic world championship competition. His fast-paced act encompasses hard core amazement, upbeat comedy, and fun audience participation. His performance also reveals a lifelong emotional connection to magic and he has been described as having “connected the skills of his talent with the passion in his heart.” Audiences may recognize Shawn from his recent appearances on Penn & Teller: Fool Us in which he fooled Penn & Teller (twice!). He also stunned Ellen DeGeneres in a recent performance on the Ellen show. He regularly performs at premiere venues across the globe, but rarely performs in New York, so the Salute provides an unusual opportunity to see this renowned magician on stage.

The lovable character of Lucy Darling was created by magician Carisa Hendrix, a 5-time award-winning entertainer featured in the Guinness Book of World Records, Ripley’s Believe it or Not, and the 2016 Super Channel documentary Carisa Hendrix: Girl on Fire; which tells the harrowing story of Hendrix’s journey to star in her own magic show on the Las Vegas strip. Hendrix has been thrilling audiences internationally for the past 15 years with her signature blend of classy, sassy comedy entertainment. She appears regularly at Hollywood’s Magic Castle, has been a hit at magic conferences across the United States, and is the co-host, with Kayla Drescher of the popular podcast, Shezam.

Bobby Torkova's charming, whimsical and lively renditions of classic magic are filled with humor, heart, and true amazement. Torkova is a two-time first-place winner of the Society of American Magicians' National Competition and won the prestigious Hofzinser Award for Classical Magic given by the Vienna Magic Theater in Austria. He has performed for numerous A-list celebrities, collaborated with the noted Ying Quartet for a performance at Symphony Space, and has been featured in the best-selling book Magic for Dummies (a highly regarded magic text despite its name!). Torkova recently debuted his one-man show A Hanky and a Top Hat which tells of his determined journey to become a professional magician.Bobby Torkova's charming, whimsical and lively renditions of classic magic are filled with humor, heart, and true amazement. 

​The Salute to Magic, originally known as the annual Magic Vaudeville, was created in 1909 in order to raise money for a permanent building for the Society of American Magicians. While the building never came to pass, the event has continued to function as a fundraiser for the Society. 

The event will also feature the presentation of the Magician of the Year award, recognizing David Kaye for his contributions to magic and to the Parent Assembly. David has had a global impact on the field of children’s magic, and he has also held the most significant leadership positions in the Assembly.

Parent Assembly, #1 of the Society of American Magicians was founded in New York in 1902. It formed the basis for a separate national organization that now includes hundreds of other Assemblies. Parent Assembly promotes the art of magic through free shows for the public, lectures and workshops for its members, and many other activities. More information is available at: magicsampa1.com.

David Roth’s reputation was forged by a remarkable repertoire of original effects that changed the face of coin magic. Early in his career he became a good friend of Ricky Jay and their relationship stretched over the course of decades. Not only were the two magicians friends, but David was Ricky’s backstage assistant in Jay’s hit 1994 stage piece Ricky Jay and His 52 Assistants. David worked with Jay on the original production in New York and in subsequent versions nationally and internationally.

Today David is Master in Residence at the Conjuring Arts Research Center, the nonprofit magic library in Manhattan, where he works on a variety of projects related to the organization’s mission preserving and providing access to an extensive collection of materials documenting magic.

David Roth has a unique perspective on the personal and professional sides of Ricky Jay, and we're grateful he spent some time reflecting on his friend for Herb’s Magic. 

Herb: How did you first meet Ricky?

David: It’s very funny you should ask, because more than once Ricky and I have sat down and tried to remember the first time we met. And we know it was over forty years ago because it was before I was twenty years old. Irv Tannen got me a job as a magic demonstrator in Las Vegas at a magic shop in Circus Circus casino. It was a real working casino, but it also had a midway, like a circus, so you could bring the kids, in other words. The parents would be on the main floor and next door was like a midway, and there was a magic shop. So Irv Tannen got me a job there. But I already knew Ricky because he wanted me to meet Mike Skinner. The two of them drove seven hours from L. A. To Vegas so that Ricky could introduce me to him. That was wonderful. I’ll never forget that. Mike and I ended up becoming very close friends. We became roommates. 

So I knew Ricky before I was twenty, but we can’t remember a specific event, or a party or a show or a meeting where we met. But it was a long time ago.

He was older than you right?

Yeah by about five or six years. I thought that he was 71, but I’ve been reading all over that he was 72. I also read that he was 70. I always thought that he was five years older, but apparently he was six.

At the time approximately when you met, where was he in his life at that point?

Well, he was with the very long hair. He was on the road. He basically ran away from home when he was young and never looked back. He did all kinds of things. He ran a ten-in-one show, he opened for a lot of rock bands. He worked at the Electric Circus when it was here on Eighth Street. He was doing things like that. He looked the part because of his very long hair and he was a lot skinnier then and he had a much higher energy level. You can see that if you watch him on TV shows when he still had the long hair. Dinah Shore adored him. He was on her show at least 20 times.

I remember in the 1970s when he started appearing on all these shows and one of the things that was interesting to me was that he had the long hair and the beard, but he was also wearing a three-piece suit. It was discordant, if you know what I mean. I wanted to think, ‘here’s this guy from the hippie generation who’s representing the next generation of magic,' but you couldn’t figure out what he was all about in a way.

Yeah. I think he did that intentionally. It was an interesting look. That’s right. And he was able to pull it off And he was making the rounds of talk shows. She in particular just really thought he was great and had him on a lot.

Do you remember in those earlier years sitting down and hanging out and doing magic?

This might help date it. We knew each other a while by then. When Doug Henning was doing The Magic Show he had a party in his apartment. The producers got him a very nice place near the theater. And he had a party and he hired me and Derek Dingle and Ricky to do a show. And I’m just glad Ricky went on last. I wouldn’t have wanted to follow him. But that was a while ago. That had to be in the 1970s.

Then he moved out to L. A. and when I got out to L. A. he had this terrific apartment in Venice. He lived in Venice which is a very nice area, kind of a spot for artists. [interview continues-click "read more"]

by Herb Scher

As most readers here will already have learned, Ricky Jay passed away this past Saturday, the 24th. Jay was one of the most influential and highly regarded figures in magic for a variety of reasons, not the least of which was his skill with sleight of hand. However the impression he made had a lot to do with a wholly original approach to his magic and to the other passions he pursued. There was nothing stereotypical in his archly anachronistic style of performance, in the subject matter and tone of the publications he wrote or in his passion for antiquarian books, and his fascination with con artists and charlatans.

Jay's roots were here in New York where as a youngster (then known as Ricky Potash) he began performing in the shows of IBM Ring 26 and the S. A. M.'s Parent Assembly, the magic groups with which his grandfather, Max Katz, was involved. "I remember Ricky performing for the Parent Assembly when he was about six years old, said Warren Kaps, one of the longest-standing members of the Assembly.  He was dressed in tails and did the floating cane. . . .For a six-year-old he performed extremely well, which was to the credit of his grandfather who made him practice, practice, practice, and it showed." Jay's grandfather was a successful accountant who also had a passion for magic as well as a number of other diverse interests. Katz was very active in the New York magic scene and was president of the Parent Assembly in the 1948-49 year. Jay recalled in an interview that his grandfather encouraged all his grandchildren in the performance of magic and some of them stuck with it for a year or two, but it was only in Jay that it became a lifelong pursuit. Jay's decision to make magic his full-time profession apparently was a major point of contention with his parents. "His parents were deeply opposed to it," said Kaps, "and he basically ran away from home. . . .It was a real tragedy. By that time I think Max had passed away. If Max had still been alive, I think it would have been much different."

In 1994 Jay created a sensation in New York with his show Ricky Jay and His 52 Assistants. It was produced by Second Stage in a small theater on the Upper West Side and after the entire initial run sold out getting tickets took determination. In my case that meant waiting in line before the show for any returned seats. I did get to see the production from one of the last rows in the house. My fellow audience members that night included Steve Martin, Woody Allen and his wife Soon Yi, Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, and Mike Nichols. Among the notable pieces in the show was an assembly of queens which was performed with an arcane patter. It turns out that much of the verbiage was drawn directly from The Expert at the Card Table, the seminal 1902 work of card magic attributed to S. W. Erdnase. Jay was able to create a work that thrilled contemporary audiences by finding inspiration in and bringing forward the classic underpinning of his craft.

His fascination with the history of magic and performing was also reflected in his remarkable literary output. In particular, books like Learned Pigs & Fireproof Women and Matthias Buchinger: The Greatest German Living, enlightened readers about a range of eccentric performers who Jay discovered and documented through extensive research with antiquarian books and other resources. These publications among many others represent a legacy of information that will be available to inspire future generations. For an interesting conversation in which Jay touches on his literary interests (as well as a wide range of other topics), check out the interview with Paul Holdengraber at The New York Public Library from 2014.

Ricky Jay's life and his influence have been covered extensively in such resources as Mark Singer's extensive 1993 article in The New Yorker and the documentary Deceptive Practice: The Mysteries and Mentors of Ricky Jay (which can be viewed through a number of online sources including Kanopy, available for free through many libraries). What these profiles reveal is a fascinating, complicated and strikingly original individual who blazed a unique path of his own devising.

Steve Cohen's Book Signing at Tannen's, November 15, 2018
All photos are ©Herb Scher and may not be used without permission. 

​Magician Steve Cohen, has published The Millionaires' Magician, a graphic novel that reveals a dramatic origin story seemingly drawn from the framework of Cohen's true-to-life experiences. There may be some exaggeration in the scenes of hand-to-hand combat and Cohen's tragic confrontation with an evil businessman, but readers will have to draw their own conclusions about the line between truth and fiction.

If this all seems a bit vague, read on for a more in-depth view of how Cohen came to create and publish his 110 page graphic novel with a red-headed conjuring crusader as its hero. The publication of the book will be celebrated this Thursday, November 15 with a free event at Tannen's from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Cohen will present a special performance at 6 p.m. Tannen's is located at 45 West 34th Street, 6th floor (betwen Fifth and Sixth Avenues). On a regular basis Cohen can be seen in his long-running show Chamber Magic currently presented on Fridays and Saturdays at the Lotte New York Palace hotel.
​
Thanks for agreeing to answer some questions about your new graphic novel, Steve. I wonder, if you could comment on how the comic came about and what motivated you to create it?

I was looking for a new challenge! I had already written a book, created a two-hour television special, and performed a solo show on stage at Carnegie Hall. My ongoing show at the Waldorf Astoria was in its fifteenth year at the Waldorf Astoria. Frankly, I needed a new outlet for my creativity.

One day, on my way to meet a friend for lunch, I had a eureka moment and decided my next project on the spot: I was going to create a comic book. It simultaneously felt thrilling and crazy. What was I getting myself into?

How long have you been working on it?

From conception to publication, the entire process took three years. The script took roughly three months to complete, and then the artwork took another eighteen months. Pitching the book to publishers took a lot longer than expected, and at the end of the day I ended up self-publishing. The nice thing about self-publishing is that you have total control over every detail of the project. The final product exceeded my every expectation.

Can you provide some perspective on the process of creating it? For example in developing the story were there multiple iterations? Did you get feedback from one or more people as you were working on it? And how did you work with the writer and artists who helped you realize this? And is there anything else you can say regarding the process that might not be an obvious part of developing something like this?

I never knew that so many people were involved in creating a comic book! As a child I read thousands of comics, and now have a new appreciation for all of the work that goes into a standard 22-page book. (My graphic novel is a 110-page trade paperback.)

The team I assembled included a script-writer, an artist, a colorist, a letterer, a cover artist, and a book designer. Many comic books separate the roles of penciler and inker, but my artist, Peter Krause, took on both responsibilities.

I sent script drafts to my best friend and long-time collaborator Mark Levy who offered suggestions to enhance certain scenes.

Probably the best critics were my two children, Alex and June. I read the script aloud to them as a bedtime story, to see what they responded to and what confused them. Their feedback was invaluable. [Interview continues - Click "Read More" below].

Aside from the questions about working process, can you comment on your inspiration for the story itself? Did you always want to be a magician superhero?!

Ever since I was a boy, I wanted to be Batman. My parents still have pictures of me wearing a Batman costume to school. The idea of dressing up and playing with cool gadgets is what appealed to me. I built a utility belt out of oaktag, with hidden pouches that held rubber bands and thumbtacks. The pièce de résistance was a handmade grappling hook line made from a chain of paper clips.

Many years later I was lucky to meet the owner of one of the original Batmobiles used on the 1966 Batman television series. I flew to Detroit and spent the afternoon driving around the downtown area, in the actual Batmobile. That was definitively one item checked off the bucket list!

Of course in real life I never became a crimefighter, I became a magician. Fortunately this career choice still allows me dress up and play with cool gadgets. The graphic novel was my way of combining two of my great interests – comics and magic.

Can you talk about your involvement with comics previously?

I have been a comics fanboy for much of my life. As a child I collected Fantastic Four, Spiderman, Daredevil, Captain Marvel, World’s Finest, Justice League, Conan the Barbarian, Archie Comics, and many more.

My biggest obsession, however, was Batman. I collected Detective Comics, Batman, Legends of the Dark Knight, and all related series. The collection grew through my college years, and then I eventually gave all of my comics away, with the exception of Frank Miller’s Batman: Year One, and a few other sentimental books.

Batman: Year One was ultimately the inspiration for my graphic novel because it provides a well-rounded origin story of an existing character. I wanted to create a similar origin story for my performing character, so that visitors to Chamber Magic would have more depth of understanding where I “came from.”

How did you connect with the writer and artists who worked on the book?

A friend named Rich Miller used to work as a staff artist at DC Comics. Years ago Rich invited me into the DC office located at 1700 Broadway, across the street from the Ed Sullivan Theater. That visit made a huge impression on me. The lobby was decorated like the pages of a comic book, with life-size cutouts of Superman and Batman.

Rich introduced me to his close friend Keith Champagne, a respected artist and talented comics writer. I invited Keith to my show at the Waldorf Astoria, and we brainstormed in person and over the telephone for several weeks.

Since Keith lives in the world of comics, often lording over his own table at Comic Con events, he knows many of the top artists in the field. Keith sent me the portfolios of some candidates, but I rejected many of them because their style was too modern. The specific vision I had in mind pointed at the moody styles of Alex Toth and David Mazzucchelli.
​
One day, I happened across the artist Peter Krause when I read his work on the Marvel book Daredevil. I instantly knew that he was the artist for my book! Through Keith, I reached out to Pete, and convinced him to work with us on this independent project.

I was enamored by the Eisner Award winning colorist Jordie Bellaire, through her color work on Batman, Flash Gordon, and many other books. Jordie lives in Ireland, but I invited her parents (who live in the U. S.) to my show at the Waldorf. They loved the show, and I think that clinched the deal since Jordie ultimately agreed to participate in my project.

The celebrated book designer Spencer Charles had also visited my show at the Waldorf, and previously worked with me on several design projects. I invited Spencer to lay out and design the graphic novel, and he subsequently introduced me to the Australian artist Tara Phillips, who drew the cover.

In the preview that you have online there is a mentor figure named Max. Is he or anyone else in the story based on real people you’ve known?

The character of Max in the graphic novel is visually based on magician Frederick Eugene Powell, and he is named after my hero, Max Malini.

Powell was dean of the Society of American Magicians from 1922 to 1938, and to me symbolized what an old-timey magician should look like. I sent reference photos of Powell to my artist, and he based the character on those photos.

I named the character Max because I have modeled much of my career after Max Malini. We both worked at the Waldorf Astoria hotel, and we both have aimed to entertain audiences at the highest level of society. Over the years, I’ve accumulated a significant collection of original Malini memorabilia – signed photos, paintings, show tickets, illustrations, and promotional booklets. Malini has played a central figure in my development as a magician, so I named the character in his honor.

Who do you see as the audience for this? Magicians? Comic lovers?

David Copperfield was kind enough to write in the Foreword, “Like any good fable, it seamlessly weaves fact with fiction, truth with tall tale, into a memorable read.”

The graphic novel should appeal to both magicians and comics lovers, as well as anyone who loves a good yarn. I like to call it a “not-quite-autobiography” since many true elements of my life and career are woven into the story.

Fortunately I have a built-in audience at my Chamber Magic shows – visitors want to take home a memento of their special evening at the Lotte New York Palace (my new show venue). The books are also available in the hotel gift shop.

Please feel free to add anything else you’d like to say about the project.

In the world of comics, the Millionaires’ Magician would perform for people like Tony Stark, Richie Rich, Oliver Queen, and Bruce Wayne.

In real life, the Millionaires’ Magician has performed over five thousand live shows for the upper-crust of New York society, and visitors from around the world.

People who read the comic will want to visit the live show, and guests who visit the show will want to read the comic. The two offerings elegantly complement one another.

What’s next for magician, thwarter of crime Steve Cohen - either in the comics or real life?

I am looking into appearing at upcoming Comic Con events, to invite a new demographic to experience my work.

I already have a second graphic novel concept in the works, this time with a major publisher. More on that at another time…

Meanwhile, my weekly shows at the Lotte New York Palace are entering the nineteenth year, and I am already starting to plan special festivities for the twentieth anniversary show.

Guests who visit me at The Palace can enjoy a new craft cocktail I helped create: the “Think-a-Drink” cocktail. As a tribute to my show, the drink is served in a small teakettle!

​###

Magician Joshua Jay will perform on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon this coming Friday, October 26. The show airs at 11:30 p.m. on NBC. The appearance will provide Jay the opportunity to publicize the extension of his live show Six Impossible Things which starts performances again on October 25 at Wildrence, a venue on Canal Street in Manhattan. It originally was presented in the same space this past summer.
 
In comments to Herb's Magic Jay provided details about the development of the piece that he will perform on The Tonight Show. "The tough thing was, nothing in my show translates to late-night television," Jay said. All the pieces from the show are quite environment-specific, and so we (we being my collaborators on the piece, Danny Garcia and the Other Brothers) put together a fun, dare-I-say comedy piece that will play big and fit the time limit we've been given. It's a huge departure for me, which I love, and it's nothing at all like my show. And I was very fortunate that some buddies in Vegas allowed me to perform the piece on their shows each night for a week, so I could test some of the sequences before we run it on The Tonight Show." 

It's been a busy time for Jay who yesterday, in addition to delivering a sold out lecture at Tannen's, also announced that he and Andi Gladwin, his partner at their magic company, Vanishing, Inc, have acquired Dan and Dave Buck's The Art of Magic enterprise. The Art of Magic markets an extensive line of instructional videos by such conjurors as Asi Wind, Ricky Smith, Jason England, Juan Tamariz, and Jared Kopf to name a few. In addition Jay and Gladwin are producing two magic conferences in January. They are presenting The Session, held January 11th to 13th in London and then Magifest in Columbus, Ohio, January 17th to 19th.

Six Impossible Things will run at Wildrence, 59 Canal Street. For additional information including the show schedule and a link to purchase tickets, go to: siximpossiblethingsshow.com

​###

Throughout the history of magic there have been many influential figures who made notable contributions to the art even though their livings came from other full-time occupations. Among them are a number of physicians who have created innovative techniques, stood out as performers, or otherwise dedicated themselves to the field of conjuring. Dr. Kedar Sankholkar, a New York City cardiologist and magician, will appear October 26 in Magic and Mysteries of the Heart, a free event at The New York Pubilc Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center. Dr. Sankholkar will perform a wide range of magic at the event and will also weave into his presentation valuable information about the heart, focusing on ways that individuals can actively improve their own health.

Dr. Sankholkar says that his thinking about similarities between magic and medicine evolved after wondering why some patients would change their behavior to lead toward healthier outcomes while others struggled with the same types of changes. "My main goal is to motivate people to make the right choices for their health through education and entertainment," says Dr. Sankholkar. "As magicians we are doing sleight of hand that when looked at in isolation has no meaning, but when presented well spectators turn it into something in their minds. That’s where the magic happens. It’s completely in their minds. I’ve started to notice that’s also where true changes for a patient’s heart happens. It has to start in their minds."

Peter DePaula, who starred in the national tour of the hit musical The Magic Show, directly after it created a sensation on Broadway in the 1970s, will discuss his experiences performing in the influential production in The Magic Show the Musical and Me, an event presented Thursday, October 4, by the Parent Assembly of The Society of American Magicians. Peter will provide a behind-the-scenes view revealing how he was cast in the production (in the role created by Doug Henning), how he learned the material, including the major illusions it contained, and what it was like to tour the country at the center of a show that created a new framework for how magic was performed and perceived. Peter will also discuss the New York magic scene during the time in which he was cast in the show and he will demonstrate and teach close-up effects that were among those he would perform when promoting The Magic Show on television. The event will be held at The New York Theosophical Society in Manhattan (details below).

The Magic Show caused a major change in the world of magic. It opened in May 1974 at the Cort Theatre on Broadway and ran for 1,920 performances, closing on December 31, 1978. Doug Henning was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical and director Grover Dale was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical.

This musical turned magic around, changing the way magicians dressed, the way magic incorporated musical accompaniment, and how it was presented in general. It opened the door for the TV magic special and tweaked the interest of the television and film industry in exploring the art of magic. A previous version of this presentation was given at The Magic Castle in Los Angeles for the 40th anniversary of the opening of the Broadway show. 

The event is free for Parent Assembly, #1 members, $15 for non-members of the S. A. M., $10 for S.A.M. members who are not members of PA1.

It will be held at the New York Theosophical Society, 242 East 53rd Street (between 2nd and 3rd Avenues). Doors for The Magic Show the Musical and Me open at 7:45 p.m. after the conclusion of the Parent Assembly business meeting.

​###

The Illusionists will return to Broadway for the fourth consecutive year in a new version of the international magic franchise. This year's show, The Illusionists - Magic of the Holidays, features five top-billed magicians: Darcy Oake, Adam Trent, Colin Cloud, Shin Lim and Chloé Crawford, who will perform a wide variety of magic including illusions, close-up effects, mentalism and escapes. Although the number of magicians is fewer than in previous iterations of the show, the production will also feature the dance group Light Balance which uses electronically illuminated costumes and black art techniques to create illusionistic, animated effects. The Illusionists – Magic of the Holidays will run November 23 through December 30 at the Marquis Theatre, 210 West 46th Street.

For our 2014 Interview with Simon Painter, a Producer of The Illusionists, go here.

The Illusionists premiered in Sydney, Australia in January 2012 with a cast of seven conjurors. Since then a number of different companies of the show and spin-off productions have toured throughout the world. In each version of The Illusoinists, the magicians are billed with descriptive nicknames indicating their specialty. In the upcoming Broadway company Adam Trent is positioned as "The Futurist," Oake performs as "The Grand Illusionist," Cloud is billed as "The Deductionist," Lim is heralded as "The Manipulator," and Crawford is known as "The Sorceress." 

Adam Trent is a veteran of The Ilusionists' first foray to Broadway in 2014. In that production he was featured in a segment in which he interacted with a large video wall, causing items to appear and disappear into the high-tech screen and using it as a moving backdrop to create the illusion of motion and other effects. Trent returned to Broadway with The Illusionists in 2015 and later toured in a solo magic production sponsored by the show's producers. Among other accomplishments he stars in a 10-episode Netflix series in which he performs magic for people he meets while travelling abroad.

Darcy Oake gained visibility on Britain's Got Talent where he was a finalist in the competition in 2014. He also has appeared on Penn & Teller: Fool Us and has made a number of high profile appearances including a performance at a 90th birthday celebration for Queen Elizabeth.

Chloe Crawford was a magic assistant to Murray Sawchuck in Las Vegas and then performed in Criss Angel's touring show The Supernaturalists and eventually in his Las Vegas show MindFreak Live. Crawford gained recognition as a solo magic act on the 2015 season of Britain's Got Talent in which she impressed the judges with a series of stage illusions.

Colin Cloud is a mentalist who bills himself as the "Sherlock Holmes of entertainment." He has appeared on both Britain's Got Talent and America's Got Talent as well as Penn & Teller: Fool Us. He also toured in The Illusionists - Live from Broadway, a previous version of the magic revue. As Colin McLeod he has released a variety of well-received publications and effects to the magic community.

Shin Lim was a winner of the FISM competition in 2015 for card magic and is one of the finalists in the current season of America's Got Talent. He also appeared twice on Penn & Teller: Fool Us, fooling the magicians both times. He is known for performing extended card magic routines, set to music, which involve multiple transformations and transpositions. Lim also has released a series of videos and other products for magicians interested in learning his routines.

Light Balance is a dance troupe from Dnipro City, Ukraine. They competed on Britain's Got Talent in 2014 and then on America's Got Talent in 2017 where they finished third place in the competition.

For more information about The Illusionists - Magic of the Holidays, or to purchase tickets, click here.

Magick at the McKittrick is a new late night magic experience featuring magician, sideshow artist, and raconteur Todd Robbins as its host and ringleader. The evening also features performances by a crew of closeup magic specialists, and will include tableside Tarot readings, and live music. The show is presented at the McKittrick Hotel in the venue's Manderley Bar which on show nights will be transformed into the "Magick Speakeasy." The next performances are scheduled for September 7, September 21, and September 28, although Magick at the McKittrick is planned as an ongoing event and additional dates will be added. The evening begins at 11:30 p.m. and runs until approximately 1:30 a.m.

"Patrons will experience an unparalleled display of remarkable close-up magic," according to Robbins, "as nine of the City's top magicians take turns visiting the patron's table and presenting an intimate concert of sleight-of-hand magic, mentalism, pickpocketry, sideshow skills and more." Brief performances will also be given on stage throughout the night. The show features a rotating roster of magicians which currently includes: Matthew Holtzclaw, Prakash Puru, Noah Levine, Matias Letelier, Jason Suran, Patrick Davis, Alex Boyce and Mark Calabrese. Robbins's co-host is Virginia Logan who also does "whimsical Tarot readings" at the tables. Stride and jazz pianist Jesse Gelber will provide music. "Anything can happen, and probably will, and probably will happen to you," continues Robbins in describing Magick at the McKittrick.

Todd Robbins is a multifaceted performer who has established himself most vividly for perpetuating the traditions of the sideshow including stunts like eating light bulbs and hammering a nail into his nasal cavities. He is also a talented magician who starred in Play Dead an off-Brodway show of true ghost stories and haunted happenings that Robbins created with Teller of Penn & Teller. He also can be seen as the host of Investigation Discovery's show True Nightmares and is a partner in the team that produces Monday Night Magic at the Players Theater in Greenwich Village.

The McKittrick Hotel was created as the venue for the immersive theater production Sleep No More and has branched out to also host a variety of other events, including another magic evening, At the Illusionist's Table.

For information about tickets to "Magick at the McKittrick," click here. Links to purchase tickets are live on the venue's Calendar of Events.