Pittsburgh joins, Chicago, New York, Nashville and Los Angles, with a club dedicated solely to the art of magic. Liberty Magic, located in the same block that Houdini mesmerized Pittsburgh audiences in 1916, pays homage to his famous Chinese Water Torture Cell illusion in the lobby. At Liberty Magic you are just feet away from famous magicians from all over the world as cards fly, coins appear and vanish, and minds are read. It’s a place to be dazzled by things seen and unseen.
Reflection
The experience starts in the lobby with the floor
to ceiling shelves containing a top hat, cards and other magical props. The Venue
Manager (Zoe Ruth) personally greets every patron inviting all to participate in a one on one
or small group card illusion. Through the lobby, passing the all-knowing Zoltar and
a room that looks like it could be part of Harry Potter’s Diagon Alley, you
enter the intimate 70 seat theater where
the magic begins.
I have been dazzled at Liberty Magic on several occasions. Each time there was a unique and different approach to the world of trickery. Some shows were sophisticated (Day 344) and others a variety of fun (Day 332). The common thread in all was always the “wow” factor.
Ran' D Shine, who has been featured at the South African Arts Festival and in two Presidential Inaugurations in Washington, DC kept the audience questioning, “how did he do that?” Thimbles multiplied, cut ropes morphed back together and cards were identified, disappeared and reappeared in volunteers’ pockets or a wallet. He told stories, made us laugh and seemed clairvoyant. Ran’D psychological illusions (especially identifying someone in the audience's most influential person) had you believing in the powers of the unseen.
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| Skeleton Key VIP Experience |
(The magic
awaits Wednesday through Sunday every week (go to show schedule for the upcoming Illusionist.)
Other sources
https://trustarts.org/pct_home/events/series/liberty-magic
https://trustarts.org/pct_home/events/series/liberty-magic/shows
https://trustarts.org/production/82837/liberty-magic-steve-valentine-in-life-and-other-deceptions