At 811 Liberty Avenue in the Cultural District – the same block where Harry Houdini once mesmerized Pittsburghers in 1916 — Liberty Magic is an intimate, speakeasy-style performance space perfectly designed to showcase magic. Since its surprise opening in 2019, Liberty Magic has become an essential stop for the world’s best magicians and one of the only venues in America specifically dedicated to the craft of magic.

Liberty Magic’s 2022-2023 season’s lineup:

Henry Evans in The Enchanted Cards of Buenos Aires | November 2-December 4, 2022

No one is faster or more skilled with a deck of cards than Henry Evans. Nicknamed ‘Argentina’s merry magician,’ Henry is a FISM (the Olympics of Magic) European Champion. Audiences around the globe revel in the grace, precision, and humor of Henry’s performance style. The best part of any Henry Evans show is that almost all of the magic happens in the audience’s hands. 

Never before seen on U.S. soil, The Enchanted Cards of Buenos Aires brings one of Henry’s most popular performances to Pittsburgh as an American premiere and demonstrates why Evans is regarded as the best card magician in the world. 

December 7, 2022-January 1, 2023: Ran’D Shine in Evidence of Things Unseen

In the time that it takes you to read this sentence, Ran’D Shine has already determined which card you will pluck from the deck a week from now. For over a decade, the Philadelphia native has presented “real magic for real people” to audiences in hundreds of American cities and over 25 countries worldwide.

Steve Valentine in Life & Other Deceptions | January 4-February 12, 2022

You may have spotted him in NBC’s “Crossing Jordan,” Disney’s “I’m in The Band,” “Major Crimes,” “The Big Bang Theory,” “Mike and Molly,” “Hot In Cleveland,” “Anger Management” and over 200 hours of TV and film. 

However, few know that Steve Valentine is internationally recognized as one of the greatest sleight-of-hand artists in the world, having received four coveted awards from the world-famous Magic Castle alone. Steve fuses his well-known, wicked, and cheeky sense of humor with incredible magic and masterful storytelling. This hit one-man show takes you on a wild ride through Steve Valentine’s life, featuring fascinating stories, never before seen magic, and incredible sleight-of-hand. Part performance art and part intricate magic act, this show is hilarious, dramatic, touching, intimate, raunchy, and mind-blowing. 

Noah Sonnie in Trust No One | March 1-April 9, 2023

Who do you trust? Your family? Your friends? Yourself? Surely you Don’t trust a magician. Luckily, Noah Sonnie isn’t your typical magician, which means Trust No One Isn’t your typical magic show. Noah Sonie brings his unique perspectives to the stage while effortlessly blending his love for modern Magic and Mind reading with his quick wit and improvisational humor. Noah Blends numerous passions together to create a one-of-a-kind Jaw dropping experience for his audience.  

Lucy Darling in Indulgence | May 3-June 11, 2023

Unbelievably hilarious, devastatingly clever, and powerfully magical, Lucy Darling is a rising star and award-winning entertainer featured in the Guinness Book of World Records and Ripley’s Believe It or Not. She is the star of the Super Channel documentary Carisa Hendrix: Girl on Fire, which tells the true story of the struggle to create her Las Vegas magic show. She was voted Stage Magician of the Year at the Magic Castle in 2019.

Jimmy Ichihana in In the Cards | July 5-August 13, 2023

Using little more than a deck of cards, Jimmy Ichihana creates memories of the impossible, with his joy for magic evident in every performance. He’ll use every trick in the book to deceive your senses and create an unbelievable experience. 

In the Cards is a newly written show that combines magic collected from masters of the past and present with original creations and twists – many of which will be shared for the first time with the Liberty Magic audience. Combining sleight-of-hand, misdirection, and other undisclosed trickery, Jimmy’s show, “In the Cards,” is an interactive magical experience to enjoy with family and friends. 

2022-2023 Season Specials:

Peter Samelson in Devils’ N Details | October 5-30, 2022

Illusionist, entertainer, and philosopher, Peter Samelson, blends simplicity and sophistication while provoking thought and inspiring wonder. From Kenya to the Magic Castle, from television to trade shows, college campuses to commercials, the New York stage, nightclubs, and celebrity events, Samelson has distinguished himself not only as a magician but as an artist.

Mr. Messado in Ringistry | February 14-26, 2023

What is “Ringistry”–? It’s the artistry of the linking rings. A standard of magic performed in a way you’ve never seen before. A modern interpretation of an ancient craft highlights the cool in the classics, the suave in sleight of hand, and the inherent inspiration in witnessing the impossible. Revived for a second run by popular demand, you’ll get to know the mister behind the magic, the rabble-rousing raconteur behind the rings, and you’ll get to know the magic of Mr. Messado.

Jon Tai in Road Signs | April 12-30, 2023

Jon Tai is a critically acclaimed magician and storyteller whose mission is to foster connections between people through shared moments of astonishment. 

Jon is a proud Pittsburgher who lives with his wife Kate and tiny dog Nina in Troy Hill. Whereas “Missed Connections” took audience members on a cosmic mission across the multiverse, Jon is thrilled to come home to Liberty Magic with Road Signs – his earthly exploration of the quintessential American road trip and the various magical encounters one faces along the way.

Eric Jones in The Immaculate Deception : June 14-July 2, 2023

In December of 1972, something magical happened at Three Rivers Stadium. To this day, spectators are unsure just how it transpired. Through some combination of skill, chance, and miracle, Steelers’ fullback, Franco Harris, recovered a fumbled ball and pulled the team from the depths of sure defeat, scoring a game-winning touchdown with 30 seconds on the clock. One of the greatest plays of all time — The Immaculate Reception. Back by popular demand, Eric Jones, Liberty Magic’s Inaugural Magician and Artistic Advisor revives the original production that draws inspiration from our city’s history of miraculous moments! 

For more on Liberty Magic and subscription tickets, visit TrustArts.org/MAGIC or call 412-456-1390. 

Categories: Arts and Ideas