February 17, 2020
Pittsburgh Cultural Trust Media Contact:
Lucy Friedman-Bell, PULSE Fellow
friedman@trustarts.org | 412-894-4202
The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust Announces
Liberty Magic Spring and Summer Lineup
Following success of the inaugural subscription season, Liberty Magic extends programming into the late spring and early summer, continuing year-round magic offerings in the Cultural District
The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is excited to continue elevating the art of magic through Liberty Magic’s 2020 spring and summer lineup. The growth of Liberty Magic through a subscription series has only enhanced the magical experience for visitors, as each magician brings a distinctive style and flair to the theater. As one of the only venues dedicated to magic in the entire country, Liberty Magic offers audiences a one-of-a-kind experience that is easy to access and hard to forget.
Beginning in April, Siegfried Tieber brings his mysterious Sixty-Seven Keys to Liberty Magic featuring incredible storytelling through sleight of hand, magic, and illusion. Married couple the Evasons follow with their special Second Sight, a two-person telepathy act which has amazed audiences worldwide. June and July feature Peter Samelson, who founded New York City’s longest running off-Broadway magic show Monday Night Magic, and Zabrecky, who combines dark humor with magic in a totally unique and fresh way. Wrapping up the summer is Guy Hollingworth in The Expert at the Card Table, a show directed by Neil Patrick Harris and developed at London’s famed Menier Chocolate Factory telling the riveting story of Milton Franklin Andrews, a con man wanted on charges of murder, card-sharping, and railroading in the early 1900s.
Liberty Magic’s 66 seats have been filling quickly since its grand opening, and subscribers receive first access as new acts come to town, along with other benefits such as flexible dates, the lowest prices, dining discounts, and more. The 2020/2021 Liberty Magic subscription series will be announced on April 1, 2020.
Subscription tickets can be purchased at TrustArts.org/Magic or by calling 412-456-1390. Group tickets for 10 or more are available at 412-471-6930.
2020 LIBERTY MAGIC SPRING AND SUMMER SCHEDULE
Siegfried Tieber in Sixty-Seven Keys
Wednesday, April 1 – Sunday, April 19, 2020
Siegfried Tieber is a Los Angeles-based performer and sleight-of-hand magician. Born and raised in Ecuador, his first international appearance was in 2011 in Bogotá, Colombia. In 2015, Tieber headlined at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the largest arts festival in the world, where his performance was highly praised by reviewers and critics. In 2017, he was invited to be part of Penn & Teller: Fool Us, a television series featuring the legendary performance duo (yes, he did fool them). Tieber’s work has been featured in media outlets such as the Huffington Post, Los Angeles Times, and Forbes. In 2018, Time Out NY listed his show See/Saw as #1 in its “The best magic shows in New York City.”
In Siegfried Tieber’s newest show, Sixty-Seven Keys, you the audience unlock a high-stakes voyage, blurring the line between the improbable and the impossible. Storyteller and magician Siegfried Tieber uses sleight of hand, magic, and illusion to create and guide his audience on an impossible odyssey that depends entirely on the keys selected by each night’s audience. Inspired by The Seven Keys to Baldpate – a book written in 1913 about a man who visits a secluded inn to find some peace and quiet only to be distracted by six other characters who also have keys – Sixty-Seven Keys presents its own set of distractions and interruptions as a different set of mysteries unlock each and every show. When we flip a coin we create two possible outcomes, a fork in the road. Rolling a die unlocks six doors; shuffling a deck of cards creates more possibilities than a combination lock; but every journey begins with one single choice. What happens when the choice of one single key unlocks an evening of unimaginable possibilities?
The Evasons in Second Sight
Wednesday, April 22 – Sunday, May 31, 2020
During the early 19th century, a small number of married couples gained significant notoriety with performances of Second Sight. The Evasons are one of very few couples in history who have mastered the incredible artistry of two-person telepathy. They continue to travel around the globe as they share this rare and mysterious legacy.
From the moment they walk on stage, Jeff and Tessa Evason interact and engage with everyone in the audience. People are speechless when Tessa perceives birth dates, personal items, a serial number on any bill in a borrowed wallet or even the name of distant loved ones — all while standing on stage wearing a blindfold. Her intuitive gifts will captivate you. You might even unleash a spooked-out shriek!
The Evasons have traveled to over 38 countries performing at private parties and gala events. They’ve appeared on network television in North America and around the world. And, they have received some of the top awards in the field of magic and psychic entertainment.
Feeling a little skeptical? Remember, there are no stooges, hidden wires, or secret electronic communication devices. In fact, they will give $100,000 to anyone who can prove otherwise!
“This act is so good! Just breathtaking! We’ve never seen better.” –Penn & Teller: Fool Us
“The finest act of its kind in the world.” –NBC TV
Peter Samelson in Sleight-ly Mental Magic
Wednesday, June 3 – Sunday, July 5, 2020
Peter Samelson, master magician and off-Broadway star, literally wrote the book on Theatrical Magic. Co-founder of New York City’s longest running off-Broadway magic show Monday Night Magic and frequent performer at Speakeasy Magick, one of NY’s hottest new shows at the McKittrick Hotel, Peter has been hailed as New York’s most distinguished illusionist, entertainer, and philosopher.
A recent recipient of the Merlin Award for Lifetime Achievement, Peter is one of the most sought-after theatrical wizards. He has created magic for some of Broadway’s biggest plays and musicals including Leap of Faith, Harvey, The Cherry Orchard, Winters Tale, the National Tour of Pippin, the musical Houdini, Carnival at the Papermill Playhouse, Tom Stoppard’s Travesties, and the Menotti opera The Consul. Additionally, Peter has created and starred in three critically acclaimed one-man off-Broadway shows: The Magician, PaperWork, and Radnevsky's Real Magic.
Sleight-ly Mental Magic, Peter’s latest 75-minute, one-man tour de force, blends a lifetime of sleight-of-hand and sorcery; mentalism and mayhem; laughter and lunacy into one spectacular interactive performance that will leave you wanting more. The audience becomes part of the show with several opportunities to interact with Peter as he introduces Pittsburgh to his innovative comedic style. Peter’s mastery of decades old magic traditions brings a new dimension to this intimate parlor magic show. The true mystery revealed in Sleight-ly Mental Magic is this: Peter insists that he doesn’t actually do any magic at all; he only helps people see the magic that already exists in their minds. Be sure to join us for a fantastic evening that is sure to spark your sense of wonder.
Zabrecky in A Little Something Different
Wednesday, July 15 – Sunday, August 9, 2020
Looking for a show a little outside of the box? Zabrecky is a two-time Stage Magician of The Year award winner who has also been voted Parlor Magician of the Year twice by the Academy of Magical Arts. Zabrecky combines irreverent dark humor, mentalism, wizardry, and amazing feats of magical storytelling. On the strength of his fresh approach, Zabrecky has made a name for himself with television appearances including Criminal Minds, CSI NY, Comedy Bang Bang, Glow, Strange Angel, and The Next Great Magician. On Penn & Teller: Fool Us, Penn Jillette awarded Zabrecky an incredible compliment, "Sincerely funny and sincerely good!"
Like film director David Lynch, Zabrecky sets the stage for everyday life in his newest show A Little Something Different, then sets it on fire. Mysterious, hilarious, and always unexpected, there’s probably more “theater” in Zabrecky's wonderfully strange magic than in most Broadway shows. His unique performance character combined with jaw dropping magic and laugh out loud comedy makes his show one you will never forget!
“Highly entertaining and distinctly unique!" –LA Times
Guy Hollingworth in Expert at the Card Table
Wednesday, August 12 – Sunday, September 13, 2020
Never play cards with Guy Hollingworth. Concentrate as you may, those hands are too darned quick. A full-time barrister practicing intellectual property law, Guy Hollingworth has become world famous for his night job! He is considered one of London’s most skilled magicians specializing in a unique and original style of card conjuring for exclusive private gatherings and the occasional magic convention. His book, Drawing Room Deceptions, became an instant best-seller, leading to dozens of television appearances including NBC's The World's Greatest Magic III, Illusoes with Luis de Matos in Portugal, The Five Greatest Magicians in the World in Japan, Britain's Worst Cheats, Heroes of Magic, Fifty Greatest Magic Tricks, and the BBC's History of Magic. Guy holds the distinguished honor of being named Magician of the Year by the Academy of Magical Arts in Hollywood.
Directed by Neil Patrick Harris, and developed at London’s famed Menier Chocolate Factory, The Expert at the Card Table tells the riveting story of Milton Franklin Andrews, a con man wanted on charges of murder, card-sharping, and railroading, who took his own life in 1905 as authorities were closing in. Amongst the fine clothing, stacks of cash and playing cards in the dingy boarding house where his body was discovered, the police found a copy of a rare magic book called The Expert at the Card Table by S.W. Erdnase. Over 90-riveting minutes, Guy shares some of this rare book’s secrets with demonstrations of unfathomable conjuring and incomparable card control, whilst recounting the tragic mystery of Milton Andrews, the finest card mechanic of his day.
Neil Patrick Harris is a Tony® and Emmy award-winning stage and screen performer, famous for his roles as Barney Stinson in the popular CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother and as the iconic and beloved Doogie Howser, M.D. He’s been in many movies, hosted both the Tony and the Emmy Awards multiple times, and performed in several Broadway shows. Harris served as President of the Academy of Magical Arts from 2011-2014. His memoir, Choose Your Own Autobiography, was a New York Times bestseller. He is the author of The New York Times bestselling Magic Misfits young adult book series. Oh, and he is an accomplished amateur magician and magic director. And the father of twins. And he’s Dr. Horrible.
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Liberty Magic is a space dedicated to elevating the art of magic. Located at 811 Liberty, on the same block where Harry Houdini mesmerized Pittsburgh crowds in 1916, Liberty Magic is an intimate, speakeasy performance space dedicated to the art of sleight of hand and prestidigitation. With less than 70 seats in four rows, the magicians and performers who appear at Liberty Magic offer you a one-of-a-kind experience that is easy to access and hard to forget. TrustArts.org/Magic
The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust has overseen one of Pittsburgh’s most historic transformations: turning a seedy red-light district into a magnet destination for arts lovers, residents, visitors, and business owners. Founded in 1984, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is a non-profit arts organization whose mission is the cultural and economic revitalization of a 14-block arts and entertainment/residential neighborhood called the Cultural District. The District is one of the country’s largest land masses “curated” by a single nonprofit arts organization. A major catalytic force in the city, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is a unique model of how public-private partnerships can reinvent a city with authenticity, innovation and creativity. Using the arts as an economic catalyst, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust has holistically created a world-renowned Cultural District that is revitalizing the city, improving the regional economy and enhancing Pittsburgh’s quality of life. Thanks to the support of foundations, corporations, government agencies and thousands of private citizens, the Trust stands as a national model of urban redevelopment through the arts.
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