An Enchanted Evening at Liberty Magic
Having lived in the Pittsburgh area my entire life, I’ve experienced much of what the city has to offer—its sporting events, concerts, museums, festivals and restaurants.
However, I’ve never experienced anything quite like Liberty Magic.
Liberty Magic is a brand-new venue from the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust that just opened in Downtown Pittsburgh. The storefront is located right next door to the Harris Theater, on the same block where, in 1916, Harry Houdini wowed crowds by hanging upside down from a rope while strapped into a straitjacket. The venue, which bills itself as an “intimate, speakeasy magic arts space,” offers a truly one-of-a-kind experience. When I say I’ve never experienced anything quite like it before, I’m not being hyperbolic.
With its heavy burgundy curtains, old-timey music and collection of magic artifacts, you feel as if you’re being transported back in time to those days of Harry Houdini as soon you as you step inside.
We attended a Saturday evening performance featuring magician Eric Jones, the magician in residence at the venue through March 17. You may recognize Eric from the last season of “America’s Got Talent,” where he was named a top 12 semi-finalist. He comes to Pittsburgh with an impressive pedigree: he’s worked with magic heavyweights like David Blaine and Criss Angel, and was one of only a handful of magicians who managed to fool Penn and Teller on the television show “Fool Us.”
Eric’s one-hour performance, aptly titled “Impossible,” features mesmerizing sleight-of -hand coin and card tricks. Without giving anything away, one of his tricks, which involved an audience member’s diamond ring and a glass-domed container, had us scratching our heads and discussing “how he did that” well after the show ended. And while his tricks had our collective jaws hitting the floor more than once, I was as equally impressed with his demeanor and storytelling abilities, as well as with his sense of humor.
There are two ticketing levels at Liberty Magic: a $40 general admission, and a $65 “Skeleton Key” VIP admission. The Skeleton Key tickets we received gave us access to go backstage to meet Eric and partake in a Q&A with him after the show. He also performed a few more up-close, jaw-dropping magic tricks, and he shared the first sleight-of-hand trick he ever learned. This personal touch, and the opportunity to meet the artists behind the magic, is worth the extra cost. I must also give props to the Cultural Trust staff who were there to operate the venue; they were warm, welcoming and beyond friendly.
With only 70 seats and four rows, there isn’t a bad seat in the house. The first two rows are reserved for Skeleton Key guests, and several of these guests (as well as others in the back rows), were asked to join Eric on stage at Saturday’s performance.
The venue is BYOB and charges a $5 per-guest corkage fee (complimentary soft drinks and water are provided). This is an adults-only venue; the recommend age for guests is 18 and up, and no one under the age of 12 will be admitted.
A truly one-of-a-kind experience, Liberty Magic is exactly the kind of venue that Pittsburgh didn’t know it needed. If you’re looking for a truly enchanted evening of entertainment, you’ll definitely want to visit.
Liberty Magic is located at 811 Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh. For more information or to purchase tickets, click HERE.
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Disclaimer: In exchange for sharing this review, we were given free admission to Liberty Magic. All opinions are my own.