Interview: Austin McCormick and Sam Urdang Talk COCKTAIL MAGIQUE

This interview was updated on April 10, 2023

Cocktail Magique is the latest show from Company XIV in Brooklyn, combining magic and mixology in one opulent new space. Located down the street from its sister venue, Théâtre XIV, Cocktail Magique Theatre is just as enchanting with a few different tricks up its sleeve.

We chatted with creator and director Austin McCormick along with creative collaborator and host Sam Urdang about Cocktail Magique and what they enjoy sharing with the audience.

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What was the inspiration behind Cocktail Magique? How is it different from your other shows?

Austin McCormick: I have wanted to create a show centering around cocktails and illusions for quite some time. It's my first foray into magic and I've had a wonderful time expanding my skill set and learning from magic consultants Todd Robbins and Matthew Holtzclaw. It's been incredibly fun to create a boozy world that is intimate, opulent, and participatory. Audience members are served cocktails and treats during the show.

Why was that an important aspect of this new venture?

AM: I am forever interested in integrating service into my productions. Our Magique Luxe couches for two are the most fabulous way to enjoy the show as they come with a coursed cocktail tasting served throughout the proceedings.

What has the process of creating and performing in the show been like for you, Sam?

Sam Urdang: Most often in the building process, he will come to me with an overall shape of an idea and then leave me room to experiment and play within that to find the most effective route from point A to point B. I view our relationship as a fearless general and reliable squadron leader. He creates the battle plans and then trusts that I have the skills to carry them out. A great deal of this show has been constructed around my pre-existing skill sets, so it's been a privilege to mold what I can already do to fit Austin's vision for the world he wants to create for the patron. And if I don't have a skill yet, Austin is incredibly supportive in getting me the resources and the time to learn it. I've doubled the number of random tricks I can perform since joining ranks with XIV, and it's all thanks to Austin's willingness to trust in me and push me forward on my creative path.

How is it different from other shows with Company XIV?

SU: I've been performing with XIV since the winter of 2017. This show differs for a myriad of reasons, namely the intimacy and immersive nature of the venue itself. Whereas Theatre XIV seats just under 200, Cocktail Magique seats just over 60. This means that our production provides a much more concentrated level of immersion. As host of this show, it is part of my job to draw on my comedy and improv training to do crowd work with the audience on any evening. This means the show itself will always be different every night. The jokes depend on who's there and what they give back to me when I invite them to play. As our venue is a converted bar, our stage is quite literally a bar top, which also focuses on and informs what kind of movement and staging we can employ.

Cocktail Magique was recently extended. What has the feedback been like from the audience? Is it different then from the feedback you receive from your other venue?

AM: Our guests often speak about how secret, special, and extravagant the space feels. There is definitely a more intimate party atmosphere inside the venue and guests are encouraged to rub elbows and make new friends. Zane Pihlstrom (who designs the set and costumes for XIV) and I pulled out all the stops in the design of the experience mixing 20's speakeasy, La Belle Époque, circus sideshow, and vintage burlesque aesthetics into one colorful cocktail of an environment.

There are more surprises in Cocktail Magique than in any other show we've made. Guests talk about how "stunning" and "mind-blowing" the tricks are. I love hearing them gasp during the show. It has been wonderful to receive many five-star reviews from patrons on Google.

SU: The feedback has been music to my ears. Many of the jokes and the text in the show came from workshopping my writing material with Austin. This means that when the audience laughs during a show, they're laughing at something that I helped generate, which is an immensely humbling experience. I have never hosted a show in this way before, so to hear that I am successfully entertaining folks and helping to transport them into an ethereal realm for a few short hours is an unimaginable joy for me.

Have you made any changes to the show since it opened last year?

AM: I am committed to keeping Cocktail Magique fresh and surprising which means there are ongoing updates and artistic experimentation. Tina Twirler, a sickening drag queen, and Morgan Doelp, a marvelous chanteuse, are wonderful additions to the show. We also have a fabulous tarot reader who has joined our troupe named Rosebud. My greatest artistic joy is highlighting and celebrating each performer's unique talents and Cocktail Magique features some of the best performers in NYC nightlife.

Also, we are collaborating with Monkey King, a new and terrific Bengali-Chinese restaurant around the corner, to serve our guests some tasty treats that pair with our delicious cocktails beautifully.

Any other surprises audience members can expect when they check out the show?

AM: If I told you everything we have up our sleeve it wouldn't be a surprise. I think the experience is most effective when audiences come in without expectation and allow us to guide them through a boozy and glittery evening of prestidigitation.

Photo courtesy of Company XIV Press/Deneka Peniston

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