Review: Magic Is Real At SPEAKEASY MAGICK at The McKittrick Hotel

The evening air was filled with smoke as everyone drew back the velvet curtains and entered The Club Car. The ambiance of the Speakeasy where we were to spend the night was incredibly atmospheric, with a pianist visible through the haze, up on the stage, playing an upright piano, the front of which was missing, so that the hammers could be seen striking the strings. Behind the bar, drinks were being mixed and the sound of cocktail shakers rang in the air, and underneath the rattle of the ice against metal, the hum of social intercourse filled the ears. Everywhere you looked, people were talking, laughing, snacking on popcorn that filled old-fashioned red and white striped bags, and sipping sexy confections created by the bartenders designated to keep the room libated and lively for the next two hours. Facing the stage were nine felt-covered tables, lined up in three rows, where the guests sat and waited, chatting each other up, as the excitement built to show time.

The magic was about to begin.

Here, inside of The McKittrick Hotel where the phenomenon SLEEP NO MORE plays, every Wednesday through Saturday audiences are filling the room and filling the seats so that they can revel in the wonder of SPEAKEASY MAGICK, one of the most original and entertaining nights out in the city. As two hours pass, guests while away the time with their drinks, the piano playing, and nine extraordinary purveyors of prestidigitation. Two ice buckets on each table offer up champagne to fill each guest's coupe glass as the magic speed dating thrills and amazes. One by one, the cast of nine magicians rotate in and out of the tables, performing feats of magic that range from clever to astonishing, some of them designed to make a person think they were just sleight-of-hand tricks, and others, shocking stunts that will have people exclaiming and proclaiming that, "Magic is real!" Strangers at the tables bond over their shared surprise over that which occurs right before their very eyes, wonderment abounds as magicians at neighboring tables involve one another in their mutual conjuring, and, all the while, host (and fellow trick-meister) Todd Robbins masterfully oversees the proceedings, sometimes from the center spot up on the stage, and sometimes while strolling from table to table to socialize with the guests and perform a trick or two of his own. Each enticing and exciting magician has a completely different style of magic, and every new visit from an artist provides the patrons of The Club Car with new and provocative intrigues that must be experienced, so guests would be advised to leave their phones in their pockets and purses and be in the moment, because they won't want to miss a single minute of the confounding pageantry.

Our own table was visited, in two hours, by five of the nine magicians (I am strongly considering going back for a second time, in order to enjoy the four performers that I missed) and when, on the walk to the train, my date and I were discussing the evening, it was not possible to pick a favorite from among our personal cast list. The wizardry on display was so breathtaking and original that, to compare the performers and their tricks would have been folly, as would be describing the aesthetic of each magician: there will be no spoilers, here. I hear tell of a female entertainer on the cast list but, on our given night, all of the magicians were men, and most of them were kind enough to leave a business card on the table. Although the press materials and website for SPEAKEASY MAGICK lists the cast as Alex Boyce, Jason Suran, Mark Calabrese, Matthew Holtzclaw, Prakash Puru, and Rachel Wax, the talented men who shared their extraordinary talents with our table were Mark Calabrese, Patrick Davis, Matthew Holtzclas, Prakash Pru, and a gentleman named Jeff who performed one hell of a hat trick for us. The folks at Emursive, the company that produces the program, have clearly spared no efforts in their attempt to seek out, find, and present the best parlor trick talent to be found in the city of Manhattan. Our table was all gasps and incredulous laughter, while other sections of the seating arena could be heard screaming and howling with wonder and disbelief. It seems hard to fathom that any other night out could be as much fun as this. Indeed, in the five days since seeing Speakeasy Magick, this writer has repeatedly recommended it as the most inventive and memorable Date Night to be found in New York, much to the delighted and intent interest of some eight or ten people. Everyone looking for something new, something different, something off the beaten path to do with their night off should investigate this evening of magical speed dating: nobody could possibly be disappointed. Anybody looking to impress on a first date cannot go wrong here. Aside from the production values created by Emursive and The McKittrick, what these gifted craftspeople provide is so out of the realm of possibility that there are only two natural responses to their work: you will either find yourself awash with respect and admiration for their hard work and accomplishment or you will, indeed, find yourself believing in magic.

This writer is betting on the magic.

SPEAKEASY MAGICK is currently selling tickets through September 3rd (Labor Day Weekend). Information and reservations can be made by visiting the McKittrick Hotel website HERE.

Performances are offered on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 8PM.

Reserved seats are priced from $160. Private Tables seating six to ten guests and Champagne bottle service are available to enhance the experience

Guests are welcome to dine at the hotel's rooftop garden escape, Gallow Green, before or after the performance. Visit www.mckittrickhotel.com/gallow-green for menus, reservations, or to customize a private gathering.

Sleep No More is also currently running at the hotel. For tickets and information, visit www.mckittrickhotel.com.

The McKittrick Hotel is located at 530 West 27th Street, NYC

Photos in this article are by Stevan Keane and Giafrese

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