Abracadabra, make some magic in brownstone Brooklyn!
A brand new performing arts venue on the border of Cobble Hill and Brooklyn Heights is bringing high tier magicians to the borough — and it’s one sizzling ticket.
Because it opened in mid-October, each present at 69 Atlantic has offered out. The intimate 18-seat venue presents the prospect to see superb sleight of hand up shut. Entrance row tickets go for as a lot as $175 however provide a vantage level just some toes from the motion. (Standing room tickets begin at $75.)
Up to now, the theater has hosted German conjurer Denis Behr; LA-based mentalist Rob Zabrecky, who has gained six awards from the Academy of Magical Arts; and Aspen-based illusionist Eric Mead, who carried out what Penn Jillette known as “the finest sleight of hand” he had ever seen.
“People fly in from all over the world to perform here,” mentioned Adam Rubin, the 41-year-old co-owner of the area. “Even if you don’t know who’s coming next week, you know it’s going to be somebody incredible.”
He and his enterprise companions, twins Dan and Dave Buck, 40, opened the venue with the intention of bringing in a rotating solid of world-class performers, the best way downtown golf equipment herald numerous esteemed magicians.
“We wanted to create a place like the Village Vanguard [but for magic],” mentioned Rubin.
Followers, not simply performers, journey from afar for exhibits.
Kevin Kapinos, 28, got here from Chicago to see Mead at 69 Atlantic’s opening weekend.
“There are very few venues built for doing an actual close-up show where everyone’s close enough that they can actually see a card face-up on the table without squinting,” he enthused, including, “Traditionally, if you wanted to see someone like Eric Mead, the only way to do it was to have your company hire him for a corporate party, or be lucky enough to be invited to a private show somewhere.”
In a neat trick, the venue is a curiosity store known as Artwork of Play by day. It sells the whole lot from distinctive puzzles and card decks to video games and methods.
The Bucks truly began Artwork of Play as a taking part in card firm 12 years in the past. Rubin, who designs puzzles and optical illusions, joined two years later.
The trio had lengthy dreamed of opening a retailer in New York Metropolis. After they discovered the Atlantic Avenue area, they realized it had the potential to be a venue for each retail and performances.
The store/theater is a part of a latest magic increase.
“It started about 10 years ago, with David Blaine and then all these magic talent shows on TV,” mentioned Hal Schulman, the 25-year-old supervisor of 69 Atlantic.
“And then in New York, burlesque and cabaret venues started giving seven minutes to magicians, and it went from there,” added Schulman, who additionally works within the digital camera division at “Saturday Night Live.”
In Manhattan, Speakeasy Magick on twenty fourth Avenue, and Magic After Hours, close to Herald Sq., function native magicians doing close-up magic. However there wasn’t a spot to see performers from outdoors the Huge Apple at shut proximity — till now.
Final Friday night, a bunch of 20 or so adults gathered to see the Scottish magician and comic Stuart MacLeod, previously of the BAFTA-nominated duo Barry and Stuart and resident medium on the Houdini seance room at Los Angeles’ esteemed Magic Fortress.
Some within the viewers had by no means been to a magic present earlier than. Others had travelled from distant.
“I have been a fan [of MacLeod] since middle school,” mentioned 26-year-old John Fava, who’d taken the practice from Albany for the efficiency and deliberate to take a bus again.
“I brought a neck pillow,” joked the mechanical engineer.
At 9:30 p.m., a mechanical songbird carried out slightly tune for the viewers and a secret door within the wall opened.
MacLeod, wearing a sublime tweed three-piece swimsuit, performed a seance, full with mind-reading and spirit-conjuring. He even turned water into wine — and, on the request of 1 viewers member, a cosmo.
“How did you do that?” requested an astonished viewers member.
MacLeod mentioned he not often leaves Los Angeles, however he couldn’t say no to Rubin and the remainder of the crew — even when it meant leaving his two younger youngsters for the weekend.
He mentioned, “Really, the people that are running this space make it special.”
