Speakeasy magick refers to a unique form of magical practice that emerged during the Prohibition era in the United States. During this time, the production, sale, and consumption of alcoholic beverages were banned, leading to the rise of hidden, underground bars known as speakeasies. These clandestine establishments often featured secret entrances, dimly lit interiors, and live music to create an illicit but exciting atmosphere. In the midst of this Prohibition era, magicians and performers took the opportunity to showcase their skills in these speakeasies. They became an integral part of the entertainment scene, performing acts of illusion, mentalism, and other magical feats that captivated audiences and added an aura of mystique to these secret venues. Speakeasy magick, also known as speakeasy magic, drew inspiration from the slang, fashion, and ambiance of the Prohibition era.
Speakeasy Magick hosted by Todd Robbins
The McKittrick Hotel - home of “Sleep No More,” presents “Speakeasy Magick,” hosted by Todd Robbins. Tickets are required for entry and a full bar is available to enjoy with the performance.
Produced by Emursive, “Speakeasy Magick” is hosted by NYC veteran Todd Robbins (Monday Night Magic, Play Dead) and features a combination of parlor magic with up-close-and-personal prestidigitation by the city’s top magical talents. Robbins brings decades of experience performing on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and around the world to The McKittrick each week. For more information, visit www.toddrobbins.com.
Featured performers include Alex Boyce (How to Transcend a Happy Marriage), Jason Suran (The Other Side), Mark Calabrese (Penn & Teller: Fool Us), Matthew Holtzclaw (Penn & Teller: Fool Us), Prakash Puru (celebrity favorite), Rachel Wax (A Taste of Magic), and more. Sleight-of-hand extends to the bar - as well as live jazz piano.
Performances are offered on Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays at 8:30pm. Doors open 1/2 hour before. Tickets are $150 per person or $1,500 for a premium Champagne Table, seating up to 10 guests, with two bottles of the hotel’s finest Champagne.
To purchase tickets, visit https://mckittrickhotel.com/events/magick and select an available date. All guests of The McKittrick Hotel are required to show proof of vaccination upon arrival.
About The McKittrick Hotel
The McKittrick Hotel (@TheMcKittrick) is home of immersive theater spectacle Sleep No More (@sleepnomorenyc), rooftop garden bar and restaurant Gallow Green (@gallowgreen), jazz speakeasy Manderley Bar, and intimate performance venue The Club Car. Limited engagements of Speakeasy Magick and The Woman in Black are now running.
The McKittrick Hotel provides a unique location for celebrations and private gatherings of all sizes. The legendary venue is also renowned for presenting one-of-a-kind live concerts, intimate music festivals, and spectacular soirées for Halloween and New Year’s Eve.
Located in close proximity to Hudson Yards, Little Island, The High Line, West Chelsea art galleries, and The Meatpacking District, The McKittrick is a not-to-be-missed destination for locals and visitors alike.
Speakeasy Magick
Down one of the western-most avenues in Chelsea is a street with seemingly nothing special about it. But if you know which doors to walk through, you’ll be directed to a vintage elevator car and initiated, on the slow and authentic ride up to the top, by a velvet-voiced McKittrick Hotel bellhop. Another floor up via a skinny staircase and you’ll find yourself in a Scottish ski lodge, and the temporary home of Speakeasy Magick.
Speakeasy Magick: the name evokes the sexy, exciting underground of Prohibition New York, combined with the ancient and arcane (“magick,” with a “k,” is an archaic spelling of the word “magic”). For the McKittrick Hotel, these two elements seem to be the key to their success – just see their Bartschland Follies events or their popular, lavish balls thrown for New Years or Halloween. It should come as no surprise, then, that Speakeasy Magick lives up to its name and proves itself a worthy addition to the McKittrick’s repertoire.
The McKittrick Hotel might be most known for its long-running immersive show Sleep No More, which re-imagines Shakespeare’s Macbeth as a meticulously curated Hitchcock experience set in a 1930s Scotland hotel (in keeping with the doomed Scottish king). The Lodge, in keeping with the theme of Sleep No More, is a cozy spot for drinks and dinner in the guise of a rustic ski lodge presumably nestled somewhere in the mountainous Scottish Highlands. And though you might catch a glimpse of the Empire State Building or Chelsea’s endless sea of construction if you peek outside, you wouldn’t want to – The Lodge effectively transports you to a different time, a different place.
Enter Speakeasy Magick, which has recently taken up residence in The Lodge. Over the blue velvet tables and perhaps a signature Sleep No More cocktail (with a pleasing purple hue, which seems fitting for “magick” of the evening), you’ll be endlessly entertained by “New York’s most elite magicians.” Emcee’d by host Todd Robbins (of Monday Night Magic), a clutch of magicians rotate their way around the small tables (seating about eight people each) to put on a unique, personal show. It’s all accompanied by a pianist who transforms classics of the 21st century (think: Seven Nation Army) into jaunty 1920s-sounding tunes. To be at one of these tables in the close-quarters setting of The Lodge is to not only be consistently surprised by what these performers have up their sleeves, but to have a constant sense of wonder as to what could come next. While you’re being entertained by one magician, you might witness a flare of fire at another table; hear a collective gasp rise from across the room; or, perhaps, see one of the magicians finish his act in triumph and stand up to flip off the rest of the room. This is no friendly neighborhood magic show – it very much lives up to its name.
One – especially one who doesn’t usually frequent magic shows – might think: is there a point at which the endless legerdemain loses its novelty? But thanks to host Robbins, some crowd-pleasing parlor tricks well-deserving of their “oohs” and “ahhs,” and the distinctive personalities that each magician brings to their craft, that point never seems to come. Perfect for an unorthodox date night or simply a unique New York night out, Speakeasy Magick is an experience that will bring all the magic to you – quite literally.
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- Hosted by Todd Robbins
- Performers include: Matthew Hotlzclaw, Alex Boyce, Prakash Puru, Danny Doyle, Mark Calabrese, Eric Dittelman, Matias Letelier, Patrick Davis, Jeff Kellogg
- The McKittrick Hotel
Speakeasy Magick
I spent an evening in The Club Car room at the McKittrick Hotel with my fellow audience members watching some of the most amazing lying fingers imaginable and unimaginable.
Speakeasy Magick, hosted by the suave and dapper Todd Robbins, is a magic sit-down speed date. You start by entering The Club Car room, a dark musty speakeasy (speakeasies were generally dark and musty as you didn’t really want to be seen breaking the law during prohibition). There is a piano player deftly banging out ragtime tunes and waitresses/waiters taking orders for drinks. Everyone is excited with anticipation of what’s about to happen. Many come in groups to experience this night with friends. Once orders are placed and drinks are delivered Mr. Robbins will take the stage and prepare you for the night, letting us now that, “No one is who you think they are.” We are told that magic isn’t about what you know, but what you don’t know. That they will make us forget something that happened and see something that didn’t. There will be lies to cover lies, sleight of hand, purposeful misdirections.
Throughout the evening some of the magicians will take the stage for a larger version of their show. Alex Boyce does an illusion with pigeons who just kept appearing, but honestly from where? There were NO visible hiding places for the pigeons on his slim body and fitted suit. None.
In round-robin fashion, different magicians come to your table and sit with you.
They are close and they touch and manipulate not only their cards and dice and shells but also you. Sit forward, don’t sneeze or look away, keep your eyes constantly on the hands that will astound you. We are told again and again to, “Come in. Come closer,” and we do, waiting to see the hand move in some unnatural way and find the trick. There is no looking away and they like it that way. They are proud professional liars, at the top of their game, debonair Artful Dodgers.
There is a purposeful misstep here and there to throw us off. Usually on what appears to be a simple trick. But that is another illusion, a lie to take us further down the rabbit hole of misdirection.
There is a three cup magic act that we’ve all have seen on tv and in films that is turned upside down and what happened next had most of us at the table jumping up from our seats saying, “NO way! No F’ing way!” My jaw dropped again and again and when I glanced at my fellow participants – a collective suspense of belief.
There is a moment or two of downtime when the magicians switch tables and our group was able to convene and discuss what just happened, and how did it happen, and what the hell just happened?! I was part of one trick that I have no idea how it was done. It was mental trickery, mind-boggling for both myself and the other viewers.
What table you get determines your night as there are so many magicians you will only get to see a handful of them. I honestly had no idea how many there were until they took the stage for curtain call and the stage filled to the max and beyond. So you have to come back and get another table and see more magic.
In this day and time when we are all too busy to look up from our phones and converse with one another, a group of strangers convened and conversed and collectively witnessed magic and believed. Cell phones were only brought out once to call someone in another town or state and ask them to pick a card number and suit and then what happened next… well, I’ve probably said too much already. Go see Speakeasy Magick and bring a little wonder into your life.
Speakeasy Magick a magic show, medicine show with a bit of circus and Gypsy caravan now running at the McKittrick Hotel which was actually never a hotel but a warehouse that had been left sitting on 27th street abandoned until the producers of Sleep No More came looking for a space for their UK based hit and TADA! a new venue was created. There is also Gallow Green, a rooftop bar/restaurant floral garden, that recently hosted a family tea for parents and their young ones who were told to bring their favorite doll or stuffed animal to share the tea experience with. There is fun for everyone at The McKittrick.
Performers include Matthew Holtzclaw (Penn & Teller: Fool Us), Patrick Davis (Monday Night
Magic), Jason Suran (The Other Side), Mark Calabrese (Penn & Teller: Fool Us), Matias
Letelier (Matias’ Magic & Mentalism), Prakash Puru (celebrity favorite), Alex Boyce (How to
Transcend a Happy Marriage), Rachel Wax (A Taste of Magic), Noah Levine (Magic After
Hours), and more.
The Club Car is located in The McKittrick Hotel at 542 West 27th Street, New York, NY 10001. Tickets are available online HERE or by calling the Box Office at 212-904- 1880. Performances are offered on Thursdays at 8pm, Fridays at 7pm, Saturdays at 8pm, and 10:30pm.
Speakeasy magick, also known as speakeasy magic, drew inspiration from the slang, fashion, and ambiance of the Prohibition era. Performers would often dress in period costumes, adopting the style of 1920s gangsters, flappers, or jazz musicians. They would incorporate these costumes and stagecraft elements into their performances, creating an immersive experience for the audience.
The magic tricks performed in speakeasies often had a vintage and nostalgic feel to them, using props and techniques popular during the Roaring Twenties. Classic effects such as card tricks, disappearing acts, and mind reading were staples of speakeasy magick. However, the performers also added a modern twist to these traditional effects, incorporating elements unique to the speakeasy culture. Speakeasy magicians were known for their ability to engage with the audience and create a sense of camaraderie and secrecy. The interactive nature of these performances allowed spectators to feel like they were part of a secret society, experiencing something forbidden and exclusive. This added to the allure and popularity of speakeasy magick during the Prohibition era. While the Prohibition era and the speakeasies eventually came to an end, the style and spirit of speakeasy magick continue to inspire contemporary magicians and performers today. The blend of vintage aesthetics and immersive storytelling has found a place in modern magic shows, where performers pay homage to this bygone era while adding their own unique twists. In conclusion, speakeasy magick represents a fascinating chapter in the history of magic. It captures the essence of the Prohibition era, combining vintage aesthetics with captivating performances. This form of magical practice continues to be cherished and celebrated, reminding us of the enduring allure of secrets, illusions, and the power of the human imagination..
Reviews for "The Language of Speakeasy Magick: Decoding the Slang and Symbols"
1. Jane - 2 stars - I was really excited to read "Speakeasy Magick" as I love historical fiction and magic, but unfortunately, this book fell flat for me. The pacing was incredibly slow, and the characters felt underdeveloped. I couldn't connect with any of them or their struggles, which made it difficult to become invested in the story. Additionally, the world-building was lacking, and I never got a clear sense of the magical system or how it integrated into the 1920s setting. Overall, I was disappointed and wouldn't recommend this book.
2. Mark - 1 star - I found "Speakeasy Magick" to be an absolute slog to get through. The writing style was convoluted and confusing, making it challenging to follow the plot. The author seemed more interested in showing off their extensive research about the 1920s than actually telling an engaging story. The characters were one-dimensional, and their dialogue felt forced and unnatural. I was extremely bored throughout most of the book and struggled to find any redeeming qualities. I regret picking this up and would advise others to skip it.
3. Emily - 3 stars - While "Speakeasy Magick" had an interesting premise, it failed to deliver on its promises. The concept of magic in the 1920s prohibition era was intriguing, but the execution left much to be desired. The pacing was inconsistent, with slow sections dragging on and sudden bursts of action feeling disjointed. The main character lacked depth, and her motivations were unclear. The romance subplot also felt forced and unnecessary. Overall, the potential was there, but the book fell short of my expectations and left me feeling unsatisfied.