WHAT CRITICS SAY: MAGIC SHOW REVIEWS

BWW Review:
MAGIC MONDAY Brings Astonishing Magicians
to the Santa Monica Playhouse

by Shari Barrett for Broadwayworld.com Los-Angeles  |  Apr. 10, 2019

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Albie Selznick, a lifetime member of the Magic Castle and the creator and performer behind the acclaimed theatrical magic show Smoke and Mirrors, brings his signature MAGIC MONDAY back to the Santa Monica Playhouse every Monday evening through the end of August. Every installment showcases a fresh roster of world-class, award-winning magicians and standout variety performers from The Magic Castle,America's Got Talent, Penn & Teller: Fool Us, Masters of Illusion, and Wizard Wars, delivering a season of unforgettable feats that range from sleight of hand to interactive parlor magic and jaw-dropping illusions.

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Every week, the opening entertainer kicks things off at 7:30pm on the outdoor patio before the 8pm performance inside the Playhouse's main stage theater. Don't forget to drop in a raffle ticket, since Magic Castle passes go to a few lucky winners. Shows welcome everyone, are suggested for ages 8 and up, and run roughly 75 minutes...

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Magician & actor Albie Selznick

Photo by Courtnay Robbins Bragagnolo

Magic Missionary

Santa Monica’s Albie Selznick carries the illusionist’s torch

by Evan Henerson for The Argonaut

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Ever since that birthday party where a magician sawed a lady in half and pulled live rabbits from her stomach, your kid has been begging for more. Yet you don't know anyone at the members-only Magic Castle, and a Vegas getaway isn't in the budget. The YouTube clips and TV specials have lost their spark. What you want is magic — performed live.

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Veteran actor-magician Albie Selznick understands that gap — and he has found a way to close it, handing a group of his talented magical friends a stage to sharpen their best routines and debut brand-new illusions.

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Beginning May 2, a rotating cast of more than 20 illusionists takes over the Santa Monica Playhouse for the second edition of Magic Monday. Selznick and producer Michelle Grant have lined up eight May and June dates, with hopes that the variety show will grow into a long-running engagement that brings a different set of magicians to every performance...

Magic Monday Comes Back This May to the Santa Monica Playhouse

by BWW News Desk for Broadway World Los Angeles

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Feel the rush of live magic and mesmerizing illusions as a rotating lineup of master magicians performs each week in the Magic Monday cabaret at the Santa Monica Playhouse, running May 2 through June 27.

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Brought to you by the same team and star, Albie Selznick, behind the theatrical hit Smoke and Mirrors, this weekly variety show stands apart in Los Angeles for its welcoming spirit and sheer entertainment value. Everyone is invited to enjoy top-tier sleight of hand, the newest mind-blowing acts and astonishing feats in an intimate room that puts magic right in front of you, with a rotating roster of celebrated magicians who have appeared on TV and at popular venues around the world.

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Following the success of last year's Magic Monday run at the Odyssey Theatre, this eagerly awaited series lands at the Santa Monica Playhouse for eight performances. Each show unveils a different lineup of world-renowned magicians, so no two nights of magical entertainment are alike...

Imaginary childhood companion Trix helps Albie escape his fear box

Photo by Michelle Grant

Review: A Grand Transformation Act in the Magic Show 'Smoke and Mirrors'

Critics Choice

by Philip Brandes for Los Angeles Times

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What frightens you the most? By asking the audience that question right at the start of his “Smoke and Mirrors” theatrical magic show at the Promenade Playhouse in Santa Monica, Albie Selznick sets the evening's central theme: conquering fear as the spark behind remarkable achievement.

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As an actor-magician, Selznick carries strong credentials in both worlds — he belongs to NoHo's the Road Theatre company (a co-producer of this show) and holds a lifetime membership at the Magic Castle in Hollywood — though it is mostly his time in the latter role that drives this 90-minute semi-autobiographical story, weaving together feats of illusion and legerdemain.

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Without giving away too much of the surprise, it's fair to say right away that the magic tricks — from transforming objects to levitation and displays of telepathic ability — are top notch...

'Smoke and Mirrors' creator shows a magic touch

by Evan Henerson for Jewish Journal

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There may come a day when writer-actor Albie Selznick calls his magic-infused theatrical performance "Smoke and Mirrors" complete, but audiences shouldn't count on it. Since Selznick describes himself as a perfectionist and a workaholic — and since there are always fresh illusions to master — "Smoke and Mirrors" may keep evolving for as long as its creator keeps tinkering. 

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"It has been a constant rewriting, working, rewriting, working,” he said. “It’s just never good enough. I keep seeing ways it could be better. But I feel like this is the closest it has ever been to being as good as it can be."

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Flawed or not, the autobiographical show has won over audiences and critics alike, picking up Critic's Choice honors from the Los Angeles Times and L.A. Weekly...