PRESS & 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, life-time member of the Magic Castle and creator/performer of the hit theatrical magic show Smoke and Mirrors, returns to the Santa Monica Playhouse with his trademark MAGIC MONDAY show, every Monday evening through the end of August. Each week will feature a new and different lineup of world-class, award-winning magicians and outstanding variety acts from The Magic Castle,America's Got Talent, Penn & Teller: Fool Us, Masters of Illusion, and Wizard Wars, promising an unforgettable season of show-stopping feats including sleight of hand, interactive parlor magic, and mind-blowing illusions.

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Every week, the opening entertainer kicks things off at 7:30pm on the outdoor patio before the 8pm performance on the Playhouse's main stage. Don't forget to complete a raffle ticket — lucky winners receive passes to the Magic Castle. Everyone is welcome, though the show is suggested for ages 8 and older, and runs 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 torch for live illusion

by Evan Henerson for The Argonaut

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Your child has been begging for more ever since that birthday party where the magician sawed a woman in half and pulled live rabbits from her stomach. 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: by handing a group of his magician friends a stage to perform their strongest routines and test out brand-new illusions.

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Beginning May 2, a rotating roster of more than 20 illusionists will appear at the Santa Monica Playhouse for the second edition of Magic Monday. Selznick and producer Michelle Grant have scheduled eight May and June dates, with hopes the variety show will grow into a long-running engagement that brings a fresh lineup of magicians to every performance...

Magic Monday Comes Back This May at the Santa Monica Playhouse

by BWW News Desk for Broadway World Los Angeles

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Enjoy the excitement of magic and mesmerizing illusions with a changing cast of master magicians each week at the Magic Monday cabaret, held at the Santa Monica Playhouse from 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 accessibility and entertainment value. Everyone is invited to watch top-tier sleight of hand, the newest astonishing acts and incredible feats in an intimate space that puts magic right in front of you, with a rotating lineup 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 shows at the Odyssey Theatre, this eagerly awaited series comes back to the Santa Monica Playhouse for eight performances. Each show presents a different lineup of world-renowned magicians, so every night delivers a one-of-a-kind evening of magical entertainment...

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 theatrical magic show “Smoke and Mirrors” at the Promenade Playhouse in Santa Monica, Albie Selznick sets the evening’s central theme: conquering fear as the driving force behind remarkable achievement.

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As an actor-magician, Selznick holds strong credentials in both worlds — he belongs to NoHo’s the Road Theatre company (which co-produced this show) and is a lifetime member of the Hollywood Magic Castle — though it is mainly his experience in the latter that drives this 90-minute semi-autobiographical story, weaving together feats of illusion and sleight of hand.

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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 to displays of telepathy — are top notch...

'Smoke and Mirrors' creator brings 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-filled theatrical performance "Smoke and Mirrors" a finished piece, 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 is willing to tinker. 

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"It has been nonstop rewriting, working, rewriting, working,” he said. “It’s simply never good enough. I keep spotting ways to improve it. But I feel this is the closest it has ever come 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...