The Magician’s Study
Secret Location, South Strip
Thurs.-Sun. 7 and 9:30 p.m.
$99-$159
Large-scale magic shows used to be a fixture in Vegas — David Copperfield, Siegfried & Roy, Lance Burton … That scene is still around to a lesser degree with Cris Angel, Shin Lim, Mat Franco, and Penn and Teller, but a much more intimate experience is offered at the Magician’s Study — part speakeasy, part magic show, and part stand-up comedy.
The performance itself, roughly 90 minutes, is an up-close show, with a lot of sleight-of-hand and card tricks, mixed in with a little mentalism and a couple of traditional show-stopper tricks.
The room seats only about 50 people and VIP tickets (which I sprung for) get you in the front row, where you will become part of the show. If you’re shy, I wouldn’t recommend the VIP seats, but that doesn’t guarantee that you’ll be left alone. There’s a lot of audience participation and plenty of acerbic wit from the host directed at the crowd.
The VIP tickets were $159 each, and I’m glad I got them, but you’ll enjoy the show just as much from the “regular” seats, which go for $99. Tickets can be purchased only with a code word at the beginning of the ordering process (fill out the form on the home page and if there’s availability, you’ll receive the secret password that allows you to unlock the ticketing page). In addition, the show is held at a secret location, which is given to you on the day of the show, along with another password to gain entry (for purposes of planning your evening, I’ll tell you that it’s somewhere on the South Strip).
Note that The Magician’s Study has a strict no-photography policy, which is why I couldn’t provide any pictures of the show. Also, you must be at least 21 to attend.