\ud83c\udfad NEW! Tampa Theatre Newsletter<\/p>\n
The Straz Center will present The Magicians Table from April 9 to May 31 in the Jaeb Theater, an intimate close\u2011up magic experience direct from London that blends sleight\u2011of\u2011hand, storytelling, live music, and handcrafted cocktails. Guests step into the world of famed illusionist Dieter Roterberg as fellow magicians gather to celebrate his life through a night of mystery, theatricality, and shared discovery.<\/p>\n
\ud83c\udfad NEW! Tampa Theatre Newsletter<\/p>\n
Magician Evan Driggs, who performs in both the U.S. and U.K. companies, first discovered magic as a child. \u201cI got a magic set when I was younger and never really put it down,\u201d he said. He began taking the craft seriously during the pandemic and has worked as a full\u2011time magician for the past six years.<\/p>\n
The production seats only twelve guests per table, creating a rare level of closeness. \u201cWhen it’s right in front of you inches away at the table, it’s a whole different thing,\u201d Driggs said. The evening features five magicians rotating throughout the room, giving audiences a constantly shifting experience. \u201cYou don’t see just one magician,\u201d he said. \u201cSomebody else is coming right up behind them in ten minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Driggs\u2019 experience with both versions of the show informs the Tampa run. \u201cThey had a very tight, solid show,\u201d he said of the London company. After observing their first anniversary production, he returned to the U.S. to help shape the Charlotte engagement, which completed 113 performances. Several performers from that run will join the Straz Center production, supported by a national roster of magicians who rotate in from across the country.<\/p>\n
The show\u2019s design blends close\u2011up magic with a few theatrical stage moments. Driggs said there is one stage effect he watches every night from the wings because it still thrills him. The memorial\u2011service framing adds a cinematic layer that encourages audiences to lean into the experience. \u201cIt is a night out,\u201d he said, noting that some guests even arrive in costume.<\/p>\n
Audience energy shifts with each performance, from quiet Sunday matinees to lively Friday nights. Driggs enjoys watching strangers at a table become a temporary community. \u201cMy favorite thing is when they all get to know each other a little bit,\u201d he said. \u201cYou make friends with the people even if you didn’t necessarily know them right when you walked in.\u201d<\/p>\n
Driggs often closes the night greeting guests as they exit. \u201cIf they want to say hi or take a photo or have us sign something, all the magicians are happy to do that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He looks forward to bringing the production to Tampa. \u201cI am so excited to meet all the Tampa magicians and have them meet our national cast and connect everybody,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The Magicians Table runs April 9 through May 31. Learn more and buy tickets at strazcenter.org or by calling 813.229.7827.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\ud83c\udfad NEW! Tampa Theatre Newsletter Get all the top news & discounts for Tampa & beyond. The Straz…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":219452,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[135,137,136],"class_list":["post-219451","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tampa","tag-tampa","tag-tampa-headlines","tag-tampa-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/219451","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=219451"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/219451\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/219452"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=219451"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=219451"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=219451"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}