Overview
The word “magician” might bring back memories of childhood birthday parties or somebody making the Statue of Liberty disappear on TV, but magic is an ever-changing and diverse art form. Join WNYC’S Shumita Basu and meet some of the artists here in New York who are expanding the image of their craft well beyond a white man wearing a top hat (with or without a rabbit inside). There will be trickery, prestidigitation, and more than a few amazing moments. And yes, we might need a volunteer or two from the audience!
Rajon Lynch, a.k.a. RJ the Magician and the director of the Houdini Museum of New York, talks about what drew him to magic, ways to make magic more inclusive, and he performs some sleight of hand. Magicienne, hypnotist, and historian Belinda Sinclair shares the history of women in magic, how she discovered magic as a kid growing up here in New York, and how the craft has changed over the years. Dennis Kim, a.k.a. The Close-Up Artist, discusses teaching magic to people of all ages and from all around the world, and how social media has allowed the magic community to grow. He performs for our audience.
Micropolis is part of The Greene Space’s ongoing NEXT New York Conversation series. Leadership support is provided by:
Belinda’s insatiable curiosity and fascination for how the world works, inspired her journey, in search of magic, its art, its history, its origins and its influence on us all. Her professional affiliations include the Society of American Magicians, the International Brotherhood of Magicians, and the Magic Circle in London. An avid collector of magic and the curator of the world’s largest library dedicated to female magiciennes, Belinda is a leading expert on the history of women in magic. Proclaimed “The Best Female Magician in the World” by Time Out New York, Belinda Sinclair joins the realm as a consummate performer. Her unique original performances, artfully fusing hypnosis, sleight of hand, traditional storytelling, music and multimedia, have been witnessed first-hand and celebrated by VIP audiences worldwide. Her off Broadway original show Phenomena: False Evidence Appearing Real received admirable reviews and today Belinda can be found in her own magic parlor, where she invites guests to join her, in “A Magicienne Among the Spirits.” An experience captivating The New York Times, Huffington Post, Gotham and Refinery29, prompting her to create two new experiences “The Sitting” a herstory of mediums, clairvoyants, fortune tellers and healers, and “La Gitana” A herstory about strategy, risk and hope, and where Belinda Sinclair demonstrates how in the end everyone CAN WIN. Belinda continues developing projects and experiences for theater and digital, merging art forms and history to create memorable and inspiring moments.
Dennis Kim is a magician based in New York City that specializes in close-up magic. He performs at private events including weddings, birthday parties, and corporate shows. He also works on “The Magician at the NoMad Hotel,” an intimately immersive and interactive magic show starring Dan White going on to its fifth successful year. Dennis is also widely recognized by many magicians in the magic community through his Instagram videos that highlight his creativity with ideas, showmanship through performance, and prowess in sleight of hand.
Rajon Lynch aka RJ THE Magician is a 23 year old comedian, magician and TED Speaker from Wisconsin, home of Houdini. RJ taught magic at the famous Frenchwoods Festival of the Performing Arts summer camp in Hancock New York for three summers before eventually starting the first summer magic program ever in Shanghai, China in 2018, working as the Head of Magic and Performing Arts for two summers (’18-’19). Upon graduating from University and returning to Shanghai summer 2019, RJ then moved to New York to Pursue a Carreer in Magic, where he was offered the position of the director of the Houdini Museum of New York. Since starting at the Houdini Museum RJ has Been Featured in Fox 5, AM New York, NBC 4, Complex, and the New York Times!
Event Details
- $20 General Admission
- $18 Member Price
1 hour and 15 minutes
Production Partners
