by Claire DeMarco
Rob Zabrecky began his career as the lead singer for Possum Dixon, a post-punk style rock band. He has diversified into author, actor, songwriter and now is primarily a magician. He has received six awards by the Academy of Magical Arts at the Magic Castle (a Hollywood performance venue).
Tricks, deceptions, illusions, sleight of hand – call it what you will. It is magical and Zabrecky is the master. Formally dressed in black, he engages the audience in a somewhat serious way. But his dry sense of humor soon surfaces.
Zabrecky executes both traditional magic (card tricks, sleight of hand maneuvers) and mentalist acts.
One particular sleight of hand involved three very small balls that were placed in a cup. When removed, only two balls appeared. To ensure that the audience visualized the action, two close-up screens on either side of Zabrecky as he maneuvered the balls on a small table reinforced the effect of this illusion.
Zabrecky’s specialty revolves around his actions as a mentalist. A mentalist uses the appearance of mind reading, telepathy, psychology in a theatrical way to suggest certain outcomes. Making his actions work requires a participating audience.
Note: Since this was my first magic show, I waited for the rabbit in the hat trick. There wasn’t any!
The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s Liberty Magic venue is enchanting and intimate.
How does Zabrecky do all these tricks and illusions? I guess it’s just magic after all!
Interacting is key to the rapport a magician has with his audience and Zabrecky didn’t have to coax anyone to be a part of his actions. Participants in the mind games were enthusiastic and both they and the general audience in awe of the spot on outcomes.
-CED
“Zabrecky in the Zabrecky Hour” runs June 27th to July 6th at Liberty Magic, 811 Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. For tickets and additional information, click here.
