Reviewed by Dr. Tiffany Knight Raymond, PhD, and Theron Raymond (seventh grader)
Liberty Magic brings wizard Jared Kopf to the stage. Jared opens his show with an extended prologue, reminding us “In the beginning, there was magic.” He elaborates to define that magic as “the magic of winds and clouds” and “the magic of birth and death.” Now, we know clouds are condensed water vapor, and we can create babies in test tubes. Scientific explanation has furthered the world but diminished the magic. Jared reawakens that sense of magic through reframing, reminding us that science and magic can coexist. Just because we know how clouds form shouldn’t make them less magical when we look up and gaze, spotting dragons in cloud formations.
Kopf’s framing of “in the beginning” sets the stage for history and memory as touchstones throughout the show. Kopf pays homage to his magic teacher, Bob White, who he brings to life through intonation and mimicking Bob’s chain-smoking of Marlboros, using the remains of one cigarette to light the next. And then back to Bob’s long-haired teacher, tracing the lineage back, showcasing how we are all generational by-products through both biology and environment. There is a historical weight to Jared’s show that he never rushes.
Kopf applies that same thoughtful deliberation to his magic. His first trick is the classic cup and ball trick or shell game. This sleight of hand is as old as time, and yet, like the clouds, it still inspires audience awe. Jared is a master at the slow build. He continues to raise the stakes with his cups and spheres (as he calls them). He intentionally slows down the trick, trying to get us to see it happen and even inviting the audience to ask him to slow it down.
Unlike most magic shows which bring a range of audience members onstage, Jared has the same two people onstage with him for the duration of the show. He still interacts with the broader audience, specifically within the context of his card tricks where audience members choose cards. He ends with a card trick that he explains, yet that explanation does not dilute or diminish the sense of wonder that those gathered at Liberty Magic get to collectively experience.
Jared’s card tricks include the tarot. He includes a brief history of the tarot, an Italian card game that was adopted by the French before taking on an occult meaning. His own cards are French, and he shows each of the twenty-two pictorial cards of the Major Arcana. There’s a loving leisure in his introduction of each card. He introduces friends, not objects, and he pauses to share the etymology of certain terms or reflect on imagery.
The introduction of the tarot ladders into a tarot reading that evolves into a card trick. It’s an emotional journey that reminds us that while science can explain things, the suspension of disbelief helps us feel things.
Jared recasts our world in magical terms, reminding us we’re all wizards. We all possess the magical power to cast “evil spells” like “I hate you” and “Drink Coke” (there’s humor in his show as well) and “good spells” like “I’m sorry” and “I love you.” Words have power. In a world that can feel divisive, he reminds us of our power and how we can choose “good spells” to create a better world.
You can see Jared Kopf in We Phantom Figures through May 17, 2026, at Liberty Magic (811 Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15222). While recommended for 18+, the show is appropriate for the 12+ who are permitted as 13-year-old co-reviewer Theron was enchanted by it. Liberty Magic also offers a Skeleton Key VIP experience to go backstage and connect with Jared after his show. Jared is generous with his time and willingness to answer questions and performs a few additional magic tricks, making it well worth the Skeleton Key experience. Purchase tickets online here.
Sounds like great fun!