Magic Up Close

About Magic Up Close

Fascinating chats with artists from around the globe. Each week, the best magicians in the world travel to 69 Atlantic in Brooklyn, NY to perform hour long sleight of hand shows for only 26 people at a time. After the shows, artists like Zabrecky, Dani DaOrtiz, and Mac King sit down with Adam Rubin to discuss their artistic practices and origin stories. Get tickets to see the world's finest sleight of hand at 69atlantic.com (http://69atlantic.com) Join our exclusive mailing list for news about upcoming events. https://manage.kmail-lists.com/subscriptions/subscribe?a=afRXMx&g=VJAK7X&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaYmBEkFsoJpzOvUtqM7WG4omIbXb7Ui4TKbDk-77U10du8mr9j2t1WAQY0_aem_a_GLCjhnYl4IrUzCKEap8A (https://manage.kmail-lists.com/subscriptions/subscribe?a=afRXMx&g=VJAK7X&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaYmBEkFsoJpzOvUtqM7WG4omIbXb7Ui4TKbDk-77U10du8mr9j2t1WAQY0_aem_a_GLCjhnYl4IrUzCKEap8A) Instagram.com/69atlantic (http://Instagram.com/69atlantic)

Publisher

69 Atlantic

Category

arts · leisure

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

27 Nov 2025

Latest episode

12 Aug 2026

Latest episodes

7 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   12 Aug 2026

   Yann Frisch: The Shimmering of the World

   Before we even opened 69 Atlantic, we made a wish list of magicians who we would personally love to see perform up-close in an intimate theatre in Brooklyn. Yann Frisch was the name at the top of the list. For the past two years, we’ve been trying our best to gently lure this mercurial French artist to New York City and finally—Mon Dieu—we’ve done it! Yann Frisch is a defining figure in the global landscape of magie nouvelle (new magic)—a contemporary movement that transcends traditional constraints and recontextualizes sleight of hand as a rigorous, essential performing art. Rather than using deception to showcase power or cleverness, Frisch deploys it as a psychological framework to explore the instability of truth, identity, and human belief. In his youth, Frisch trained as a juggler and a clown. At 18, he was introduced to Compagnie 14:20, a Parisian theatrical group at the vanguard of magie nouvelle. This new approach ignited a deep passion in Yann to learn and grow. Just two years later, he created the short-form piece Baltass, a magic act which toured the world and with which he obtained the titles of French champion (2010), European champion (2011), and World champion (2012). Those accomplishments alone would have made the young Yann Frisch a global sensation in the world of magic but over the past fifteen years he has continued to break new ground with his creative experiments. Yann established his own theatrical engine, Compagnie L'Absente, which serves as a laboratory for large-scale, multidisciplinary projects integrating sleight of hand with clowning, existential philosophy, and immersive set design. Yann and his team created the wildly brilliant semi-truck theater—the Camion-Théâtre—a road-legal vehicle that folds out, expands and transforms into a 100-seat black box theater that can be parked and constructed in any open field. He now tours the countryside of France, presenting dark, clownish, shockingly magical shows that blur the line between circus, conjuring and fantasy. Produced and Edited by Hal Schulman Music by Thugfucker ______________________________________ See a show at 69 Atlantic: https://www.69atlantic.com (https://www.69atlantic.com) Shop curiosities and magical items at our wonder emporium: https://www.artofplay.com (https://www.artofplay.com) Chat with us on social: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/69atlantic (https://www.instagram.com/69atlantic) ______________________________________

2. 

   5 Aug 2026

   Guy Hollingworth: 100 Years Out of Date

   Elegant, eloquent, dapper and droll, Guy Hollingworth is a sophisticated British gentleman with leading man looks and a delicious secret identity. During the day, Mr. Hollingworth is a successful barrister—a lawyer, an upper-crust, powdered-wig-wearing officer of the King’s Court. But at night, Guy Hollingworth is one of the finest practitioners and innovative creators of sleight of hand in the modern era. America first discovered Guy Hollingworth on NBC's World's Greatest Magic where he performed a trick so impossible it created a sensation among magicians. Even the cognoscenti were bamboozled. Soon after, Guy published a limited-edition book of his original material which quickly became a classic in the literature of card magic. Not only is the book full of brilliant ideas, Guy drew all of the beautiful illustrations himself. In the years since, Guy has traveled the world, teaching, refining and performing his signature Victorian-style magic for spellbound crowds. His most recent one-man show, The Expert at the Card Table, was directed by Neil Patrick Harris and received rave reviews across the U.S. and U.K. Here in Brooklyn, Guy performed a brand new show designed specifically for our intimate 26-seat venue. Produced and Edited by Hal Schulman Music by Thugfucker ______________________________________ See a show at 69 Atlantic: https://www.69atlantic.com (https://www.69atlantic.com) Shop curiosities and magical items at our wonder emporium: https://www.artofplay.com (https://www.artofplay.com) Chat with us on social: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/69atlantic (https://www.instagram.com/69atlantic) ______________________________________

3. 

   16 Feb 2026

   Daniel Garcia: A Shortcut to Joy

   Daniel Garcia is the most beloved and respected behind-the-scenes magic consultant in the world. He has helped famous magicians around the globe to design, produce and execute televised miracles. When AGT, the BBC, David Blaine or Kendrick Lamar need something impossible to happen, they call Danny. But what kind of magic does he do when the cameras aren't rolling? This five-show run at 69 Atlantic was a rare chance to peek inside the brilliant mind of a hilarious and wildly creative inventor. From backstage stories to half-baked prototypes, Garcia shared a side of magic that is not often visible to the public. Produced and Edited by Hal Schulman Music by Thugfucker ______________________________________ See a show at 69 Atlantic: https://www.69atlantic.com (https://www.69atlantic.com) Shop curiosities and magical items at our wonder emporium: https://www.artofplay.com (https://www.artofplay.com) Instagram: instagram.com/69atlantic (http://instagram.com/69atlantic) ______________________________________

4. 

   2 Feb 2026

   Jay Gilligan: Juggling as Abstract Art

   One of our goals at 69 Atlantic is to expand the public perception of what sleight of hand can mean by presenting a variety of magical entertainment. In that spirit, we've invited avant-garde visual artist, Jay Gilligan to Brooklyn to present his mind-blowing show "Stories About Gravity." Jay is a creative hero to many in the variety arts. His work is experimental, thought-provoking and usually, enormous. When he visited us, he squeezed his one-man spectacular into a 26-seat theatre. Imagine Blue Man Group in a bathroom stall. Jay is a renowned innovator in the world of circus. For 19 years, he was the head of the juggling program at the Dans och Cirkushögskolan in Stockholm, Sweden and he has been a guest instructor at every major circus school in the world. His ideas on the subject are truly revolutionary. For those who think of juggling as nothing more than throwing and catching things you are in for a spectacular surprise. This is unlike any demonstration of dexterity and reflex you have ever seen.

5. 

   12 Dec 2025

   Mac King: 20,000 Shows and Counting

   Mac King is a revolutionary magician who rose to fame because of a trick so difficult almost no one manages to pull it off: he is hilarious and astonishing at the same time. Mac's tricks are so good and his humor is so natural. He is wise and kind and sophisticated, even though he plays a yokel on stage. When Mac walks out in a baggy plaid suit and the first thing he says is, "Howdy," most of the audience is rolling their eyes, thinking, "There's no way in hell this hayseed could fool me." But by the end of the show, they're all slapping their knees and scratching their heads in disbelief. It's a delightful surprise and a wonder to behold. Mac's one-man show is the longest-running in Las Vegas history. It is beloved by critics, fans and fellow performers alike. We've seen it so many times we've lost count. But one thing's for sure: it felt a little different at 69 Atlantic. There are twice as many people in the front row of his normal showroom than fit in our whole theatre! When we were watching from the back and Mac started his first show with a "Howdy," it was unforgettable.

6. 

   27 Nov 2025

   Dani DaOrtiz: Everything Is Under Control

   In Spain, card magic or “cartomagia” is a kind of religion and Dani DaOrtiz is the reigning high priest. He is the kind of outrageous folk hero who inspires awe and devotion from followers around the globe and many make pilgrimage to his native Malaga just to meet him. Dani is the winking fool, the drunken master, sloppy and chaotic with cards falling to the floor and everyone laughing until the moment they realize it’s all an illusion and by that point, it’s too late… the impossible becomes real. Over and over again until it’s so damn bewildering you’re not sure whether to laugh or cry or shout out dirty words. Dani DaOrtiz uses silly little playing cards to lure you into his world. Once you are there, you have no choice but to embrace the fantasy. Rules do not apply and everything you know is wrong. It is a truly baffling experience.

7. 

   27 Nov 2025

   Zabrecky: Into Another Realm

   Welcome to Magic Up Close - fascinating chats with artists from around the globe. We're thrilled to kick off this series with one of our favorite performers on the planet, Zabrecky. To know Zabrecky is to love Zabrecky. For the uninitiated, Zabrecky is strange, spooky, funny and, let's be honest, sexy like a diamond. He doesn't do a traditional magic show, more like a surrealist celebration of storytelling, music and mind reading. You may just be inspired to embrace the strange in ways you have never attempted before.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.6 / 5

14 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

4 ratings

Contact Magic Up Close

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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