Review: CHAMPIONS OF MAGIC at Studebaker Theater

If you’re craving some magnificent magic and mind-bending illusions this summer, don’t worry about booking a flight to Las Vegas. Just make your way to the Studebaker Theater to marvel at the family-friendly production of Champions of Magic, featuring Fernando Velasco, Liberty Larsen, and Richard Young and Sam Strange of Young & Strange, performing grand illusions and tricks that will leave you with child-like wonder and awe, regardless of your age. 

With the occasional collaboration between magicians, Champions of Magic is really a showcase of each performer who has their own style of magic. Young & Strange have their own quirks as a duo act, playing off each other in the way that only lifelong best friends can. From the smaller sleight of hand coin tricks to illusions involving Young in a box and Strange sticking spears through said box, the pair bring an energy and rapport to their gimmicks. Their personalities also shine, particularly Strange’s recurring Red Light, Green Light bit that is so endearing, you can’t help but be entertained by even the simplest and silliest of tricks. Velasco specializes in the larger-scale escapist and illusionist tricks that keep you on the edge of your seats, such as escaping a straitjacket while upside down and walking across a beam of light. Liberty grounds her magic in narratives that paint a whole story, including a black and white crime noir style as she tries to solve the case of the stolen crown jewel and a haunting, original song that she sings while doing a classic rope trick. 

As a family business show not produced by a big international conglomerate, the scale of the effects and props in this production are particularly impressive, and we grow to appreciate the crew who become familiar faces throughout the show, including magic assistant and dancer Eloise Harpas. Champions of Magic is true fun for the whole family, with multiple tricks involving audience participation from kids that absolutely delight. The show includes a wide range of vibes, from the loud and bright visual effects and suspenseful thrill from Velasco to the personable and playful acts from Young & Strange to the more personal, intimate, and slower-paced tricks from Liberty. We end with a Las Vegas-style finale spectacle that you never want to stop — and thankfully, we keep getting one more. 

The show was full of tributes to the greats who came before and to their own journeys as magicians, illusionists, and performers. We hear about Harry Houdini, David Copperfield, and Siegfried & Roy, as well as Liberty’s rich family history as a fourth-generation magician from the creators of The Magic Castle in Hollywood. The magicians all give us glimpses into the first tricks they learned and share stories of how they got involved with magic. There is a lesson at the heart of the show: a plea to follow your dreams and to believe in the impossible. While that message is directed towards the younger audience members, it’s still surprisingly resonant with adults who want to remain kids at heart — a reminder to find whimsy and joy and wonder in everyday life. Champions of Magic is entertainment in its purest form for patrons of all ages and will have everyone leaving the theater bursting with youthful energy and amazement. 

Champions Of Magic has been extended for a final time and will play through September 2 at the Studebaker Theater (410 S Michigan Ave). Tickets start at $69.50.

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