Magician Steve Cohen to Host Special CHAMBER MAGIC Benefit For The New York Public Library For The Performing Arts
All proceeds will support the upcoming exhibition “Mystery and Wonder: A Legacy of Golden Age Magicians in New York City.”
By: A.A. Cristi Oct. 20, 2025
Celebrated magician Steve Cohen, known as the “Millionaires’ Magician,” will present a special benefit performance of Chamber Magic on Saturday, October 25, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. in his private salon at the Lotte New York Palace Hotel (455 Madison Avenue at 50th Street).
For this one-night-only event, 100% of proceeds will be donated to the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts in support of its forthcoming exhibition, Mystery and Wonder: A Legacy of Golden Age Magicians in New York City.
Opening in February 2026, Mystery and Wonder will coincide with the 100th anniversary of Harry Houdini’s passing and feature rare artifacts from magic’s Golden Age, including posters, photographs, and memorabilia from legendary performers such as Houdini, Howard Thurston, and Max Malini. The exhibition will explore the intertwined histories of magic, vaudeville, theatre, and spiritualism in New York’s vibrant entertainment scene from the 1880s through the 1940s.
“As someone who has dedicated his life to keeping the spirit of the Golden Age alive, I can’t imagine a better cause,” said Cohen. “Magic is part of our cultural fabric. This exhibition ensures that future generations will understand how the art of illusion shaped our city’s artistic history.”
The benefit performance will take place in Cohen’s intimate, chandelier-lit salon inside the historic Villard Mansion at the Lotte New York Palace, offering guests an elegant, close-up magic experience reminiscent of the parlor performances that inspired Chamber Magic.
ABOUT CHAMBER MAGIC
Before the days of radio and television, New York’s elite often hosted entertainers in their private salons. Cohen revives that tradition in Chamber Magic, his critically acclaimed show now in its 25th year. Performed weekly at the Lotte New York Palace, the show invites small audiences into an atmosphere of old-world elegance, where miracles unfold just inches away.
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