Interview: LIBERTY LARSEN Talks Champions of Magic: Chasing the Unbelievable!

One of the world’s biggest touring illusion shows returns with a brand new production after a decade of dazzling audiences around the globe! Champions of Magic: Chasing the Unbelievable is an explosive new high energy magic show featuring grand illusions and jaw dropping spectacles. The show kicked off last year in Ottawa, ON and has been traveling across North America ever since with over 100 performances across 55 cities. This family-friendly interactive show features an extraordinary cast of world-class illusionists including UK duo Young & Strange, fourth generation magician Liberty Larsen, and escapologist Fernando Velasco. With over half a million guests worldwide, Champions of Magic: Chasing the Unbelievable is more than just a show, but rather an unforgettable live magic experience. 

Champions of Magic cast member, Liberty Larsen, is a Los Angeles-based performing artist and fourth-generation magician from the legendary Larsen family. The Larsen family are the founders of The Magic Castle, Genii Magazine, and the Academy of Magical Arts. Surrounded by magic her entire life, Liberty has carved out a unique space in the world of illusion. Her magic acts blend theatrical magic with musical compositions creating imaginative and personal performances. As seen on “Penn & Teller: Fool Us” and as a core member of L.A.’s exclusive Brookledge Follies, Liberty Larsen has captivated audiences across the globe. Now as a cast member of the Champions of Magic: Chasing the Unbelievable tour, she is bringing her signature magic to one of the biggest shows of its kind. Ahead of the show’s performances in Vancouver, BC from May 20 to 22 at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Liberty spoke to BroadwayWorld about her career in magic and experience with the show so far. Read the full interview below! 

Do you remember the first moment you knew that following a career in magic was your path in life? 

LIBERTY: I wish there was a landmark moment that made for a compelling story, but truthfully it has been a dance of so many baby steps. I experiment, try new things, and sometimes wander away, only to find myself drawn back again by the playful, irresistible pull of magic. It wasn’t until my 20s that I started really considering it as a professional path. What keeps me drawn to it is the energy it can create in a room and the joy and vivid spark it taps into. It has the power to instantly light up a wide range of people, even those who might not have much in common, but who suddenly find themselves completely connected and lost in the fun.

The Magic Castle is a very sacred ground for magicians. What are some of your earliest or most impactful memories from that space?

LIBERTY: I have memories of meeting so many people for the first time when I was little, people I would later come to learn were giants and legends: Siegfried and Roy, Penn and Teller, David Copperfield, Max Maven, Rob Zabrecky, and Michael Carbonaro. It was great meeting them all there. They were completely in their element at the Magic Castle. Max Maven once said, “When you go to the Magic Castle, if you’re a magician, it’s like you’re coming home. And if you’re not a magician, it’s like you’re a guest in someone else’s home.” Seeing magicians in their “natural habitat,” sessioning, jamming, goofing off and having fun, is incredible. The friendships formed between those walls often last a lifetime.

Photo Credit: Magic Space Entertainment

What does it mean to you, personally and professionally, to carry the Larsen name into the next generation of magic? 

LIBERTY: On a personal and soulful level, it’s deeply satisfying to be a part of this lineage and contribute to such an unlikely story, especially because I have such respect for everyone in my family who came before me. There’s an adventurous, playful and pioneering spirit that has guided them in all they’ve done and they’ve left a real legacy of love in their wake. Being able to work alongside my mother and my cousins to carry that torch and create new stories is an incredible gift. I can feel the spirit of my ancestry woven into everything I do in magic.

Many magicians lean into tradition, while you blend music, theatricality, and illusion. How would you describe the essence of your performance style?

LIBERTY: I’ve explored several different styles of magic in different contexts and projects, but left to my own devices, my favorite approach is highly theatrical and rooted in narrative. I’m drawn to performances that allow for emotional exchange, whether through music, dialogue, or even striking imagery and silence. I like magic that feels surreal, like a dream, where the world becomes more, fluid, malleable, and strange. I enjoy singing during a performance because it can add a hypnotic or meditative quality that draws the audience in, pulling them out of the puzzle-solving mindset and into an emotional world, where the magic can resonate in a deeper way. 

Where do you find inspiration when creating new magic performances? 

LIBERTY: All kinds of places! Films, dreams, and surprising conversations are just a few of my sources of inspiration.. I wrote my close-up show at the Magic Castle after being deeply influenced by an album from one of my favorite artists. It might start with an image you want to bring to life on stage or a moment you want to create, and from there, you can weave an entire routine around that single spark of inspiration.

Photo Credit: Magic Space Entertainment

You’ve performed in some of Hollywood’s most exclusive secret venues. How does performing in such intimate settings compare to a massive touring production like this one?

LIBERTY: It is wildly different from what I’ve experienced before. I’ve never performed for such huge audiences! It’s a thrill to connect with so many people. Every performance space seems to ask different things of you, and it’s been a learning curve to cultivate the skills needed for handling these cavernous rooms while still making it feel intimate. It’s funny, many performers I know would agree that sometimes the tiniest rooms can make you feel more nervous than the giant ones. There are still moments in every show when if I’m connecting with someone, the rest of the room disappears and the space suddenly feels very small. I love that feeling.

What is it like collaborating with such a diverse cast of magicians from around the world, each with their own unique approach to magic?

LIBERTY: This show is truly a rare creature in the way everyone collaborates and shares the stage. We don’t just perform our individual acts; we create magic together and perform it together. While each of us has our own unique style and skills, which often lead to a great blending of opposites, one thing we all share is a similar sense of humor and playfulness. That really shines through in our group chemistry, both on stage and off.

What has been your favorite city and/or most surprising audience moment on the tour so far?

LIBERTY: My favorite city on the tour so far was Green Bay, Wisconsin because of some surprising family history there. Before my great-grandfather moved to Los Angeles to practice magic (and law), our family owned a vegetable canning factory in Green Bay. There are still some fun remnants of our history in that town, so connecting with the people there and feeling that come full circle was really special.

Photo Credit: Champions of Magic

“Chasing the Unbelievable” promises spectacle, illusion, and storytelling. What can audiences expect from your segment of the show specifically?

LIBERTY: My segment of the show involves an appreciation for not only my family’s story, but magic history in general. We dive into a vintage-era aesthetic that includes classic Hollywood cinema! 

Is there an illusion you’ve always dreamed of pulling off, but haven’t yet dared to try?

LIBERTY: I would love to see an empty stage, and watch as a cloud suddenly begins to form. It becomes denser and denser until it is just one large cloud in the centre of the stage. Then, a person (possibly me, but not necessarily) materializes from within the cloud. I mentioned this to our show’s producer about a week and a half before opening and he said he’d let me know. Dare to dream. 

CHAMPIONS OF MAGIC: CHASING THE UNBELIEVABLE is currently on tour across North America will visit 55 cities for more than 100 performances. The show will play in Vancouver, BC from May 20 –22 at Queen Elizabeth Theatre. For more information about the show and to purchase tickets, visit the link below! 

CHAMPIONS OF MAGIC: CHASING THE UNBELIEVABLE Canadian Tour Dates are as followed: 

Photo Credit: Champions of Magic