According to magician Jamie Allan in Amaze Magic, New York, his transplanted show from London’s West End, there are two types of people when it comes to magic -dreamers and skeptics. I am a dreamer. I don’t want to know how the magic works. I just want to be astounded, and Allan’s show provides some amazing tricks.

The intimate New World Stages set is covered with 1980’s posters, memorabilia and magic paraphernalia, designed to look like his parents’ pub. Allan spends much time sharing his history. He talks of his fascination with magic and interacting magicians and expresses his affection and love for his parents, both performers who encouraged him.

The most awesome feats required his setting up the tricks- giving him the opportunity to get personal information from audience members. Their participation also made us question how it could have been possible for Allan to know their responses in advance.

When Allan includes the audience, asking adults to write down their favorite 80’s toy or to stand and point to indicate ‘heads’ or ‘tails,’’ we become part of the show. Allan has a genial way about himself, but his own personal story goes on too long. He’s soft-spoken and gentle with the youngsters lucky enough to be called onto the stage with him.

He includes some astounding feats that involve numbers and items placed clearly in sight but are never moved. There's a classic trick with its twist. He suspends a female assistant in midair, passes a hoop around her and then snaps his fingers and she turns into paper flakes. He makes a huge item appear out of nowhere where none had been before and predicts numbers and combinations that seem impossible. Allen does several impressive sleights of hand tricks with decks of cards. Though really impressive, they are not as spectacular visually as other tricks

Though Allan grew up in the ‘80s and was influenced by famous magicians of that time, he modernizes our experience by incorporating technology. He even invites us all to use our phones. That trick was one of the most astounding of all!

Three generations of our family attended Amaze Magic together. At intermission, the 12-year-old said she liked Allan but wanted less personal stuff and more tricks. By the end, she noted, "He made me question my eyes and brain. The tricks were very interesting and cool! I liked how he proved he wasn't hiding the cards in his sleeve, and how he proved everything was randomized.”

Is magic for children or adults or for dreamers or skeptics? We all became awe-struck kids for the two hours of the show. Our trip home was all about Allan and his tricks. How did he do that? Was it set up? Were there wires or were answers rehearsed?
I didn't care. I was wowed by Jamie Allan and that’s why we dreamers go to a magic show.

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