WILLIAMSBURG — Magic is coming to the Historic Triangle this summer in the form of the Wagsters Magic Theatre.
Award-winning magic couple, Brandon and Hannah Wagster, are bringing their show chock full of illusions, sleight of hand, escapes, and their heartfelt story to an intimate, eighty person theatre located on Olde Town Road.
The South Carolina natives have performed for audiences across the country and are planning to share their talents with the Historic Triangle on a regular basis beginning in June.
“When you think of a magic show, you think of a big Las Vegas show,” Brandon said of their act. “That is what to expect when you come our show. The flashy costumes, the lights, the big boxes, disappearing, reappearing. At its core that is what our show is. But our show has morphed and is continuing to morph into a story of our lives. By the time you leave, you are going to know Hannah and I. You are going to know our story.”
The Historic Triangle newcomers are far from beginners when it comes to magic.
Brandon has been practicing his craft since receiving a magic kit for Christmas when he was six years old.
“Magic was the thing that clicked for me,” Brandon remembers. “I started doing magic for a paying audience when I was about 11 years old. I worked at a restaurant doing tableside magic for a few years. I also did magic competitions throughout the southeast.”
While she did not starting doing magic as early as Brandon did, Hannah does come from a performing arts background. She spent her childhood learning a slew of musical instruments as well as singing and dance. In truth, she did not initially care for magic.
That changed when Brandon and Hannah began to date in 2010. At one point early on in the relationship, the two women who assisted Brandon on stage left to embark upon magic careers of their own. Knowing he needed assistance, Hannah readily volunteered.
“At first we were definitely ‘magician and assistant’ because he had been doing magic way longer than I had,” Hannah says of their early days performing together as magicians. “Brandon would perform and I would perform and the audience hated me because I had two years of experience versus his 12. It’s taken awhile to catch up, but I think I am holding my own. Now it’s not just him throwing me into boxes, I throw him into some, too.”
Throughout the course of their marriage, the Wagsters have earned a slew of recognition and awards from the global magic community. The most prestigious of their accolades being the 2020 Merlin Award from the International Magicians Society for “Best Theatrical Magic Production.” Brandon says that the award is tantamount to an Oscar in their circles.
Going forward, the Wagsters have big plans for both their theatre and show.
Currently they are actively renovating the building, which to date has only housed church congregations.
By bringing in a stage, lighting, sound equipment, chairs, concessions, the Wagsters plan to put on a show that delights people of all ages and backgrounds.
“There is so much garbage in the world,” Brandon says. “We live in a world of social media, 24-hour news networks, pandemics and wars and everything else. We just want people to walk in these doors, and for 75 minutes put all that out of their heads. To be a kid again.”
As of yet, the Wagsters do not have an exact date for their debut in Williamsburg, but they are hoping for mid to late June.
For more information on the Wagsters Magic Theater, checkout their website. To watch clips of their show please visit either their Facebook page or YouTube Channel.
