UMT Still Gets Requests

In 2005, at the end of the Summer run we closed down The Underground Magic Theatre. My two partners were leaving the area and it was a bit much for me to handle all alone. The UMT as I called it, was a 50 seat theatre/museum/warehouse/office/storage space. When you walked through the doors you first saw the museum and as you walked through you'd get to the actual theatre.

Every year since it's been closed I get calls from people and groups wanting to schedule visits to the see the show. I just got off the phone with someone who was raving over the fantastic performances that she recalled at the theatre and she was sad to hear that it was no longer open.

The funny thing is, since we closed, several other performers in the area have taken the small theatre idea and gone in slightly different directions with it and made something of it. Ours was patterned on the old Robert-Houdin idea of a small intimate theatre with a touch of LeGrand David's Cabot St. Cinema Theatre thrown in for inspiration. Steve Cohen patterned his after Max Malini's hotel shows. I can't say what everyone's inspiration is, as I don't know, but sometimes it's nothing more than the desire to present a unique show in an intimate setting. In my area, Rich Bloch, Glenn Gary, David London, Josh Norris and the members of the Comedy Magic Society; Bob Sheets, Mark Phillips, Brian Curry and Barry Wood are all busy with small theatre shows.

I keep threatening to return to this type of venue, and I have made a few steps forward but my existing performance schedule always gets in the way. I guess it's time to really put the effort forth to get this going.