Sleight of hand magic at the Open Space

Magician Joey Pipia, considered a master showman and comedian who puts on a fast-paced show, will perform at Open Space for Arts and Community on Saturday. His show begins at 8 p.m.

Magician Joey Pipia, considered a master showman and comedian who puts on a fast-paced show, will perform at Open Space for Arts and Community on Saturday. His show begins at 8 p.m.

This is a return visit for Pipia, a Port Townsend resident who will perform his newest show, called “Delusions of Grandeur.” The 75-minute performance, he says in a press release, will feature “straight-up magic presented without fancy boxes, smoke or mirrors.”

Pipia has had a long career as a magician, appearing in films, on TV and on stages across the country.

He’s a performer, writer and producer of the legendary Stage Left Vaudeville Show at the Oregon Country Fair. He also performs at the International Moisture Festival and tours regularly with The New Old Time Chautauqua and The Flying Karamazov Brothers.

His escape from a straight jacket while hanging 80 feet above Water Street in downtown Port Townsend was featured on Seattle NPR’s “KUOW Presents.”

“See this show, live happily ever after,” said Jake Seniuk, Director of The Port Angeles Fine Arts Center, who has booked Pipia to perform at his venue. “He’s an imp, a wizard with a sixth sense.”

The magician has his local admirers, too.

“He’s a pro,” said Kevin Joyce, a well-known island impresario, singer and performer. Recalling how he had once witnessed Pipia perform a trick where he seemed to swallow shards of broken glass, Joyce said, “He created a huge sensation.”

Tickets to the show are $15 for adults and $10 for seniors and children. Purchase them online at www.brownpapertickets.com, or pick them up at Vashon Bookshop or at the door on the night of the show.