![\"Siegfried](\"https:\/\/itsnotaboutme.tv\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Screen-Shot-2019-10-07-at-5.45.05-PM.png\")
<\/a>Siegfried Tieber. Photo by Brooke Opie, as is the one at the top of this page.<\/p><\/div>\n
Red Thread<\/em>\u00a0is a different kind of presentation for Ecuadorean-born Siegfried Tieber, who is still the same charming, charismatic, talented magician I saw before. And, surprisingly, unlike most people I haven\u2019t laid eyes on in a couple of years and then see again, he has not aged, not even a tiny bit! That is perhaps his best magic trick of all!!!<\/p>\n I had the pleasure of seeing him perform that other show two years ago, and it was entirely different. The magic this<\/em> time is just as excellent, of course, but I have to admit that I enjoyed the last one a bit more. The very unexciting and low-key audience I was with this time was partly to blame; they were like a group on a senior citizen excursion in the midwest. (Except for a young girl in the top row whose gum had a ninety-minute workout!) That may be because I chose to go for a Sunday matinee, rather than a nighttime<\/em> show, whose assemblage I can only assume is a bit more–how shall I put it–upbeat. (And the late show on Saturday nights must be a blast!)<\/p>\n One fun aspect of\u00a0Red Thread<\/em>\u00a0is being part of a very intimate two-rows-only audience; just thirty-four tickets are sold to each performance, making it an almost-private show! That makes it so special. And, of course, part of that fun is getting to participate because just about every trick needs an audience member to help-out.<\/p>\n The stage area, pre-show, before Siegfried unveils all his interesting props. (Notice the red threads!) Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n But this was somewhat strange\u2014on the day I was there, Siegfried kept calling on the same people over and over, leaving-out a quarter of the audience. At\u00a0See\/Saw<\/em>, he engaged every single person in attendance, which made it much more enjoyable for me to not be worrying about anyone\u2019s feelings being hurt. (But a lot of people were wearing glasses this time, and he needed people to read things, so that might be a reason for the exclusions.)<\/p>\n Siegfried Tieber, trying to conjure-up his next illusion! Photo by Brooke Opie.<\/p><\/div>\n So, judging\u00a0Red Thread\u00a0<\/em>on its own merits, it\u2019s an excellent show. I feel that it\u2019s designed to demonstrate that Siegfried does more than just card tricks, no matter how jaw-dropping those<\/em> are. To that end, he performs standing-up this time, (as opposed to sitting at a semi-circle table with the audience abutting the opposite side,) and showcases a lot of other<\/em> kinds of magic, including mind-reading and working with Rubik\u2019s cubes, the latter of which would take me five lifetimes to do even a small part of!<\/p>\n The final long routine of the hour-and-a-half show, (including a brief intermission,) which involves Siegfried\u2019s memorization of books, is worth the price of admission alone. It\u2019s unexplainable. I would see\u00a0Red Thread\u00a0again just to see him do that one astounding illusion!<\/p>\n Speaking of \u201cthreads,\u201d I commend Siegfried (and his co-writer, Jared Kopf,) for trying to have a metaphysical one that connects all his magic in this show, which I assume they think makes it more interesting or mysterious. But that theatrical device is entirely unnecessary\u2014his \u201ctricks\u201d are more than enough to keep us engrossed. I didn\u2019t need to hear about \u201cchance\u201d and \u201cchoice.\u201d We all know it\u2019s solely his<\/em> sleight-of-hand, and has nothing to do with us<\/em>, so I would have preferred him to just get on with it. But that could be just me.<\/p>\n Part of the bar accoutrements, including a mint plant and Red Vines. Photo by Karen Salkin; composition by Nathan Pata.<\/p><\/div>\n The very amiable on-site bartender, Nathan Pata, (who charmingly spells his last name as \u201cpretty awesome, totally awesome,\u201d or something like that,) sees\u00a0Red Thread\u00a0<\/em>every night, and told me that he still can\u2019t figure-out even one<\/em> of Siegfried\u2019s tricks!\u00a0\u00a0[Note: The bar, which is right in the same room but off to the side and in the back, (for a bit of refreshment before or after the show, and during intermission,) serves only non<\/em>-alcoholic, but really creative, beverages.\u00a0\u00a0And they use Red Vines, to go with the presentation\u2019s\u00a0 theme, as the stirrers and straws!\u00a0\u00a0How very creative!]<\/p>\n The secret entrance through the shoe store to the event space, which that distant man is standing in. Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n All this fun takes place in an event space that you can access only through a very hip subterranean shoe store\u00a0in downtown LA, and has a bit of a \u201cJoe sent me\u201d vibe to it. Because I\u2019m not a moron, and know how to read the maps and detailed pictures that the producers are\u00a0kind enough to provide with the\u00a0reservation confirmations, I had no problem recognizing the entrance, which is through an obscure alley. I actually love places like this.\u00a0\u00a0But I noticed several other guests struggling to figure it out from the street, (which actually made the experience even better for me! Bi-atch, am I right?)<\/p>\n I<\/em>\u00a0also\u00a0have to be kind and mention two conditions that might be difficult for some of you. The room is down a bunch of stairs. (Hence the description \u201csubterranean\u201d\u2014duh.) And there is no air-conditioning, but even\u00a0I<\/em>\u00a0was shockingly okay with that on an uber-hot day, so I\u2019m assuming it won\u2019t affect most others, either. But it’s always nice to be forewarned. (And there are two big fans they put on before the show and again at intermission.)<\/p>\n The directions could not be more clear, which I really appreciate!<\/p><\/div>\n No matter what else is going on with the surroundings<\/em>, the magic<\/em> is the attraction here. And that is the reason to see\u00a0Red Thread<\/em>. It\u2019s a rare opportunity to see a master magician so up-close and personal. I never once spaced-out or checked my watch; I was mesmerized the entire time. And shocked when Siegfried told us he had been doing this art for only a baker\u2019s dozen years! It seems like he would need at least a half century<\/em> to become\u00a0this good.<\/p>\n So I promise\u00a0you that\u00a0Red Thread<\/em>\u00a0is a very worthwhile experience. And hey, you may even purchase a pair of boots on the way out!<\/p>\n Red Thread<\/em>\u00a0running through November 10, 2019<\/strong> RED THREAD There are two ways I\u2019m looking at this interesting new magic show. If this is the first time you\u2019re seeing Siegfried Tieber\u2019s incredible work, you will be absolutely amazed by his talent! If you saw his\u00a0previous\u00a0show,\u00a0See\/Saw, you\u2019ll still be amazed but also perchance a tad disappointed because this one is not quite as<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>
\n Pskaufman Gallery\u00a0\u00a0113 E. 8th Street (down the alley)\u00a0in DTLA<\/strong>
\n www.atlasobscura.com\/experiences\/red-thread<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"