A dream realized: Magic-themed theater opening on the Strip
When he was a youngster, Damian Costa used to hang at Scandia amusement center in Las Vegas. One day the crane game malfunctioned. That grabbed his attention. Little Damian loved working the metal claw to grab plastic watches, jawbreakers and stuffed animals.
“I loved that game, it was my favorite, and I was at Scandia all the time,” Costa says, referring of the play park located at what today is the Area15 site. “It was a fun place to play that inspired a lot of my ideas.”
Costa has a bunch of claws machines now. They are integral to his budding business The Magicians Room, opening Oct. 20 at Linq Promenade. This new two-level venue sits between the Fabulous Las Vegas shop and Virgil’s Real Barbecue, just down from Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club, which Costa’s Pompey Entertainment company also operates.
The crane-only arcade is just the beginning. There is a 30-seat Levit8 Lounge (clever) with floating furniture overhead. This scene sets up the 225-seat main theater, designed to be hidden away on the second floor. A quartet of proven magic acts hold court in that space: Farrell Dillon, The Conjurors, “Late Night Magic” and David Goldrake. The venue will incorporate holograms, augmented reality and immersive effects.
Costa, whose son Dayton Costa will lead day-to-day ops, is familiar with inventive ideas in multivenue destinations. His Duomo at the Rio included an arcade and a cafe/coffee bar next to the main theater. The Composers Room at Commercial Center runs a full schedule in its Showlounge and Piano Bar, offering a full menu in both space.
But Costa has always wanted to create a magic-themed venue and had headed up the rebranding of The Magic Attic at Bally’s when he was an exec with Caesars Entertainment. The Vegas native and veteran entertainment visionary says this room is “our most imaginative concept yet,” and is running daytime with family shows (Dillon’s specialty) to traditional headliners (Conjurors and Goldrake) and adults-only entertainment (“Late Night Magic” checks in here).
“We’re creating an environment that delivers the wonder of live magic in a way that’s engaging, unexpected and perfect for locals and tourists,” Costa says.
Dillon, performing alongside his wife, Amanda Dillon, has been a mainstay at Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club. The Conjurors (Matthew Pomeroy and Natasha Lamb) and “Late Night Magic” (John Shaw, The Shocker, Doug “Lefty” Leferovich, Bizzaro and Hollie England) were featured at The Venue at The Orleans, which shut down in March.
A favorite in his native Luxembourg, Goldrake headlined more than 300 shows at Tropicana Theater from June 2017 through September 2018.
The Magicians Room will also host VIP events, private parties and corporate gatherings.The full schedule and price points are to be revealed at themagiciansroom.com. Check below and check back, as this is where the magic happens.
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.