Milwaukee magician embraces Zoom for Pabst benefit shows
Milwaukee-born master magician Ben Seidman was traveling the world performing up to 200 shows a year. He had built up a booming touring business with a stellar résumé: consultant for “Criss Angel Mindfreak” on A&E; resident magician at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas; appearances on the Travel Channel, the CW’s “Penn and Teller: Fool Us” and “Brainchild” on Netflix.
Then the pandemic hit, and Seidman’s trips were all scrapped.
And now, Seidman is busier than ever.
He designed an interactive magic show, “Camera Tricks,” to perform live over Zoom, and is averaging two to three shows a day, ranging from children’s birthday parties and virtual family reunions, to fundraisers and corporate gigs for Amazon and other Fortune 500 companies.
And he’s doing three more this Friday through Sunday to benefit Milwaukee’s Pabst Theater Group, still shut down and struggling during the pandemic, as part of its “#ReviveLiveMKE” streaming event series.
“The Pabst has always been amazing to me,” Seidman, 35, said from his home in Los Angeles. “They gave me a shot opening for a band when I was in high school before anyone knew who I was. … Getting to help them … even at a time when their doors have to be closed is really exciting.”
Seidman was 10 when he fell in love with magic. He was rehearsing for a play with First Stage Children’s Theater, when theater technician Tim Catlett, who had worked as a tech for David Copperfield, showed him a trick.
“He intentionally taught me something that was far too difficult for a kid to learn, so I stayed up all night practicing,” Seidman said. “He would teach me something new every day, and I was completely hooked.”
Seidman also would visit the Safe House to observe tricks from the resident magician, and when he was 16, he worked at the since-shuttered Theophilus Magic Shop.
“I had to learn all the tricks and demonstrate them to hobbyists, fans and other magicians, and read everything I could,” Seidman said. “It catapulted my knowledge, and I did shows all over Milwaukee.”
After graduating from Shorewood High School, Seidman went to the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire for three years, then transferred to the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, to entrench himself in the city’s magic scene. He started inventing his own tricks, sold one to Criss Angel in 2006, and designed tricks for Angel’s A&E show for three years.
“And that is when everything kind of exploded for me,” he said.
For most performers, everything imploded in mid-March. With live shows canceled, musicians have turned to streaming performances. But as a magician, Seidman heavily relies on audience interaction. The Pabst benefit shows are limited to 40 passes to make that possible.
“I’m joking with people in real time, and making real connections with them, and they’re contributing ideas that lead to moments in the show,” Seidman said. “I will make fun of their backgrounds in a tongue-in-cheek way and do crowd work in a way that makes people feel present, not like they’re just watching something on a screen. People are invested in it, so the magic just hits really hard.”
“Everyone needs amazement and laughter in their life probably now more than ever,” Seidman said. “With the pandemic and unrest in the world and people struggling with what is going on … there is nothing more rewarding to me than getting to give that gift to people.”
“Ben Seidman: Camera Tricks” will stream at 7 p.m. Friday through Sunday via Zoom. Links will be issued to ticket buyers. Passes are $37.50 at