Dr. Steve Taubman's Mind Magic: A Night of Laughter and Astonishment

Dr. Steve Taubman brings his show, Mind Magic: A Night of Laughter and Astonishment, to Christ Church Neighborhood House on Friday, November 6. It's a night of mentalism and comedy, with Taubman as the sole feature.

What he does is a mix of mindreading, psychology, and theater. The mindreading is the part that usually gets the most attention—the kind of stuff where he seems to know what you're thinking before you've even said it. The psychology side is the how of it, the way he reads people and plays with expectations, and the theater is the framing, the way he builds the whole thing into a performance rather than just a series of tricks. The comedy runs through all three, so it's as much about the laughs as it is about the head-scratching.

If you've never seen a mentalist live, this is a good place to start. It's not a magic show in the traditional sense—there aren't any rabbits coming out of hats or cards being pulled from sleeves. Instead, the focus is on the mind, and since the audience is part of the act, it's a different kind of experience than just watching a stage show. You're as much a part of the evening as he is.

It's happening at Christ Church Neighborhood House in Philadelphia on Friday, November 6. If you're looking for something to do that night, this is a solid option.