NEW YORK—Illusionist Scott Silven possesses a great number of tricks that he uses to delight his audience. The most lasting of all is how he is able to create a common bond for a group of strangers via the immersive experience that is “At the Illusionist’s Table.” This sensory evening of dining and magic is currently having a well-deserved return engagement at The McKittrick Hotel.
As the performance begins, the participants (you can’t really call them an audience) enter a semi-darkened space while being directed toward a large formal dining table with 28 place settings. The area above is lit by hanging globes with slowly changing colors: sea green, turquoise, pink, red, and orange. Various jazz instrumentals calling to mind the 1930s big-band era can be heard in the background intermittently during the evening.
