Fred Siegel

Fred Siegel was born in New York, grew up in Northeast Philadelphia, and has a Ph.D. in Performance Studies from New York University. Fred was a featured performer in Bradshaw's Circus of World Curiosities, a Coney Island sideshow. Currently, he teaches at Drexel University and is a nine year veteran of Comedy Sportz Philadelphia and a performer with Theater Ariel. Who: Fred Siegel, Eric Van Wie, The Rosen Sisters (Deborah Rosen and Gail Rosen) Why: We love magic and wanted to create shows for people to see some cool tricks, have some laughs, and just unwind. If you love magic, you'll love our shows. If you hate magic, you'll still love our shows, since this is not a typical magic show. What: Fred's Magic World is an extraordinary performance filled with mirth, magic and comical mayhem. The show features magic and comedy acts including a Houdini-like straitjacket escape, psychic sisters, a baffling memory exhibition, dexterous displays of sleight of hand, comedy improv (like Who's Line is it Anyway), and more! We take the classics of magic that have thrilled audiences for centuries and brings them into the 21st century. The Philadelphia Inquirer: "The wackiness of Fred's Magic World immediately caught our attention..." The Philadelphia Daily News: "...a production that is like no other in Philadelphia." The Philadelphia Weekly: "...mind-boggling examples of magic and inspired bits of comedy." The Philadelphia City Paper: "The Rosen sisters are natural comedians...inspired lunacy!" The idea behind FRED'S MAGIC WORLD was born about twenty years ago, when Fred Siegel was working towards his Ph.D. in Performance Studies at NYU. During the summers, Fred worked ten hour days as an "inside talker" and magician at Bradshaw's Circus of World Curiosities, a Coney Island freak show. FRED'S MAGIC WORLD has been performing variety acts featuring magic and comedy for the past fifteen years including many years at the Philadelphia Fringe Festival.