BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Magician, ventriloquist and celebrity interviewer Matt Bailey, a Lehigh Valley area native, will return this fall to debut a one-man show.
"Interviews: Mind Reading & Mentalism," will be at 8 p.m. Aug. 19 a Touchstone Theater, 321 E. 4th St., Bethlehem. Doors will open at 7 p.m.
- Matt Bailey, a Lehigh Valley native, is a magician, ventriloquist and celebrity interviewer
- He is debuting his one-man show at 8 p.m. Aug. 19 at Touchstone Theatre in Bethlehem
- Tickets, at $30 and $40 are available at Eventbrite.
Tickets, at $30 and $40, are available at Eventbrite.
The themes of the show are mind-reading, mentalism and intuition. It combines Bailey's experiences as both a performer and a celebrity interviewer.
It will be directed by Sarah J. Davis and produced by Baily.
"The arts community in Bethlehem is just fantastic."Matt Bailey, Lehigh Valley native
Bailey grew up just over the Berks County line, near Kutztown. He attended what is now known as the Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts.
"It was one of the most amazing formative experiences," he said. "The arts community in Bethlehem is just fantastic."
He said it's the reason he's debuting his show in the city.
In college, Bailey started out as a magician and ventriloquist.
"I was very much known for bringing in my characters and doing theater projects with my puppet characters," he said.
He said it was how he made his living during the summer.
After graduating from Pace University in New York City, he became a celebrity interviewer.
"You make a connection when you do interviews," he said.
That's the premise of his show.
"I thought, 'You know what? I have 10 years of learning how to get inside people's heads. Let's see if we can put that on the stage and make something that's still fun and mesmerizing and mystifying,'" Bailey said.
"I'm going to try to see these people for who they are," Bailey said.
He said he's also excited for the audience to get to know him.
If the show is successful in Bethlehem he plans to take it to other hyperlocal markets.
"We're going to have a conversation. We're going to get to know each other."Magician, ventriloquist and celebrity interviewer Matt Bailey
"This is really the litmus test," he said. "I don't want to do big rooms. Touchstone is 72 seats. My goal is to take this to small towns."
Eventually, he hopes to take the show to Long Island and Manhattan, New York, as well as Nashville. He also would love to take it to Las Vegas.
Bailey said he plans to be in the lobby before and after the show, so he can individualize the show to each of his audience members.
"We're going to have a conversation," he said. "We're going to get to know each other."