February 12, 2024
Provided Image/Smokus Pocus
Magician Ben Zabin is bringing his weed-centric magic show, 'Smokus Pocus,' to Plays & Players Theatre in Philadelphia on Saturday, Feb. 24.
A cannabis-themed magic show is coming to Philadelphia later this month with a promise of dazzling feats of "dank debauchery."
Magician and marijuana connoisseur Ben Zabin is bringing "Smokus Pocus" to Plays & Players Theatre, 1714 Delancey St. in Rittenhouse, on Saturday, Feb. 24, as part of a seven-stop tour in the U.S. The performance is typically based in Las Vegas where recreational cannabis is legal and "Smokus Pocus" has a residency at performance venue run by one of that city's dispensaries.
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In Philly — where recreational pot use is not legal but has been decriminalized for possession of small amounts — "Smokus Pocus" will be an 21-and-over show that Zabin described as immersive — a combination of comedy, crowd interaction and magic tricks involving marijuana paraphernalia.
"They can expect a lot of weed appearing here and there," Zabin said. "They can expect to see bongs and vapes and one-hitters and drop bags do some pretty impossible stuff. And we'll also kind of get into people there. I'll really get to know folks in the room; they'll get to know me. We'll talk about people's experiences, their first time smoking weed, some embarrassing weed experiences. It's a really funny, lighthearted, just chill show."
Zabin has been performing magic for 20 years. Before the pandemic, he lived a "weird double life," as a magician on cruise ships while also making money selling marijuana in Boston. The cruise ship work dried up during the pandemic and Zabin decided to pivot to different magical endeavors.
"I wanted to combine my passions of magic and weed," he said. "And the idea of a weed magic show was on the back burner for a while, but figured that that was the time. So in 2020, I moved down to Portland, Oregon, to launch 'Smokus Pocus.' That's what I've been doing ever since."
The 'Smokus Pocus' magic show, which comes to Philly on Feb. 24, features jokes and cannabis-themed tricks.
The first show took place in a 60-person room rented inside a church. Over the next few years, he performed in bigger and bigger venues around the country. In April, Zabin's "Smokus Pocus" began its residency in Las Vegas.
With marijuana laws differing from state to state, Zabin said that the show slightly differs from place to place, and that some venues have even turned him down.
"Like in Vegas, the day tickets went on sale, I got a call from the Nevada cannabis commissioner's office just grilling me with questions about where the weed in our show is from, how long it's been there, the quantities, and so each state is kind of different," Zabin said. "And I won't go into the magician's secrets about how exactly the weed gets to the stage. But each show is so unique to the audience that no two shows are alike because of the people that are in the room at the time."
Zabin said he has previously brought "Smokus Pocus" to Philadelphia two years ago.
"... (A)nd it was a blast. Northeast audiences are awesome, Philly audiences especially," he said. "People really turn up to celebrate cannabis culture community. And it's really an immersive show that brings the room and the community together."
Anyone planning to attend "Smokus Pocus" should note that smoking cannabis is not permitted inside Plays & Players, and there will not be THC products available for purchase at the venue. Zabin said whether people in the audience show up "high AF" or stone-cold sober, is show will have something fun for everyone.
"I've designed it so it's equally as fun for the stoned and sober, so even if you only smoked weed once, 20 years ago, you'll still have just as much fun as the everyday chronic," Zabin said. "That's the fun part; people come at all sorts of levels of intoxication. And so a lot of the tricks will play off of that. It's really just a funny experience no matter what level people are riding high at or not."
Tickets for "Smokus Pocus" are available online currently at an early-bird discounted price of $30. Check out a preview of the show below:
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