Review: “Wine and Magic” with Trigg Watson
Shawn Stalter
Contributing Critic - Dallas/Ft. Worth
Award-winning illusionist Trigg Watson’s one-man show, “Wine and Magic,” at Checkered Past Winery in downtown Dallas delivered an intimate and truly-magically entertaining performance. Although wine and magic do not often enjoy a close association, Trigg capitalized on the unique features of this cozy, upscale wine bar venue to forge a connection to his audience and unleash a wide range of unique illusions from his deep bag of tricks. From conjuring wine bottles out of thin air to exploring the mysteries of time travel and more, Trigg Watson firmly demonstrated how he earned titles including Dallas’s Performing Artist of the Year as well as Dallas’s Magician of the year.
Trigg Watson’s “Wine and Magic” combines hilarious comedic stylings with mesmerizing sleight of hand to take audience members on a wildly-unpredictable, illusion-fueled journey. His magical repertoire isn’t overly-stuffed with old and tired ‘pull a rabbit out of a hat’-style shticks, but instead, forges paths into exciting new territory by incorporating modern tech gadgets in unique ways. In fact, his lovely digital assistant, Alexa, hilariously got in on the action to lend a hand. Trigg even ensured there wasn’t a bad seat in the intimate urban wine pub venue as he employed a digital camera to provide up close and personal views of each of his stunning illusions.
One of the most engaging aspects of “Wine and Magic” occurred as Trigg conjured tricks from various sources of inspiration which helped him hone his craft through the years. From New Orleans street magicians to the grandfather who ignited his childhood passion for magic, the audience earned a glimpse into the evolution and inner working of this dynamic modern-day illusionist. Those who stuck around after the show for dessert or to contemplate how he pulled off some of the tricks were rewarded with some one-on-one time to meet and chat with the talented Trigg Watson.
Overall, “Wine and Magic” offers a genuinely entertaining and one-of-a-kind, fun-filled experience perfect for date night, drinks with friends or any other gathering enhanced by spellbinding magical comedic feats in an intimate and sophisticated downtown Dallas venue.
Trigg Watson performs “Wine and Magic” at the Checkered Past Winery located at 1409 S. Lamar, Suite 008, Dallas, TX 75215 with show times of 7:00 pm and 9:30 pm. Reserve your tickets for upcoming shows in December at www.wineandmagicdallas.com and learn more about Trigg’s unique brand of humor-infused magical illusions by visiting triggmagic.com. This show is suitable for adults and teens accompanied by parents. Be sure to check out checkeredpastwinery.com to learn more about the signature wines, desserts and more available for purchase at this unique urban Dallas wine pub venue.
Photo credit: George Jennings Utkov