Amaze â Jamie Allan’s Magic Show NYC Guide
A story-led, high-tech magic show at New World Stages built for families, date nights, and anyone who wants something more substantial than a standard illusion revue. Here’s what to know before you book.
Amaze is not a standard magic revue. The easiest way to understand how it is different: it is built as a theatrical memoir. The show is structured around Jamie Allan’s childhood in the 1980s â the decade that shaped both him and his relationship with magic â and the illusions are woven through that story rather than presented as a standalone sequence of tricks. There is spectacle here, and plenty of it, but it is delivered with personality, warmth, and a clear narrative shape that makes the evening feel more like a piece of theater than a variety show.
The result is a show that genuinely serves two audiences at once â families with older children who can follow and appreciate a story, and adults who want an evening of entertainment that holds together rather than just filling time. The official positioning covers both explicitly: family-friendly and a strong date-night option. Both are accurate. This page will help you figure out which applies to your situation, and what to know before you arrive.
What Amaze Is
Jamie Allan opened Amaze in London’s West End before bringing it to Chicago â where it became that city’s highest-selling magic show â and then to New York, where it has now extended its run three times and passed its 300th performance. The Off-Broadway production runs at New World Stages through September 6, 2026.
The show’s structure is personal in a way that most magic productions are not. Allan grounds the performance in the year 1982, the decade of his childhood, and uses 80s nostalgia â the music, the aesthetic, the cultural memory â as both a backdrop and a through-line. The audience meets him as a kid who fell in love with magic and follows the story forward to the present. The illusions sit inside that arc rather than interrupting it: card tricks, levitation, body vanishments, smartphone-as-portal effects, Rubik’s Cube sequences, and larger-scale illusions that happen close to the audience in the intimate Stage 5 setting.
The production incorporates technology â lasers, 3D video mapping, holograms, interactive media â at a level that goes well beyond what most magic shows put on stage. But the technology serves the story rather than replacing it, which is what separates Amaze from a high-tech novelty act. The meet-and-greet with Jamie Allan after the show, which is standard at every performance, is a meaningful part of the experience â not an add-on.
This is not a performance where trick follows trick from a neutral stage. It is a show that uses illusions to tell a specific personal story, and that choice gives it a shape and emotional register that generic magic revues do not have. Adults who go in looking for a night of entertainment â not a challenge, not edge, not darkness â tend to find exactly that. For families with children roughly 5 and up, the combination of visual spectacle and narrative engagement tends to work well, especially for kids who respond to story-driven formats rather than pure variety.
Who Should See It â and Who May Want Something Else
Amaze is one of the more genuinely cross-demographic Off-Broadway picks currently running in Midtown. It works for families, for couples, and for visitors who want a lighter but still substantial theater night. That breadth is real, not marketing â the show’s structure earns it. But it is not the right fit for everyone, and being clear about that makes the page more useful.
- Families with children ages 5 and up
- Adults looking for an enjoyable date-night outing
- Visitors who want spectacle without a heavy or intense subject matter
- People who enjoy magic and want more story and personality than a standard revue
- Groups who want a Midtown evening that is easy, polished, and doesn’t ask too much
- 80s-nostalgia audiences who respond to that framing
- Anyone who enjoys a post-show meet-and-greet with the performer
- Groups with children under 5 â they are not admitted
- Visitors who want a traditional Broadway musical with narrative scale
- Adults looking for darker, more daring, or more adult-driven entertainment
- Theatergoers focused on acting, writing, or score rather than spectacle
- Guests sensitive to flashing lights, haze, or smoke effects
- Visitors wanting a show with sharp comedic edge or satirical content
The under-5 policy is a hard one â it is not a guideline but an official admission restriction. Families with very young children should plan accordingly, either booking a different show or arranging care for the evening. For families with children in the 5â12 range, the show tends to land well: the spectacle is immediate enough to hold younger attention, and the narrative and technical elements give older kids and adults more to engage with.
What to Know Before You Go
Children under 5 are not admitted â no exceptions
The official production policy does not admit children under 5, regardless of whether they would sit on a lap. This is different from some other family shows at New World Stages. If your group includes very young children, this is the most important practical fact about the show.
Jamie Allan does not perform at every show
This is worth knowing before you book. Allan does not appear at all performances â select shows feature Harry De Cruz, a fellow illusionist, instead. If seeing Jamie Allan specifically matters to you, check the official calendar before purchasing tickets, as it notes which performances he is scheduled to appear at. The production itself is designed so that De Cruz performances deliver the same show structure.
Flashing lights, haze, and smoke are used throughout
The official advisory flags strobe or flashing lights, a bright light effect, and theatrical haze and smoke. These are integral to the production design rather than incidental effects. If photosensitivity, asthma, or sensory sensitivities are a concern for anyone in your group, factor this in before booking.
The show runs approximately 2 hours 15 minutes with one intermission
This is a fuller evening than some Off-Broadway options â comparable in length to a standard Broadway musical. Plan dinner timing and logistics accordingly. For a 7:00 PM curtain, dinner before 5:30 is a comfortable target.
The meet-and-greet after the show is standard
Jamie Allan â or the featured performer â typically meets the audience after the show. This is part of the experience the production builds around, not a special event. Budget a bit of time after the curtain if you want to take advantage of it, especially with children for whom that interaction tends to be a highlight.
The venue is fully accessible
New World Stages has an elevator and escalator, and wheelchair seating locations are available at Stage 5. Contact the box office in advance if you have specific accessibility requirements, as seating arrangements are best handled before the day of the show.
New World Stages, Stage 5 â Venue and Logistics
Amaze plays at Stage 5, the largest of the five performance spaces inside New World Stages at 340 West 50th Street. The building is a purpose-built Off-Broadway complex that has been one of the primary commercial Off-Broadway venues in the city for more than two decades. Stage 5’s size makes it large enough to support the production design â the lasers, the video mapping, the larger illusions â while remaining intimate enough that the magic in the front half of the room feels genuinely close to the audience.
The location is practical from almost anywhere in Manhattan. The C and E trains stop at 50th Street and 8th Avenue â about a block from the venue. The 1 train at 50th Street and Broadway is a slightly longer walk east. If you are driving, Midtown parking garages are available in the surrounding blocks, with advance booking recommended for weekend evenings.
With a runtime of approximately 2 hours 15 minutes and one intermission, Amaze runs longer than many Off-Broadway shows. Plan dinner to start no later than 5:30 for a 7:00 or 7:30 PM curtain. Hell’s Kitchen â one block west and running north from New World Stages â is the natural choice for pre-show dining in this neighborhood. It has the strongest concentration of reliable, theater-timed restaurants near this part of Midtown. The restaurants near Broadway guide covers specific options, and the pre-show dining timing guide walks through pacing strategy for different curtain times.
For visitors staying overnight, the Theater District and Midtown West have a high concentration of hotels within walking distance of New World Stages. See the hotels near Broadway guide for options close to this part of Midtown. Full subway and arrival details are in the getting to a show in Midtown guide.
For a full overview of the venue, including the other productions running there simultaneously, see the New World Stages venue guide.
How Amaze Compares to Other Off-Broadway Options
Amaze sits in a specific lane within the Off-Broadway cluster at New World Stages â story-led, family-appropriate, more substantial than a short spectacle show but lighter and more accessible than a full dramatic musical. Knowing how it compares to what else is running helps clarify whether it is the right fit for your group.
~70 minutes, no intermission, ages 2 and up. Shorter and more immediately visual. Better for toddlers and very young kids who cannot follow a narrative or sit through 2+ hours. No under-5 admission restriction.
Physical farce with no content concerns and strong appeal across ages. Works well for families and adults alike, but it is straight comedy rather than spectacle or magic. No story-emotional element â purely comedic.
Recommended 14 and up, with significant content advisories. Sharper, edgier, and more adult in tone than Amaze. A completely different night â listed here only to clarify the contrast.
Campy, funny, and broadly accessible. A traditional musical with a score and story â suits families whose kids are ready for a full musical format. Different category from a magic show.
Among the current Off-Broadway options in Midtown, Amaze occupies the clearest position for visitors who want evening programming with broad appeal â not too young, not too intense, not too niche. That positioning is genuine. If you are still weighing options, the Off-Broadway guide and the Off-Broadway venues guide cover the full current landscape.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, for children ages 5 and up. The show is built for broad family appeal â the spectacle works immediately for younger children, and the storytelling and technology give older kids and adults more to engage with. Children under 5 are not admitted under the official production policy, regardless of seating arrangements.
Approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes, with one intermission. This is a fuller evening than many Off-Broadway shows â plan dinner and logistics accordingly. Verify the current runtime on the official site before attending, as it can vary slightly.
At New World Stages, Stage 5 â 340 West 50th Street in Midtown Manhattan, between 8th and 9th Avenues. The nearest subway stops are the C and E trains at 50th Street and 8th Avenue, and the 1 train at 50th Street and Broadway.
No. Jamie Allan does not appear at all shows â select performances feature Harry De Cruz in his place. The official production calendar notes which performances Allan is scheduled to appear at. If seeing him specifically matters to you, check the calendar before booking rather than after.
Off-Broadway. Amaze plays at New World Stages, which is a commercial Off-Broadway venue. The production design and production values operate well above what the Off-Broadway label might suggest â Stage 5 is a purpose-built performance space capable of handling the laser, video mapping, and larger-scale illusion elements the show uses.
Yes. The official advisory from the production flags strobe or flashing lights, a bright light effect, and theatrical haze and smoke. These are part of the visual design throughout the show. If any member of your group has photosensitivity or sensory sensitivities, factor this in before booking and contact the box office to discuss accommodations.
Yes â the performer typically meets the audience after the curtain, which is a consistent part of the Amaze experience. Budget some time after the show ends if you plan to participate, especially with younger children for whom that interaction tends to be a highlight of the evening.
The Practical Summary
Amaze is one of the more versatile Off-Broadway picks currently running in Midtown â a show that works genuinely well for families with children ages 5 and up, for adult date nights, and for visitors who want an evening of polished entertainment without the weight of a full dramatic narrative. The story-led format gives it substance that a standard magic revue does not have, and the post-show meet-and-greet gives it a warmth that carries the experience past the final curtain.
It is not the right show for very young children, for adults looking for sharper or more daring entertainment, or for visitors whose priority is traditional musical theater. But for the audience it is designed for, it delivers cleanly and without pretension. The Midtown location and accessible logistics at New World Stages make the evening easy to plan around.
For current tickets and performance dates â including which shows feature Jamie Allan versus Harry De Cruz â check the official site. For the rest of your evening, the restaurants near Broadway guide and the getting there guide are the right next stops.