Queen of Magic
Music by Veronica Leahy, Lyrics by Andrew Van Camp
About
Queen of Magic is a pop-rock musical that brings to light and life a magician more famous than Houdini in her time, but now largely forgotten. Based on a true story, Adelaide Herrmann was the first woman to be a superstar in the magic industry, rising to prominence after the death of her husband Alexander, known as the “King of Magic.” She not only perfects her husband’s act, but builds upon it and takes it to new heights. She was once widely proclaimed as one of the greatest living entertainers. Queen of Magic asks: what’s the price to be paid for breaking barriers, and who is subsequently left behind in the rise to success? Here, that someone is Adele, Adelaide’s niece and former “lovely assistant,” who unexpectedly obtains the power to seal Adelaide’s legacy as one of the greatest magicians of all time or to erase her life and memory into oblivion. What she does hinges on the past and has enormous ramifications for the future. This musical deals with themes of misogyny, patriarchy, and the price of fame. In a world where women were consigned to the roles of assistant and wife, what happens when one of them breaks free?
Queen of Magic received its first production to sold-out audiences at the Loeb Experimental Theater in December 2022. A musical that “does not disappoint audiences,” the Harvard Crimson praised it as “a thought provoking, visually beautiful, and overall emotionally mature production.”
