Venue View: Spellbound Magic Shop & Theater

By Travis Nye

Owner

Spellbound Magic Shop & Theater

Greetings from Spellbound Magic Shop & Theater. Spellbound has been a dream of mine for many years, and I am excited to share my personal journey that allowed me to open this venue, and its true purpose. I have been performing magic for all audiences of all ages, for small private events, holiday parties and larger theater performances for about 18 years now. 

Travis Nye

I fell in love with magic not because I liked “tricking” or “fooling” people—instead I fell in love with performing, because I could make even the most stoic adult respond in the same ways a child does when they experience something truly amazing. After my stage presence and overall performance improved, so did my audience’s experience. I was getting booked for more and more gigs and traveling further to entertain hundreds of strangers I had never met.

I always start every show the same. A simple introduction to set my audience at ease. I would then ask a question: “How many of you have ever been to a magic show before?” I was amazed by how this was a first-time magic show for so many people. I slowly started to realize this needed to change.

To me, magic is a very unique artform that hides tucked away behind your typical forms of entertainment. When someone is tasked with seeking entertainment for a night out, or for a private event, they always go with the common and most readily available. Nobody thinks, “we should hire a magician,” as their first idea. 

The other hurdle a magician has to overcome is the stereotypical response when someone meets a magician:  “You should perform for my kid’s birthday party.” Adults often forget magic is created for everyone, including adults, and, to be honest, adults seem to enjoy it the most. As a performer, I want to be on stage as often as possible and entertain as many people as possible. 

But I had a new mission. I wanted to bring magic to Sioux Falls, S.D. Just a couple weeks into a pandemic, I (along with all performers) started losing gigs, and during the worst possible scenario I opened Spellbound Magic Shop & Theater. I did not only open a retail store during a pandemic, but also a performing arts theater. I was asked by friends and family if I was sure about this, and, of course, I questioned it also, but what else was I going to do with my time? 

I pivoted and started doing virtual shows from inside the theater (which was new, but I found it still possible). I was offering magic lessons live via Zoom and even bringing families together wherever they were in the world for a private show among each other in their own separate homes. I even did large, corporate virtual shows for a few hundred people at a time. A few months after being opened, people needed to get out and felt safe around friends and family. Spellbound was the only place still offering live entertainment. Word got out, and we were doing multiple shows almost every weekend.

Here we are now three years after our doors opened. Spellbound has hosted private parties, public magic shows, comedy shows, catered private events, office outings, workshops, meeting space, lectures and even a baby shower. We continue to grow and adapt to the needs of Sioux Falls. Spellbound now offers many services for outbound events, as well, including magicians, comedians, balloon twisters, face painters, public speakers and a photo booth.

What is the one thing I have learned most from owning Spellbound? I have learned that there is amazing talent right here in Sioux Falls, and not everyone can afford to spend thousands of dollars to rent a stage and promote a show. I am proud to offer my stage to anyone who has something to share with our community and support the arts in any way I can. Magic is not about the “trick”—it’s about the feeling you get when you experience something amazing, and that can come from anyone who steps on a stage. 

Spellbound is proud to provide that experience to those willing to simply buy a ticket.