Often, murder mysteries involve costumed characters who act as either suspects or interrogators. Murder at the Magic Show II blends a murder mystery dinner and magic show. The shows are held every Friday and Saturday at the Mystery and Magic Dinner Theater Playhouse.
The experience includes a three-course meal from an award-winning chef, entertainment from strolling musicians, a whodunit murder mystery and souvenir gifts.
Often, the main course is a pasta dish such as chicken marsala. The menu is decided on by the chef. The meal also comes with a salad, sides and a dessert. Dietary restrictions and food allergies can be accommodated, if guests ask for special requests such as vegan meals.
The shows take place in an intimate space with seating for a little over 30 people. This means guests from different parties are often seated together.
One of the show’s regular cast members, Ross Horwitz aka “Ross the Magician,” said guests often interact and get to know each other, especially as they are trying to solve the mystery.
“They get to work together. It helps create camaraderie among the people at the tables because they’re mostly strangers. There’s a lot of couples that come. At a table of eight, there could be four separate couples,” Horwitz said.
He said they often get groups that are celebrating special occasions, such as bachelorette parties, birthdays, anniversaries and rehearsal dinners. The show also offers something different to do with out-of-town guests. It is geared toward people of all ages, including children.
“We just had a 4-year-old who loved the show. She was just very proper. She applauded at the right times. She wore her Sunday finest,” Horwitz said.
Horwitz is a professional magician and actor who has produced, directed and starred in productions in Las Vegas and Hollywood. He has taught magic at Pima Community College and the Magic Castle. He was honored as Arizona Stage Magician of the Year by the Society of American Magicians.
The regular cast is also made up of two other magicians, Horwitz’s wife Julia Keller and Norm Marini. Keller has a multifaceted background as a performer. She has done burlesque under the name “Holly Toledo” and appeared in Arizona Opera productions of “Rigoletto” and “The Magic Flute.” Marini has more than 20 years of experience as a comedy musician. He has performed magic at the White House and is a past president of the Society of American Magicians.
Each week, the regular cast is joined by visiting magicians.
Horwitz said during the shows, audience members get to see up-close magic from their tables.
“A lot of the comments we get are, ‘It was right there in front of me, and I still can’t describe how they do it.’ The mystery of magic is also involved in it, of trying to figure out the magic. Most people who go to a magic show go there secretly hoping they can figure it out. That’s part of the entertainment…The enticing thing is the chance to try and figure out how it works. But the fun is laughing hysterically at the surprise, at the mystery. That’s what we shoot for.”
Although the shows are different from other types of magic shows, the magicians enjoy doing them, according to Horwitz.
“Performers like to perform, and we get to work every week,” he said. “I get my fix for performing magic every weekend…If you work hard, study, practice and rehearse to do something, it’s really good to have an outlet to do that…It’s a lot of fun, and we convey that. That’s what people say. They can tell we’re having a lot of fun doing it, and it becomes contagious. There’s nothing we’d rather be doing.”
The show has mainly been made up of magicians, but Horwitz said that on a few occasions throughout the years, they have taught actors to do magic tricks.
These Tucson-based magic and murder mystery presentations were started 18 years ago. They are modeled after similar productions in Phoenix, put on by a group (still active) starting in 1989. Horwitz said the version they have developed in Tucson is different from the Phoenix shows. They started off doing three-act plays, but over time, they shifted their focus more to magic.
“It’s principally a magic show with a murder mystery thrown in to boot…It’s been a murder mystery at a magic show and a lot of variations,” Horwitz said.
He said the productions are designed for people with different interests. “We have to try to strike a perfect middle ground where the people who want to see magic are entertained, and the people that want to do a murder mystery are entertained…We get ardent murder mystery whodunnit people who show up and take it incredibly seriously. Then, we get people that aren’t even there for the murder mystery. They’re just there to see a magic show. We entertain all of them.”
Some audience members are skeptical of magic at first — and leave as fans.
“We get people who say, ‘Magic is not my thing. I don’t like it.’ There’s a stereotype of the guy in the corner at the party going, ‘Pick a card, any card,’ and you’re trying not to be seen with that guy,” Horwitz explained. “Most people say, ‘I was really pleasantly surprised. I didn’t think I liked magic until I saw the show.’ It sneaks up on them. The magic is there, and they’re mystified, but they’re mostly laughing. It’s mostly comedy magic.”
Murder at the Magic Show II
WHEN: 6:30-10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays
WHERE: Murder and Magic Dinner Theater Playhouse, 2526 E. Grant Road, Tucson
COST: $89
INFO: 520-861-4800, tucsondinnertheater.com
This article appears in Jul 24-31, 2025.