AMAZE: A Magical Journey For The Whole Family

Travel

Audio By Carbonatix

AMAZE: A Magical Journey Worth Sharing With the Family

A Family Review

My entire family went to see AMAZE in New York City on July 18, and despite having heard nothing but good things, none of us truly knew what to expect.

I had even welcomed illusionist Jamie Allan onto my show twice, so I was familiar with his personality, his passion, and the story behind the production. Still, nothing could have prepared us for just how much fun—and how much heart—the evening would hold.

AMAZE is far more than a collection of impressive illusions. It is a journey through Jamie’s life and his enduring love for creating moments that feel warm, surprising, and unforgettable. Magic has been his language since childhood, and throughout the performance, he uses it not merely to fool the eye but to tell his story.

He takes the audience back to the pub where his mother and father first gave him the opportunity to demonstrate his developing craft. From those humble beginnings, we follow him through years of dreaming, experimenting, failing, growing, and ultimately reaching a New York stage. By the time he arrives there, he has somehow made the audience feel as though it traveled beside him.

The illusions are clever, contemporary, and often astonishing, but the real magic of AMAZE lies in its emotional warmth. Jamie’s affection for his parents, his childhood, his craft, and his audiences gives the production a tenderness that is increasingly difficult to find in modern entertainment.

The evening became even more memorable for our family when my baby girl was invited to participate in one of the acts. Watching her become part of the performance created a moment we will talk about for years. That is exactly what Jamie does so beautifully: he turns a theatrical experience into a personal memory.

There are plenty of things in entertainment today that are loud, expensive, heavily promoted—and ultimately not worth your family’s time. AMAZE is the opposite. It is joyful, inventive, wholesome, and genuinely moving.

Its Drama Desk Award recognition is richly deserved. The show entertains without cynicism and inspires without becoming sentimental. It reminds us that wonder is not something we have to outgrow.

For the fun, the warmth, and the memories it creates, AMAZE is absolutely worth seeing.

You may arrive expecting magic.

You will leave having experienced something far more meaningful.