At just 22 years old, magician and escapologist Gabriella Lester has already built a career around defying expectations. Born in South Africa, she moved to Canada at age four, where she grew up doing musical theater. Though she claims she has “no musical ability,” performing in front of audiences from an early age gave her the confidence to pursue her passion for magic. Finding her niche has now led her to Broadway, where she’ll star as one of the Four Horsemen in Now You See Me Live. Illusionists James More and Darcy Oake join mentalist Matthew Pomeroy to complete the quartet. A magician never reveals her tricks, but Lester teases what to expect from the live stage spectacle, which she calls “a full immersive experience,” promising, “If magic could be 4D, this is what it would look like.”
How did you get into magic?
I fell in love with magic as a kid, like a lot of kids do. I had a magic set, I was doing card tricks for my friends. Around the age of 10, I went with my dad to work. I remember standing in the office and looking around at all these people that were doing the same thing every day, and it just seemed completely terrifying to me. I felt like I’d be completely allergic to the idea of a nine-to-five. Around the same time, I saw a magician at my school, and I made the decision that I had found the furthest possible thing from a nine-to-five. I told both of my parents that I wanted to be a magician. They didn’t believe me then, but hopefully they do now.
What do you enjoy most about performing for large audiences?
If I had to pick a favorite, it would probably be the kids in the audience. This being a family show means we get so many kids, so many little girls, and that is the most special thing for me. I get to stand on stage and look out at these little kids that are almost too small to fit in their theater seats, and they look at you like you’re superheroes and run up to hug you after the show. Especially in an industry where we haven’t seen a lot of female representation, it’s a really beautiful thing. Little girls get to look up to magic in a way that they haven’t before and find some inspiration there.
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