From the Box to the Spotlight: Why Booking a Female Magician Still Surprises Audiences
From the Box to the Spotlight: Why Booking a Female Magician Still Surprises Audiences
In 1921, a British magician named P.T. Selbit introduced an illusion that would become one of the most famous in history: sawing a woman in half.
For decades afterward, that image defined women’s place in magic. They were the assistants. The ones in sequins, smiling as they climbed into the box. The ones who vanished, levitated, and got cut in two, while the man in the tuxedo took the applause.
A century later, audiences still carry that picture in their heads, even if they don’t realize it.
Which is exactly why booking a female magician can be one of the most surprising choices you make for your event.
I’m Katrina, known on stage as Magical Katrina, a professional magician and mentalist based in Las Vegas. In this post, I’ll share a little of the history behind women in magic, what it means for your audience, and how a female magician can bring something fresh to corporate events, private celebrations, and everything in between.
At the end, I’ll come back to that woman in the box, and to what has changed about where she’s standing.
A Short History of Women in Magic
Women have been performing magic for a very long time. They just haven’t always been the ones we remember.
In the late 1800s, Adelaide Herrmann took over her late husband’s touring show and went on to headline for decades, earning the title “Queen of Magic.”
In the twentieth century, Dell O’Dell, billed as “The World’s Leading Lady Magician,” became one of the first magicians to have her own television program. The Dell O’Dell Show began airing in 1951 in the Los Angeles area, years before many of the male magicians who later became TV household names.
And then there’s The Magic Circle in London, one of the world’s most famous magic societies. For most of its history, it admitted only men. It voted to allow women to join in 1991.
That same year, a remarkable story came to light. A young woman named Sophie Lloyd had disguised herself as a man named Raymond, with a wig, a suit, and a carefully deepened voice, and performed well enough to be admitted. When she revealed the deception, she was expelled. More than three decades later, in 2025, the society publicly welcomed her back.
I’m a proud member of The Magic Circle today, along with the Academy of Magical Arts in Hollywood. When I think about stories like Sophie’s, I’m reminded how recently the door opened, and how many women had to push on it first.
Why a Female Magician Still Surprises People
Because women have historically been rare on the magic stage, audiences often arrive with expectations they don’t even notice.
When a female magician steps forward, those expectations shift. Guests lean in a little closer. They’re curious. And that curiosity is a powerful starting point for wonder.
It’s not that magic performed by a woman is a different kind of magic. A card that vanishes from your hand is impossible no matter who makes it disappear. But the experience can feel different, simply because it’s unexpected. And at an event, unexpected is exactly what you want.
Why Mentalism Changes the Picture
Much of what I perform is mentalism, and it’s worth explaining why that matters for a female magician.
Classic stage illusions often rely on big props and an assistant. Mentalism needs none of that. It’s just me, a guest, and a thought. There’s no box, no saw, and no one standing to the side. The entire performance rests on connection, attention, and the moment a private idea is revealed.
That intimacy is part of what makes Magical Katrina different. Guests aren’t watching from a distance. They’re part of the story, and they feel it.
What I Perform
Here’s what Magical Katrina brings to your event:
Close-up magic, performed inches away and often in guests’ own hands
Strolling magic, moving between groups during receptions and cocktail hours
Mentalism, the art of seemingly reading minds and predicting decisions
Featured performances for gathered audiences
Keynotes with magic on marketing, entrepreneurship, communication, and ADHD
Team-building workshops
Virtual shows for remote and hybrid audiences
I also created a theatrical one-woman show, I Am Not a Spy. This Is a Magic Show., which won the Hollywood Fringe “Take the Stage” Award and has been performed at the Melbourne Magic Festival and the Theatre 68 Arts Festival.
Events Where a Female Magician Fits Beautifully
Corporate Events and Holiday Parties
A female magician brings fresh energy to company celebrations, conferences, and client dinners, while fitting the professional tone those rooms require.
Women’s Leadership Events
Women’s networks, leadership summits, and professional associations often look for entertainment that reflects their values. A female magician thriving in a historically male field is a natural fit.
International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month
For celebrations in March, a female magician adds both wonder and meaning. The history of women in magic gives your event a story worth telling.
Private Celebrations
Milestone birthdays, anniversaries, and dinner parties benefit from magic that happens right at the table, and Magical Katrina makes the guest of honor the star.
Family Events
I’ve been named PCAM Family Entertainer of the Year and have credits including Blippi. For mixed-age audiences, a female magician can also be a quiet but meaningful example for kids in the room.
Credentials That Speak for Themselves
When you book Magical Katrina, here’s who joins your event:
More than 13 years of performing across over 20 countries
Appearances on Penn & Teller: Fool Us and Masters of Illusion
Five magic awards, including PCAM Family Entertainer of the Year
Membership in The Magic Circle and the Academy of Magical Arts
Work connected to Formula 1, the Olympics, Porsche, Prada, and Ritz-Carlton
An appearance in Chappell Roan’s “Red Wine Supernova” music video
Why Hosts Choose Magical Katrina
Everyone Looks Good
Every volunteer Magical Katrina invites up walks away feeling like the star. Nobody is ever the punchline, and anyone who’d rather watch can simply enjoy the show.
Built Around Your Event
Before I recommend anything, I’ll ask about your audience, venue, schedule, and goals. A female magician should fit your event, not just fill a slot on the schedule.
Comfortable in Any Room
From a ballroom of executives to a backyard birthday party, Magical Katrina adapts to the space and the people in it.
Easy to Work With
Clear communication and straightforward planning, so you can focus on everything else.
Planning Tips
Share your audience. Corporate, family, women’s leadership, or a mix? It shapes how your female magician plans the performance.
Think about format. Strolling, close-up, featured, keynote, or virtual? A female magician who offers all five can match your event’s flow.
Tell me your goals. Connection, celebration, inspiration, or pure fun?
Book early. Popular dates fill quickly, especially in December and around International Women’s Day in March. If you’re looking for a female magician for either, reach out soon.
Consider location. I’m based in Las Vegas and travel for events, and we’ll discuss logistics early.
Questions to Ask Before You Book
What style of magic do you perform?
Have you worked with audiences like ours?
How do you treat volunteers?
Can the performance connect to our theme or message?
Can I see footage of real audiences reacting?
I’m happy to answer every one of these. The answers will tell you a lot about whether a female magician is the right fit for your event.
What It Looks Like
Picture a women’s leadership dinner at a downtown hotel. A hundred professionals, many of whom have spent their careers being the only woman in the room.
During the reception, I move between groups. A senior executive thinks of the name of the first person who believed in her career. She keeps it to herself. A moment later, I say it.
She pauses, then smiles, and tells the women around her who that person was.
The details always depend on your event, but that’s the kind of moment a female magician can create: astonishing, personal, and meaningful.
The Woman in the Box
So here’s what I promised.
Remember that image from 1921? The woman climbing into the box, smiling for the audience, about to be sawn in half?
For most of magic’s history, that was her role. She was essential to the illusion, but she wasn’t the one holding the secret. She wasn’t the one telling the story.
Today, she’s stepped out of the box.
She’s the one deciding what happens next. She’s the one looking a guest in the eye and revealing a thought they never said out loud. She’s the one holding the secret, and the spotlight, and the applause.
That shift didn’t happen overnight. It took Adelaide Herrmann refusing to let the show end. It took Dell O’Dell stepping in front of early television cameras. It took a young woman in a wig and a suit, proving she belonged in a room that wouldn’t let her in.
When you book a female magician, you’re not just choosing entertainment. You’re giving your audience a glimpse of how far that woman in the box has come.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why book a female magician?
A female magician brings fresh energy to events because women have historically been rare on the magic stage. Audiences often find the experience unexpected, which makes the wonder even stronger.
What kind of magic do you perform?
I perform close-up magic, strolling magic, mentalism, featured performances, keynotes with magic, team-building workshops, and virtual shows.
Are you a member of The Magic Circle?
Yes. I’m a member of The Magic Circle in London and the Academy of Magical Arts in Hollywood.
Do you travel for events?
I’m based in Las Vegas and travel for events. When I perform outside Las Vegas, we’ll discuss travel and logistics as part of planning.
What should I include when I inquire?
Your date, location, venue, number of guests, type of event, and goals. That helps me confirm availability and recommend the right format.
Let’s Plan Something Unexpected
If you’re planning a corporate event, a women’s leadership gathering, a family celebration, or a private party, I’d love to hear about it. Tell me your date, your venue, who’s coming, and what you’d love your guests to feel.
Get in touch to check availability with Magical Katrina, and let’s give your audience a magician they didn’t expect.