PhotosSpend a Magical Two-Show Day at Penn & Teller on BroadwayDuring the day, Philip Romano is the Marketing and Design Assistant at 54 Below and Penn & Teller on Broadway. At night, he's a Production Assistant at the latter (meaning if you're chosen to go on stage, there's a good chance he'll be there helping you up). He shares a recent two-show day making magic on Broadway!
By
Matthew Blank
August 11, 2015
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A P.A.'s Perspective; Spend a Magical Two-Show Day at Penn & Teller on Broadway
A P.A.'s Perspective; Spend a Magical Two-Show Day at Penn & Teller on Broadway
During the day, Philip Romano is the Marketing and Design Assistant at 54 Below and Penn & Teller on Broadway. At night, he's a Production Assistant at the latter (meaning if you're chosen to go on stage, there's a good chance he'll be there helping you up). He shares a recent two-show day making magic on Broadway!
55 PHOTOS
Good morning!
Philip Romano
The opening night gift is on my desk - It's a fishbowl with a tin decorated to look like a coin, that came with Goldfish crackers inside it. If you've seen the show you know how adorable and clever that is.
Philip Romano
This is Piper! She can't come to the city. Also she's jealous of the Sylvia dog.
Philip Romano
I live in Westchester, so I have to take the train in. I painted my car with chalkboard paint, so I leave chalk on my car at the train station to see what people will draw on it during the day!
Philip Romano
The wonderful Ray at the stage door with his daughter, Monica.
In case you're not sure you're in the right theatre, there's a helpful sign right insid
Philip Romano
Well-wishes from other shows on our call board!
Philip Romano
And paying it forward, our note to Hamilton is up for the company to sign. I designed this!
Philip Romano
The side of the stage. Note the lack of trap doors.
Philip Romano
If you look at the bottom of the door to the stage, you'll see this. I feel like there must be a great story here and I want to know what it is.
Philip Romano
Each dressing room has a fun sign. Teller's is my favorite.
Philip Romano
The wardrobe/hair/laundry room. This room is HUGE inside.
Philip Romano
Up in the green room, aka where the PAs hang out. This is Matt.
Philip Romano
Matt just realized he doesn't need to be here today.
Philip Romano
(Should've checked the schedule!)
Philip Romano
Sometimes I do magic in the green room for fun.
Philip Romano
Don't let me see your card, Emery!
Philip Romano
A few weeks ago I was doing rope tricks and Penn walked in and watched. He said it was great, though I never got word on if I fooled him. So that was cool.
Philip Romano
The matinee PA group! Me, Cullen, Tora, Jen, Allison, and Natoli.
Philip Romano
We pass the dressing rooms on our way into the house, the first being Georgie's ("featuring the only costume changes in the show").
Philip Romano
Then comes Teller.
Philip Romano
Teller keeps a beginner's magic kit in his dressing room. I believe in him! He'll get the hang of it one day!
Philip Romano
Penn likes to do work on his laptop before the show.
Philip Romano
Rose signs the Hamilton opening night card on the way to the theatre.
Philip Romano
This is Robbie (production coordinator) and Burt (stage manager). They are wonderful people. They've been with Penn & Teller for over 30 years!
Philip Romano
Before the show starts, my job is to control one of the two lines of people coming up onstage to sign an envelope and look at a box. The whole audience is invited!
Philip Romano
It's showtime!
Philip Romano
After-show cleanup
Philip Romano
The last of the audience leaves the theatre. I'm always impressed by how relatively quickly 1600 people can leave a room without it being (complete) chaos.
Philip Romano
After the show, the merch stand is open and Penn & Teller wait in the lobby to greet the audience.
Philip Romano
And I really mean greet - they'll be out here taking pictures and signing Playbills until the last person leaves. A couple weeks ago a girl brought juggling clubs and had an impromptu juggling lesson with Penn!
Philip Romano
Teller prefers selfies.
Philip Romano
Allison, Jen, and I are here for both shows, so head out on our way get some dinner. Hello, neighbor!
Philip Romano
Happened to run into my friend Louis, with his friend Emma, as he was waiting for the Hamilton lotto! It's a small world.
Philip Romano
Yum!
Philip Romano
The Security Edition of the Bill of Rights - I was the volunteer for the trick this is used in during a dress rehearsal, and have kept it in my wallet.
Philip Romano
It's always fun seeing your work out in the wild!
Philip Romano
Cisco greets us back at the stage door for show #2.
Philip Romano
Very official.
Philip Romano
Penn's bass.
Philip Romano
I love this old label on a trunk.
Philip Romano
The wide variety of fashion in P&T's wardrobe.
Philip Romano
Look at all the fun Allison, Jen, and Maggie are having! Especially Maggie.
Philip Romano
Taking some time to edit video from 54 Sings Lady Gaga, a sold-out concert I produced of Broadway stars singing Lady Gaga songs happening again on Saturday 8/15 at 7 at 54 Below, with tickets available at 54below.com/54-sings-lady-gaga. #shamelesspromotion
Philip Romano
I have some fun colleagues.
Philip Romano
Tonight, Penn and Teller found out I have the longest tongue in America (certified by Ripley's Believe It or Not)!
Philip Romano
Back in the green room, we sometimes have VIPs and special guests before the show. Neil Patrick Harris, Neil DeGrasse Tyson, Neil Gaiman, along with a bunch of other celebrities not named Neil. Tonight a woman whose father was a famous magician was there and brought in some fascinating old books about him.
Philip Romano
The night PA crew! Clockwise from bottom: Me, Jen, Allison, Maggie, Dana, and Rose
Philip Romano
We pass Penn signing the Hamilton card.
Philip Romano
Robbie is one of Penn's oldest friends. As clearly shown in this photo.
Philip Romano
The audience is asked to hold up their cell phones for the first trick, which involves one audience member getting a video on their phone of how the trick is done.
Philip Romano
After the second show I head back to Grand Central, passing Sardi's, where P&T had a caricature revealed earlier this summer, and where our opening night party was. I always love seeing my poster in the window.
Philip Romano
Back at the train station, my car did indeed get drawn on.
The production, which began previews July 7 at the Marquis Theatre prior to an official opening July 12, continues its limited engagement through Aug. 16. Following Broadway Penn & Teller will return to their record-breaking Las Vegas run at The Rio.
A production spokesperson previously told Playbill.com that the Broadway run is "a combination of stage magic from their Las Vegas show and classics from their repertoire–not based on their TV shows." The team, which consists of the brash, hulking Penn Jillette and the silent, diminutive one-named Teller, made their first big splash Off-Broadway in 1985, and on Broadway in 1987 with their show Penn & Teller, followed by a 1991 engagement titled Penn & Teller: The Refrigerator Tour and another Off-Broadway appearance, Penn & Teller Rot in Hell.
They made another Broadway appearance in 2001, filling in for a week at Christmastime as the Narrators of the revival of The Rocky Horror Show.
The team has toured extensively, including a record-breaking 14-year run at the Rio in Las Vegas, a feature film "Penn & Teller Get Killed," and a series of TV shows including "Penn & Teller Tell a Lie," "Penn & Teller: Fool Us" and "Penn & Teller: Bullshit!," the latter involving the team's using their knowledge of illusions to debunk common misconceptions, cons and conspiracy theories. It was nominated for 13 Emmy Awards.
Jillette issued a statement, saying, "When I was born in Greenfield, Massachusetts, I felt I should have been in NYC, and when I moved there I was home. We loved being on Broadway. We love doing our show in Vegas, but even after all this time in Vegas . . . well, coming back to Broadway feels like we're coming home. Our hearts never left. Do they make Elmo costumes in my size?"
Penn & Teller is produced by Marc Routh, Richard Frankel, Tom Viertel and Steve Baruch, the same team that has produced all their Broadway and Off-Broadway engagements.
Tickets are on sale via Ticketmaster, (877) 250-2929.
Filmed in 2023, the one-night-only event featured Brian Stokes Mitchell, Audra McDonald, Peter Friedman, and more from the Ahrens and Flaherty musical's original cast.
Surrounded by period-accurate, 19th-century holiday decorations lit via candlelight, the 70-minute production is based on Dickens' own script of the classic.
