On November 21, I'll be performing at the David P. Abbott House of Mystery in Omaha, Nebraska.

If you're not familiar with this place, you're missing out on one of Omaha's greatest little treasures.

And as a magician, mentalist, juggler, and lifelong student of the performing arts, I can't tell you how excited I am to be part of its history.

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Let me tell you why.

Omaha's Most Mysterious Magician

A long time ago, right here in Omaha, there lived an extraordinary magician named David P. Abbott.

By day, Abbott was a banker.

But in his spare time? He was one of the most inventive and creative magicians in the country.

And here's the interesting part.

He didn't perform for thousands of people.

He performed for small, invitation-only groups in his own home.

At 3316 Center Street, just off 33rd and Center in Omaha, Abbott and his wife, Fannie, hosted some of the most remarkable private magic performances in the country.

And I'm talking about performances for maybe 15 people!

These gatherings frequently happened after professional entertainers finished their shows at Omaha's Orpheum Theater.

The performers would come over late at night, sometimes around midnight, and Abbott would entertain them until three or four in the morning.

Imagine that.

You've just finished performing onstage, and now you're heading over to somebody's house to watch another magician perform for hours.

That's how much magicians love their craft.

Houdini, Kellar, Thurston, and the House of Mystery

Some of the greatest magicians of the era visited Abbott's home.

I'm talking about Harry Houdini, Harry Kellar, and Howard Thurston.

If you're among the initiated, you recognize those names immediately.

These were the giants of magic.

And here's this banker in Omaha entertaining them in his living room!

Back in the vaudeville days, being invited to Abbott's House of Mystery was something special.

It meant you were part of a world of entertainers who loved what they did so much that, after finishing their own shows, they'd spend the rest of the night watching somebody else's.

Abbott developed incredible illusions, including his famous floating ball and talking teakettle.

Some of his innovations influenced generations of performers.

Even Teller, of Penn & Teller in Las Vegas, has incorporated magic inspired by Abbott into his work.

Think about that.

More than a century later, magicians are still building on the creativity of a banker from Omaha, Nebraska.

A Magician Who Exposed Psychics? Now You've Got My Attention!

Here's another reason David Abbott is an S-tier magician in my book.

In 1907, he published a book called Behind the Scenes with the Mediums.

At the time, spiritualism and séances were enormously popular.

Everybody wanted to talk to dead people.

And there were plenty of people willing to take their money to make that happen.

Abbott investigated the techniques used by fraudulent mediums and explained how many of their supposedly supernatural demonstrations actually worked.

He was exposing psychic trickery more than a century ago.

Right away, I like this guy.

Anyone who spends time debunking fraudulent psychics, ghost hunters, and people claiming supernatural powers is all right with me.

See, part of being a magician is being a skeptic.

We understand how easily human perception can be manipulated.

We understand how attention works.

And we know that just because something looks impossible doesn't mean it's supernatural.

That's one of the things I've always loved about magic.

You can appreciate the mystery without surrendering your ability to think critically.

In fact, understanding how easily we can be fooled makes the experience even more fascinating.

Bringing Vaudeville Back to Omaha

Now, if the word vaudeville doesn't mean anything to you, let me explain.

Actually, it is a foreign word.

But that's another story.

Before television and the modern entertainment industry, vaudeville was one of America's great entertainment traditions.

You'd go to a theater and see a whole collection of performers.

Magicians.

Jugglers.

Comedians.

Dancers.

Ventriloquists.

Singers.

Novelty acts.

You could buy a ticket, sit in a theater, get out of the heat, and watch an incredible variety of entertainment.

And performers developed extraordinary skills because they spent years practicing their craft.

That's the spirit I'm bringing to the Abbott House on November 21.

Old-school vaudeville entertainment.

You'll see juggling.

You'll see mentalism.

You'll experience magic, comedy, and a few surprises.

And I can personally guarantee one thing.

There will be a LOT of AMAZINGNESS!

I've spent more than 25 years performing, practicing, and studying these arts, and getting to present them inside a house built specifically for magic is pretty special.

My Personal Connection to David Abbott's Lost Manuscript

There's another connection to this story that makes the performance especially meaningful to me.

Years after David Abbott died, an Omaha magician named Walter Graham helped recover Abbott's long-lost manuscript.

The manuscript contained explanations of some of Abbott's most remarkable mysteries and eventually became part of his published magical legacy, including The Book of Secrets.

Walter was a well-known Omaha magician, and I had the opportunity to know him personally.

I sat with Walter several times.

In fact, my child even interviewed him for a middle school project about vaudeville!

So this isn't just some historic house I've read about.

There's a personal thread connecting my own experiences to the magicians who helped preserve Abbott's legacy.

And now I get to perform in the very house where some of those legendary mysteries were originally presented.

That is pretty AMAZING.

The Omaha Magical Society Is Keeping the Magic Alive

Here's some more exciting news.

The Omaha Magical Society is bringing magic shows to the historic Abbott House every month!

That means Omaha audiences have an opportunity to experience live magic in a place that has been connected to the art for more than a century.

This isn't just another entertainment venue.

It's a piece of Omaha history.

And it's wonderful to see the Omaha Magical Society preserving this remarkable place while introducing new generations to the art of magic.

With help from Teller of Penn & Teller and the dedication of local magicians and preservation supporters, the House of Mystery is coming back to life.

I hope more people discover it.

Because Omaha has some extraordinary history hiding in plain sight.

Join The Amazing Arthur on November 21, 2026

I'm thrilled to be part of this continuing story.

On Saturday, November 21, I'll be bringing my own combination of magic, mentalism, juggling, comedy, and classic vaudeville entertainment to the David P. Abbott House of Mystery.

I'd love to see you there.

And I'm looking forward to sharing more stories about the extraordinary performers of the vaudeville era, the skills they developed, and the dedication they brought to their craft.

EVENT DETAILS

Date: Saturday, November 21, 2026

Location: David P. Abbott House of Mystery

Address: 3316 Center Street, Omaha, NE 68105

Performer: The Amazing Arthur Fratelli

Entertainment: Magic, mentalism, juggling, comedy, and vaudeville

GET YOUR TICKETS

Reserve 5:00PM Tickets: Click Here

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Come experience a little Omaha history.

And let's make it AMAZING!

About The Amazing Arthur

Arthur Fratelli, known professionally as The Amazing Arthur, is an Omaha-based magician, mentalist, juggler, comedian, author, and corporate keynote speaker with more than 25 years of professional entertainment experience.

His work combines comedy, audience participation, psychology, mystery, and the performing arts to create memorable experiences for corporate events, conferences, theaters, schools, and private audiences.

Learn more about Arthur's entertainment and keynote speaking programs at: https://amazingarthur.com/