Making magic

Hamilton, Ohio – Signed to a multi-year Las Vegas residency last year. Playing to hundreds of thousands during a European arena tour earlier this year.

Performances in famed venues like the London Palladium, Radio City Music Hall and the Sydney Opera House.

Matthew Pomeroy and Natasha Lamb – The Conjurors – bring a literal world of experience to the Fitton Center for Creative Arts and their Hamilton debut at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, October 25. Their magic show marks the first performance of the 2025-2026 Fitton Showstoppers series.

Growing up in England, Pomeroy didn’t always want to be a magician, but he did have an affinity for the stage.

“I was a theater kid,” he said. “While my friends were playing sports, I was getting five-pound tickets to see shows. I loved the idea of telling stories theatrically. That’s what I wanted to do.

“I was never the best singer, but I could carry a tune. I was never the best dancer, but I could hold my own. I booked shows in the West End – Jersey Boys, Aladdin – I toured the country and the world. But when I went on auditions, they all wanted special talents, special skills.”

He began practicing magic to make himself more marketable. When a performer in the variety act he was working with didn’t show up one night, Pomeroy went on cold, did a 10-minute solo spot in the show and found his new path.

That theatrical background still informs the magic act. The Conjurors blend mind reading, psychological illusions and cinematic stagecraft with storytelling to create an electrifying family-friendly live experience.

Speaking of mind reading, that particular branch of magic led Pomeroy to Lamb. Natasha, who was then a TV host in Japan, opened for his headlining act.

“I was just captivated,” Matthew said. “There’s nobody as good – on stage and off – as Natasha. I watched her show. She watched mine. Afterward we hung around a little and talked and just never stopped, really.

“There are still times in our show, even after all these years, that I look at Natasha and think, ‘Wow.’ She’s an amazing performer in her own right and an amazing partner. We have a lovely rapport together. After 10-and-a-half years, we know what the other one is going to do, how they’re going to act and react.”

For all the big-city glitz and giant-venue glamour, being on the road in smaller markets still holds a special appeal for the duo.

“In some ways, Vegas is easy,” Pomeroy said. “There are millions of visitors and a lot of choices for them, but we’re usually not the highlight of their trip. Or even their day. We’re a way for people to spend a couple of hours.

“Vegas is a blessing, but I miss being on the road. Being known in smaller places – this is true in England and in America and everywhere – is where you build your audience, where you create relationships. It’s where you’re the focus, you are the highlight. When we’re on the road in a smaller town, we’re connecting with people more directly.”

Tickets for The Conjurors are $41 for Fitton Center members, $51 for non-members, and are available online right here, by phone at 513-863-8873, ext. 110 and in person at the Fitton Center box office.

In addition to the mind-bending magic of the Conjurors, the Fitton Center also hosts a gallery-opening celebration to kick off the eye-opening Rock & Root art exhibition October 25.

Inspired by earth, forests and stars, four artists – Cathryn Amidei (Ann Arbor, MI), Amanda Evans (Knoxville, TN), Amy Kollar Anderson (Dayton, OH) and Amanda Lechner (Blacksburg, VA) – connect us to a changing universe. The reception runs 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. and is FREE and open to the public.

Building Community Excellence through the Arts and Culture