Sidney Lee
Close-up & strolling magic · Louisville
Photo: Matt Sohl
Louisville, Kentucky
Planning a corporate reception and want an hour your guests actually remember?
Sidney Lee works the room table to table during your cocktail hour, giving every small group a few minutes of close-up magic. No stage, no sound, no gap in your program.
★★★★★ Five stars on every review to date
Tell me about your event.
The more you can give me here, the more useful my first reply is. Nothing here commits you to anything.
Two minutes
See what the room looks like.
A short clip of the strolling set in progress, so you know exactly what you are putting in front of your guests before you ever pick up the phone.
Why this works at a reception
The first hour is the hard one.
You already know the shape of it. Guests arrive in ones and twos, take a drink, and stand near the people they came with. The room is full and quiet at the same time, and it stays that way until dinner rescues it.
That hour is what this is for. Sidney moves between groups rather than performing at them, so the room warms up from the inside. People who arrived alone end up in a circle of six. Colleagues who only email each other end up talking.
Nothing is asked of you. No stage, no microphone, no sound check, no slot in the program to protect. He arrives early, works the room while it fills, and leaves before the meal is called.
Start a conversationLouisville based , and working the rooms you know
Not a national act buying ads into your city.
- Kentucky Shakespeare
- Frazier History Museum
- Kentucky Science Center
- Kentucky Humane Society
- Kosair Charities
As seen on
WAVE Country · Jan 2026
How magic fits into a corporate event.
Two formats do almost all the work. The first is what most companies book.
Strolling · 20 to 200 guests
Through the room, group by group.
Sidney moves between clusters of guests during the reception, giving each one a few minutes of close-up magic that happens in their own hands. The room gets louder as he goes.
- Breaks the ice before anyone has to make small talk
- Nothing to set up, nothing to schedule around
- Works while guests are still arriving
- Gives your photographer something worth shooting
Small stage · 30 guests and up
The whole room, one story.
When you want everyone to share the same moment, usually after dinner. Interactive throughout, and nobody is dragged up or made the punchline in front of their colleagues.
- Sits inside your existing program
- Needs a defined performance area and a time slot
- Clean throughout, safe for any corporate audience
- Pairs naturally with a strolling set beforehand
How a booking goes.
Four steps, and the first one takes about a minute.
You send the date
The date, the venue, and roughly how many guests. Enough for an honest answer on whether it works.
A short conversation
What kind of gathering it is, how the evening runs, and which format suits the room. No pressure and no pitch.
The details get handled
Timing, logistics, and anything your venue needs. You will not have to manage the performance.
I arrive early
Settled in before guests arrive, starting when the room is ready rather than when the clock says so.
Training and recognition
Where the work comes from.
- Trained at Jeff McBride's Magic & Mystery School
- First place, Doctor Robbert Escher Close-Up Contest
What planners say afterwards.
★★★★★ Five stars on every review to date
"His roaming magic kept guests entertained and engaged throughout the evening, sparking conversation and delight at every table he visited. Beyond his talent, Sidney was an absolute pleasure to work with from start to finish. His communication was prompt, clear, and professional at every step of the planning process."
"Absolutely amazing. Sidney did walk around magic at my daughter's wedding. Everybody had a blast and enjoyed his jokes and fantastic sleight of hand. I would highly recommend him for your next celebration."
Before you call.
The questions planners ask first.
What do you need from us?
For strolling, very little. Room to move and a rough sense of how the evening runs. A stage set needs a defined performance area and a slot in the program. No sound system, no lighting, no load-in.
How far ahead should we book?
Two to eight weeks for most private events, and further out for larger corporate dates. If your date is close it is still worth asking, and you will get an honest answer either way.
How far do you travel?
Based in Louisville, with about fifty miles as standard, which covers Southern Indiana and most of the region. Further for the right room.
Will guests be put on the spot?
No. Guests are partners in it, never the punchline. Nobody is pulled out, singled out, or embarrassed in front of colleagues, which matters more at a work event than anywhere else.
How long does a set run?
Strolling is usually booked by the hour across the reception. A stage set is shorter and sits inside your program.
Can you work around our timeline?
That is the point of the format. Strolling has no start time to protect, so it flexes when the bar is slow or the speeches run long.
Make your Louisville reception the one people bring up later.
Send the date, the venue, and roughly how many guests. You will get an honest answer on whether it is a fit and what would suit the room.
Start a conversation