A Magical Night of Mystery and Deception Debuts at the Speakeasy at Vesper Center City

Vesper Center City announces the debut of Deceptions: A Magical Night of Mystery and Deception featuring the many talents of Mervant the Deceptionist. After pivoting during the pandemic, Mervant has become a top celebrity on AirBnb where he booked over 700 virtual performances. Now, he will take his show live and in-person with help from Glu Hospitality and producers Smoke and Mirrors. This new performance experience will take place in Vesper's hidden speakeasy every Thursday and every Saturday night at 6:30pm, with doors opening at 6:00pm, starting November 18th and 20th. Audiences should come ready to be dazzled with a combination of illusion, deception and mentalism. Seating is intimate and limited to only 40 people at a time, so don’t miss your chance to experience this one-of-a-kind show, unique to downtown Philly. Cocktails and small bites are available before, during and after the performance. Tickets are $40 for general admission and $50 for the first two rows of seating. For tickets and more information about the show, visit www.deceptionsphilly.com. For more about Vesper, visit www.vespersportsclub.com. Vesper Center City is located in Center City and Rittenhouse Square, at 223 S. Sydenham Street.

"Deceptions is a brand new entertainment experience that fits exactly with our goal for Vesper and our entire hospitality group," said Glu Hospitality Partner Tim Lu. "Glu Hospitality is all about creating unforgettable experiences and moments that bring together great food, quality cocktails, unique spaces and top notch entertainment. Over the pandemic, we have been working hard to perfect new menus, expand use of our space and launch new programming. During that process, I was celebrating my 40th Birthday and hired magician Danny Archer for the event. Danny is one of the partners in Smoke and Mirrors. We enjoyed the show so much, the two companies began talks about how they could work together and Deceptions was born. We are thrilled to bring something new and exciting to Center City that doesn't currently exist. No one is doing anything like his in Philly, and we are excited to bring something new and different to the market."

Deceptions will bring the mystery and suspense to Vesper's hidden speakeasy with help from artist, entertainer and mentalist Mervant the Deceptionist. Mervant was born, raised and currently lives in Philly. He started to learn magic in his teens and he’s been perfecting his craft for over 15 years. He combines music with mind-blowing magic, Mervant’s high-energy show features comedy, drama, and interactive audience participation. His ability to entertain everyone makes him one of the most versatile performers working today. Mervant brings a new, fresh and exciting dimension of entertainment .Over the past five years, Mervant has become one of the most sought-after entertainers in the area performing around the world for celebrities and corporations like Philadelphia Eagles, Kesha, Apple, Google, Nike, AirBnb and Sony.

Over the pandemic, Mervant has become a popular celebrity on AirBnb, booking more than 700 performances through the AirBnb's virtual experience section. Now Mervant is back out there performing live, indoors and in-person - and he's ready to dazzle with his first show at Vesper.

The culinary and beverage team will pair new special cocktails made for Deceptions with new and updated cocktails for fall and winter, plus a lite snack menu.

Deceptions will premiere on November 14th and November 16th, and run every Thursday and Saturday this fall and winter. Doors open on Thursdays at 6:00pm and doors open on Saturdays at 5:30pm. Only forty tickets are being sold per performance to ensure the intimacy of this unique event, and so that every seat is up close and personal. Tickets are on sale now for $40 and $50 at www.deceptionsphilly.com. For group reservations and special event inquiries, email deceptionsphilly@gluhospitality.com. Deceptions is for audiences 21 and up only.

FOR MORE ABOUT MERVANT:

https://www.instagram.com/mervant/
https://linktr.ee/mervant
https://www.airbnb.com/experiences/1752059

ABOUT SMOKE AND MIRRORS

Danny Archer is a full-time pro from Philly who has performed in over thirty-five countries around the world and forty-nine of the fifty states. He has lectured and performed at just about every major magic convention in the US. He is also the producer of the MINDvention mentalism convention in Las Vegas. His sleight of hand skills and performing abilities have been honed through thousands of performances for all kinds of audiences.

Marty Martin began his lifelong interest in Magic around age eleven, by age fourteen he was working on the weekends in a Magic Shop. Drafted in the Army at the age of 19 and served in Vietnam. Once home from Vietnam, he opened the Philadelphia Magic Company along with Larry Taylor. Larry and Marty were also the House Magicians for the High Rollers at Caesars Palace in Atlantic City for more than six years.

ABOUT VESPER CENTER CITY

Vesper Center City is located in the heart of Center City and Rittenhouse neighborhoods. Vesper has been a staple in the Philadelphia social scene for over a century.

In 1941, the Vesper Club moved to an intimate two-story Sydenham Street hideaway serving as a private dining club for politicians, mobsters, and business professionals. The Vesper Club was frequented by Mayor Frank Rizzo, mob boss Angelo Bruno, GOP boss Billy Meehan, former Eagles owner Leonard Tose and DJ Jerry Blavat. The Vesper Club was a social club for the rich and famous of Philadelphia. More business deals were closed in Vesper than anywhere else in the state.

In 2019, Vesper found itself with brand new owners Tim Lu and Derek Gibbons of Glu Hospitality. Vesper features two levels, three unique dining and drink spaces, an underground hidden speakeasy entered through a bookcase, 40 HD 4K televisions, a 28-screen video wall, and 13,000 square feet of space for food, drink, dancing, performance and sports.

ABOUT GLU HOSPITALITY

Glu Hospitality currently owns, operates and/or partners on newly opened Bagels and Co., Leda and The Swan, Leda and The Swan Popup Cocktail Garden, Vesper Dayclub, Vesper Center City, Germantown Garden, Germantown Garden Grill, The Igloos at Germantown Garden Grill, Hunnies Crispy Chicken, Tiny's Burger Joint, and soon to open Figo Ristorante and Figo Pizzeria. Glu also are partners in Anejo Philadelphia and SET NoLibs. Glu currently owns and operates more than 25% of restaurants along and around the Northern Liberties restaurant row on N. 2nd Street.

Glu is actively working on opening future locations for Bagels and Co. Back in Center City, Glu will launch a brand-new dining experience at Vesper Center City. Stay tuned as Glu continues to evolve and pivot out the pandemic as a more food-focused hospitality group with over a dozen concepts open or on the way.

For additional info on the opening of the Igloos at Germantown Garden Grill and associated family programming for the holidays, please stay tuned for more info after Labor Day.

For more about Glu Hospitality, visit www.gluhospitality.com.