Do you have an interest in the history of magic and its greatest performers? Are you a cash-strapped New York resident looking for a cheap way to spend an evening? Are you trapped in Brooklyn by an ancient curse, the dark origins of which your tattered mind can no longer recall? Well, clear your schedule on March 28th, because from 7:30 to 9:00pm, Brooklyn’s Public Library will be home to The Magicians of Coney Island, a live magic and history show that promises to be enthralling, educational and, best of all, free.

In the show, a panel of seasoned magicians moderated by magician and journalist Herb Scher will discuss Coney Island and the magic greats who got their start on its shores: The likes of Harry Houdini, Dai Vernon, Al Flosso, Jean Hugard, Horace Goldin and more. If that sounds a bit academic, I’m told there will be “feats of magic the likes of which have enthralled audiences [there] for more than 125 years.” That’s vintage, artisanal magic for you Greenwich Village types.

Joining Scher on the panel will be a who’s who of magic practitioners and academics. There’s performer and historian Richard Cohn, who regularly performs at the Coney Island Museum and is considered somewhat of an authority on New York’s magic history; Mark Mitton, a professional magician who’s created work for film, television, Broadway and Cirque du Soleil; and George Schindler, performer, novelist and dean of the National Society of American Magicians.

The Magicians of Coney Island will run from 7:30pm to 9:30pm on March 28th and will take place at the Dweck Center in the Brooklyn Public Library.