Joshua Messado in his magician's uniform: black top hat, black vest, and a black suit, smiles while pointing at a group of kids with their hands raised.

Finding Joy Through “Magic with Mr. Messado”

Wed, Aug 13, 2025

Written by: Andy Sharfman | Photos by: Krist Munoz-Malave

If you’ve ever attended a show at the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s Liberty Magic venue, you’ve witnessed the unique brand of wonder that takes place within those walls.

It’s the kind of experience that Terri Bell, the Cultural Trust’s Vice President of Strategic Partnerships and Community Engagement, wanted to share more broadly with the community—especially children. Enter “Magic with Mr. Messado,” a Trust community engagement program brought to life with support from the PNC Foundation. The program is led by Bell and features Joshua Messado—a Pittsburgh-based magician and resident artist at the Liberty Magic, who already reaches many children through his show, Mr. Messado’s School of Magic for the Young and Young at Heart.

Together, they’ve partnered with community organizations including The Homewood Early Learning Hub & Family Center, Sarah Heinz House, Highmark Caring Place, and the Woodland Hills Impact Center—each of which have promoted the opportunity amongst children who participate in their organization’s programming.

The program, which launched in 2024, will continue to grow as it is offered to additional community organizations.

 
Joshua Messado holds out his hand to show an empty palm. The children point towards his hand.
 

Learning the Tricks of the Trade

Magic with Mr. Messado consists of two sessions. During the first session, children participate in a workshop with the magician at their community organization’s location.

During the workshop, Messado shares his career journey and teaches the mechanics behind a few tricks. The children also go home with props of their own, which they’ve been eager to make use of.

“Kids have come up to me after class,” Messado says, “And they will tell me ‘I can’t wait to go home and share this with my family’ or ‘I can’t wait to go to school and share this trick with my friends.’”

Magic that Rings True

In the second session, offered on a subsequent date, the children are invited to visit the Cultural District for an unforgettable VIP performance of Mr. Messado’s School of Magic for the Young and Young at Heart at Liberty Magic.

“The show is about all the questions people ask about me and my magic,” Messado explains. And while his journey is unique, the lessons imparted throughout the show are relatable to everyone— such as, the importance of hard work or how practice makes improvement.

And, of course, there is plenty of magic to be enjoyed alongside the lessons. Take, for example, the magician’s signature effect: the Messado Rings.

Invented by Messado, his linking rings routine is a trick that provokes an especially big “wow” from the crowd.

The routine is not only special because of its technical difficulty, Messado says, but it also “puts magic in the hands of the audience.”

That concept is exactly what this program seeks to do. The magic isn’t performed at the kids—rather, they’re learning how the tricks work and even how to present the magic on their own. That process benefits the children in various ways, Messado says, including confidence building, public speaking, and problem solving.

Aside from skills, Bell adds, “We are hoping to bring just a little bit of fun and a little bit of joy into children’s lives.”

 
Messado holds up a ring while a child holds up the other ring that it is linked to. A few other children stand on stage watching the trick unfold.
 

"Rave Reviews"

Based on reactions from audience members, both in the room and in surveys, the program has been resonating with participants.

Parents and community partners have provided feedback that this experience has enhanced their children’s curiosity, it’s brought them joy, and it’s given them another positive role model to look up to. The children echo these sentiments.

“We’re getting rave reviews from the kids,” Messado says. “They’re coming up after the shows to tell me how much fun they’re having—and you can see that joy in their eyes.”

Messado even received the highest compliment of all. After one show, two kids approached him to say they would like to be magicians when they grew up.

Dreaming Big

When Messado sees these children in the audience, it reminds him of his own journey to magic.

“Growing up, I always loved magic, but I didn’t become a magician until I was an adult because I didn’t have an outlet for it or the support system.”

 
Messado looks out on the crowd as children raise their hands, some are standing up.
 

Through this programming, however, Messado is passing it forward—especially for children who have never experienced live theater or magic and who haven’t seen people who look like them on stage.

For all these kids—and the hundreds of others he’s reached through magic—Messado has a final lesson that he likes to impart at the end of each performance. It goes like this: “When preparation meets opportunity, the result is success.”

With each life lesson and magic trick, Messado is inspiring kids to discover their own magic and identify the tools that will help them reach their dreams.