Once upon a time, in a world filled with magic and wonder, there was a young witch named Akko. She was a student at Luna Nova Magical Academy, a prestigious school where witches from all over the world came to learn and refine their magical skills. Akko, however, was not like the other witches. She had a boundless enthusiasm and an unwavering belief in the power of magic, even though she struggled with her spellcasting. One day, while exploring the school's library, Akko stumbled upon a book about the legendary witch Chariot. Chariot was renowned for her incredible magical abilities and unmatched showmanship.

Wagsters Magic Theatre Owners Reflect on a Year in Williamsburg

WILLIAMSBURG — Award-winning magic couple Brandon and Hannah Wagster will be celebrating the one-year anniversary of the opening of the Wagsters Magic Theatre on June 17.

“It’s been so much better than we ever thought it could have gone,” Hannah Wagster commented. “The tourists and the locals alike have been so supportive of us, it’s been so incredible and just keeps growing.”

The couple relocated to Virginia’s Historic Triangle after 10 years of performing in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. After moving to Williamsburg, the pair took a leap of faith, putting all the money they had into making the dream of their own theater a reality.

“This time last year we were homeless, so to be able to say the theater is extremely successful — we just moved into a house and were able to buy a car — all these sacrifices we made over the years is finally paying off,” Hannah added.

The pair are at almost 200 shows with over 10,000 guests. The theater’s capacity has been updated from the previous 63 seats to 79. Guests are now able to specifically book front-row seats and a VIP experience with the couple, and the theater is slated for a lobby redecoration and outside redo.

The current exterior of the Wagsters Magic Theater. (Jillian Appel/WYDaily)

Wanting to offer a variety of experiences to keep guests coming back, the couple had performed a Christmas show which completely sold out, and the theatre is introducing a new close-up magic show in the fall performed by Brandon.

“We’ll only sell about 15 or so tickets to that and it will be me down off stage on the floor with people sitting semi-circle around and it’s going to be all sleight of hand. Cards and coins, things like that up close,” Brandon explained.

“When we first opened we knew that we needed to be at 30 tickets a show as an average to break even and sustain being open,” Brandon added. “As of this moment, our average has been 58.”

The theater is also offering a summer magic camp which sold out in six minutes and has 40 children on the waitlist. The show has also won several awards and was up for an award from the Williamsburg Chamber of Commerce.

The theater has a reputation for putting on shows that are entertaining for adults and children alike. They have added five new routines for the new show, “Finding Magic,” since they began performances on March 3. The show was already almost completely different from the its previous show.

“Brandon and I can get bored with the show just like audiences can,” Hannah explained. “We just want the show to be what we want it to be. We want our show to keep getting better, we don’t want it to ever go back.”

The two stay busy when they aren’t performing, running the phones and answering emails in true small-business fashion.

“There are days where it still doesn’t feel real. I have to pinch myself from time to time and go oh, we’re actually doing this. I’m making a living doing this. There are times when it’s a lot of hard work, but for me getting the stage built was a big moment,” Brandon said about watching the theater come to life.

“There was nothing theater about [the space] up until the stage went up and getting the lights turned on for the first time and seeing the theater come along and alive was mind-blowing,” he added. “It just doesn’t feel real.”

“We had both sacrificed so much, but getting to watch his dreams come true when this has been his dream his entire life was just a very cool experience,” Hannah said as she reflected on the last year. “I think the little milestones we hit, like our first sold our show in a week or so of opening and then when we hit 100 shows, and now about 200 shows and when we hit 5,000 guests: it just keeps building. It was never what we expected.”

“People ask us all the time what advice would you give on chasing dreams,” Brandon commented. “The biggest thing we always say is you have to decide beforehand what level of sacrifice are you willing to make. Because that is often what it comes down to.”

“We’re incredibly blessed to be this busy,” Hannah added. “So we’ll take it and everything that comes with it.”

The theater will be decorated with a birthday party feel and have photo props inside to celebrate the one-year anniversary. Additionally, the couple plans to celebrate in a more private occasion with the people who helped make the theater come together.

“We’re excited to hit our one year and can’t wait to see where we are years from now,” Hannah said. The pair have their eyes on the future and looking forward to continuing to grow with their roots in the Williamsburg community.

For more information about the Wagsters and their Magic Theatre, visit its official webpage.

This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.

Tags
1 year anniversary
Brandon Wagster
date night idea
Hannah Wagster
James City County
Latest News
Local Magic Show
magic show
Things to do in Williamsburg
Wagsters
Wagsters Magic Theatre
Williamsburg

Magic and Illusions Show Information:

About this event:
The magical place of The Wasters Magic Theatre offers a amazing and unique entertainment in Williamsburg - Virginia full of Drama, Magic, Sleight of hand, Lights, Dancing, Comedy, People participation and spectacular grand illusions!

Enjoy an amazing live magic and illusion show every Friday, Saturday and Sunday in Williamsburg, Virginia!

Located in Williamsburg, VA this year round venue offers you the opportunity to experience a real magic show in a unique way. With only 65 seats you are only feet away from the action. Including the best lighting, sound, and video you will witness and feel apart of a unique one of a kind theatrical event that can only be found in Virginia's historic triangle!

Virginia is For Magic! Williamsburg, VA's Newest Attraction Merlin Award Winners!

Magicians Brandon & Hannah Wagster have been entertaining audiences together since 2010 and said "I do" in January 2013. Their passion and love for magic and each other radiates on and offstage..

Event hosted by: The Wagsters Magic Theatre.
Type of event: Magic and Illusions Show.
Type of audience: General audience: Kids and adults.
Event Date: Fridays & Saturdays 7:00 PM. Sundays 2:00 PM. September, October, November, December 2022.
Location: The Wagsters Magic Theatre . 5535 Olde Towne Rd Williamsburg, VA. 23188.
Event Fee: $29.95.
Tickets & Information: https://www.williamsburgmagic.com/tickets.
Discount tickets for this event: Yes. For: Kids and seniors.

Discount tickets disclaimer: The organizer for this event may offer discount tickets for this event. NOTE: It is only at the organizer's discretion that tickets might be discounted, including the amount or percent discounted, the number of available discount tickets and terms and regulations. Check with the event organizer's website for information about the discount tickets for this event . https://www.williamsburgmagic.com/tickets.

Williamsburg! magic events. Magicians Brandon & Hannah Wagster, Magic and Illusions Show. October 28, 2022 - The Wagsters Magic Theatre. 5535 Olde Towne Rd Williamsburg, VA. 23188. Events & shows in Williamsburg.

Meet the Wagsters

Meet Brandon and Hannah Wagster, the husband-and-wife team working to make Williamsburg magical. Together, they own the Wagsters Magic Theatre — Williamsburg’s one and only magic venue on Olde Town Road — that has captivated thousands since it opened in June 2022. Continue reading to learn about the Wagsters’ journey to magic, Williamsburg, and each other.

Brandon and Hannah Wagster are a dynamic duo, both on stage and behind the scenes. Together they own the Wagsters Magic Theatre in Williamsburg, VA., just a few minutes off Richmond Road. Since they opened their 67-seat theater in June 2022, over 7,500 guests have walked through their doors.

COURTESY IMAGE // THE WAGSTERS

Opening the theater was a dream 25 years in the making, set in motion the morning Brandon received his first magic kit at the age of six.

“That kind of sent everything spiraling — in a good way,” Brandon explained.

Brandon grew up drawing pictures of what he wanted his future theater to look like, bought equipment with the money he made doing commercials here and there, and, by age 11, had performed in his first birthday show.

Hannah, on the other hand, hated magic growing up because of a show gone wrong. However, all it took to change this aversion forever was “a cute magician.”

“If I could look back at young me and be like, ‘You’re going to be a professional magician one day,’ I would sincerely laugh,” Hannah said. “I would have never thought I’d be onstage, and I hated magic . . . But it’s been the best thing ever.”

Hannah recalled that before she and Brandon started dating, she would often see Brandon performing at parties, but since she wasn’t a magic fan, she would go outside to avoid the show. Later on, Hannah’s best friend fell in love with Brandon and dragged Hannah along to his shows. Hannah remembered talking to him after one show and him snubbing her. While Hannah’s friend and Brandon didn’t work out, Brandon and Hannah did.

“It’s okay, I still chased you down,” Hannah teased her husband. “It worked, obviously, because. . . November will be 14 years.” The couple also recently celebrated ten years of marriage, renewing their vows in front of Hogwarts Castle at Universal Studios.

Two months after they started dating, Brandon fired his two assistants. Hannah, seeing performing with him as a way to spend more time together, begged to be his new assistant. Brandon, on the other hand, initially refused, fearing that it would be a recipe for disaster if they ever broke up (which, as Hannah recalls, they did at one point — for six months — but they performed through it, reconciled, and grew stronger than before).

Brandon and Hannah estimate that they have performed anywhere between 1,500 and 2,000 shows together since Hannah first became Brandon’s assistant in March 2010.

COURTESY IMAGE // THE WAGSTERS

The weekend after Hannah graduated high school, they moved together to Myrtle Beach, S.C. to perform together, and they were there for almost ten years until the COVID-19 pandemic hit. March 16th, 2020 was their last performance at The Carolina Opry, where they’d worked for almost six years.

“I looked at her, and I still don’t know why I said it, but I just came off stage and looked at her and said, ‘I think that was the last time we’re ever going to perform on this stage,’” Brandon recalled.

The next day, they were notified that the city was shutting down and that their show was canceled, a blessing in disguise — the lockdown gave them the time to consider the next chapter in their lives. After an eight-hour-long Zoom call with friends who owned a theater, Hannah and Brandon decided to sell their house and open their own.

Brandon recalled that before the Zoom call, he had been watching “The Imagineering Story,” a documentary series detailing the journey of Walt Disney, one of his biggest heroes.

“They talked about how Walt sold one of his homes to get the park open,” Brandon explained. “He cashed out life insurance policies. He borrowed money. He sold stock in it to employees. He did everything he could to get this park open. And with that kind of lingering in my mind, I looked at Hannah. I knew what our house was going to sell for . . . I was like, we could do this.”

The Wagsters originally planned to open their theater in Myrtle Beach and were getting ready to sign a lease on a building when Brandon got a gut feeling that something was wrong. They pulled out of the deal at the last minute.

“It felt like everything went up in flames,” Hannah recalled. At that point, they had already sold their house and were living in a detached garage without heating or air conditioning, and they were working odd jobs to make ends meet. Hannah recalled working as a nanny, barista, baker, and travel agent during that time.

They knew that these odd jobs were not what they were meant to be doing, so they desperately reached out to a friend who suggested they try working at Busch Gardens. They automatically assumed she was talking about Busch Gardens Tampa, but they didn’t want to go back to Florida, they said. They’d spent enough time there performing after the shutdowns ended.

“Busch Gardens Williamsburg,” their friend replied.

“Where’s that?” Hannah asked.

The Wagsters decided to give Williamsburg, Va. a shot. After some research, they realized Williamsburg not only was a tourist town with plenty to do but also had no live theater competition. They decided to check out the area, and as soon as they arrived, they fell in love with the town and the community and decided to move to Williamsburg. None of the buildings they had scouted would work as a theater, so they decided they’d search for a building when they went back to South Carolina.

Before they went home, though, Brandon made one last ditch effort — googling old church buildings in the area. They found one and met with the owner, who asked them what they wanted to do with it.

“We told her, we want to open a magic theater,” Brandon recalled. “And she gave us the same look and response that almost everybody did at first: ‘Huh…that’s interesting.’”

She told the Wagsters that she would ask around and see if people thought a magic theater would be a good fit for the area.

“She told us that she talked to a lot of people, and they said, ‘Yes,’” Hannah recalled. “She just told us last week that every single person told her she was crazy, and we’re like, ‘You did not tell us that.’”

But she wanted to give them a chance.

“She said when she and her husband were really young, if there hadn’t been someone who had given them a chance, they would have never done what they did, and so she was like, ‘I just wanted to return the favor,’” Hannah explained. “We’re extremely grateful to our landlady because if it hadn’t been for her, we would not be here.”

The timing was almost magical. The day they booked their Airbnb to visit Williamsburg for the first time was the same day the church had handed in the keys to the building that is now their theater. And the day they moved to Williamsburg — March 16th — was the same day their non-compete agreement in Myrtle Beach expired. 316 also happens to be their apartment number.

Chariot was renowned for her incredible magical abilities and unmatched showmanship. Inspired by Chariot's story, Akko became determined to follow in her footsteps and bring back the wonder and awe of magic to the world. Akko's journey at Luna Nova was not an easy one.

She faced countless challenges and setbacks, often finding herself in trouble due to her impulsive nature. But she never gave up. With her friends Lotte and Sucy by her side, Akko worked tirelessly to improve her spellcasting and prove that she was capable of greatness. As time went on, Akko discovered the Seven Words of Arcturus, a magical phrase that was said to grant immense power to any witch who could recite it. This became her ultimate goal, as she believed that obtaining this power would allow her to fulfill her destiny and become a true witch. Throughout her adventures, Akko encountered various magical creatures, unraveled long-lost secrets, and faced her own fears and doubts. But no matter how tough things got, she never lost sight of her dream. She believed that magic was meant to bring joy and happiness to everyone, and she was determined to make that a reality. In the end, Akko's unwavering belief and determination paid off. She not only mastered the Seven Words of Arcturus but also successfully performed them in front of an audience, proving that she was a true witch after all. With her newfound powers, Akko brought back the wonder and awe of magic to the world, just as she had always envisioned. The story of Akko and her friends at Luna Nova is a tale of perseverance, friendship, and the power of believing in oneself. It serves as a reminder that no matter how many obstacles we may face, as long as we stay true to our dreams and never give up, anything is possible..

Reviews for "Believing in Magic: My Little Witch Academia Fan Story"

- Name: DisappointedFan123

Rating: 2/5

Review: I was really excited to read this "Little witch academia" fan story, but unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations. The plot felt flat and predictable, and the characters lacked depth. I was hoping for a more engaging and immersive storyline that would capture the essence of the original series, but this fan story fell short. While it was nice to revisit the world of "Little witch academia," I couldn't help but feel let down by this particular fan creation.

- Name: MysticalMagic101

Rating: 1/5

Review: This fan story based on "Little witch academia" was a complete disappointment. The writing was amateur, with numerous grammatical errors and a lack of attention to detail. The dialogue felt forced and unnatural, making it difficult to connect with the characters. Additionally, the pacing of the story was all over the place, leaving me confused and disinterested. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this fan story to anyone who is a fan of the original series. It simply did not do justice to the world and characters that we all love.

- Name: MagicEnthusiast22