A magician who grew up in Emmaus and spent more than a year dazzling crowds in the Poconos is bringing his act home. Jason Bishop is set to open Straight Up Magic, a 100-seat performance theater inside the former Whitehall Mall, with shows beginning next Friday, November 6.
The 100-seat theater will occupy the former Plaza movie theater space inside the mall along MacArthur Road in Whitehall Township, the Lehigh Valley Press reported. Its opening is part of a broader change at the property. Mishorim Gold Group bought the former mall earlier this year for $18 million and has extensive renovations planned, according to mcall.com, which described Straight Up Magic as a tenant of the rebranded Whitehall Plaza, a site focused on family entertainment.
What Public Records Say About the Site
Whitehall Township’s Feb. 9, 2026, meeting minutes record Mayor Marx saying the mall had been sold and its developer had “progressive ideas for the site.” The minutes provide that broad description but do not identify specific redevelopment plans or land-use approvals, according to the Whitehall Township Board of Commissioners meeting minutes.
The former movie theater’s documented history includes a 1996 announcement that AMC planned to close the Plaza 2 theaters at the end of July when its lease expired, The Morning Call reported. That report documents the planned closure, but not when the theaters actually closed or how the space was used afterward.
Bishop isn't new to Pennsylvania stages. He previously performed for more than a year at a similar venue at Camelback Resort in the Poconos, a residency that WFMZ covered as part of its own “Magic in the Mountains” report, noting that Bishop's partner, Kim Hess, and their dog, Gizmo, were all part of the act. The Lehigh Valley Press reports Bishop decided to move his home base closer to home after growing frustrated with the Poconos venue's seasonal clientele.
What Audiences Will See Inside the New Theater
The Whitehall theater seats 100 people, matching the capacity described on the show's own site, which calls it “our intimate 100-seat theater.” Per the show's FAQ page, performances run roughly 75 minutes with no intermission and blend large-scale illusions with close-up sleight of hand that gets projected onto screens so the whole room can see the details. The Lehigh Valley Press reports the show also includes disappearance and levitation acts, mind-reading, music and comedy, along with limited audience-participation options.
The venue itself has been dressed up for the part, with chandeliers, red curtains, concessions and a red-carpet photo area inside the mall space, according to the Lehigh Valley Press. Shows are scheduled Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. through January 2, 2027, with tickets running $45 to $75. The mall lot offers free parking for showgoers, per the same report.
Bishop's show is listed for guests age 6 and older, per the FAQ on jasonbishopmagic.com, though the site notes some guest headliner shows are open to all ages. Bishop has told the Lehigh Valley Press he envisions the show evolving over time, with new material added and removed, and he's described Straight Up Magic as a New York-quality show at not-New York prices. The Lehigh Valley Press also reports plans to eventually expand the lineup to feature other magicians and possibly comedy shows.
A Career Built From Foster Care to the Magic Castle
Bishop's path to a Lehigh Valley stage started far from easy. Born in Newark, New Jersey, he became a foster child at age seven and was placed in numerous homes across eastern Pennsylvania before eventually growing up in Emmaus, attending Salisbury Township School District schools and graduating from Fleetwood Area High School in 1996, according to the Lehigh Valley Press. He now lives in Fleetwood, Berks County.
His career has since taken him well beyond Pennsylvania. An event-presenter biography on clemenscenter.org notes Bishop has performed at notable venues including the Magic Castle in Hollywood, the U.S. Naval Academy, Disney Cruise Lines and the New Victory Theater in New York City, and that his performances have taken him to more than 40 countries across six continents. The Lehigh Valley Press separately reports extended Broadway engagements at the New Victory Theater in Times Square in 2016 and 2017, residencies at the Gaylord Texan in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and shows in China, with Bishop performing about 200 shows a year in recent seasons.
Bishop has also brought his act to national television. The clemenscenter.org biography notes he's been featured on NBC's Today Show, where the Lehigh Valley Press reports he made his dog, Gizmo, disappear on air.
Part of a Bigger Push to Remake the Mall
Straight Up Magic's arrival fits into Mishorim Gold Group's stated focus on family entertainment for the renamed Whitehall Plaza, according to mcall.com's report on the ownership change. Another addition already announced for the property, Lululand Adventure Park, is expected to open in spring 2027, the outlet reported, suggesting the mall's new owners see live entertainment and family attractions as central to the site's next chapter.
