There’s something fitting about kicking off a festival built around the community with a performer whose entire show depends on it. 

On October 8 at 7:00 PM, the 2026 Neustadt JAAMM Festival opens its doors with magician and mentalist Max Davidson. If you’ve never seen his work before, buckle up. This isn’t a guy in a tuxedo pulling rabbits out of hats. This is something altogether different: part illusion, part storytelling, part shared human experience, and entirely unlike anything you’ve seen on a stage. 

From the moment Davidson steps into the room, the audience stops being spectators and becomes collaborators. Which means no two shows are ever quite the same.  

“The structure may be the same every night,” Davidson shares, “but because it’s so interactive, each attendee gets a genuinely unique experience. The audience is such a fundamental component of the evening.” 

What makes his work feel so right for this moment is how directly it responds to something we’re likely all quietly feeling. We are more connected than ever on paper, and somehow lonelier in practice. Davidson sees it, too. “It baffles me how technology is supposed to connect us and ends up dividing us,” he says, “We literally spend more time alone when we scroll on our phone rather than speak to each other.” 

His show brilliantly offers the antidote. “What does bring us together is literally so simple—shared human experiences,” he says. A room full of strangers, laughing at the same thing, gasping at the same moment, turning to each other and saying did you just see that? 

“I genuinely hope people leave feeling less alone,” he says.  

As for what’s actually in store? Davidson is (understandably) coy about specifics, but he did share a few tantalizing hints. Expect mentalism that uncovers things about you he absolutely should not know—think personal details, specific memories, objects in your home. Expect a routine that toys with what you remember happening. Expect feats of extraordinary recall and at least one moment that is, in his words, “quite physical.” And expect to laugh. A lot. Davidson is adamant that no one should take themselves too seriously onstage, and the jokes, he promises, are plentiful. 

The most magical moments, though, might be the reactions themselves. Davidson describes the joy of watching one audience member realize what’s unfolding just seconds before the rest of the room catches up. “I’ve had people shriek, yell, jump up and down,” he says. That moment when the whole room loses it at once? “It’s really fun.” 

The spirit of connection in Davidson’s show sets the perfect tone for the festival season ahead. 

Following opening night, the Neustadt JAAMM Festival continues with an exciting lineup that includes comedian Jared Freid on October 10, the wildly entertaining Jewish Dating Game direct from New York City on October 13, a special film screening of The Maintenance Artist with local Denver connections on October 20, Avourneen’s moving Leonard Cohen tribute on October 22, and the beloved KlezKolorado music festival from October 23–25. 

Whether you’re a longtime festival supporter or attending for the very first time, JAAMM 2026 promises moments of discovery, joy, and community. Join us on opening night as we begin another unforgettable festival.