Magician · Actor · Comedian · Daredevil
Meet Lee
Meet Lee Terbosic
Magician. Actor. Comedian. Daredevil.
Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Lee Terbosic has had one job since the age of 10: entertainer. He has built a career spanning national television, theaters, universities, corporate events, and daring public escapes, while choosing Pittsburgh as his home.
Houdini’s Last Secrets
In the Discovery Science Channel’s four-part series, Lee traveled around the world with George Hardeen, Houdini’s great-grandnephew, uncovering secrets behind Houdini’s magic and family. His television appearances also include History’s Greatest Mysteries, America’s Got Talent, Four Weddings, and Now You See It.
Building magic in Pittsburgh
Lee created Liberty Magic theater with the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. His show In Plain Sleight has brought audiences back for more than 200 performances. His intimate residency, 52 Up Close, takes place in the Roberto Clemente Suite at the Kimpton Hotel Monaco, with 52 seats and 90 minutes of close-up magic.
Pittsburgh is home. The community is the reason.
Lee’s career has taken him around the world, but Pittsburgh remains the center of his story. It is where he grew up, where he lives, and where he continues to create experiences that bring people together. His commitment to the city reaches beyond a single performance: it is about making magic part of Pittsburgh’s cultural life and giving his hometown moments worth sharing.
Through Liberty Magic and his work with the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Lee has helped create a place for audiences to experience world-class magic right here in Downtown. From intimate close-up shows to escapes above the city streets, his work invites Pittsburghers to gather, discover something unexpected, and see familiar places in a new way.
A gift to the city
Houdini 100 carries that commitment into the public square. The original 2016 escape brought thousands of people together at Wood Street and Liberty Avenue. Chapter Two continues the story with a free Halloween event at Arts Landing—an invitation for families, friends and neighbors to share one unforgettable night.
Working alongside the Pittsburgh Firefighters, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Luxe Creative and local supporters, Lee is building an event rooted in the people and places that make this city special. His tribute to Houdini is also a tribute to Pittsburgh: its history, its creativity, and the community that has supported him since the beginning.
From Houdini 100 to Chapter Two
On November 6, 2016, Lee recreated Houdini’s upside-down straitjacket escape at Wood Street and Liberty Avenue, 100 years to the minute. Thousands watched live in Pittsburgh, with millions viewing online.
On October 31, 2026, he returns for Houdini 100: Chapter Two, The Great Firetruck Ladder Escape, suspended 100 feet above Arts Landing.
Lee’s work has taken him to events for Duolingo, Google, PNC Bank, and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Through every show and every escape, the goal remains the same: prove that anything is possible.
In the press
“It was a performance worthy of a 100-year buildup.”
— Sean Collier, Pittsburgh Magazine · November 7, 2016
On the original Houdini 100 escape.
“one of the world’s leading experts on Houdini”
— Sean Collier, Pittsburgh Magazine · November 7, 2023
From the review of The Life and Death of Harry Houdini.
“an entertaining and enlightening 90 minutes”
— Maria Sciullo, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette · October 28, 2019
On Lee’s The Life and Death of Harry Houdini at Liberty Magic.
Houdini’s Last Secrets
“overall the show is very entertaining and educational in several ways.”
— Alyssa Jackson, AIPT · January 6, 2019
From the review of the Chinese Water Torture Cell premiere.
“Everything about this episode works, including having genuine tension at the end when Lee does the deadly trick himself.”
— John Cox, Wild About Harry · January 13, 2019
On the bullet catch episode of Houdini’s Last Secrets.
Photo: Justin Boyd
Meet Lee Terbosic
Magician. Actor. Comedian. Daredevil.
Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Lee Terbosic has had one job since the age of 10: entertainer. He has built a career spanning national television, theaters, universities, corporate events, and daring public escapes, while choosing Pittsburgh as his home.
Houdini’s Last Secrets
In the Discovery Science Channel’s four-part series, Lee traveled around the world with George Hardeen, Houdini’s great-grandnephew, uncovering secrets behind Houdini’s magic and family. His television appearances also include History’s Greatest Mysteries, America’s Got Talent, Four Weddings, and Now You See It.
Building magic in Pittsburgh
Lee created Liberty Magic theater with the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. His show In Plain Sleight has brought audiences back for more than 200 performances. His intimate residency, 52 Up Close, takes place in the Roberto Clemente Suite at the Kimpton Hotel Monaco, with 52 seats and 90 minutes of close-up magic.
Pittsburgh is home. The community is the reason.
Lee’s career has taken him around the world, but Pittsburgh remains the center of his story. It is where he grew up, where he lives, and where he continues to create experiences that bring people together. His commitment to the city reaches beyond a single performance: it is about making magic part of Pittsburgh’s cultural life and giving his hometown moments worth sharing.
Through Liberty Magic and his work with the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Lee has helped create a place for audiences to experience world-class magic right here in Downtown. From intimate close-up shows to escapes above the city streets, his work invites Pittsburghers to gather, discover something unexpected, and see familiar places in a new way.
Photo: Jared Wickerham
A gift to the city
Houdini 100 carries that commitment into the public square. The original 2016 escape brought thousands of people together at Wood Street and Liberty Avenue. Chapter Two continues the story with a free Halloween event at Arts Landing—an invitation for families, friends and neighbors to share one unforgettable night.
Working alongside the Pittsburgh Firefighters, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Luxe Creative and local supporters, Lee is building an event rooted in the people and places that make this city special. His tribute to Houdini is also a tribute to Pittsburgh: its history, its creativity, and the community that has supported him since the beginning.
Photo: Justin Boyd
From Houdini 100 to Chapter Two
On November 6, 2016, Lee recreated Houdini’s upside-down straitjacket escape at Wood Street and Liberty Avenue, 100 years to the minute. Thousands watched live in Pittsburgh, with millions viewing online.
On October 31, 2026, he returns for Houdini 100: Chapter Two, The Great Firetruck Ladder Escape, suspended 100 feet above Arts Landing. The lifeline tethered to Lee’s feet will be set ablaze, giving him only a limited amount of time to free himself.
Lee’s work has taken him to events for Duolingo, Google, PNC Bank, and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Through every show and every escape, the goal remains the same: prove that anything is possible.
In the press
“It was a performance worthy of a 100-year buildup.”
— Sean Collier, Pittsburgh Magazine · November 7, 2016
On the original Houdini 100 escape.
“one of the world’s leading experts on Houdini”
— Sean Collier, Pittsburgh Magazine · November 7, 2023
From the review of The Life and Death of Harry Houdini.
“an entertaining and enlightening 90 minutes”
— Maria Sciullo, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette · October 28, 2019
On Lee’s The Life and Death of Harry Houdini at Liberty Magic.
Houdini’s Last Secrets
“overall the show is very entertaining and educational in several ways.”
— Alyssa Jackson, AIPT · January 6, 2019
From the review of the Chinese Water Torture Cell premiere.
“Everything about this episode works, including having genuine tension at the end when Lee does the deadly trick himself.”
— John Cox, Wild About Harry · January 13, 2019
On the bullet catch episode of Houdini’s Last Secrets.
“What the eyes see and the ears hear, the mind believes.”
— Harry Houdini