RECAP: Secret Aisle Variety Show: Live at The Supermarket - ATL
- Olivia Smith
- 16 minutes ago
- 3 min read
With a wave of my wand, this hidden gem will magically appear atop your ATL bucket list
Who doesn’t love a good magic trick?
Variety shows are truly a lost art form. These classic showcases celebrate a range of talents, skills, and schticks, and they’ve historically served as launching pads for performers we know and love. As live events continue to claw their way back post-pandemic, local magician/yo-yo-er/all-around artist Kyle Littleton (known for his appearance on Penn & Teller: Fool Us) is resurrecting these revues right here in Atlanta.
Once a month, Littleton hosts Secret Aisle, a laugh-out-loud evening of magic, comedy, and more in the heart of Poncey-Highland. The show serves up a delightful sampling of local talent in an intimate setting, giving audiences a taste of the city’s overflowing arts scene. Oh, and the event is notorious for selling out—fast.
Secret Aisle shows are nestled in The Supermarket, a community space for creatives of all kinds. Draped in disco balls, paper stars, and velvet curtains, the venue itself is an experience worth exploring. As attendees settled into their seats, close-up magicians swept through the room performing card tricks and mind-boggling illusions. These tiny doses of enchantment made for the perfect precursor to the acts to come.
Littleton kicked the night off with some yo-yo tricks and served as the emcee in between acts. February’s lineup featured comics Kenny Stempien and Lenise Lyons. Both did a phenomenal job of working the room and garnered lots of laughs from the audience—particularly of note were Stempien’s jokes about his late grandmother’s last rites (or lack thereof) and Lyons’ anecdotes on her career as an urban planner in College Park. Halfway through the evening, Amber Butler introduced the audience to the art of clowning with her joyfully zany “Good Luck Fairy” act, spreading some much-needed whimsy through the world.
In addition to Littleton’s interludes, Zach Ivins performed a stellar magic set. Ivins performed at Secret Aisle’s very first show, and he returned to The Supermarket’s stage to show his skills, including a baffling Snuggie escape and a Chinese linking rings routine. The night rounded out with a standup set from Carter Deems, best recognized for his stint on MTV’s Wild ‘n Out. Deems has quite a way with words—literally. He rewrote his own jokes using various literary devices, demonstrating his knack for humor and wordplay.
On my way home from Secret Aisle, my heart was not only warmed by the fact that the show exists, but that it’s thriving. Atlanta offers a plethora of ways to spend a Friday night, but a (consistently!) sold-out variety show seems to be an indicator that live events are back and better than ever. I chatted with Ivins earlier in the evening about the importance of community spaces and gatherings like this one. The magician shared that he strives for a positive outlook to the scene, hypothesizing that the pandemic “reset” an already-struggling landscape for live events. Now, audiences are hungry for these face-to-face experiences and are integrating more outings into their routines. “Live events feel so much about what’s happening here and now,” Ivins smiled. “It’s a great way to spend your life.”
Next month’s show (3/20) marks the one-year anniversary of Secret Aisle, and Littleton’s crew is anticipating yet another sold-out crowd. If you’re on the hunt for a unique way to get out of the house and get some laughs in, I recommend you snag your tickets, bring your pals, and prepare to be amazed.
Article by Olivia Smith. Photos by Mikey Smith. Please credit @mts2.photo or @art.seen.atl if reposting on social media.
