By day, Dr. Howard Cohen is a mild-mannered family physician. By night, he transforms into Howard Stevens, a master of the sleight of hand. While his patients come to him for checkups and prescriptions, audiences know him for impossibly vanishing coins, shuffling reality with a deck of cards, turning an ordinary Rubik’s Cube into a spectacle and more.

Under his stage name, he’s been performing magic for decades, seamlessly balancing the precision of medicine with the artistry of illusion. And Stevens’ intimate magic show, Classic Conjuring: A Performance of Contemporary Sleight of Hand & Mystifying Effects, returns to CMX CinéBistro Siesta Key on March 21 and 22. 

Stevens’ love of magic began at age 12. "I got Dunninger's Complete Encyclopedia of Magic– I still have it. I entertained the kids in the neighborhood," he says. 

Determined to master the craft, he pored over books on legendary magicians, teaching himself the techniques behind the mystery. "Back then, you didn’t have the internet," he says. "It was books, VHS tapes, lectures and conventions. I was absorbing everything I could."

The upcoming show in Sarasota is one he wrote and produced. Designed for an audience of just 20 guests, the show offers an up-close experience you won’t find on a Vegas stage. The room comfortably seats 20 people, and the show will run for at least an hour. 

“Because of the small venue, the experience is intimate, with a lot of audience participation," he explains. "Here, the audience is just a few feet away, seeing everything up close—something you rarely get to experience in magic. It’s live, it’s immediate, and people really appreciate that connection."

And while parents have brought kids in the past, his upcoming show tends toward a "21 and older audience," he adds.

While attending medical school in Philadelphia, Cohen found a second home at the Philadelphia Magic Company, where he immersed himself in the city’s magic scene. "I’d go every Saturday, sometimes Wednesdays, just hanging out, learning, buying books," he recalls. It was there that he met fellow magician Danny Archer. Together, they created a comedy magic act called "Fine and Dandy," performing in Center City Philadelphia.

Even as his medical career took off, Cohen never put away his deck of cards. "Magic was my stress relief," he says. "After a long day, I’d go into my office, open a book and practice." He honed his skills at private parties, corporate events, and high-profile functions, always keeping his two worlds separate. "I never performed for my patients or anything—it was its own thing."

Since moving to Sarasota in 2017, Stevens has continued his dual life, treating patients by day and astonishing audiences by night. 

His performances have captivated crowds at the Art Ovation Hotel, The Ritz-Carlton and the Circus Arts Conservatory Gala. He’s also an active member of the Society of American Magicians and the International Brotherhood of Magicians, with his own original magic effects published in journals like Trap Door and Apocalypse. 

For Cohen, magic isn’t just about tricks—it’s about wonder, storytelling and the joy of the unexpected. "People love mystery," he says. "They love wonder. It gives them that moment where the impossible feels real. That’s the real magic."

"Classic Conjuring: A Performance of Contemporary Sleight of Hand & Mystifying Effects" is at CMX CinéBistro, Siesta Key on Friday, March 21 and Saturday, March 22. Tickets are $40 and can be purchased here.