“Jessica Jane Peterson is a testament to the adage that when one door closes, another opens. Her life for the first quarter century has been a series of opportunities that she has grabbed ahold of time and time again.” Tom Vorjohan, The Linking Ring
Jessica Jane’s entire life revolves around her passion for the art of Magic. Her signature routine ‘Tightrope’, which she closes her evening show with, begins with a quote by the famous tightrope walker Karl Wallenda.
“Being on the Tightrope is Living. Everything else is just Waiting.”
This quote is one that she lives her life by, and she uses her magic to inspire others to find their passion.
Jessica grew up in the world of magic, circus and good ole entertainment. Her mother worked as a magician’s assistant for several illusionists and her father designed various magic tricks and methods. As a child, Jessica grew up watching her mom get sawn in half, and it was completely normal to her! Her idols weren’t boy bands and celebrities, but great magicians of yesteryear like Harry Houdini and Howard Thurston.
When she turned 12, her uncle decided she was old enough to get sawn in half, and she joined the family illusion show as an assistant, tech, and magician.
She is originally from New Jersey, where she spent most of her teenage years. Her first side job wasn’t working in a supermarket or delivering newspapers, but performing strolling magic in the casinos in Atlantic City.
When she was 16, her father took her to Las Vegas to attend Lance Burton’s Teen Weekend at the World Magic Seminar. That’s when she became hooked and knew this wasn’t just a hobby, but her future! She returned home and was immediately cast in the ‘Shazam’ illusion show at Clementon Amusement Park in NJ.
At the age of 17, she ran away with the circus and joined Ward Hall’s World of Wonders sideshow, which took her all over the U.S.A. It was there that she learned all the ins and outs of fire eating and other timeless vaudeville stunts.
After her circus adventure, she joined a magical play called The Magyk Tsar with Magician Alan St. George. The show was centered around the last Tsar Nicholas Romanov and his wife Alexandra, who Jessica portrayed
In 2010, she ran away from the circus and joined a home in Pigeon Forge Tennessee, which is one of the busiest tourist destinations in America. She was there on vacation attending Terry Evanswood’s Wonders of Magic show when he suddenly needed a new assistant…five minutes before show time! Jessica jumped in to the action packed illusion show, and she never left! She has performed over 2500 shows with Evanswood.
While in Pigeon Forge, she also performed daily in the neighboring town of Gatlinburg at Sweet Fanny Adams Theatre. She performed in a 2 hour comedy variety show where she’d sing, dance, and make ’em laugh!
In 2014, acclaimed female magician Connie Boyd cast Jessica in her headline show Illusions onboard Costa Cruise Lines. Jessica became the star of the show and performed everything from a straitjacket escape, to large scale illusions, and even a routine where a mystical sphere floated about the theater. She was also accompanied by a cast of 9 dancers.
Jessica performed on the ship for two seasons and returned to Gatlinburg TN with a new dream…to have her own show. This dream was put on hold after a terrible wildfire swept through the town leaving it devastated. Quite affected by the fire, she sent an audition video to Penn and Teller: Fool Us talking about her experience. While the story was not the final one filmed for the show, Jessica was invited on and conquered her new found fire fear by performing with it under her control and then making magic with it on National TV on the CW Network.
She returned to Gatlinburg and opened her own 90 minute show at Sweet Fanny Adams Theatre to rave reviews!
Jessica currently performs her own show, headlines on cruise ships, entertains at corporate engagements, and just returned from performing 13 shows in 7 countries in 23 days for our men and women serving overseas in the military with the Operation Magic All-Stars produced by Armed Forces Entertainment.
You can see her performing her full show on Holland America Lines & Norwegian Cruise Lines, as well as on land, on the following dates:
2019
August 11th – September 29th – Holland America Oosterdam – Alaska
October 12th – *EXCLUSIVE SHOW with DAVID MINKIN at HAVENCREST CASTLE in Savanna, Illinois. Click link for ticket information, Very limited availability: CLICK HERE
Nov 11th – Nov 16th – Norwegian Sky – Miami, Bahamas
Nov 20th – Nov 24th – Marvyn’s Magic Theater – Palm Springs, California
Nov 29th – Dec 8th – Norwegian Epic – Tenerife, San Juan
Dec 21st – Jan 4th – Norwegian Breakaway – Port Canaveral, Jamaica, Mexico
2020
Jan 10th -Feb 3rd – Norwegian Sky – Miami, Bahamas, Key West
Feb 15th – Mar 7th – Norwegian Breakaway – Port Canaveral, Jamaica, Mexico
April 8th-15th – Norwegian Pearl – Miami, Aruba, Columbia, Panama
April 18th – 23rd – Norwegian Breakaway – Port Canaveral, Grand Cayman, Nassau
May 26th – June 14th – Norwegian Breakaway – Miami, Belize, Mexico, Honduras
June 20th – July 18th – Pride of America – Honolulu, Hawaii
Sept 20th – Oct 16th – Norwegian Breakaway – New York, Halifax, Bermuda
