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Gabriella Lester embarking on European tour

There’s a collection/ shrine of Gabriella Lester's magical accomplishments displayed proudly in her family's living room.

It consists of membership certificates for prestigious magic circles, mementos from past performances and a sparkling pair of high heels.

On the bottom shelf is a framed taping booklet along with a contestant's pass from Lester's first appearance on national television.

And since her Las Vegas TV appearance, Lester is looking forward to exploring where she can solidify a long career in magic.

For the 18-year-old “Diva of Deception,” it's just a matter of figuring out where to start.

“When I decided I wanted to do magic, I set all these goals that I will choose in life,” Lester told the Tri-City News. “It’s like, they're happening a lot sooner than I expected, which is great. It also means that I have to figure out where I want [to go], but I think I'm in a good position now where it's just taking opportunities as they come.”

Recently, Lester pulled off one of the most thrilling performances of her young career to date attempting to trick a pair of the world's greatest magicians.

Penn and Teller: Fool Us is a show on the CW network that gives magicians the opportunity to shock the famous illusionists and earn a slot as the opening act for their Las Vegas show.

Lester was invited to appear on the program, performing an escape from a straitjacket, but with a twist.

Prior to hanging upside down in the jacket, she asked Penn to pick a flash card with a math equation and remember it.

Lester was then hoisted into the air and got out of the jacket in less than 30 seconds.

While doing so, she made Penn answer a deck of math flash cards out loud as Teller stood by to watch her escape.

But before her act was over, Penn didn't find his equation. Luckily, Lester revealed it written in big numbers on her shirt.

How did she do it?

Well, the Heritage Woods Secondary grad wouldn’t say. Penn and Teller didn’t reveal her secret either; that’s the magicians’ code.

But the seasoned pros did have positive comments about her act, her presence on stage and bubbly personality. They said she has the right stuff to pursue a career in magic.

Lester admits she’s always nervous when she takes the stage.

“But you can’t let the nerves override you,” she said.

Lester’s ability to fool Penn and Teller was all the more remarkable because it was a new act she’d developed with her mentor, Shawn Farquhar, a threetime alumnus of the show.

"I've done the straitjacket thing, but the act itself was my first time performing it, because we built it for the show,” she said.

With her television appearance behind her, Lester’s next step is to perform in Europe. This month, she’s headed to Scotland and Spain.

“I want to travel and see the world, and perform while I do it,” Lester said, adding her parents have been fully supportive of her illusionist intentions, even flying out to see her act.

“It’s not their world in the slightest, but they’ve embraced it.”

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