“No matter where I travel, I run into people who have stories to tell about Northeastern Pennsylvania.”
Long before nationally-renowned magician, Denny Corby was performing on stages all over the country, he was practicing sleight of hand on teachers and classmates in Scranton. And while the incorrigible trickster never imagined he’d someday perform for sold out crowds, there was a roundabout entertainment lineage at play.
Corby’s parents owned the Pennsylvania Paper & Supply Company which entered the national spotlight via NBC’s The Office. Young Denny, at an impressionable age during the height of the sitcom’s popularity, found himself inspired by the hapless cast of characters. Mostly, though, it was Corby’s parents who encouraged his love for magic and entertainment. It wasn’t, however, all magic classes and trick kits. Corby’s parents also made time to teach him the value of a hard-earned buck — waxing floors and cleaning toilets at the warehouse.
After graduating from Abington Heights High School, Corby began studies at Marywood University. He then finished up with an Entertainment Management degree from Bay State College in Boston. And from there, it was back to NEPA. While the goal was to take on more responsibilities at the family shop, Corby and his parents knew he had to get out there and take his shot. Soon, he found himself in the trenches of the live entertainment industry.
Within just a few short years of scraping by and paying dues, he was featured on the nationally-televised, magic reality hit, Penn & Teller: Fool Us. Since that appearance in 2019, Corby has never looked back. He’s carved out a lucrative business based in magical performance, keynote speaking and consulting – claiming major international corporate clients and a year-round performance schedule.
We met Denny Corby at Northern Lights Espresso Bar & Cafe in Downtown Scranton. And just before he pulled out a deck of cards and broke our brains, we managed to squeeze in a few questions like Why NEPA?
How long have you lived in NEPA?
My entire life — all 36 years.
What do you love about your town?
It’s so cool how we’re so close to everything, but also so far from it, too. We have a cool culture. It’s a beautiful area and we’re just close to so much. It’s kind of nice to be able to go to New York and back in a night every once in a while. Granted, it’s a late night. But look at how close we are to all of these major markets. There’s really no other place in the country that’s like this – New York, Philly, Boston, D.C., I mean, it’s all like 2 to 5 hours away. Up in Clarks Summit, where we’re at, I can be on the turnpike or 81 in minutes and I’m on my way to Philly or anywhere in NEPA. You can’t beat it.
What’s your favorite NEPA restaurant?
Can I say two? I love Ruth’s Chris at Mohegan Pennsylvania in Wilkes-Barre. I have a lot of good memories there – like my 21st birthday and a whole bunch of other celebrations. We also had our wedding there. So, it holds a lot of fun memories for me. We got engaged in 2020. We invited her family and my family out to dinner at Ruth’s Chris. Everyone showed up, and we were like surprise! This is our wedding. They helped us out a lot with that. And another one a little closer to home, for us, is Alter House in Clarks Summit. The food is always perfect and fresh. Great cocktails. We love it there.
What’s your favorite thing to do in NEPA?
We usually check out the breweries and wineries. Not that we’re big partiers or anything. They’re just usually fun places to hang out. We like Maiolatesi Wine Cellars and Susquehanna Brewing Company. We also fell in love with Log Tavern Brewing in Tafton out by Lake Wallenpaupack. We were just driving along one day on our way to the lake and there it was.
What’s next for you?
More shows. I’m fortunate that I have a nice little book of business. I carved out a little niche with private golf and country clubs. I have a podcast called Private Club Radio, where I chat with club managers and club professionals about leadership, management, governance, marketing, membership and all of that stuff. It’s a unique way of keeping in touch with that market. It’s a new way of bringing value to that space. It’s also fun, in a way. It brings a new energy to a space that you wouldn’t normally consider fun or entertaining.
I’ve got my clubs and touring. I also do a little creative consulting. I love business, sales and marketing. I like picking people’s brains and looking out for cool, new marketing ideas. I mean it’s not magic, but kind of still magical in a way when you get to try out new marketing ideas.
Where do you see NEPA heading in the future?
Just look at what’s going on in Scranton. They’re rebuilding. They’re revitalizing. They’re doing it in Pittston, too. There’s hope growing here again. It’s a very hopeful feeling when you visit a lot of these towns in NEPA. And there’s so much potential here. It’s great to see more venues opening up or coming back. I love watching it grow and change.
Why NEPA?
There’s this familial aspect to things here that I just love being a part of. You never know who you’re going to see or bump into. I travel quite a bit, and every time I fly home, I know at least one person in whatever random airport, or I usually know someone on the plane. And I’m pretty unrecognizable when I travel – like hoodie with hood up, headphones – a real “don’t bother me” vibe. And I will get a random text from somebody asking, “Hey, are you on this plane?” Or somebody knows who you are through your family members. But that’s what makes me love this place. You really don’t get that in too many places around the country.
