Magician Ricky Jay bringing off-Broadway show to Geffen

Magician Ricky Jay, whose most recent gig was teaming up with Michael Weber to create special effects for the feature films “The Illusionist” and “The Prestige,” is making a rare appearance in Los Angeles.

The sleight-of-hand artist will bring his off-Broadway show “Ricky Jay & His 52 Assistants” to the Audrey Skirball Kenis Theater at Westwood’s Geffen Playhouse Nov. 21-Dec.16.

According to the Geffen, the show -- presented as an HBO special in the mid-’90s -- has not been seen in Southern California in a decade.

Jay, who maintains a home in Los Angeles, said in an interview Thursday that, although he used to work out his act in local clubs, in recent years he has tended to take his shows on the road. He adds of his TV and movie work: “I go wherever it takes me. But the idea of sleeping in my own bed is very appealing.”

Jay said that he was attracted to the intimacy of the Geffen’s second stage, which seats fewer than 100. “I think it’s the smallest venue in which I have performed,” he said. “I’ve devoted my life to sleight-of-hand, and the idea of doing it right under somebody’s nose is very exciting. When it’s pushed into bigger theaters, it’s just not the same.”