The Long Island Medium is back, Capital Region! Theresa Caputo, the country’s most famous medium, is bringing her brand of healing-through-spirit to the Palace Theatre Saturday, September 10, to help a post-pandemic generation that’s still healing (in some cases reeling) from being sick, experiencing mental health struggles from lockdown, and yes, losing a loved one. She promises a unique experience (“I never have any idea what’s going to happen!”) and an electric energy in the room to rival all of the excitement of this upcoming summer.
“People lost faith in general during the pandemic,” says Caputo, who, in addition to her world-renowned medium skills, is revered for her positive outlook and soothing words of comfort. “Spirit continues to renew our hope.”
Theresa Caputo Live! starts out with Caputo alone on stage, explaining her background and style of mediumship. “Then, once I start to feel the spirits of the departed, I start walking,” she says of the famous manner in which she leaves the stage to walk through the theater (with cameramen in tow so everyone can watch on enormous screens) to give messages to audience members from their loved ones who have crossed over. “No matter where in the theater you are—the balcony or the back of the room, spirit will come there. If spirit calls me up there to the balcony, I’ll go up there! Spirit guides me around the space. Even after doing live shows for 10 years, spirit continues to blow my mind.”
Caputo has been back on the road for only a few short weeks and says things don’t necessarily feel different post-COVID, but the stories coming through have started to reveal some patterns unique to these post-pandemic times. The most common heartbreaks, because of lockdown mandates and travel restrictions, are when people didn’t get to be there in person when their loved one passed, or didn’t even get to say goodbye at all. “COVID brought that to a different level,” she says. “Now so many people experienced this first-hand and feel that way instead of just a few. Since COVID, the number-one thing spirit tells me is that they weren’t afraid to die. Of course they wish things could have been different, but spirit assures us they are safe and at peace.”
The tireless Caputo, who’s known for her can’t-miss blonde bouffant and enormous nails, tours far and wide to share her gift, but of course feels an affinity to her home state. (Yes, she’s born and raised on Long Island.) “I love Upstate!” she says. “It was always our vacation spot; it’s absolutely gorgeous. Besides, whether on Long Island or Upstate, it’s always good to be around fellow New Yorkers!”
So what’s a first-timer to expect? All that Caputo asks is to come with an open mind. “I can’t tell you how many people get read who say, ‘I’m just the driver tonight!’ and then experience something that changes them forever. That’s what it’s about. Spirit might bring up something that happened a long time ago to remind us of happier times. Or they might bring up what you were talking about on your way to the show. If spirit can hear these things, then they heard you say good-bye. Spirit brings up things that the person is not expecting spirit to bring up—to validate that with every breath we take they are still with us.” And maybe bring some Kleenex: “Spirit takes us all on an emotional journey—first feeling the sorrow, loss and grief. Then spirit really shows us their personality and brings out the laughter. The levity is just incredible.”
For those grieving a loved one, expect to be touched in a profound way by the reactions of other audience members—whether or not you “believe” in mediums. “You don’t have to believe in me,” Caputo says. “Believe in the afterlife. All those things that happen that seem odd or weird [regarding a loved one who has passed], that’s their soul with you at that exact moment. Those are little hellos from heaven.”
One recent example of a reading that helped relieve some pressure a woman was feeling, over not being able to be in the room when her mother passed, happened when Caputo told the grieving daughter the exact words her mother’s spirit was telling her the nurse told her mom as she lay in the hospital bed. “It was exactly what the daughter had asked the nurse to tell her mom, and her mom heard every word. The daughter asked how I could know that? I told her, ‘I didn’t know that—your mom knew that!’ Spirit helps us let go of guilt so we can heal. Spirit doesn’t want us beating ourselves up over things we had no control over. You’re going to grieve the rest of your life, but healing is so different.”
To binge before the live show, all of the episodes of Long Island Medium and Long Island Medium: There In Spirit are on Discovery+. Caputo’s new weekly podcast, Hey Spirit!, follows Caputo through Zoom readings and features virtually no editing, for any on-the-fence believers concerned about the nature of TV production. Plus, she points out, “There’s no editing the night of the live show!”
