How long can you hold your breath? Cause the show is 95 minutes long.
Starring seven of the world’s greatest illusionists including Canada’s own Darcy Oake, the Broadway hit brings with it excitement, wonderment, audience participation and laughter. After a multi-city tour and run on Broadway, the world’s best-selling touring magic show, THE ILLUSIONISTS – LIVE FROM BROADWAY™ (www.theillusionistslive.com), continues its performances at the Princess of Wales Theatre until January 8, 2017.
What can one write about a magic show? There were illusions I don’t want to give away, escapes that literally had the audience holding their breath, surprises including indoor snow, motorcycles and mind games that even the skeptics were hard pressed to explain. So instead of writing about it, take a look at this teaser video, then read on for my top picks and bios of the Great Illusionists.
My highlights of the show included the emcee and Trickster, Jeff Hobson, as the brand of comedy was right up my alley, a little cheeky but not over the top so it’s still PG. And his presentation was great, not the brooding magician type we’re use to with Vegas crowd. Jeff is a master showman controlling the audience from start to finish and if you see him coming down the aisles looking at you, you’ll know you’re in for a treat.
Andrew Basso, the escape artist was thrilling to watch. You know exactly what he’s going to do and you imagine he’s done this 100s of times and will make it out, but still you find yourself holding your breath and cheering when he emerges. There’s this human connection and inner fear seeing someone locked in, suspended upside down in a tank of water. It’s unnerving and strikes at your animal instincts.
Yu Ho-Jin won the Magician of the Year award in 2014. Watching his illusions is like watching a well choreographed dance, each trick leads from one to another seamlessly. You’ve never seen a card trick like this before and likely never will again.
The seven stars, each a master in their own field, are:
The Grand Illusionist, Canada’s own Darcy Oake: Over 200 million viewers tuned in to see Darcy Oake’s electrifying performance on Britain’s Got Talent and America’s Got Talent. The newest member of The Illusionists has grabbed the world’s attention with death-defying escapades, nail-biting feats and classic sleight of hand techniques. The master magician transports crowds into another dimension with exhilarating visuals and logic-defying exploits.
The Deductionist, Colin Cloud: Colin Cloud is the best and maybe even the wisest man you’ve ever known. Cloud has performed for professional skeptics like Penn and Teller. He has wowed the hard-to-please Simon Cowell. He has certainly left people convinced that he does indeed have mystical skills of reading minds and influencing.
The Manipulator, Yu Ho-Jin: Considered a rising superstar in the world of magic; Yu Ho-Jin was recently named the 2014 “Magician of the Year,” by Academy of Magical Arts and was the first Asian to win the Grand Prix at the Fédération Internationale des Sociétés Magiques, also known as the “Olympics of Magic.”
The Escapologist, Andrew Basso: Italy’s star escape artist, Andrew considers Houdini his hero and is fast becoming one of the world’s most popular illusionists. He is the only person in the world to perform Houdini’s famous Water Torture Cell with absolutely no covers.
The Anti-Conjuror, Dan Sperry: Described as Marilyn Manson meets David Copperfield, Dan combines the art of magic with the macabre and is one of the top-10 most Googled people, thanks to a legendary “America’s Got Talent” appearance.
The Inventor, Kevin James: known for innovative illusions, is an inventor, comedian and collector of the strange and unusual. Kevin is one of the most prolific inventors of magic in the world and has created some of the most celebrated illusions of the last century.
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