In less then a week there will be magic in the air when the world’s best-selling touring magic show “The Illusionists” invite audiences to “Witness the Impossible” as part of a limited engagement at Capitol Theatre from June 23 -28 for 9 performances only as part of a 20 city U.S. tour.
“The Illusionists” have smashed box office records around the globe with a compelling blend of mind bending magic that incorporates comedy, death defying stunts and acts that have dazzled audiences of all ages all over the world. The show is the world’s largest running magic show and the best selling magic act in the history of Broadway with enough lasting appeal that the show will be heading back to Broadway in November after completing its current tour. What make “The Illusionists” unique is that they are composed of the seven best magicians in the world that were handpicked by the producers of the show based on their specific individual talents to create a dream team of magicians all on one stage.
“There are few things we do together but for the most part its separate acts which is better since most of us have spent years perfecting these acts on our own,” says Adam Trent who is part of the talented cast and known as “The Futurist.”
Trent brings his own blend of carefully crafted magic to the stage by redefining stereotypes in how he skillfully fuses technology illusions, dancing and comedy with classic techniques.
“For me it’s a great honor because a lot of the guys in the show are world famous magicians and they are guys I have looked up to my entire life,” continues Trent. “It’s the best of the best.”
There are a handful of magicians out there with smaller acts and while talented don’t quite have the grand scale production value that “The Illusionists” bring to the big stage much less the abundance of talent that the show offers all in one venue.
“There are not a lot of large touring magic shows out there. Most magicians try to keep it small and simple which makes it easier to travel. Whereas we have a large Broadway production like this means the caliber of tricks are going to have a lot more production to it,” says Trent. “We have giant LED screen and projection feeds that we incorporate into the show that is some of the most cutting edge technology in the world.”
Being part of a production as high tech and magical as this one is a dream come true for Trent who has been working nearly his whole life to be able to entertain audiences on a platform as grand and spectacular as Broadway. Trent has always felt that magic should be entertaining and memorable enough that it stays with the audience long after the show ends.
“When magic is done properly you don’t need to know how it works because you’re just entertained and that’s what matters,” relates Trent.
It’s important to Trent that the audience feels like they are part of the show which is why one of his centerpiece acts includes not only teleporting himself across the stage but incorporating a Go Pro camera on his head to allow the audience to see the opposite view of magic.
“A lot of times in magic the audience only get to see things in the front and using a camera allows the audience to see behind the scenes,” says Trent. “It’s a new act I’ve been working on that I’m excited for the audience to see.”
Trent is talented enough that it would nearly be worth the cost of admission to see just him preform but there are six other incredibly skilled magicians who preform near miracles on stage. Audience’s will also be enthralled with the talents of Yu Ho-Jin who is considered a rising superstar, Dan Sperry who is described as Marilyn Manson meets David Copperfield, Jeff Hobson who is the epitome of glamour and showmanship, Andrew Basso who is the master of escape, Aaron Crow who specializes in weapon magic, and finally the celebrated Kevin James who is considered by many as the most prolific inventor of magic in the last century.
“There is no other magic tour like this one. You could fly to Las Vegas and see David Copperfield but we are bringing Vegas to Utah,” says Trent. “It’s an opportunity to see a big production magic staged properly and its not little knick knack card tricks, its grand magic.” Tickets for “The Illusionists” are on sale now and are available online at ArtTix.org or by phone at 801-355-ARTS (2787). For more information on the magical talents of Trent go to www.adamtrent.com