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Wave of illusionists on TV

Wave of illusionists on TV

It’s no illusion that magic is making its presence felt on TV.

The Illusionists, a band of magic experts from a hit Broadway show, comes to NBC Wednesday (10 p.m. ET/PT) for a one-hour special featuring everything from a futurist toying with technology to an “escapologist” holding his breath for several minutes while trying to break out of an underwater cell.

Viewers of America’s Got Talent may be familiar with some of The Illusionists, who have appeared on the NBC talent competition, and magician Mat Franco won Talentin 2014 and had an NBC special in September.

In other TV legerdemain, aspiring magicians try to dupe Penn & Teller on CW’s Penn & Teller: Fool Us, which has been renewed for a third season, and Syfy has an upcoming  drama series, The Magicians (Jan. 25, 9 p.m. ET/PT). The drama, based on Lev Grossman’s best-selling trilogy, stars Jason Ralph (Aquarius) and Stella Maeve (Chicago PD) as young adults who attend a secret magic university.

Futurist Adam Trent of The Illusionists, who sees people of all ages attending the stage shows, senses a resurgence of magic.

“I think there absolutely is a growing interest in it,” he says. “There’s a lot of good magic out there lately and a lot of amazing magicians performing now, across YouTube, touring live, in comedy clubs, on Broadway.” Read more..

http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/2015/12/05/wave-illusionists-tv/76472070/

It’s no trick: These 7 things are killing magic.

It’s no trick: These 7 things are killing magic.

Famous magicians draw large crowds but the art of illusion is withering at a grass-roots level. Here’s why.

(editor’s note.. we can’t post the positive without respecting the negative )

In the last 15 years or so, magic has nearly pulled off the one trick it would rather avoid: vanishing from public view.

At the turn of the 19th century, magicians were among the world’s most popular performers, drawing thousands as they traveled across country.

Despite the efforts of David Blaine, Penn & Teller, Criss Angel and other famous magicians that few people can name off hand, the art has suffered greatly, according Emory Williams Jr., a member of the Society of American Magicians and the International Magicians Society. Read more….

http://www.azcentral.com/story/travel/2015/11/19/killing-magic-illusions/75936232/

Penn & Teller named grand marshals for Hollywood Christmas Parade..

Penn & Teller named grand marshals for Hollywood Christmas Parade..

The grand marshals of the 84th annual Hollywood Christmas Parade have been named: comedy magic duo Penn & Teller.

The pair, known for their Las Vegas act and CW Network show “Penn & Teller: Fool Us,” will ride down the Hollywood Boulevard parade route on Nov. 29, starting at 5 p.m.

Co-hosting duties for the parade will be shared by actors and television personalities Erik Estrada, Laura McKenzie, Dean Cain and Montel Williams.

The annual Christmas event also will be nationally televised on CW Network channels as a two-hour special airing on Dec. 11 at 8 p.m. Pacific and Eastern times. Subsequent airings will begin Dec. 19 on the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries channel.

“We are thrilled to once again be a part of The Hollywood Christmas Parade, one of the greatest holiday traditions of all time, which is enjoyed by millions of families each year,” said Jim Romanovich, president of Associated Television International, which organizes the parade.

http://westsidetoday.com/2015/10/16/penn-teller-named-grand-marshals-for-hollywood-christmas-parade/