The Illusionists – Page 2

Jeff McBride: The art of magic is exploding in Las Vegas..

July 14, 2015 Rick Carruth

By Jeff McBride – Thursday, July 9, 2015 | 7:01 p.m.

Editor’s Note: As Robin Leach arrives in Rome en route to his traditional summer vacation under the Tuscan sun in Italy — plus, Costa Esmeralda on Sardinia this year — many of our Strip personalities have stepped forward in his absence to pen their words of wisdom. We continue today with Studio at the Palms exec Zoe Thrall and masked magician Jeff McBride, who travels the world from his Las Vegas Magic School amazing fans with his incredible illusions. Here’s Jeff:

Magic is an international language that transcends cultural, political and language barriers. Not since the magic boom of the mid-1990s has there been such a demand for magic in Las Vegas. The Magic Capital of the World now hosts more than a dozen magic shows on and off Strip, and more are starting soon. Read Jeff’s article at: http://lasvegassun.com/vegasdeluxe/2015/jul/09/jeff-mcbride-art-magic-exploding-las-vegas/

Also.. check out Las Vegas Magic Shows: http://lasvegasmagicshows.info

Former Schaumburg resident pushes magic’s boundaries with ‘Illusionists’

March 9, 2015 Rick Carruth

By Scott C. Morgan for the Daily Herald..

llusionist Dan Sperry didn’t always look like shock rocker Marilyn Manson’s scary sibling.

Before Sperry amazed audiences with his creepy illusions like swallowing razor blades or tugging a strand of dental floss through his neck – a trick that notoriously freaked out judge Howie Mandel during Sperry’s run on the 2010 season of NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” – the Minnesota native and former Schaumburg resident dressed as an old-school magician for numerous Chicago-area performances at elementary schools and kid’s birthday parties.

“When I was younger, I kind of went with the classic magician look with tails and playing cards, but offstage I’d be into punk music, Alfred Hitchcock and horror films like the old-school Universal Studios monster movies or those by director John Carpenter,” Sperry said. “Mid-to-late teens, I let some more of who I was offstage in real life trickle into my onstage performances.” Read more.. http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20150308/entlife/150309342/

The Illusionists: Jeff Hobson, aka “The Trickster”, Brings the Magic

December 4, 2014 Rick Carruth

By Danny Groner for Huff Post

Broadway audiences members will experience both magic and entertainment starting this Thursday, with the opening of The Illusionists. I caught the show at a preview performance last week, and one of the cast members agreed to respond to some of my questions via email. Here’s what Jeff Hobson, “The Trickster,” one of the show’s seven performers, had to say:

Q: Seven magicians is a lot to fill and take command of the stage. Why is it important to have so many so-called leads inside this show?

Hobson: While it’s not necessary, it is a landmark. It’s never been done before. We’ve set a new bar for magic excellence.

Q: In the show, it’s revealed that all seven of you hail from different parts of the world. Do you each approach magic, and entertainment more generally, differently? It’s a global discipline, but all of it showcased on one stage.

Hobson: As we’ve traveled around the world with this show, I can attest that having diverse magicians certainly has intrigue. Even though we are diverse, magic is a very small society of shared secrets. We have all learned the basics of magic the same way however, the difference comes with our own unique presentations each rooted in our culture. We are truly a global team!

July 11, 2014 Rick Carruth

Broadway In Chicago has announced that THE ILLUSIONISTS – WITNESS THE IMPOSSIBLE, the world’s best-selling touring magic show, will play Chicago’s Cadillac Palace Theatre (151 W Randolph) for a two-week engagement March 10 through March 22, 2015. The show opens on Broadway December 4, 2014 for a limited six-week run.

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