Kevin James: The Inventor (Courtesy photo from The Illusionists.
In the how'd they do that department, "The Illusionists" through this weekend at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts has "Live From Broadway" in its title, but it's more of the "Right From Vegas" in its aesthetic. But that doesn't make it bad. In fact, that's what part of its transformative charm is all about.
Four magicians and one daredevil performer have names that add to the intrigue: Jeff Hobson is the emcee and The Trickster. He's the roving comedian of the bunch, the self-designated "Queen" of the party. Kevin James is The Inventor, and An Ha Lim The Manipulator. Colin Cloud is The Deductionist and Jonathan Goodwin is the Daredevil.
There's something for everyone in the audience, and that's not just a cliche. It is true. Director Neil Dorward and producers Simon Painter and Tim Lawson have created a show that appeals to every age, and that's exactly who was there to be entertained Tuesday night. From 8 year olds to 80 year olds, and many getting the chance to interact with the performers on stage.
Jeff Hobson: The Trickster. (Courtesy photo: The Illusionists.)
Sitting in the front row, I kept my head down so as not to be the one to get picked to lay on a bed of nails or have a mind reader guess my first pet's name.
The Daredevil, Jonathan Goodwin, was the one everyone was trying to avoid. He did manage to coax a woman up to the stage to lay on the bed of sharp daggers. She was unwilling of course, who wouldn't be? But she was good sport and did it.
The Daredevil's tricks are death defying, but for the skeptic in me, I questioned why, when he immersed himself in a tank of water, locked up with chains and padlocks, a la Houdini, that his lovely assistant (Sabine Van Diemen) covered the tank with a pink shroud. All you could see was Goodwin's hands peeking out, trying frantically to unpick the locks as a timer counted down. I've seen this trick done before and was able to watch the person holding their breath without a cover.
Colin Cloud: The Deductionist (Courtesy photo: The Illusionists)
Kevin James as The Inventor is reminiscent of one of those old timey suitcase magicians. He makes snow and live roses appear out of thin tissue paper, and saws a guy in half. He's the mad scientist in the bunch.
An Ha Lim, introduced as the winner of one of the most prestigious magic competitions, the World Magic Seminar, was elegantly entertaining, as he made colorful playing cards appear, what seemed, out of nowhere. 1,000 colorful cards, blue, pink, and he did it with such beautiful, finesse.
Ah Ha Lim: The Manipulator (Photo by Claudia James).
Part of the illusion is, no doubt, to make you a skeptic. I was one of the people called on by mind reader Cloud. He had three of us flip through a fairly thick Sherlock Holmes book. "Pick any word from the top of any page." I went through the book, and, in my head, stopped at maybe five words before settling on "Screamed." He guessed my word and the two other people selected. How'd he do it? Beats me.
He also was able to guess a kid's name, age, and pet's name, from a youngster sitting way up in the nose bleed seats.
And another woman, who he called up on stage, was thinking of her mother's maiden name. He wrote it on a large tablet and, shocked, she said, "You are right." While I'd like to think these folks were planted pre-show, I ended up doubting it. Here's why: At intermission, a woman in the ladies room was talking about Cloud's mind game after he selected her at the beginning of the show, had her multiply a number someone else had picked, and then guessed the number. The end result? The exact time we were sitting in the audience, and the day, date and year.
There's plenty of these unscripted moments that give the show a spontaneity about it. One of the most delightful of these was when Hobson spotted actress and Becon TV's' "Spotlight On the Arts" host Iris Acker. She willingly accompanied him on stage to perform a disappearing, then reappearing egg trick. The hilarious chemistry that she and Hobson had created priceless, comical moments, and proved why "The Illusionists" is so unique. Hobson should consider taking Iris on the road with him.
"The Illusionists" is an escape from the every day, and, whether these guys have tricks up their sleeve, who cares? It's just so delightful.
"The Illusionist: Live From Broadway" at the Broward Center For The Performing Arts, 201 SW 5th Ave., Fort Lauderdale. Performances are Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. Saturday at 2 p.m. Running time about 2 hours 30 minutes including one intermission. Tickets are $$30-$100. Call (954) 462-0222 for tickets, at www.browardcenter.org or #Ticketmaster.com; in person at Ticketmaster outlets or the Broward Center’s Auto Nation Box Office.
