Thursday, February 23, 2017

REVIEW: The Illusionists Shock and Awe This Week at Oriental Theatre

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:


THE ILLUSIONISTS – LIVE FROM BROADWAY

AT BROADWAY IN CHICAGO’S ORIENTAL THEATRE FOR ONE WEEK ONLY FEBRUARY 21- FEBRUARY 26


As you can tell from the photo, this motley crew tricksters are not your parents' magicians. They're not your typical tux wearing, top hat toting prestidigitators, working the kiddy party scene. These world class illusionists are edgy, astounding, and do magic on such a large scale they can fill a venue like The Oriental theatre with a seating capacity of 2,253. I took my husband and 15 year old son this year and we unanimously agreed that The Manipulator, An Ha Lim, was our favorite. His card act is as gorgeous as it is baffling. All 7 Illusionists have made skills, but we particularly enjoyed The Daredevil, Jonathan Goodwin's antics with a crossbow and metal blindfold and The Anti-Conjuror, Dan Sperry's avian artistry. 

Here at ChiIL Mama & ChiIL Live Shows, we caught The Illusionists on Wednesday and we were amazed and well entertained. The only minor let down is the show hasn't changed much since we saw them come through Chicago in 2015 with THE ILLUSIONISTS - WITNESS THE IMPOSSIBLE™. The acts in THE ILLUSIONISTS - LIVE FROM BROADWAY™ are almost identical. That said, the acts are cool enough it's well worth redux and we were more than happy to see the same material again. This is a great all ages show, and even mystifying and fun for the tough to please teen and tween demographic. Highly recommended! 

Don't miss this. The world’s best-selling touring magic show, THE ILLUSIONISTS - LIVE FROM BROADWAYwill disappear before you know it. On the heels of a highly successful multi-city tour and run on Broadway, THE ILLUSIONISTS will play Chicago’s Oriental Theatre (24 W. Randolph) from Feb. 21 to Feb. 26 for a limited one-week engagement.

THE ILLUSIONISTS - LIVE FROM BROADWAY is produced by Simon Painter, Tim Lawson and MagicSpace Entertainment. Conceived by Simon Painter, the show’s creative team also includes executive producer Tim Lawson, director Neil Dorward and creative director Jim Millan.

Full of hilarious magic tricks, death-defying stunts and acts of breathtaking wonder, THE ILLUSIONISTS has shattered box office records worldwide and thrilled audiences of all ages with a mind-blowing spectacular showcasing the jaw-dropping talents of seven of the most incredible illusionists on earth.

Creative Producer Simon Painter said, “We can’t wait to bring this electrifying show to Chicago for a truly entertaining experience for the whole family. THE ILLUSIONISTS is the most non-stop and powerful mix of outrageous and astonishing acts ever to be seen on the live stage.”





The seven stars, each a master in their own field, are:

·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 Trickster, Jeff Hobson is the epitome of glamour and showmanship. Don’t be fooled by his innocent appearance; Jeff has audiences laughing long after the curtain goes down.

· 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.

· 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 Deductionist, Colin Cloud, one of the greatest thought readers of all time is a psychic savant known as a real-life Sherlock Holmes. Don’t play against him in a game of poker – he’s never lost.


·The Manipulator, An Ha Lim, 2006 Korea Busan International Magic Competition 1st Prize. 2006 Italy Club Convention Manipulation 1st Prize. 2007 World Magic Seminar in Asia 1st Prize. 2008 World Magic Seminar in Las Vegas - Golden Lion Award. 2008 IBM/SAM Joint Convention Stage Grand Prix. 2009 FISM WCM Manipulation 3rd Prix. 2009 Monte Carlo Magic Stars Special Guest Award

·The Daredevil, Jonathan Goodwin is widely considered one of the most creative, skilled, and frankly crazy stunt performers in the world. He is an accomplished knife thrower, archer, escape artist, fakir, martial artist, free diver, and free climber. Unlike the other performers in the show, Jonathan is not a magician or illusionist but he will leave any audience breathless with his death-defying stunts.

Follow THE ILLUSIONISTS: TWITTER, FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
Tuesday at 7:30 PM
Wednesday at 7:30 PM
Thursday at 7:30 PM 
Friday at 7:30 PM
Saturday at 2 PM and 8 PM
Sunday at 2 PM and 7:30 PM

TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets for THE ILLUSIONSISTS at the Oriental Theatre range from $16-$80. A select number of premium tickets are available for many performances. Group tickets for 10 or more are available by calling Broadway In Chicago Group Sales at (312) 977-1710. Tickets are available at all Broadway In Chicago Box Offices (24 W. Randolph St., 151 W. Randolph St., 18 W. Monroe St. and 175 E. Chestnut), the Broadway In Chicago Ticket Line at (800) 775-2000, all Ticketmaster retail locations and online at www.BroadwayInChicago.com.

ABOUT BROADWAY IN CHICAGO
Broadway In Chicago was created in July 2000 and over the past 16 years has grown to be one of the largest commercial touring homes in the country.  A Nederlander Presentation, Broadway In Chicago lights up the Chicago Theater District entertaining well up to 1.7 million people annually in five theatres.  Broadway In Chicago presents a full range of entertainment, including musicals and plays, on the stages of five of the finest theatres in Chicago’s Loop including The PrivateBank Theatre, Oriental Theatre, Cadillac Palace Theatre, and just off the Magnificent Mile, the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place and presenting Broadway shows at The Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University.

For more information, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.
Facebook @BroadwayInChicago Twitter @broadwaychicago Instagram @broadwayinchicago #broadwayinchicago


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