Interviews: Brian Scott Lipton
Broadway may already have some “magic to do,” but the Great White Way has never seen anything quite like “The Illusionists-Witness the Impossible,” which is currently playing a limited holiday engagement at the Marriott Marquis Theatre through January 4.
The brainchild of creative producer Simon Painter, “The Illusionists” brings together seven of the world’s greatest magicians Yu Ho-Jin (The Manipulator), Dan Sperry (The Anti-Conjuror), Jeff Hobson (The Trickster), Andrew Basso (The Escapologist), Kevin James (The Inventor), Aaron Crow (The Warrior), and Adam Trent (The Futurist).
At a recent sneak peek on December 2, Theater Pizzazz witnessed sections of the two-act show performed by Ho-Jin, James, Trent, and Basso (including the latter’s death-defying “water torture cell”) and spoke to members of the cast about performing in the U.S. for the first time, their childhood memories of learning magic, their unique costumes, and spending the holidays in New York City.
Marriott Marquis Theatre, 1535 Broadway, previews Nov. 26, opens Dec. 4th and runs thru Jan. 4, 2015 as part of a 30-city US tour.
Video/Photos: Sandi Durell