Prepare to be amazed. Ok, that might sound like a hokey start to any magic show, but The Illusionists isn’t your regular, run-of-the-mill magic show. You’ll be amazed, along with several other adjectives like blown-away, shocked and awed. The show is on now, and runs throughout the holiday season until January 7th at the Princess of Wales theatre in Toronto, and really you couldn’t get a better gift for your loved ones. If you haven’t heard of The Illusionists before, read on.
The Illusionists is a touring group of magicians who have performed for audiences all around the world. There is Jeff Hobson, a veteran Las Vegas magician who is known as The Trickster. He’ll keep you laughing with his card tricks, and slight of hand gags. He’s more or less the host of evening. Kevin James is known as The Inventor, and he performs new versions of old tricks, such as cutting a person in half. He also helps bring the child out of you with by making paper move with a flick of his finger or making it snow from his hands. Colin Cloud, The Deductionist will read your mind and leave you wondering how private your thoughts are. Yu Ho-Jin, The Manipulator, was the Magician of the Year in 2014, and when you see his card tricks you won’t be surprised as to why. Dan Sperry, The Anti-Conjuror, is a goth looking magician who can seemingly push a coin through his eye and have it come out his arm, and have doves appear from nowhere. His shock illusions will make you want to turn away at times, and yet you can’t get enough of him. Andrew Basso, the Escapologist, will hold his breath and escape from handcuffs while being hung upside down, trapped inside a box of water. And then there’s Canada’s own Darcy Oake, The Grand Illusionist, who can make himself disappear and reappear seemingly at will, and perform slight of hands tricks that will make you wonder how he does it.
For a show that runs over two hours, The Illusionists doesn’t feel like it’s too long. If anything you find yourself surprised when it’s over. The tricks are fun to watch, and your mouth will hang open as you wonder how they do the things they do. In some cases you might figure it out, but even then the trick doesn’t lose any of its flair. Watching magicians perform in person is always a fun way to spend an evening, but the Illusionists take it up a notch and do things you probably have never seen before. The show is fast paced, and made better than your typical one performer magic show. It has to be said though, that with seven performers you may feel that each of the acts don’t get enough time on the stage to shine. Each performer could easily put on their own solo show, and there are some of them you wish were on stage just a little longer. Still though, having all 7 of them gives variety to the show which you won’t get anywhere else.
If you are looking for a great last minute gift to grab a loved one, you might want to take a look at getting them tickets to The Illusionists in Toronto. Everyone will enjoy it, from the young to the old, men and women alike will want to see it again and again.
