Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/976488
WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM MAY 2-8, 2018 UCW 13 Whether it is fictional charac- ters like Harry Potter or real-life figures such as Harry Houdini or the unknown magician who came to your elementary school doing parlor tricks, we all need a little magic in our lives. It was Roald Dahl who once said, "Above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hid- den in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it." Well, you can find it May 10 at the Crown Theatre. "The Illusion- ists – Live from Broadway" will perform for one night in Fayetteville as part of the Community Concerts season. The production features five renowned perform- ers doing the variety of magic they each know best. Jonathan Goodwin is "The Daredevil." Think Evel Knievel for the modern era. He performs death-defying acts such as being hanged, buried alive, attacked by sharks and even burned at the stake. The claim is that, unlike the other perform- ers, Goodwin's acts are not illusions but real stunts. Colin Cloud is "The Deductionist." He is the Sherlock Holmes of entertainment, if Holmes had a f lair for comedy. He will know what any given audi- ence member had for breakfast that day, what kind of car they drive or even their pin code. An Ha Lim and Jeff Hob- son have been part of The Illusionists in the past and are back again this year as "The Manipulator" and "The Trickster," respectively. The last of the five mem- bers is Kevin James. No, not the "Mall Cop" actor, but "The Inventor" who does specialty magic. "I invent all of my magic," said James. "I try very hard to find some kind of emotional hook to take the spectators on a journey with me. Sometimes it will be sweet and innocent; other times you can feel nostalgic and other times shocking." According to The Illusionists tour webpage, James is one of the most-viewed magicians on YouTube. He's traveled to over 80 countries and headlined countless prominent venues. Even more impressive is the fact that he's done royal performances like in the days of old magicians – for the likes of the Prince of Monaco and the Sultan of Dubai and at the White House for former President Barack Obama. "This process from taking a scribble on a napkin to finally getting applause from an audience is very soul-fulfilling," said James. "I plan to do this the rest of my days." James, of relation to the legendary showman P.T. Barnum, has had his tricks in the acts of other prominent magicians like Doug Henning and David Copperfield. One of the most famous is the "Floating Rose" trick, where a piece of paper transforms into a paper rose before, finally, into a real rose. "Scientists are the easiest people to fool and kids are the hardest," revealed James. "The scien- tists are ver y convinced that they know how the world works, so you can play upon their assump- tions. The kids don't have hardcore assumptions yet. Their minds are more open. So they can find the method faster. The best-kept secret is that there are no real secrets. Magicians are guarding an empt y safe. "My favorite bits for me are when I am interact- ing with the audience one-on-one. You never know what they will say or do. There is nothing like see- ing magic live and in-person. You cannot shrug it off as a camera trick when it is happening right in front of your eyes, inches away." "The Illusionist – Live from Broadway" perfor- mance will be at 7:30 p.m., Friday, May 10. For tick- ets or to learn more about Community Concerts, go to w w w.community-concerts.com. Abracadabra! Community Concerts brings Illusionists to town by LAUREN VANDERVEEN EVENTS LAUREN VANDERVEEN, contributing writer. COMMENTS? Editor@upandcom- ingweekly.com. 910-484-6200. Distribution Driver Needed For Wednesday distribution route Must have vehicle, valid driver's license and insurance knowledge of Ft. Bragg a PLUS! Email a brief work history & contact information to: laurel@upandcomingweekly.com CONTACT: Laurel Handforth Distribution Manager 910.484.6200