I had the pleasure of seeing a local magic and illusion show this past week and wanted to share my thoughts with the gregertainment.com blog readers. I know that I have not been using my blog for reviews of other shows etc. but rather for expressing my thoughts and ideas and to obtain other opinions, however, this has been mainly due to the lack of public shows in and around the Calgary area where I reside.
That said – let’s move on to the review.
It is true that I have known Trixtan and Chris Lovely as fellow entertainers for quite some time. The fact is that, entertainers rarely get the chance to watch each others shows as they are usually privately hired events and, let’s face it, if the entertainer is any good they are likely busy. 🙂 The “Night of Illusion” is a self run event by the entertainers involved and gives the general public a chance to experience the quality talent that exists in Calgary even if they cannot attend the private functions that so often have these performers as their main attractions. A great idea that I am sure many entertainers…. good entertainers…. will be mirroring in the future, thus beginning quite the trend in and around the Calgary area.
The “Night of Illusion” is held at Cardel Theatre in South East Calgary. The facilities are rented and the entertainers themselves bring their lights, sound, props and all the bells and whistles that make the event an experience for their audience. At the point of entering the theatre, the show attendees are greeted with lively music and introductions that are a nice taste of the night to come. Excitement builds as the time to show draws near. Then, the lights go down and the show is about to begin.
From this point on the audience bears witness to several carefully choreographed exhibits of masterful illusions carried out by each of the performers. Yes – these illusions are owned buy the performers themselves and not rented. The expense is something that the average person can likely not fathom. I say this so that you, as a reader of this review, can understand the passion and care that goes into such an event. Choreography is worked on day after day. Together, the magicians and their team, including their longtime assistant Carisa Hendrix, spend hours of time training and reworking their presentations. Rehearsals after rehearsals, expense for props, costuming, lighting, sound, the list goes on….. all this is put together to satisfy the entertainment hungry audience.
Without revealing illusions and routines (these can change from night to night) I will say that it is certainly a spectacle for the audience. Artfully presented illusions with new twists on classic routines make it a show worth watching.
One thing I will never say about other entertainers shows nor my own, is that they are perfect. But this is all part of why seeing such a show live is important. In a live show things can go wrong. There is always the possibility that a trick may fail or that the magician may make a mistake. The chances of these are more than reason enough to attend a live performance. Video is nice but LIVE is priceless.
All in all I was entertained. It was fun to watch the reactions of the audience at the end of each illusion and see the wonderment in their eyes. Watch for these entertainers as they increase in experience and grow their show to new heights and even better displays. My advice…. see them now and in the future you will be able to say “I saw them way back when they were starting out.”
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