Award-winning illusionist to wow Troy next week
Published 6:36 pm Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Nearly a century ago, the great Houdini amazed and baffled Broadway audiences when he walked through a solid brick wall. Since then, no other “magician” has performed such a feat …until.
On Tuesday night, illusionist Kevin Spencer will amaze and baffled the audience at the Claudia Crosby Theater when he equals Houdini’s amazing feat by walking through a steel beam-enforced cinder block wall.
The Troy Arts Council will present The Spencers Theater of Illusion at 7 p.m. Tuesday and it will be a show of spellbiding illusions that will have the audience scratching its collective head and asking, “How’d he do that?”
When Spencer arrives in Troy next week, he said that his first stop will be to purchase the cinder blocks that he will use in his performance.
“The cinder blocks will be available for people to examine until we are ready to use them in the show,” Spencer said. “During the show, two of my guys will put up the steel bars to hold the wall and I will walk through it and out the other side.”
Spencer is joined on the stage by his wife, Cindy, and their “Theater of Illusion” is the combination of the couple’s love for theater and love of magic. “We want to present ‘magic’ in such a way that it is accepted as an art form – as an emotional and intellectual experience,” Spencer said. “Spencers Theater of Illusion is a family event. Families can come and enjoy it together and on a different level, as a creative artistic experience.”
Spencer laughingly said that he is allergic to rabbits and birds so he will not be pulling any rabbits out of the hat or birds from his sleeve.
“Every audience expects to see a magician cut a woman in half and we’ll do that but with a different twist,” he said. “I’ll bring people from the audience on stage and read a few minds but I will not do anything to embarrass anyone.”
Spencer said that a lot of people would like to volunteer to participate in a magic trick but hesitate to do so.
“So we have one illusion that the entire audience will participate in,” he said. “It’s a lot of fun and everyone will be a part of the show.”
Spencer said it is the goal of every show to give the audience something that they probably have never seen before.
The Spencers often close their show by recreating one of Houdini’s underwater escapes.
“And, I guarantee you’ll be amazed,” he said.
Tickets are $20 for adults and $5 for students. Tickets will be available at the door.