d'ILLUSION: The Houdini Musical Releases Theater Audio Experience

d'ILLUSION: The Houdini Musical has officially launched a streaming Audio Theater Experience online at houdinionbroadway.com. The Audio Theater Experience, an entirely new media format, was recorded in its entirety remotely by the cast and creative team throughout the last three months.

The cast and creative team of d'Illusion began recording, editing and compiling dialogue, music and sounds with the intent of creating an audiobook at the start of the New York City shut-down due to COVID-19. The vision evolved once the pieces began to come together. The creative team decided that it was more than an audiobook, but rather a theatrical experience where one could put their headphones on, press play, close their eyes and envision a stage.

"It's like being in the theatre with your eyes closed. You get to decide what the set, costumes, actors look like. It is the magic of your imagination. This is your experience," said Patrick Kelly, the show's music director.

The recordings not only feature song, dialogue, orchestration and narration but crowds whispering, rainy nights, footsteps on the cobblestone, the light of a match, and more. The creative team made a conscious decision to add in elements to bring the experience to life. In addition to that, every sound has been placed into a stereo design, so we can feel exactly where people are in the room or where they are walking to and from.

d'Illusion was conceived by Bálint Varga. The book and music are by Varga, and lyrics by Lia Barcellona Tamborra. Early in the process, Mihály Kal Pintér participated in the creation of the show and Nicole Hughes served as a production consultant on the book. Patrick Kelly serves as the experience's music director.

The new musical tells the story of Erik Weis, a penniless Hungarian immigrant in America and the price he had to pay to become the legend we now know as Harry Houdini. The show is a story about determination, passion and a life-long commitment.

"I wanted to create something amidst this incredible time we're living in, to keep theater alive, keep actors creative and to keep our theater community together,' stated Varga. "Houdini was one of the most inspiring artists in history, an immigrant from Hungary (where I'm from), who built his legacy from nothing and strove for the top, against all odds."

For more information and to listen to the experience, please visit https://www.houdinionbroadway.com.