Pure Imagination Projects will Present Workshop Production of World Premiere Play MARVELS OF MAGIC

Pure Imagination Projects will present a workshop production of a world premiere play, MARVELS OF MAGIC, written by Andrew Simmons and directed by Enrico De La Vega. MARVELS OF MAGIC will perform on Friday, December 13 & Saturday, December 14 at 8pm and Sunday, December 15 at 3pm at the Hudson Mainstage Theatre, 6539 Santa Monica Blvd. in Hollywood.

MARVELS OF MAGIC is a new play set in the world of young magicians. Wannabe illusionist Gus is compelled to enter the "Marvels of Magic" competition - a gathering of all the top young magicians on the planet, with the once in a lifetime prize of a Las Vegas show! As they gather to compete, these young magicians all grow close, becoming fast friends. But will they let their competitive natures, and their desires for fame and success get in the way of what is really important? MARVELS OF MAGIC explores what is trick and what is truth in this compelling, magical, coming of age story.

ENRICO DE LA VEGA (Director) has always been searching for groundbreaking ways to present magic. An acclaimed illusionist, de la Vega co-founded the Magic X movement in 1996, a pioneering group of the world's top young illusionists and sleight-of-hand artists performing the most innovative and mind-boggling magical effects. Magic X is genuinely reshaping the way that magic is seen today. Shortly thereafter, Magic X Live was born: a bold and stunning stage event (co- created by and co-starring de la Vega) blending the best of music, illusion, and performance art. This show has played to sold out, standing-room only clubs throughout California, and was invited to perform at Coachella, the annual three-day music and arts festival held at the Empire Polo Fields in Indio, CA. This ultimately led to the conception of "T.H.E.M. - Totally Hidden Extreme Magic," a hidden-camera reality show where Enrico was not only one of the stars and inventors of the effects seen on the show, but co-creator and producer as well. "T.H.E.M." was pitched and sold to NBC, and aired on NBC and SyFy as two prime-time specials in June, 2004. With "T.H.E.M." under his belt, Enrico teamed up with Ashton Kutcher and his production company, Katalyst Films, to sell de la Vega's latest brainchild "Room 401" to MTV. Yet another hidden-camera reality show which utilizes principles of magic, illusion, and live special effects to sweep unsuspecting onlookers into a supernatural situation. Enrico was a series regular as well as one of the creators and co-executive producers of "Room 401." He currently consults, creates, directs, and designs illusions for other internationally renowned illusionists; most notably Cyril Takayama, "magic's first cyber celebrity" and recipient of the Academy of Magical Arts 2007 Magician of the Year Award. Enrico was the executive magic consultant on the majority of Cyril's twenty-two 2-hour Japanese TV magic specials, as well as his consultant and co-creator of the magical effects, which Cyril performed in David Mamet's feature film, "Redbelt." Other magicians for whom Enrico has created and directed include Virtual Magician and Techno-illusionist Marco Tempest, the UK's magic phenom Dynamo, and David Blaine. Traveling literally all over the globe amazing audiences with his own unique style of illusion and manipulation, Enrico is constantly seeking to transform tradition and elevate perceptions of his and other designs of performance art.

Andrew Simmons (Playwright) has had a myriad of jobs in and around the entertainment industry, working as a writer's assistant, casting director, and producer on several varieties of film and television endeavors, including having written several feature films scripts, and producing other varieties of short films. Recently Andrew honed his craft for writing as a screenwriting major at Loyola Marymount University, where he is a recent graduate. While there he spent countless hours writing scripts and working on his writing and has written several feature films and plays. Andrew is extremely passionate about this play, as it has allowed him to peep behind the curtain and dive into the world of magic, an arena that he has long been fascinated and intrigued by.

The Cast of MARVELS OF MAGIC will feature: DEREK MCKEE, RYAN JACKSON, JESSICA CARLSON and ZAC YOUNG

JESSICA CARLSON is thrilled to be in The Marvels of Magic! Most recently, she starred in "The Man in the Woods" with Marin Ireland, Sam Waterston. Jessica received the Young Artist Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Feature Film for her performance in Universal’s "Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant." Favorite theater credits include: "How I Became a Superhero" at the Hollywood Fringe Festival, Angry Vagina in Wesleyan University’s The Vagina Monologues, Laurie Morton in “Brighton Beach Memoirs” at The Emelin Theatre, and Cass Harris in David Lindsay-Abaire’s “Wonder of the World” at Milton Academy. Dividing her time between NY & LA, Jessica is also a freelance tv and film producer.

RYAN JACKSON is a UCLA theatre graduate who loves the stage as much as he loves the camera. He has been in Angels in America, Sweet Charity, Much Ado About Nothing, and performed in his first Fringe Festival immersive  show this year called Boxing Your Demons to name a few. He has also starred in short films, sketches, music videos, and a Dairy Queen commercial that aired for shark week. He co-created a theatre company called Blue Flamingo that produces devised work in both LA and NYC. 

ZAC YOUNG is a founding member of https://www.foursuitsmagic.com, a creative studio focused on magic as a tool in theater, security, and design. Zac has worked on and appeared in productions everywhere from the Magic Castle and Black Rabbit Rose in Hollywood, CA to the Terry Fator Theater at the Mirage and the DEFCON security conference in Las Vegas, Nevada.

MARVELS OF MAGIC design team features; Set Design by John Iacovelli; Lighting Design by Juan Bernal; Sound Design is by Tomas Pascali. The Production Stage Manager will be Shannon Moran.

MARVELS OF MAGIC will perform on Friday, December 13 & Saturday, December 14 at 8pm and Sunday, December 15 at 3pm at the Hudson Mainstage Theatre, 6539 Santa Monica Blvd. in Hollywood.

Ticket prices are $35.00 for all performances.

VIP Seating with special pre-show magic experience - $50.00

Tickets and more information are available at www.marvelsofmagicshow.com.

To post a comment, you must register and login.