SMOKE AND MIRRORS Opens Next Month at The Odyssey

The magic continues when one of L.A.'s most beloved and longest running shows, Smoke and Mirrors moves to the Odyssey Theatre on Jan. 17 through March 15. Created by and starring noted actor and lifetime member of the Magic Castle, Albie Selznick and co-produced with Ron Sossi, artistic director of the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble, the L.A. Times Critic's Choice smash hit directed by David Schweizer makes its debut in West L.A.

A story told through mind-blowing illusions and mystifying slight-of-hand, Smoke and Mirrors is the semi-autobiographical, fantastical story of Albie Selznick and his journey to become a Master Magician. After suffering a formidable tragedy, Albie uses magic to misdirect his grief but discovers himself by facing his fears with the aid of a life-sized white rabbit, The Oracle, and Harry Houdini's wife, Bess. Through a myriad of adventures, magic takes on a variety of meanings both in spirit and spectacle. Dazzling as it is touching-the play incorporates visual effects, incredible feats and thrilling illusions with humor and heart.

"I've always loved the Odyssey," says Selznick. "I grew up watching shows there and later performed with The Mums in the early 80s. I feel like I'm already part of the Odyssey family. It's a really good fit for us. The Road let our show grow and nurtured it. We're so grateful to have had such a successful run (15 months) in North Hollywood. It's been a dream of mine to do Smoke and Mirrors at the Odyssey and it's exciting to see that turn into a reality."

One of L.A.'s longest running intimate theater shows, Smoke and Mirrors first appeared in the 2010 Hollywood Fringe to enthusiastic praise. Reworking the piece for a fully realized production, Selznick opened at the Santa Monica Promenade Playhouse in Sept. 2012 to rave reviews including a "Critic's Choice" in the Los Angeles Times and a Go! in the LA Weekly. A longtime member of the Road Theatre Company, Selznick and his producer Michelle Grant moved the show to the Road on Lankershim in North Hollywood where it would run for a year in 2013. After a brief hiatus, Smoke and Mirrors previewed at The Producer's Club in NYC this summer, catching the eye of acclaimed director David Schweizer. Returning to L.A., Selznick reopened the show at the Road where it continues to play through the end of 2014.

Selznick remarks on the changes along the way, "We were planning on taking Smoke and Mirrors on tour and are still considering an Off-Broadway run in NYC. That was the original plan. We were thrilled when Ron Sossi approached us to open at the start of 2015 at the Odyssey Theatre. It gives us another opportunity to perform for Westside audiences but also a chance to discover even more creatively. I'm never satisfied. I want audiences who've seen us before to come back and feel as though they're seeing it for the first time. It's rewarding to run so long but I want to keep it fresh too."

Critics have been unanimously supportive of Smoke and Mirrors from its original inception in Santa Monica with Philip Brandes of the L.A. Times hailing it a "superb theatrical magic show," to high praise by Lovell Estell III of the LA Weekly, "An enchanting reminder...a bewildering tour de force that has more "how did he do that" flashes than can be counted. Go!" Stage Scene LA dubbed Smoke and Mirrors "a uniquely entertaining show," while Broadway World called it "a magic show of the highest order." In its full 2013 run at the Road, rave reviews continued from ArtsInLA, KPFK's Arts in Review, EyeSpyLA, Creepy LA, StageHappenings and The Tolucan Times and more. Given the show's remarkable run, this year has seen critics return for an unprecedented re-review from Estell III at Stage Raw and CreepyLA.

Albie Selznick (Writer/Performer) is a lifetime member of the World Famous Magic Castle in Hollywood and is an award winning performer and accomplished actor. He began his career as a co-creator of The Mums, a popular boundary-breaking circus-theatre trio of the 80's/90's. The LA Times said, "The Mums do for the arts of Juggling and Magic what Elvis did for rock and roll." Andy Warhol gave them a two-page pictorial in Interview magazine, while the LA Weekly put them on their cover and called them "The Best Performance Troupe in LA." The phenomenon of The Mums went international when they opened for Duran Duran, Devo, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Berlin and Ry Cooder. Their fans included David Bowie and Sting.

Since then Selznick's work has ranged from world-class theatre to recurring roles on popular TV shows. On stage, he played the Fool in renowned director Robert Wilson's visionary production of King Lear, Mercutio in Deaf West's Romeo and Juliet and co-starred opposite Glenne Headly in Detachments. He starred in the west-coast première of The Water's Edge by Theresa Rebeck of TV's Smash, directed by Sam Anderson at The Road Theatre, where Selznick is a company member. On the small screen, Selznick is best known for playing Rabbi Ben for two seasons on Suddenly Susan and the evil D.A Owen Pomerantz on The Young and The Restless, he has guest starred on over sixty television shows including Castle, Dexter, Episodes, Grey's Anatomy, Southland, Desperate Housewives, NCIS, and all three CSIs.

David Schweizer (Director) emerged from Yale Drama School to make his New York debut at the age of twenty-four at Lincoln Center, opening the brand new Mitzi Newhouse Theater with his radical version of Shakespeare's Troilus and Cressida for producer, Joseph Papp. He returned to Lincoln Center with his acclaimed staging of Richard Rodney Bennett's opera The Mines of Sulphur for the New York City Opera. Early career highlights include world premiere productions by such playwrights as Sam Shepard, Michael Weller, Albert Innaurato, Maria Irene Fornes, Len Jenkin, Ronald Tavel, Austin Pendleton and many others. Recent work Off-Broadway includes Charles Mee's Wintertime at Second Stage, William Hamilton's White Chocolate at Century Playhouse, Mark Campbell's Song from an Unmade Bed at the New York Theater Workshop and his critically acclaimed collaborations with composer/performer Rinde Eckert, And God Created Great Whales (Obie Award) and Horizon (Lucille Lortel Award). He has directed at prominent regional and international theaters including Arena Stage, Trinity Rep, Yale Rep, The Mark Taper Forum, Geffen Playhouse, Children's Theater Company (Minneapolis), Magic Theater, and Center Stage (Baltimore). Currently the off-Broadway hit The Junket is running at the Lynn Redgrave Theater off-Broadway and he recently directed the world premiere of Beth Henley's Laugh and Frank Martin's rarely heard opera Le Vin Herbe.

Also in the cast are Michelle Cameron, Meagan Daine, Kyle Bryan Hall, Laurie Huff, Michael Heiman, Shar Mayer, Rob Martinez,

Lighting design is by Derrick McDaniels; video and projections designer is by Jon Bremner; costume design is by Julianne Dodds; sound design is by David B. Marling; technical director is Tim Miller; assistant director and technical director is Maurie Gonzalez; and stage manager is Owen Panno. Beth Hogan produces for Odyssey Theatre Ensemble, Ron Sossi, artistic director.

Performances of Smoke and Mirrors open on Saturday, Jan. 17 and runs through March 15 with performances Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. There will be two previews on Jan 15 and Jan. 16. Tickets to all performances are $34. The Odyssey Theatre is located at 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., West Los Angeles, 90025. For reservations, call (310) 477-2055 ext 2 or go to www.OdysseyTheatre.com. For more information please visit www.smokeandmirrorsmagic.com.

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