CONNED Set for Detroit's City Theatre in January

CONNED, a new show featuring the world's most famous con artists, will perform for a two week engagement starting Thursday, January 17 through Sunday, January 27 on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights at Detroit's City Theatre; located inside Hockeytown Café at 2301 Woodward Avenue. CONNED is part of the Fifth Third Bank Fox Theatre Series.

Tickets ($32.50 and $37.50) go on sale Saturday, September 22 at 10 a.m. and can be purchased at OlympiaEntertainment.com, the Fox Theatre and Joe Louis Arena box offices, Hockeytown Authentics in Troy (without service charge) at all Ticketmaster locations and Ticketmaster.com. To charge tickets by phone, call (800) 745-3000. For additional information, call (313) 471-6611. Fifth Third Bank Fox Theatre Series season subscription packages and group sales are on sale now. Groups of 10+ receive up to a 10% discount. For more information, call (313) 471-3099.

CONNED, which is co-produced by Mills Entertainment and MagicSpace Entertainment, is the first show of its kind. The cast of con men, cheats and swindlers "expose the secrets of the streets in a hilarious evening of schemes and scams". Throughout the evening, volunteers from the audience will be invited on-stage to participate in the scams, and at times the entire audience will be conned.

The cast features four of the most renowned international con artists: Bob Arno, Banachek, Todd Robbins and Richard Turner. Bob Arno is the world's most famous pickpocket. Years of research and first-hand observation of real street crime have made him an authority frequently consulted by police, security experts and television producers. Bob artfully blends comedy and thievery in his outrageous performances. Bob has been featured on ABC's 20/20, CNN, the BBC, and National Public Radio, and he has been profiled in the New York Times and USA Today.

Banachek is a leading expert on psychological manipulation. At 18 he became a test subject at a university psychic research facility. For two years, scientists closely studied and tested his "psychic" abilities. Using only his skills of deception, Banachek astounded the researchers and made them believe he truly was psychic. His live performance features demonstrations of subliminal influence and "cold reading" that are at once hilarious, fascinating and, at times, disturbing.

A well-known authority on all things deceptive, Todd Robbins has been called the "king of New York con men" by the New York Times. He has used his expertise, gained by walking down the shady streets of fraud, on numerous TV programs and has consulted on various articles, documentaries and films. In April, Bloomsbury Books released his book The Modern Con Man: How to Get Something for Nothing.

Richard Turner is an expert on card cheating and sleight of hand. He is regarded within the international casino industry as one of the most skilled cheaters ever, and travels the world demonstrating his ability to cheat with cards undetectably. Endless practice and years of training result in card table mastership that is unsurpassed, and which can now be shared in CONNED through the use of live video projection.

The show is directed by Jim Millan. A veteran of many touring shows, including all of the cult comedy troupe Kids in the Hall productions, Millan has directed over 100 stage plays in his native Canada. In New York he has directed The Marijuannalogues off Broadway and had Scooby Doo Live in Stagefright at Radio City Music Hall which has since toured the world and been seen by 3.5 million people. He is the new Creative Director of AEG Themestar, a division of AEG and has new openings in 2009 in Asia, UK, Australia and the US. He also directed the new wildly successful stage show, Mythbusters – Behind the Myths Tour.

CONNED was created by Michael Mills of Mills Entertainment and developed in partnership with MagicSpace Entertainment. According to Mills the show offers "a rare glimpse into the shadowy world of cons and deception". Mills Entertainment's current projects include producing and managing several touring properties including Colin Mochrie & Brad Sherwood, Tony n' Tina's Wedding, Jungle Jack Hanna, Comedy Central on Campus, and NBC's Last Comic Standing Live Tour.

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