Review: THE ILLUSIONISTS Astound at Saenger

Death-defying feats, astonishing sleight of hand and a heaping serving of Vegas pizzazz is currently playing on stage at the Saenger Theatre with "THE ILLUSIONISTS: LIVE FROM BROADWAY."

This Vegas-style touring revue features an assemblage of seven magicians, each with their specialties ranging from weapons mastery to anti-conjuring. In the days of old, one could expect to see a magician pull a rabbit out a hat, or do a few card tricks. While you will several amazing card tricks (and also a rabbit trick to meet "magic show requirements"), this show expands on the idea of what is magical and turns it into pure magic.

Hosting the show is Jeff Hobson, an old school Vegas showman who is overall delightful with his witty banter. With his brand of razzamatazz, it is easy to see how he can pull off his sleight of hand as you'll be far more attentive to his campy humor than his real trick. A great misdirection to be sure, which pulls off each trick wonderfully in the end. After all, beyond performing the trick, a successful magician must be a showman. Otherwise, it's a snooze fest. Rounding out the rest of The Illusionists are Dan Sperry (the Anti-Conjuror), Andrew Basso (the Escapologist), Ben Blaque (the Weapon Master), Colin Cloud (the Deductionist), Yu Ho-Jin (the Manipulator), and Kevin James (the Inventor).

Sperry, nicknamed the Anti-Conjuror (a play on Anti-Christ I assume?), works the Criss Angel/punk-rock angle with a heaping helping of devil-may-care attitude. With makeup reminiscent of Marilyn Manson and multiple piercings, Sperry performs tricks using his body that will outright disgust, ranging from dental floss embedded in the flesh of his neck to putting a quarter in his eye and cutting it out of his arm. I find this trick rather hard to believe though as he would have naturally bled a lot more had he actually cut himself. But it's not all body modifications with Sperry; he also performs a variation on classic tricks such as pulling a rabbit out of a hat, as well as manipulating live birds by turning them into cards or changing their colors. However, his best trick is his cynical rapport with the audience, turning him into the most likable of the group.

Also impressive are the elaborate feats of James a burly and genial-seeming fellow with the looks of a mad scientist. His act includes classic tricks such as cutting people in half, but how the bottom torso was able to run away will forever remain a mystery to me. He also appears to turn a doll into a real person, but his most simple trick, involving making bits of paper flutter and fly, is just as entertaining.

Cloud, a Scotsman who describes himself as "the evil twin of Neil Patrick Harris" and trained as a forensics investigator, could give Sherlock Holmes a run for his money with his keen talent for observation. With keen insight, he can bring guests onstage, guess where they're from, their professions and the names of their first pets. Outstanding to be sure, but his biggest trick of the night is also the one that is obviously set up from the get-go.

Ho-Jin, hailing from South Korea, is introduced to us as the Magician of the Year. With a mask of cool confidence and mystery, Ho-Jin turns his white scarf into a deck of cards and proceeds to manipulate them with elegance and ethereal dexterity. Like watching a dance, it is a beautiful and mesmerizing scene to be sure. With a simple caress of his hand, the cards change color, become blank, and somehow float in the air.

Blaque, who resembles the handsome lovechild of Fabio and Legolas, does not perform mind reading or sleight of hand. With his crossbow, he demonstrates his mastery over precision by turning himself into William Tell. By arranging six of his weapons on tripods, he dons a blindfold with an apple on top of his head. Then, very carefully, he listens for a ringing bell, which he aims for with his crossbow, setting off a chain reaction that causes each crossbow to fire in split-second fashion, ending with an arrow shot through the apple. One wrong move and his head would have been that apple.

The highlight of the night, however, is a throwback to the greatest magician to have ever lived. However, like with Blaque's arrows, this is no mere trick as Basso recreates Harry Houdini's greatest stunt ever. With handcuffed hands and shackled his feet, Basso is hung upside down in a tank of water.

What Basso performs here - picking the handcuffs and locks while submerged upside down in water for over three minutes with his feet shackled - is no illusion or trick. What is especially effective about the stunt is the intro of the showstopper when Hobson reveals that Basso nearly died performing it at the Sydney Opera House in front of a sold-out audience. It will make you hold your breath along with him that's for sure.

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