Review: THE ILLUSIONISTS Amazes with Diverse Magic

When is the last time you've been awestruck? THE ILLUSIONISTS - LIVE FROM BROADWAY, presented by Mirvish, puts you face-to-face with seven of the world's greatest illusionists, as they deliver an extraordinary, hypnotizing stage show, exploring magic and trickery through the ages.

Bright, dynamic projections and epic, thrusting music introduces the seven magicians, each one a master of their own unique craft, and each one offering a performance of incredible stage wizardry.

Colin Cloud, The Deductionist plays with minds. Asking audience members to think of specific dreams and memories, he wows the crowd with his "telekinetic" magic. Thursday night's opening featured an amusing moment with a nervous woman, unable to figure out how to unlock her iPhone, causing the trick to hilariously flop. That's show-business.

Jeff Hobson, The Trickster, is the evening's emcee - and what a perfect host. Hobson delivers an exquisitely polished performance, carrying the audience in a tight, proudly flamboyant grip that had the audience in stitches laughing. Hobson also does tricks, so keep an eye on your personal belongings.

Elegance and speed are the main traits of The Manipulator, An Ha Lim, who generates an endless stream of cards out of nothing at all, in a gorgeous, focused routine.

At the opposite spectrum is The Daredevil, Jonathan Goodwin. Muscular and assertive, Goodwin impresses with pain-based illusions and flaunts his archery skills with a crossbow. Goodwin causes the most anxiety during the evening with his death-defying stunts.

Taking us back to the days of Vaudeville magic, The Eccentric, Charlie Frye displays feats of mystifying balance in a silent Charlie Chaplin-esque juggling act that is wonderfully well-rehearsed.

The Unusualist, Raymond Crowe pushes the boundaries of what you thought possible for shadow puppets, in an emotional performance accompanied by Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World".

Finally, The Grand Illusionist, Darcy Oake, shows us how far magic has advanced into the modern world. Oake's tricks are grand spectacles - with tumbling dancers, disappearances, live doves, and a motorcycle that appears out of thin air.

Although each of the seven performers offer something completely different, they are all outstanding showmen. If you're in the mood for a show, a sensational night of jaw-dropping magic awaits at Mirvish's THE ILLUSIONISTS - LIVE FROM BROADWAY.

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THE ILLUSIONISTS - LIVE FROM BROADWAY, presented by Mirvish, runs through January 7, 2018 at the Princess of Wales Theatre, 300 King Street W, Toronto, ON

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit mirvish.com

Photo credit: Darcy Oakes, The Grand Illusionist - Photo by Danielle Baguley

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