Italy’s star escape artist Andrew Basso and American Adam Trent, who focuses on technology-based tricks, are two of the seven magicians set to play Broadway this winter in the show “The Illusionists.” The rest of the lineup includes Belgium’s weapon specialist Aaron Crow, campy magician Jeff Hobson, illusionist and “America’s Got Talent” veteran Kevin James, macabre specialist Dan Sperry and Yu Ho-Jin, a Korean who just won the title of Magician of the Year. The goal is to do with magic what Cirque du Soleil did with circus — get rid of the dated lions and sequins and make it adult, sophisticated fun. On camera, Trent made a bunch of playing cards appear and disappear, took a bite out of one only for it to instantly return, and set a lighter label on fire. In the show, Basso will re-create Houdini’s famous Water Torture Cell — he’ll be put face-first into a tank of water with his feet manacled. Trent, who grew up in Boulder, Colo., wearing out VHS tapes of Copperfield TV specials, calls himself the Futurist because he likes to mix comedy, technology and music into his act. Trent said innovation in magic is slow, partly because magicians are loath to reveal their new techniques or tricks.
Reported by SFGate 16 hours ago.
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