Ta-da! THE ILLUSIONISTS - TURN OF THE CENTURY Becomes Most Successful Magic Show in Broadway History

By: Jan. 03, 2017
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Just announced, the new edition of the popular show THE ILLUSIONISTS - TURN OF THE CENTURY grossed $2,397,106 for the week ending January 1, 2017, smashing records at Broadway's famed Palace Theatre and topping a record set two years ago by The Illusionists - Witness The Impossible at the Marquis Theater.

THE ILLUSIONISTS - TURN OF THE CENTURY is now the most successful magic show in Broadway history. Last week was the highest grossing week for a magic show in Broadway history; it included the single day gross record at the Palace Theatre of $469,813 on December 28, 2016. This was the best week ever for The Illusionists in three seasons on Broadway.

Producer Simon Painter said "I am delighted that The Illusionists has become a holiday celebration on Broadway. For three years in a row we have been welcomed by cheering New Yorkers and tourists alike. It was particularly gratifying this year to play The Palace Theatre the historical and spiritual home of spectacular magic in New York.

The Illusionist brand is also having a phenomenal year on tour. According to MagicSpace Entertainment CEO Lee Marshall The Illusionists - Live From Broadway will gross north of $8M on a one-month run that concludes this week at The Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto. "Broadway and Toronto have been extraordinary for The Illusionists," sayS Marshall, "but the show also did great business on the road this fall with $1M grosses in New Orleans, Los Angeles and Atlanta. The tour continues through May with stops in Boston, Chicago, San Antonio and Denver."

THE ILLUSIONISTS - TURN OF THE CENTURY played a limited engagement, November 25, 2016 through January 1, 2017, this year at the historic Palace Theatre (47 Street and 7 Avenue), a venue renowned for housing the world's premiere magicians and vaudeville acts at the turn of the twentieth century.

Featuring world class illusionists handpicked from across the globe, Broadway's holiday smash hit, The Illusionists, returned to New York City with a new show designed to transport audiences back to the golden age of magic. THE ILLUSIONISTS - TURN OF THE CENTURY is centered in a time when conjurers were the true rock stars of the day. Showcasing the origins of some of the greatest and most dangerous illusions ever built, the show also unveils never-before-seen experiments drawn from a treasure trove of long-forgotten mysteries.

The Clairvoyants (Thommy Ten and Amélie van Tass), who were recently crowned runners-up in NBC's 2016 "America's Got Talent" competition, led the cast of THE ILLUSIONISTS - TURN OF THE CENTURY. The Austrian natives' mind-blowing finale performance, seen by nearly 14 million people in the show's largest audience in five years, left AGT host and judges Nick Cannon, Simon Cowell, Howie Mandel, Heidi Klum, and Mel B. stunned.

THE ILLUSIONISTS - TURN OF THE CENTURY cast also featured DAna Daniels (The Charlatan), Charlie Frye (The Eccentric), Mark Kalin (The Showman), Jinger Leigh (The Conjuress), Justo Thaus (The Grand Carlini), and Rick Thomas (The Immortal), joined by returning audience favorite Jonathan Goodwin (The Daredevil).

More than 100 years after the Golden Age of magic, the legendary magicians and shocking feats of the vaudeville era returned home in the heart of Times Square at the Palace Theatre.

Harry Houdini himself performed at the Palace, which opened on March 24, 1913, riding the wave as New York City became the American epicenter of live entertainment.

Last year, The Illusionists - Live On Broadway broke the record for the highest weekly box office gross ever at the Neil Simon Theatre, and was one of just four shows in the 2015-2016 Broadway season to announce earning back its investment. During the 2014-2015 holiday season, The Illusionists - Witness The Impossible set weekly gross records at the Marquis Theatre.

In addition to Painter, the creative team for THE ILLUSIONISTS - TURN OF THE CENTURY includes executive producer Tim Lawson and director Neil Dorward.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride



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