David Copperfield News

THE ILLUSIONISTS - WITNESS THE IMPOSSIBLE, the world's best-selling touring magic show, will play Detroit's Fisher Theatre, April 28 - May 10 as part of a 20 city U.S. tour. The show had a highly successful holiday run on Broadway this past year. Tickets for THE ILLUSIONISTS will go on sale on Sunday, February 1 at all Ticketmaster locations, by phone at 1-800-982-2787, and online at www.broadwayindetroit.com or www.ticketmaster.com. Tickets will also be available for purchase on Monday, February 2 at the Fisher Theatre box office.

Joining Imelda Staunton, who stars as the indomitable Momma Rose in the West End transfer of Jonathan Kent's production of Gypsy, are Lara Pulver who will reprise the role of Louise and Peter Davison who joins the cast to play Herbie. Final casting for this five star Chichester Festival Theatre production will be announced shortly. Take a look at photos of the three leads below!

THE ILLUSIONISTS - WITNESS THE IMPOSSIBLE (www.theillusionistslive.com), the world's best-selling touring magic show, will play the Old National Centre in Indianapolis, tonight, January 20, through the 25th as part of a 30 city U.S. tour.

Heading to Providence Performing Arts Center the other night, I couldn't help but turn to my friend who accompanied me and say, "When was the last time you saw a magic show??" It seems that these days magic shows are less common than they were in our youth. Back in the day, you would often hear about and could witness live the likes of David Copperfield, Doug Henning, The Pendragons and others. Today, it seems, magic shows are relegated to kids' birthdays, college campuses and the Las Vegas Strip (wherefore art thou, Sigfried and Roy?). On the other hand, The Illusionists, a touring show featuring seven different magicians and playing this weekend at PPAC, proves that magic shows are alive and well. And still extremely entertaining, although perhaps in slightly different ways. While magic shows of old seemed to be much more about the grand illusions and massive spectacle, The Illusionists keeps things at a much smaller scale. This may be due, largely or in small part, to the fact that it's a touring show. There's only so many props and set pieces you can fit in the back of a truck.

Tickets ranging in price from $20 to $105.50 are available by calling 215-731-3333, online at kimmelcenter.org/broadway, at the Kimmel Center box office, Broad & Spruce Streets (open daily 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.) or at the Academy of Music box office, Broad & Locust Streets (open during performances only). Orders for groups of 10 or more may be placed by calling 215-790-5883 or 866-276-2947. Performances include: Tuesday through Thursday evenings at 7:30 p.m.; Friday & Saturday evenings at 8 p.m.; Sunday evening at 6:30 p.m.; matinees Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.

?Westport Country Playhouse will present a Script in Hand playreading of the humorous and poignant "Painting Churches" by Tina Howe, on Monday, February 9, at 7 p.m. A Connecticut theatrical family - Jack Gilpin, his wife Ann McDonough, and their daughter Betty Gilpin, who currently is a leading character in television's "Nurse Jackie" - are cast members. Director is Anne Keefe, Playhouse associate artist and curator of the playreading series. Tickets are $20 each.

Adam Trent is a self-taught illusionist who combines his musical and comedic talents to mesmerize his audience. Adam, along with six other illusionists will showcase their talents in Broadway's best-selling magic show, "The Illusionists: Witness The Impossible" from January 27-Feb 1, at the Knight Theater.

Direct from Broadway, THE ILLUSIONISTS - WITNESS THE IMPOSSIBLE (www.theillusionistslive.com), the world's best-selling touring magic show, will play Shea's Buffalo Theatre for five performances, March 6-8 as part of a 30-city U.S. tour.

The Kennedy Center presents The Illusionists - Witness the Impossible in the Kennedy Center Opera House from tonight, January 6-11, 2015. Direct from Broadway, the production comes to the Kennedy Center as part of a 30-city U.S. tour. Produced by Simon Painter, Tim Lawson, and MagicSpace Entertainment, the production is conceived by Simon Painter. The show's creative team also includes executive producer Tim Lawson, director Neil Dorward, and creative director Jim Millan. The press opening night is Thursday, January 8, 2015 at 7:30 p.m.

Welcome to this week's edition of our new WEEKLY GROSSES ANALYSIS, part of our new Industry Insights section that will feature insider industry information, commentary and insights! Read on for all the weekly grosses statistics for the movers and shakers from the latest grosses, 1/4/2015.

THE ILLUSIONISTS- WITNESS THE IMPOSSIBLE concludes its Broadway run today, January 4, 2015. Next, The Illusionists continues its 30-city tour across the country.

Hakkasan Las Vegas Nightclub at MGM Grand Hotel & Casino today announced resident DJ Calvin Harris as its highly anticipated headlining artist for New Year's Eve tonight, Dec. 31. The Vegas hot spot will host the ultimate adults-only nightlife celebration as revelers and the world-renowned DJ are set to come together to say goodbye to 2014 and toast in a new year.

The producers of The Illusionists - Witness The Impossible announced today that the show has paid back its $1.75 million Broadway investment in just over three weeks of performances. The Illusionists also celebrated its highest grossing performance week, taking in $1,213,652 this past week on Broadway.

Executive Producer Kathy Connell announced the team that will create and implement this year's 21st Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, which will be simulcast live on TNT and TBS on Sunday, Jan. 25, 2015 at 8:00 p.m. (ET) / 5:00 p.m. (PT) from the Los Angeles Shrine Exposition Center.

As my hand was turning to mincemeat while writing personal notes in Christmas card after Christmas card, I persevered, knowing that at the end of my travails there would be a reward: A much anticipated performance of Theatre Memphis' annual 'gift' to Memphis, Charles Dickens' venerable A CHRISTMAS CAROL. I must admit: I have not attended every performance of that classic since its inception. I have, however, infrequently stopped to hang my wreath at its door; and I've seen some fine 'Ebeneezers' over the years (I recall a former teaching colleague, Tom Ford, offering a tight, clipped interpretation and, of course, one of the best and most frequent of the actors donning those tattered gloves, Memphis acting favorite Barry Fuller). As I wrote card after card, I began to think about all the other interpretations of A CHRISTMAS CAROL that I have encountered through the years - Seymour Hicks; Reginald Owen (in the role MGM intended for an ailing Lionel Barrymore, who had become famous for his radio performance and who would have, no doubt, been superior; a not-all-that-bad consolation prize was his equally tight-fisted 'Mr. Potter' in Frank Capra's IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE); Orson Welles (in a Mercury Theatre radio performance); Sir Ralph Richardson (a beautiful audio recording); Alastair Sim (in the early 1950's British film and offering my favorite interpretation of the role; Danny Peary, in his fascinating ALTERNATE OSCARS, selects him as Best Actor for that performance); and, certainly, George C. Scott, in what was considered to be the version to end all versions. (And does anyone recall Jim Backus' 'Mr. Magoo' in a delightful animated musical television special back in the 1960's?)

The Kennedy Center presents The Illusionists - Witness the Impossible in the Kennedy Center Opera House from January 6-11, 2015. Direct from Broadway, the production comes to the Kennedy Center as part of a 30-city U.S. tour. Produced by Simon Painter, Tim Lawson, and MagicSpace Entertainment, the production is conceived by Simon Painter. The show's creative team also includes executive producer Tim Lawson, director Neil Dorward, and creative director Jim Millan. The press opening night is Thursday, January 8, 2015 at 7:30 p.m.

The Illusionists - Witness The Impossible announces a general rush ticket policy for the world's best-selling touring magic show now playing at the Marriott Marquis Theatre (1535 Broadway) through January 4, 2015.

Agatha Christie's classic whodunit, 'The Mousetrap,' will be presented as a Script in Hand playreading at Westport Country Playhouse, on Monday, December 15, at 7 p.m. Director is Anne Keefe, Playhouse associate artist and curator of the playreading series. Tickets are $15 each.

Direct from Broadway, THE ILLUSIONISTS - WITNESS THE IMPOSSIBLE, the world's best-selling touring magic show, will play the Old National Centre in Indianapolis, January 20-25 as part of a 30-city U.S. tour. Tickets for THE ILLUSIONISTS are on sale now and available in person at the Broadway in Indianapolis Box Office downtown at 342 Massachusetts Avenue, The Old National Centre Ticket Office, Clowes Memorial Hall, online at BroadwayinIndianapolis.com, or by phone at 1-800-982-2787. Groups of 10 or more can book now by calling 317-632-7469 x103.

The Illusionists - Witness The Impossible, the world's best-selling touring magic show, makes its Broadway debut, opening tonight, December 4. It will play a strictly limited six-week engagement through January 4, 2015 as part of a 30-city U.S. tour.