BWW Reviews: Hodges & Hodges Witness THE ILLUSIONISTS at Broadway San Jose - Now Thru June 14th!

Magic, suspense, shock and awe. Like some sort of high-tech League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, The Illusionists wowed the audience on the opening night of their magical, macabre and yes, comedic show. This "hepta-pod" of magicians, each with their own seeming super-power, have shattered box office records across the globe, dazzling and sometimes scaring audiences with their heart-pounding, death-defying acts. Through it all, they liberally sprinkle humor and edgy music, upping the wow factor exponentially by employing sophisticated wizardry to full effect.

The Illusionists are making a magical appearance now through June 14 at the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts. Yes, folks, get your tickets now. Playing for one week only, The Illusionists is a stellar masterpiece of magic and suspense. See them now before they disappear.

Hodges & Hodges was thrilled to be a part of all the excitement!

Linda: First, introductions are in order. There was The Escapologist (Andrew Basso), The Manipulator (Yu Ho-Jin), The Anti-Conjuror (Dan Sperry), The Trickster (Jeff Hobson), The Inventor (Kevin James), The Warrior (Aaron Crow), and The Futurist (Adam Trent).

Nick: Each one brought their own talents and tricks, which made for a "never a dull moment" night. The flow and scale of tricks from dark and a little creepy to delicate and beautiful was wonderful. Yu Ho-Jin (The Manipulator) did some gorgeous card tricks. You could really tell that magic is an art to him and it is something that can be expressed not only through card tricks, but through music and lighting and his emotions.

Linda: He was recently named "Magician of the Year" by the Academy of Magical Arts. He was truly amazing. And then on the other side you have Dan Sperry (The Anti-Conjuror) who might make some Broadway San Jose theatergoers a little uncomfortable. A couple of the illusions were interesting to say the least. If you have a queasy belly, watch out!

Nick: But if you think you can get through a couple rough patches then this is definitely a show you should see. Houdini's famous Water Torture Cell, done by The Escapologist (Andrew Basso) was the heart-thumper. To see it done live on stage is an absolute pleasure as he tempts the audience with, "Try to hold your breath with me."

Linda: And even with all the thrill and suspense, they were even able to throw in some comedy. The Trickster was not only a talented but had the audience in stitches.

Nick: His sleight of hand during the egg in bag trick, plus a few more not-to-be-mentioned-here tricks, was absolutely fabulous.

Linda: The Inventor was very good as well. He sawed a man in half! I won't give away anything, but I still cannot figure out how they performed such an amazing and unique version of this trick.

Nick: Later he did a delightful magic trick with paper for a young girl from the audience and concluded by saying that in the world of magic, more women magicians are needed. That got a huge round of applause and I thought it was outstanding that he highlighted that for the audience.

Linda: This is a great show with lots of audience participation. A camera-crew gets close-ups of card tricks and the like ensures that no one misses a trick - not even those sitting in the balcony. And don't worry if you're in the balcony. The Trickster has his ways and even from the back of the house you have a chance to take home a wonderful souvenir.

Nick: After the show, head out to the lobby to take pictures and get autographs of some of The Illusionists. I personally got the autographs of The Warrior, The Futurist, and my personal favorite, Yu Ho-Jin, on three playing cards that were thrown out into the audience.

THE ILLUSIONISTS: Witness the Impossible
San Jose Center for the Performing Arts
Broadway San Jose
Now thru June 14.
www.broadwaysanjose.com
Photo: Joan Marcus

To post a comment, you must register and login.