Review: WINTER WONDERLAND at Magic And Wonder Dinner Theatre

Lancaster County just got a little more magical this holiday season due to Master Illusionist, Brett Myers. Myers and company are currently starring in Winter Wonderland, a dynamite show at the Magic and Wonder Dinner Theater located in aptly named, Paradise Pennsylvania.

Pre-show festivities include a tasty holiday-themed buffet.  Offerings include, soups, salads, ham, turkey, mashed potatoes, and similar fare.  There are multiple lovely desserts, my favorite being the delicious cheesecake.

Thirsty patrons can choose from coffee, soft drinks, beer, wine, and a few drinks that are especially fun and relevant to a magic show setting.  These include drinks with ingredients that smoke, sparkle, fizzle, and more! My wife and I shared a candy-filled potent concoction served in an oversized goblet.  We had no problem making that one disappear!

Audience members were also encouraged to play along with magic-related trivia questions on the theater’s two video screens. This was a lot of fun, and seemed to be enjoyed by the families sitting all around us.  Perhaps the theater could consider partnering with local close-up magicians to do some table hopping before the show, almost like an entertainment appetizer before the big meal.

As soon as the show started, it was clear that Brett Myers is a class act and a skilled magician.  Myers and company present a number of large stage illusions causing things to appear, disappear, solids though solids, and other impossibilities.  Costumes, props, and music all complement the holiday spirit and bring better appreciation to the idea that this time of year really is a magical season.

This show truly is a family affair. Sharing the stage with Brett is his lovely wife Labrina, and his two young sons.  Each member of the Myers family gets to shine in an impressive and entertaining way.

Brett’s assistants were consistently enthusiastic, energetic, and festive.  Those of us familiar with large stage illusions recognize and appreciate their hard work, effort, and dedication, doing much of the heavy lifting backstage or behind the scenes.  

I enjoyed the production’s aerialist performance and appreciated the combination of magic with more traditional circus acts.  They complement each other very well, and enhance the audience’s “wow factor”.