The Golden Age of Magic

So, how was last night's magic show? Well, my expectations were sky high, not only after having seen the huge billboards around town for months; but also after having been to 'The Illusionists 2.0' last year, which was truly amazing and spectacular.
Unfortunately, my expectations weren't quite met.

This is the third 'Illusionists' installment. This time the mood was more subdued and the tricks less flashy; but then the setting was the turn of the 20th century when artists didn’t have the luxury of modern technology. They used skill and showmanship, and that’s what we got in the show too.
The magicians performed mostly traditional and well-known illusions and tricks that we have seen before, like cutting people in half, a teleportation routine, joining ring trick, a Houdini act, some close-up slight of hand card tricks and a levitation routine. But it was not the tricks so much as the way they were performed, with intimacy and spontaneity - and always a bit of humour.

I must blame the audience a bit for dulling the atmosphere, it remained rather sleepy and unimpressed, even when the acts were very talented and skilled. They seemed to miss completely the talent of The Eccentric f.e - Charlie Frye, who added vaudeville to the magic, being a juggler. He didn't just do a throw-the-balls-in-the air act but added silent comedy, magic, and a bit of slapstick.
And even though he might have come on a few times too many, I did enjoy the comedy magician Dana Daniels - The Charlatan, and his psychic dove Dwayne. He was very funny, and he did manage to captivate the audience, even with tricks far less show-stopping than some of the other illusionists.

The Clairvoyants - Thommy Ten and Amèlie van Tass - seemed to be the act that impressed the most. Amelie blindfolded on stage, describing many unseen objects that Thommy got from people in the audience; in a very classy and convincing way.
Of course it's some kind of trick, but to be honest, I don't think it really matters how they do it. I don't try to outguess the magicians, I just sit back and marvel at their talent. Remember - the workings of an illusion can be learned in a few minutes, the presentation takes time and talent, and however these Clairvoyants did it, they kept this audience engrossed.

Other acts that performed was The Showman, Mark Kalin and his partner The Conjuress, Jinger Leigh and The Escapist, although I didn't catch the name, but it wasn't Krendl, as advertised on the billboards.
 

I have no other photo than this of the set, as cameras were not allowed.
Visually the show was impressive, and the costumes and sets were perfectly themed to the golden era. I also enjoyed the live band that played a cinema quality soundtrack, which helped elevating the air of mystery during the acts.

Josefin and I certainly enjoyed our magic treat!