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The Indiana Daily Student

arts

The Illusionists showcase skills of seven magicians

Kevin James, The Inventor, goes through one of his magic tricks in a performance on Tuesday night in IU Auditorium. James is one of seven magicians that performed as pat of The Illusionists.

Magician Andrew Basso, known as “The Escapologist,” was placed upside-down in a tank of water with his hands and feet shackled during Tuesday’s show “The Illusionists — Live from Broadway.”

Using nothing but a paperclip, the magician freed his hands and feet and escaped from the locked tank within three minutes and 17 
seconds.

The act was a version of Harry Houdini’s “Water 
Torture Cell.”

Although Houdini performed the act behind a covered tank, Basso performed in full view, without a curtain concealing his actions.

The seven magicians of the Illusionists have their own specialties, from card tricks to making objects disappear.

They each have names that indicate their skill, such as “The Daredevil,” “The Trickster,” “The Manipulator,” “The Anti-Conjuror” and “The Weapon Master.”

The show has been performed throughout the world and has received many 
positive reviews.

The New York Times called the show “a high-tech magic extravaganza.”

Kevin James, called “The Inventor,” was one of the 
featured magicians.

For one of his illusions, he made a rose out of paper and appeared to make the rose float in midair.

He then set the paper rose on fire, and a real rose 
appeared in its place.

James said it is a blast traveling with the other six 
magicians.

“They are all wonderful people and feel like family,” James said in an email interview. “We are really lucky that there are no big egos to deal with. We absolutely respect each other.”

James said Basso’s act is his favorite part of the show.

“I just know that I could never do what he does,” James said in an email.

The show included many opportunities for audience participation. The magicians stepped into the audience and selected participants ranging from young children to adults.

James said the audience participation makes the performance more fun for the magicians because they 
cannot anticipate what the spectators will say or do.

The magicians know each other’s secrets, but that is the most insignificant part of the equation, James said in an email.

“The secret just doesn’t matter,” James said. “It is the hundreds of other little decisions that are made when creating a new routine. What costume, what music to use, the spectator management onstage, the timing, the jokes and bits of business, these are all the important things that make it really entertaining.”

Wendy Eisert, 49, said she was excited to experience the show in a live performance.

“I just think it will be a neat experience to see this up close instead of on TV all the time,” Eisert said.

James said the Illusionists are the perfect show for a family to enjoy together.

“Magic transcends all barriers, age, language, cultural, etc,” James said in an email. “We are all from different parts of the world and experts at what we do. Instead of watching one performer for two hours, here you get to sample lots of different styles and artists’ visions.”

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