Illusionist to bring magic, gospel to IU

A mix of magic and religion will come to the IU Auditorium this week when Christian illusionist Brock Gill performs Wednesday night.

His usual shows include card and mind tricks, but the organizers of Gill’s upcoming visit to IU say they don’t know what Wednesday’s performance will bring.

Gill, who is scheduled to arrive in Bloomington today, will perform street magic around campus today and Wednesday to promote the show.

Campus Crusade for Christ is bringing Gill at 8 p.m. Wednesday for a free show.
Gill’s show will mix magic and the Gospel to address the topics of truth and
religion, said event organizers junior Matt Eskew and senior TJ Wallace.

“Brock’s show shares Christianity in a way we’ve never seen it before,” Wallace said.

Gill’s shows typically feature magic tricks integrated with discussions of truth and how it relates to religion and life.  

Gill has performed more than 2,000 shows and has visited more than 50 college campuses. He also has been featured on the Discovery Channel and on shows like Criss Angel Mindfreak. For this show, Gill redesigned his typical set, said freshman CRU member Abbey Reller.

Members of CRU have been planning Gill’s visit since October. Wallace and Eskew said 11 teams of five to 50 people have been working on different aspects of the event, most notably publicity.

CRU members have been wearing gold sweatbands emblazoned with “Brock” in green letters around campus for the last several weeks. Eskew estimated that more than 200 sweatbands are currently being worn around campus.

“If people see them around every day and are curious, that’s one more opportunity,” Eskew said.

The organizers estimate the show will be packed. They encourage attendees to arrive early. The auditorium doors will open at 7 p.m.

Wallace encourages students to attend the show whether they are Christian or they simply enjoy watching magic shows.

“Brock explains Christianity in a pressure-free way,” Wallace said. “His show encourages discussion and a way to talk about real-life issues and how they relate to religion.”

Reller said the event would be eye-opening for everyone and a chance to see something new and different.

“It may be your only chance to see him,” she said, “and it’s a free Wednesday night activity.”