Professional prestidigitation: ‘Masters of Illusion Live!’ Comes to Greensburg鈥檚 Palace Theatre
Courtesy of Masters of Illusion
Magician Jason Bishop with assistant Kim Hess will perform in 鈥淢asters of Illusion Live!鈥� at The Palace Theatre in Greensburg this Sunday.
Courtesy of Masters of Illusion
Naathan Phan engages with an audience member during a 鈥淢asters of Illusion Live!鈥� show.
Courtesy of Masters of Illusion
Who鈥檚 on TV? Magician Jason Bishop with assistant Kim Hess at a 鈥淢asters of Illusion Live!鈥� show.
Courtesy of Masters of Illusion
Magician Ben Blaque, with his crossbow, will perform during 鈥淢asters of Illusion Live!鈥� at The Palace Theatre on Sunday.
Magician Jason Bishop performs a magic trick.
Ben Blaque will perform in "Masters of Illusion Live!" at The Palace Theatre in Greensburg this weekend.聽
Phan
You can call it sleight of hand, prestidigitation, or just simply magic, but you won鈥檛 call it boring when the 鈥淢asters of Illusion Live!鈥� show comes to The Palace Theatre in Greensburg on Sunday, Nov. 5 at 5 p.m. as part of their 2023 winter mini-tour.
This year, the family-friendly act celebrates its 10th anniversary airing on the CW Network and travels the country in between tapings to entertain and mystify live audiences. This season鈥檚 act, which includes Ben Blaque, Naathan Phan and Jason Bishop, features jaw-dropping magic combined with showmanship and comedy.
Phan hails from Orange County, California, and has appeared on television on NBC, the Syfy channel and Comedy Central, to name a few. Phan has been known to entertain audiences with his earth-shaking opera singing, his stand-up comedy antics and his celebrity impressions.
Blaque hails from Springfield, Mo., and is a prot茅g茅 of Kirby Van Burch. In 2012, Blaque appeared on 鈥淎merica鈥檚 Got Talent,鈥� and was advanced to the quarter finals and the Wild Card round. For two years, Blaque performed at Palace Theatre in Myrtle Beach, S.C. He also embarked on a seven-month European tour, which included London鈥檚 West End. Blaque has appeared on the NBC show, 鈥淚 Can Do That,鈥� where he invented his 鈥渂ackwards selfie.鈥� He also appeared on European shows in Britain, Italy and France and is the only crossbow performer to shot a crossbow while hanging upside down.
New Jersey native Bishop has performed on Broadway in 鈥淪traight Up Magic鈥� and 鈥淏elieve in Magic,鈥� and has appeared on NBC鈥檚 鈥淭oday Show,鈥� CBS鈥檚 鈥淪unday Morning鈥� and Europe鈥檚 鈥淟e Plus Grand Cabaret Du Monde,鈥� filmed in Paris. Once a foster child, Bishop found his niche in magic.
鈥淚 used to watch a show called 鈥榃orld鈥檚 Greatest Magic鈥�,鈥� he said, adding that this was in the 鈥�90s, before the internet.
Bishop explained that the show would air once a year and would feature the best magicians in the world.
鈥淚t ran for five years and back then you couldn鈥檛 do a lot of research to discover how tricks were performed,鈥� he said.
If Bishop had to name which magicians inspired him the most, he would say Lance Burton and David Copperfield.
鈥淯nfortunately, being in foster care, I didn鈥檛 get the opportunity to travel to see any magicians,鈥� said Bishop, adding that when he traveled to Las Vegas at the age of 18, he couldn鈥檛 afford to see a show performed by the late Siegfried and Roy, something he wishes he could have done.
As for how magic has changed over the past 20 years that Bishop has been practicing the craft, he said that technology sometimes plays a part in shows now.
鈥淢agicians, as a whole, are all early adopters, so it鈥檚 not unusual to see iPads and cellphones in our acts,鈥� he said. At the performance coming up at The Palace Theatre, a plasma screen will be used in one of the segments.
For those who have yet to see the 鈥淢asters of Illusion鈥� television show, Bishop explained that it鈥檚 a magic variety show that features approximately 30 magicians over the course of a season.
鈥淭he nice part about that is that the magicians who are touring change constantly, so that people who have seen the show in the past, will observe something different the following year,鈥� he said.
This is Bishop鈥檚 first live show, and he believes it will keep audiences entertained.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a pretty grand show and takes about 10 hours just to set up before we can rehearse,鈥� he said.
So what should audiences expect?
鈥淭here鈥檚 Ben鈥檚 crossbow act and Naathan鈥檚 comedy act. There are smaller, sleight-of-hand tricks and illusions that you won鈥檛 see outside of places like Las Vegas,鈥� said Bishop.
And, he said, Yorkshire terrier, Gizmo will even make an appearance.
Gay Blackstone, one the producers, said, 鈥淥ur touring show of 鈥楳asters of Illusion Live!鈥� is wonderful fun for their entire family. It doesn鈥檛 matter how old your are or your personal background, magic is universal. Our show will delight theatergoers as there is something for everyone in it.鈥�
If you go:
Masters of Illusion Live!
The Palace Theatre
21 W. Otterman St.
Greensburg, Pa
Sunday, Nov. 5 at 5 p.m.
Tickets are $28, $48 and $53.
To purchase, call the box office at 724-836-8000 and visit online at www.thepalacetheatre.org