mind-boggling MASTERY
Broadway’s ‘The Illusionists’ emerges for five shows at Popejoy Hall
There’s the AntiConjuror.
And The Trickster.
Don’t forget about The Inventor, The Deductionist, The Escapologist and The Manipulator.
A word to the wise: Never cross The Weapon Master.
When all seven are brought together, it’s a night of magic. And it’s brought to you by the men known as “The Illusionists.”
The Broadway show is making its way to the Duke City for a five-show stint at Popejoy Hall.
“The Illusionists” is a touring magic production that features a rotating cast of magicians who specialize in specific branches of magic, from stage illusions to mind reading to escapology and comedic magic.
Jeff Hobson is known at The Trickster, and he’s the epitome of glamour and showmanship.
He’s also one of the original members of the stage show.
“People shouldn’t be fooled by my innocent appearance,” he says in a recent interview from Boston. “We’ve been doing this show for five years now.”
In fact, in 2014, the production was one of the highest-grossing on Broadway.
And the next year, it was the sixth-highest grossing show on Broadway.
During its run in London in 2016, the production pulled in more than $1 million in one week.
Hobson says there’s a core number of illusionists who have been around for every version of the show.
And with every show, they try to bring someone local, but haven’t decided who will join them in Albuquerque.
“When we were performing in Canada, we brought in a local illusionist,” he says. “It does change somewhat for each show, but we try to return to the core just to get on the same page again.”
Hobson carved out a career for himself on the Las Vegas Strip before heading to Broadway with “The Illusionists.”
In 1993, Hobson joined the cast of “Spellbound” at Harrah’s Casino for over four years.
He went on to produce and star in the critically acclaimed magic production “Carnival of Wonders.”
He then went back home to become the “Host of Las Vegas” and since has starred in his own, one-man show, Money and Madness.
Hobson is regularly the master of ceremonies for countless special events and production shows, including the “World’s Greatest Magic Show” and “V — The Ultimate Variety Show.”
“It wasn’t until a couple of nights into the show that I realized how big of a deal this production is,” he says. “The great thing for me with each show is that I’m the most in touch with people in the audience. I walk around the audience and steal stuff from people and bring my brand of comedy. My part of the production is that I’m a thief and you never know how people are going to react. So I’ve got to gauge the crowd beforehand and get a feel of the amount of humor I can bring with each item I steal.”
The Academy of Magical Arts — The Magic Castle in Hollywood, Calif. — honored Hobson with its Stage Magician of the Year award, and he received the Best Comedy Magic award from the International Magic Awards Association.
“This is a dream that I’ve had since I was 7 years old and saw magic for the first time,” he says. “I’ve spent my life trying to learn more and add more to my performance. This show allows me to get up close and personal with the audience, and I’m excited about each night.”