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Broadway conjures magic with ‘The Illusionists’

By WTOP Staff

MARK KENNEDY
AP Drama Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Magic will be take center stage on Broadway this winter in a new, high-paced show but don’t expect just one illusionist with a trick up his sleeve. Try seven.

“The Illusionists” starring seven international stars of magic — ranging from a card conjurer to a wizard with a crossbow — will play the Marriott Marquis Theatre from Nov. 26-Jan. 4, the first time in almost 20 years that a magic show plays Broadway.

“We’re going to bring magic back to how it’s supposed to be — a good, solid, inspiring sort of form of entertainment,” said Dan Sperry, whose macabre show often features spinning blades and whose motto is “Magic No Longer Sucks.”

The rest of the lineup includes Italy’s star escape artist Andrew Basso, Belgium’s weapon specialist Aaron Crow, campy magician Jeff Hobson, illusionist and “America’s Got Talent” veteran Kevin James and Yu Ho-Jin, a Korean who just won the title of “Magician of the Year.”

“The idea was to take the seven greatest living illusionists in their respective fields and put them together. It’s almost like The Avengers of magic,” said Simon Painter, the show’s originator and lead producer.

The show first sold out at the Sydney Opera House in 2012 and went on to play Singapore, Mexico, New Zealand, Brazil, Venezuela and Britain. A new version focusing on futuristic acts — “Illusionists 2.0” — debuted last year in Australia and a hybrid of the two shows now comes to Broadway, called “Witness the Impossibe.” Tickets go on sale Tuesday.

Painter’s goal is to do with magic what Cirque du Soleil did with circus — get rid of the dated lions and sequins and make it adult, sophisticated fun. His show has a throbbing rock beat and intelligent pacing.

“What we’ve done is make it a theatrical experience rather than it being a flashy, Las Vegas, showmanship experience. The theatricality was an important change that we made,” he said.

The show will do a few tune-up stops around Thanksgiving in Akron, Ohio, and Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania. Then, after its six-week Broadway engagement, it hits the road in America, visiting Washington, D.C., Indianapolis, Philadelphia, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, Salt Lake City and Tampa, Florida, among other cities.

The last big magic show on Broadway was a David Copperfield special that played a few weeks in late 1996 and Sperry, who was inspired to do magic after seeing Copperfield at age 4, is aware of the pressure.

“We’ve got big shoes to fill,” said Sperry, whose Broadway act is still being finalized but will likely include a shotgun. “It’s like go big or go home. We really have to try and bring it.”

To be sure, there’s always been magic on Broadway, whether it’s the tricks in “Pippin” to the costume changes in “Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella.” But the illusionists say magic deserves to be the main event.

“We’re presenting it the way it deserves to be presented — not as a throwaway effect or an add-on to a song. But as a stand-alone act in and of itself,” said Adam Trent, nicknamed “The Futurist,” who will focus on technology-based illusions.

His act in particular takes advantage of the latest high-tech magic — high-definition screens, Wi-Fi video and 3-D live projections. “A lot of times, magic is the same thing dressed up in a different way,” Trent said. “What I’m trying to do is really create a concept completely from scratch.”

It’s a long way from the stale, hocus-pocus image of birthday party magicians from the past. Copperfield’s baton was picked up by David Blaine and now it’s held by Sperry, who often resembles Marilyn Manson as he swallows razor blades or cuts off an audience member’s arm.

“For years, magic kind of became the dorky, punchline thing in movies and TV shows. It was like, ‘Hey, if you want to make the character a real dork, add the element that he’s a magician,'” Sperry said. “I think it’s coming around again where people are thinking magic’s really cool again.”

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Online: http://www.theillusionistslive.com

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Mark Kennedy can be reached at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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