{"id":42838,"date":"2019-05-10T08:42:07","date_gmt":"2019-05-10T12:42:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/?p=42838"},"modified":"2019-05-10T08:42:12","modified_gmt":"2019-05-10T12:42:12","slug":"on-stage-the-illusionists-at-kimmel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/?p=42838","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: The Illusionists at Kimmel"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff<\/strong>, <\/span>Entertainment Editor, The Times<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

The Illusionists – Live From Broadway<\/p><\/div>\n

It\u2019s no illusion — \u201cThe Illusionists – Live From Broadway,\u201d which is playing Philadelphia this weekend, is the world\u2019s best-selling magic show.<\/span><\/p>\n

Kimmel Center Presents is bringing the internationally-acclaimed production to the Merriam Theater (250 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, www.kimmelcenter.org<\/a>) on May 10 and 11.<\/span><\/p>\n

There are some good shows featuring magic acts but it\u2019s safe to say that they all pale in comparison to \u201cThe Illusionists – Live From Broadway.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

The highly entertaining show is produced by Simon Painter, Tim Lawson and MagicSpace Entertainment. Conceived by Simon Painter, the show\u2019s creative team also includes executive producer Tim Lawson, director Neil Dorward and creative director Jim Millan.<\/span><\/p>\n

Full of hilarious magic tricks, death-defying stunts and acts of breathtaking wonder, \u201cThe Illusionists\u201d has shattered box office records worldwide and thrilled audiences of all ages with a mind-blowing spectacular showcasing the jaw-dropping talents of six of the most incredible illusionists on earth. <\/span><\/p>\n

The roster of magic stars includes Sabine (The Sorceress), Raymond Crowe (The Unusualist), Colin Cloud (The Deductionist), Paul Debak (Trickster), An Ha Lim (The Manipulator), and Jonathan Goodwin (The Daredevil).<\/span><\/p>\n

Sabine has been working in magic for more than a decade. During this time, she worked with master magician Hans Klok and won the prestigious Silver Clown at the Circus Festival in Monte Carlo. Sabine has been described as \u201cone of the most extraordinary and talented performers in magic\u201d with her amazing performances, escapes, illusions and mind games.<\/span><\/p>\n

Crowe is a world-class magician, physical comedian, trained mime, ventriloquist, inventor and master of intricate shadow puppetry. In the magic world, his unusual and highly creative acts are greatly admired and have won numerous international awards. Cloud is one of the greatest thought readers of all time is a psychic savant known as a real-life Sherlock Holmes.<\/span><\/p>\n

Debak is one of the U.K.\u2019s top entertainers. He has performed in six continents, on the stages of London\u2019s West End, and headlined his own show in Las Vegas. An accomplished magician, comedian and actor, Debak\u2019s skills have won him critical acclaim. Both the Magic Circle and the International Brotherhood of Magicians have recognized his talent — naming him Young Magician of the Year and awarding him the British Shield.<\/span><\/p>\n

An Ha Lim was the first-place winner at Korea\u2019s Busan International Magic Competition, Italy Club Convention Manipulation and World Magic Seminar in Asia. An Ha Lim was also a Golden Lion Award winner at the World Magic Seminar in Las Vegas. Goodwin is widely considered one of the most creative, skilled, and frankly crazy stunt performers in the world. He is an accomplished knife thrower, archer, escape artist, fakir, martial artist, free diver, and free climber.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sabine, a Dutch performer whose full name is Sabine Van Diemen, is the first female magician on the tour.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis particular cast started in mid-February,\u201d said Sabine, during a recent phone interview as the tour traveled from Melbourne, Florida to Greenville, South Carolina. \u201cI also did the \u2018Illusionists\u2019 tour last year.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn 2016, I was working in another magic show in London\u2019s West End. I saw \u2018Illusionists\u2019 and thought it was great. Now, I\u2019m a part of the show.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sabine, whose act includes illusions, escapes and a bullwhip trick, was born in the Netherlands — in Amsterdam. She started in show business as a dancer for The Holland Show Ballet when she was 18 years old. That show led her into the world of magic.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere was a magician in the HSB show,\u201d said Sabine. \u201cHis assistant got hurt on opening night. He asked me if I wanted to try it and I said yeah. There were three acts that I had to learn in an hour. My first illusion was a fire cage. The magician puts fire in it, and I appear. I immediately loved it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Eight years ago, Sabine met Hans Klok, one of Holland\u2019s most famous entertainers.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI worked with Hans Klok for a couple years,\u201d said Sabine. \u201cHe is the most famous magician in Europe.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sabine and Klok toured the world for five years and won the Silver Clown at the Circus Festival in Monte Carlo.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAfter five years, I got tired of touring,\u201d said Sabine, who was also a top-flight model in Europe. \u201cSo, I stopped. After that, I started working solo in the West End magic show \u2018Impossible.\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m finished with modeling, but dancing will always be a part of me \u2013 always a part of my act,\u201d said Sabine. \u201cOn this tour, I try to switch acts in and out. It\u2019s hard on the road crew but I do like to alternate illusions.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cRight now, I do four acts \u2013 all in a block. I love it. It\u2019s bang-bang-bang-bang. I\u2019m also in a grand illusion at the end. \u2018The Illusionists\u2019 gave me the nickname, \u2018The Sorceress.\u2019 I think it\u2019s cool. It really sounds like a power chick.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for The Illusionists — https:\/\/youtu.be\/kkemtVqwxKk<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Shows at the Merriam Theater are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on May 10 and 11 a.m. and 3 and 8 p.m. on May 11. Ticket prices range from $47-$107.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

John Paul White<\/p><\/div>\n

Usually, survivors of wars are happy to stay close to home after their tours are done. Musicians who have spent years on the road plying their trade also welcome a break in the seemingly endless chore of touring to support their records.<\/span><\/p>\n

So, it\u2019s hardly a surprise that John Paul White got off the road and maintained a low profile after years of touring in the music act The Civil Wars. Any desires or intentions to make live music were not in White\u2019s playbook.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Civil Wars \u2014 his Grammy-winning duo with Joy Williams \u2014 finished touring in 2012. White had several kids at home, and he wanted to be around a lot more while they were growing up at his home in Alabama.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt was at least a year-and-a-half until the urge to play came back to the surface,\u201d said White, during a phone interview Tuesday morning from a tour stop in Richmond, Virginia.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFor a long time, I didn\u2019t even want to walk across the street and play a song. I wanted a normal life. After 15 years straight of making music and touring a lot, it was a novel situation to listen to my kids telling me about their day at school.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMusically, I wasn\u2019t doing shit. It really did take a while until it got to the surface.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2016, White came back with his second solo album — \u201cBeulah\u201d \u2013 on Single Lock Records. Last month, White released his new album, \u201cThe Hurting Kind\u201d \u2013 also on Single Lock Records.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now, White is on the road again \u2013 touring in support of his new LP. The tour brings him to the area on May 10 for a show at the Ardmore Music Hall (23 East Lancaster Avenue, Ardmore, 610-649-8389,\u00a0www.ardmoremusic.com<\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m on the road again \u2013 I didn\u2019t say I wouldn\u2019t,\u201d said White. \u201cBut I didn\u2019t see it \u2013 especially with time at home and being co-dependent with my family. It took me being out of it for a time to realize how much I love playing for people.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Leading up to the sessions for \u201cThe Hurting Kind,\u201d White was inspired by artists like Jim Reeves, Patsy Cline, Roy Orbison, Chet Atkins and Bill Porter. Drawing on these timeless influences, White sought out classic writers like Whisperin\u2019 Bill Anderson and Bobby Braddock to collaborate with.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe Hurting Kind\u201d\u00a0was recorded at Sun Drop Sound, White\u2019s new home studio that he converted from an old, turn-of-the-century home in the historic district of Florence, Alabama, and at legendary FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama.<\/span><\/p>\n

The record was co-produced with\u00a0Ben Tanner\u00a0(Alabama Shakes) and features additional contributions from a core group of musicians including\u00a0Jon Radford\u00a0(Leigh Nash, Odessa) and\u00a0Reed Watson\u00a0on drums,\u00a0Pat Bergeson\u00a0(Chet Atkins, Emmylou Harris) on electric guitar,\u00a0Jon Estes\u00a0(Robyn Hitchcock, Kesha) and David Hood (Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section)\u00a0on bass and\u00a0Lillie Mae\u00a0(Jack White) on fiddle, plus guest vocals from\u00a0Lee Ann Womack\u00a0and background vocals from\u00a0Erin Rae\u00a0and\u00a0The Secret Sisters.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been almost a year since we finished,\u201d said White. \u201cBen co-produced it and we had some great players like Pat Bergeson. This time, I was a little more purposeful with the songs. That\u2019s why I worked on songs with Bill Anderson and Bobby Braddock.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI wrote two songs with Bill Anderson \u2013 \u2018I Wish I Could Write You a Song\u2019 and \u201cYou Lost Me.\u2019\u00a0 — and one with Bobby Braddock \u2013 \u2018This Isn\u2019t Gonna End Well.\u2019 I wanted the songs to be more complex with more arranging.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

With \u201cThe Hurting Kind,\u201d White draws on the lush, orchestrated music made in Nashville in the early 1960s — writing about overwhelming love, unraveling relationships and the fading memory of a loved one.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to White, \u201cI approached this album differently on the songwriting side before I ever got into the studio. I really wanted there to be a torch song quality to it, the classic timeless quality. To not be afraid of the big note, and not be afraid of the drama.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

White was also careful with the direction the album was heading.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t want to make a retro record,\u201d said White. \u201cI used the sensibilities. I wanted it to be more grown-up. I wanted it to be slick. It was recorded live and we did 13 tracks in four days.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for John Paul White — https:\/\/youtu.be\/NbchU2Hk4LQ<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show at Ardmore Music Hall, which has Erin Rae as the opening act, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $18.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times It\u2019s no illusion — \u201cThe Illusionists – Live From Broadway,\u201d which is playing Philadelphia this weekend, is the world\u2019s best-selling magic show. Kimmel Center Presents is bringing the internationally-acclaimed production to the Merriam Theater (250 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, www.kimmelcenter.org) on May 10 and 11.    Send article […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":42840,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8457],"tags":[7426,8997,12143],"class_list":["post-42838","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-featured","tag-john-paul-white","tag-the-illusionists-live-from-broadway"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42838","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=42838"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42838\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":42839,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42838\/revisions\/42839"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/42840"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=42838"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=42838"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=42838"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}