Johnson County Community College
Press Release
College Information and Publications
913-469-8500
Julie Haas, Associate Vice President, Marketing Communications, ext. 3120
Peggy Graham, Writer, ext. 3425
Tyler Cundith, Sports Information Director, ext. 3122
8/25/09
Story by Peggy Graham
Witness the impossible with the ‘Magicians of the Year’
Be prepared to witness the impossible. Kevin and Cindy Spencer penetrate walls and levitate with the best of them, and they do it with world-class charisma and style. This husband and wife combine a passion for magic with a love of theater in a how-did-they-do-that? performance, Theatre of Illusion, at 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10, in Yardley Hall of the Carlsen Center, Johnson County Community College.
The Spencers perform the mandatory magician-cutting-a-woman-in-half act, but add their own signature twist. They also pay tribute to Harry Houdini with the Walking Through a Wall, first seen in 1914 and rarely performed since, and an edge-of-your-seat re-enactment of his underwater escape. Minds are read; people vanish and reappear; and, in one illusion, the entire audience is engaged. The couple creates magic that is about spectacle, danger, personality and several tons of state-of-the-art equipment and special effects.
The Spencers have redefined the art of illusion and are shattering the stereotype of the traditional magician and assistant. They present a big high-tech stage show that combines drama, comedy, romance and suspense with elaborate stage illusions that include special effects, a magnificent set and, of course, magic. The two constantly work with leading creators to give audiences never-before-seen illusions, designed exclusively for them. The Spencers have been named “Magicians of the Year” by the International Magicians Society for 2009. This is the highest honor awarded in the magic community, equivalent to an Oscar or Emmy. Other recipients include David Copperfield, Doug Henning, Harry Blackstone Jr, Siegfried & Roy, and Criss
Angel.
The duo are described as “Modern Day Houdinis” by the media. They are charismatic and skilled performers who captivate their audience from the moment they take the stage. Their personalities travel beyond the stage lights to touch the viewers’ inquisitive minds as well as their hearts.
In part, that’s because since 1984, the Spencers have been using magic to work with the physically challenged through a program, Healing of Magic. They use the rehabilitative therapy of magic to work with people who have experienced strokes, spinal cord or head injuries, learning or developmental disabilities, or alcohol and drug addictions. The most important aspect of this therapy is the ability of the patient to transfer the skills learned by performing magic tricks into activities of daily living. Healing of Magic has been approved by more than 50,000 members of the American Occupational Therapy Association.
Theatre of Illusion tickets are $35 and $25, available by calling the Performing Arts Series box office at 913-469-4445 or online at www.jccc.edu/TheSeries.
Performing Arts Education and JCCC Health and Human Services offer a Healing of Magic residency Oct. 6 taught by the Spencers for occupational and physical therapists, who can earn six contact-hours of CEU credit. Call 913-469-8500, ext. 4221, for more information.
This presentation is supported by Mid-America Arts Alliance with generous underwriting by the National Endowment for the Arts, Kansas Arts Commission, foundations, corporations and individuals throughout Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri,
Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas.
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