Illusionist Reza performs at the WPAC Jan. 28

Reza, the illusionist, will be bringing his live show, “Reza: Edge of Illusion” to the Wilson Performing Arts Center at 300 Commerce Dr. at 2:30 p.m. Jan. 28.
Reza’s recent tour and television appearances have astounded over 30 million viewers from across the world on multiple networks as well as live venues. Reza’s new show “Edge of Illusion,” is a ground-breaking grand scale production which Reza designed to connect with the audience.
Reza is based out of Branson, Mo., and does 250 shows a year in the city in addition to touring. Reza said the city helped inspire him to pursue performing magic for an audience.
“I came to Branson as a kid on vacations and saw the magicians I’d seen on T.V. and that was really inspiring. I was able to get up on stage as a volunteer when I was six years old. That was a pivotal moment, and after, I asked my parents for a magic kit, started performing, and knew it was something I wanted to take seriously. That’s how it began,” said Reza.
Reza: Edge of ILLUSION has many features that make it very interactive for audiences.
“Live shows are cool because they can experience it rather than see it through a screen. They’ll see some of the things I do on television, but there’s an added element of having people participate from their seats and on-stage. There are lots of visual moments and lots of things happening. There are elements using ordinary objects, like refilling crème from an Oreo cookie, or re-creating a dangerous viral video using broken glass. I even make a prediction before the show about who will be in the audience and what they’ll be thinking during the show. We find people randomly and see if my thoughts of the show match up with theirs. There are a lot of fun things,” commented Reza.
Reza added he’s thrilled to be able to do what he loves for audiences day after day.
“It’s extremely rewarding. The biggest element is being able to interact with the audience. There’s an instant gratification where you know whether something works or doesn’t based on the audience response. When you film something for television, you have to wait for months to see if it was good. In the live show, we can try different things. If the audience responds to it, we can develop it further. I even sometimes do things where I’ll change the show while I’m performing based on the audience. If different things are working, I’ll do more of that,” said Reza. “I draw a lot of inspiration from rock concerts, which are fueled by audience energy. Rock concerts have a big moment with all the production, and the next may be an acoustic moment where they’re talking about the song and describing the back story and the audience feels very connected. I like to draw that inspiration to our show as well.”
Reza said he’s excited to bring the show back to the Wilson Performing Arts Center and area audiences.
“What really drew me to the Wilson was how well the facility is equipped for a community its size. It’s very intimate, there’s not a bad seat in the house, and I really love playing at theaters like that. The facility in Red Oak is a huge asset to the community, and I’ve been hoping to come back to give people the opportunity to come back, or if they’ve never been, to come out and check it out and continue supporting the theater moving forward.”
Reza said there’s something for everyone if they come out to see the show on Jan. 28.
“No matter what age you are, you’ll feel like a kid again for a couple of hours, and see things that are impossible. The show is about following dreams and pursuing goals, and I hope it not only entertains audiences, but it inspires them as well,” Reza stated.
Reza said the show is appropriate for all ages, and kids are welcome to attend.
“When I do a show, I can look out and see adults out for an evening, or grandparents bringing the grandkids, people from all age groups attend the show,” Reza said.
For more information about the show, Reza said you can visit the website, rezalive.com.
“The website is a great opportunity to see clips of the show without spoiling anything. The show changes every single night. There’s new illusions and different things, so you’ll get a taste of what you’ll see and still be surprised when you come and see the show in person,” Reza commented.
Tickets are $30 for adults and $20 for kids. Reserve tickets at wilsonartscenter.org, or by calling 623-3183.