Michael Turco is proof that lots of kids grow up with a fascination for magic, and never quite outgrow it.
Turco grew up near Atlantic City, New Jersey, and first fell in love with the elaborate hotel magic shows there when he was about 5 years old. He got a magic kit as a present, and practiced day and night. As an adult, he became a professional magician, working in Las Vegas, touring the country and starring in the CW Network TV magic show “Masters of Illusion.”
Turco and other magicians from “Masters of Illusion,” which only airs during the summer, will bring a live version of the show to Portland’s State Theatre on Saturday. The fact that the show has been on for some six years and is currently on a live U.S. tour is further proof, Turco thinks, that the allure of magic is powerful.
Shock illusionist Dan Sperry will perform in “Masters of Illusion” at the State Theatre in Portland on Saturday. Photo courtesy of “Masters of Illusion”
“I think so many youngsters grow up wanting to try magic, maybe they get a magic kit for Christmas,” said Turco, 38.
The Portland performance will feature Turco and three other magicians from the TV show. Their acts range from dramatic and shocking to comic in tone, with a mix of small and grand illusions, Turco said. There will be escapes, and tricks with live animals, too. Turco himself will levitate a woman and make her disappear. He’ll also do some tricks with puzzles and, at one point, will attempt to escape from a straight jacket.
Another magician on the tour is Dan Sperry, a “shock illusionist” who has been described as a cross between David Copperfield and Marilyn Manson. His act is set to an industrial music score and includes buzz saws, razor blades, voodoo and blood. He was awarded the title of most original magician on the Fox Network TV show “World Magic Awards.”
The other performers on the bill, Farrell Dillon and a magician known simply as Titou, both include comedy in their magic. The show lasts about two hours. The TV show the tour is based on airs only during the summer.
TV and touring magic shows are big these days. A multi-magician show called “The Illusionists – Live from Broadway” played Merrill Auditorium in Portland this month. That show is packed with theatrical tricks, lighting and music.
Maine has a magic scene too, with magicians performing locally and nationally. Portland native Norman Ng has toured the country with his magic act, and in 2015 was on the CW Network TV show “Penn & Teller: Fool Us.” Ng and other budding local magicians over the years often bought their props at a Portland magic shop called Almodarr’s Grand Illusion on Stevens Avenue, run by magician Markus Steelgrave.
A live version of the CW Network TV show “Masters of Illusion” will be at Portland’s State Theatre on Saturday. Photo courtesy of “Masters of Illusion”
Turco said he understands that in this day and age, people might be a little more skeptical about a magic show on TV. Computer animation and other technology allows all sorts of unreal things to appear real on TV or in movies. But that’s why a live tour of “Masters of Illusion” is appealing, Turco said, because people can see the tricks up close and in person.
There will be at least one illusion in Saturday’s show where a couple dozen people from the audience will be invited on stage to stand around Turco while he does his trick. He did not want to give too much away by saying what the trick is.
The magicians will also be available after the show to meet and talk with audience members, according to a press release announcing the show.
“We tell people, ‘You’ve seen us on TV, but tonight you can see us live, and you can come right up on stage’,” said Turco. “When people come to our show, they can lose themselves for a couple hours and dream about what’s possible.”
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