Reza will take the stage at the Niswonger Performing Arts Center Saturday.
Courtesy of Reza: Edge of Illusion
VAN WERT — Every Reza show is different.
But the illusionist is set to deliver the same spectacles he always does to the Niswonger audience at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.
“Every time you go on stage, you have no idea what to expect with that audience,” Reza said. “That’s what keeps it fresh. We do over 300 shows a year and the audience will look forward to that energy every single night.”
Reza’s shows, which feature the apparition of a helicopter on stage, have the vibe of a rock concert.
“It’s a magic show so there are a lot of production elements that really add to the evening,” he said. “Lighting, sound, video walls all come together to create this immersive experience. There is large-scale magic, like two things appearing and disappearing or levitating, and there is also very intimate, close magic that is made grand with large screens and live cameras so that you can see it as if you’re sitting right next to us. The show has this roller coaster dynamic along with a throughline of inspirational elements.”
Reza hopes that that is what people take away from the show.
“I hope it’s inspirational on a couple of levels,” he said. “Just seeing impossible things that we do blurs the line between what’s possible and what isn’t and it makes you wonder if it was magic or just overcoming odds.”
This motivation stems from what Reza experienced as a child to first get him into magic.
“When I was a kid, I got pulled up on stage at an illusion show and that moment changed my life,” he said. “I decided that was what I wanted to do and from that moment going forward, I was following that dream and each show I get the opportunity to pull someone up on stage and recreate that same moment with them and pass that torch. I hope people come away being entertained, of course, but I also want them to be inspired to pursue their own dreams.”
That is why the audience will get plenty of chances to participate in the show.
“A lot of people do want to become involved, but not everybody so I’m very careful only to select those that want to become part of the show,” Reza said. “But for those that do, there are over a dozen opportunities throughout to come up on stage and experience the magic firsthand.”
The show is still for everyone, though, and is by design.
“It’s something to look out each night and see every demographic typically in attendance, which is unique for live events,” Reza said. “The show is designed I think so that everybody feels like it’s for them.”
For more information on Reza or to purchase tickets to this show, visit his website or visit the Van Wert Live website, vanwertlive.com.
Reach Jacob Espinosa at 567-242-0399.
