Masters of Illusion has aired on different networks as specials and series, and even has spawned a successful touring magic show, but now it has found a magical new home on The CW with host Dean Cain (Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman). The show features the world’s best magicians and illusionists performing great escapes, fascinating sleight-of-hand tricks and large-scale illusions before a studio audience. Executive producer Gay Blackstone (widow of famed magician Harry Blackstone Jr.) says Masters of Illusion will feature magic that the audience has never seen. “Some of the show’s magic may be classic, but just when you think, ‘Oh yeah, I’ve seen this,’ there’s a twist that you won’t see coming.”
Blackstone says that one things that makes magic perfect for family TV viewers is its diversity. “Magic is kind of like the weather. If you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes and it changes. This show is like that. It’s one performer doing one thing, then it’s another performer doing another thing. It changes. And maybe you’ll see the same performer a couple of time throughout the show, but they’re always doing something different.”
Blackstone admits that audiences of today are sometimes jaded. They’re used technology being used to fabricate visual effects that were once impossible so feats of magic are no longer as impressive. Blackstone’s solution is diversity, ingenuity and authenticity. “Each show is balanced. It has a lot of comedy magic, It has a lot of grand magic. It has a lot of illusions. It has big things. There are no camera tricks. There are no cut-aways. Everything was done in front of a live audience and you see their reactions.”
Blackstone said that Masters Of Illusion uses many performers from the Masters Of Illusion traveling show as well as some of the world’s most famous domestic and international acts. “Mac King is on our show, he has his own Vegas show. And some people are just going to be in hysterics because he’s verbally funny, he’s visually funny,” she laughed. “We also have Erix Logan who is the #1 magician in Italy and his wife is a pop star. He uses technology and she is his lovely assistant.” Gay teased that Erix and his wife use small cameras to give the audience an inside look at one of their illusions, she joked that you’ll have to watch the show to see what happens, but promises, “It’s technology of today with magic of yesterday and when you blend the two, you get entertainment that’s timeless.”
Masters of Illusion > The CW > Fridays beginning Aug. 1
Images ©2014 Associated Television International/ The CW
