“Theatre of Illusion Enthralls Viewers ”
Presented by the Headwaters Council for the
Performing Arts
March 16, 2009
By Barbara W. Wilkinson

        “How in the world did he do that?” the audience at Northland Pines High School Auditorium on Monday, March 16, kept asking as Kevin Spencer continuously thrilled it with his “Modern Day Houdini” illusion show.  Sponsored by the Headwaters Council for the Performing Arts and aided by his wife Cindy, Spencer entertained the viewers with his captivating personality and illusive magic, complete with a dazzling high tech repertoire and magnificent set design.  There was no way this talented duo was not going to capture the inquisitive minds of its inspired audience.  Without doubt, the Spencers created an electrifying theatrical experience that their spectators will long remember!

Spencer left his viewers dazzled and bemused from the time he took a Vilas County News Review, read the headlines, tore it into several pieces and snapped it back into one newspaper again to his final illusion, escaping from a locked vat of water while handcuffed.  Explaining that the key to his magic is creating an illusion, as in the News Review example, Spencer avowed that in reality, we think the paper is torn when we hear tearing, and the illusion is created when we see the whole newspaper again.  Of course, he did not explain the transition between the two.

The spectators carried this thought as the evening continued.  They were mesmerized not only by how he performed these magic acts, but also by how he was able to utilize individual viewers in order to achieve his goal.  He selected the ideal victim, Phelps resident Karen Mendham, for his first participatory illusion, the “Spikes Through the Body Trick.”  Mendham’s facial and body language were hilarious as she signed a “standard release form” giving permission for Spencer to drive “spikes through her body” as she lay on a “bed of spikes.”  In addition, several of his most amazing feats of magic--some involving other audience members--included a “Stepping Through Revolving Fan Blades Trick,” a “Disappearing Feet Trick,” and an “Australian Pom-Pom Trick,” all eliciting enthusiastic responses.  Indeed, whether he was guessing the value of a card in the proverbial “Card Trick” or explaining the “Chinese Box Trick,” the performer awed the audience.  It is no wonder that the Spencers have the reputation as “one of the most highly regarded acts in magical entertainment.” 

At the finale, Spencer challenged the viewers to carry out their dreams, saying, “Shoot for the moon; even if you miss, you land among the stars.”  With that thought in mind, the audience left in an enthusiastic “high.” 

Once again, thanks and congratulations go to the Headwaters Council for the Performing Arts for sponsoring this outstanding performance.   We are geared up for the next one!