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| By TAMARA BELINC After seeing a magician on tele-vision when he was a kid, Kevin Spencer knew he wanted to be a magician. “My mom and dad bought me a magic kit,” he said. “I probably bugged them until they did it.” Kevin and his wife, Cindy, will perform their Theatre of Illusion Oct. 30 at 7:30 p.m., at the South Jackson Civic Center. Kevin grew up in Johnson City and then worked his way through the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga by doing magic shows. He majored in psychology. “I wanted to help people’s minds,” he said, “but now I just mess with them.” Their show combines the feel of a Broadway musical with a rock concert and magic tricks. “It’s definitely not traditional,” Kevin said, “but it does have a theatrical feel. We’re different from other magic shows in that we do things with the audience.” Kevin said they bring people from the audience onto the stage, which makes the magic much more real. The Spencers have been described as “modern day Houdinis” by audiences throughout the United States and five foreign countries. They have been honored as “Performing Arts Entertainers of the Year” and “Entertainers of the Year.” A magic toy will be handed out to children 6-12 years old who wear their Halloween costumes to the show. Tickets are $25 for Adults, $15 for Students. The Spencers will also host a workshop for elementary and middle school children with special needs Oct 29. The cost is $3.50 per student. The couple regularly visits hospitals and schools to work with people who are physically or mentally challenged. Their program is calling the Healing of Magic. “We help to give children, who are made to feel as though they are less than others, something ‘normal’ kids can’t do,” he said. Performing magic tricks often has a therapeutic value, helping to improve dexterity, motor skills, cognitive and perceptual skills. “It’s self-advocacy for the handicapped,” Kevin said. “They can perform magic tricks for people. This gives them something to be proud of.” Kevin started the Healing of Magic in the 1980s, after working with David Copperfield’s “Project Magic.” “We branched out and developed our own thing,” he said. “We’ve been featured in the Journal of the American Medical Association. What magic does for the handicapped is really an amazing thing.” For more information about the Magic of Healing, visit the Web site at www.magictherapy.com. To make reservations for the show or for the workshop, call the civic center at 455-5321 or 455-7239. Season tickets are now avail-able for the 2007-2008 Performing Arts Series include the following performances: Richard Gilewitz; Stevens, Siegel, and Ferguson Trio; Tennessee Children’s Dance Ensemble; and Cathie Ryan. The cost for the season tickets are $70 for adults and $50 for Students. |
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