UAB’s Alys Stephens Center presents Spencers Theatre of Illusion

UAB’s Alys Stephens Center will present Spencers Theatre of Illusion at 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 28, 2011, in the center, 1200 10th Ave. South. Tickets are $37 for adults, $17 for kids. Call 205-975-2787 or go to www.AlysStephens.org.

Spencers Theatre of Illusion is a magical, high-tech stage show that combines drama, comedy, romance and suspense with elaborate illusions and dazzling special effects. Their visit to UAB’s Alys Stephens Center also will feature a two-day residency program for occupational and physical therapists, physicians and patients with the Spencers’ acclaimed “Healing of Magic” program. The residency will include a brown-bag luncheon and hands-on activities. The Alys Stephens Center also will host Spencers’ “Hocus Focus” workshops for special-education students in classrooms at area schools.

Named International Magicians of the Year and Performing Arts Entertainers of the Year, the Spencers, a husband-and-wife team, will dazzle audiences with their never-before-seen illusions. According to their press bio, Theatre of Illusion is much more than a magic show. Take a seat and cross over a threshold of disbelief only moments after the Spencers take the stage. Their website states, “People have been known to levitate, walk through walls, vanish and reappear. And be prepared to experience the magic yourself because the Spencers don’t want you to just sit in your seat and watch — they want you to participate!” In one magical experiment, the entire audience is asked to get involved in an interactive mind-reading experience. Working with some of the leading creators, inventors, designers and builders in the industry, the Spencers feature many original illusions that simply are not seen anywhere else.