It was no illusion last year when Rick Thomas entertained at The Sharon with his daring feats of magic.
Now the famed illusionist is back in the area –this time playing The Mount Dora Community Building Theater on April 6, at 7:30 p.m.
Thomas, who has performed from Branson to Broadway to Las Vegas and around the world, has a way of making an illusion seem real. A couple of years ago he was part of a Broadway show called “The Illusionists: Turn of the Century.”
That came after more than a decade of headlining in Las Vegas.
“I’ve had my own show in Las Vegas for 15 straight years and actually was one of the most successful magical entertainers in Vegas,” Thomas told the Hollywood Soapbox web site.
Performing is what drives Thomas.
“I live for it,” he told the web site. “That’s what I do. I don’t perform magic to…fool people. I perform magic to entertain people. There’s a camaraderie that I have that I establish very quickly with the audience for them to realize that we’re there just to have a good time.
“Magic is a very ancient art form, and I think what’s wonderful about it is we still use many of the ancient concepts. As illusionists we are doing something alive.
“It’s not television editing. It’s not post-production. It’s live, and we are literally recreating a style of presentation that was done one hundred years ago and still today blows your mind.”
Thomas started doing magic as a child and has been on stage since his teen years. Among his honors include being named Magician of the Year by the Academy of Magical Arts, and Stage Magician of the Year by the World Magic Awards.