Talk about a packed few days in Illinois – wow, did we do a lot of stuff! First, the bad news was that my computer was really starting to act weird. I got stuck in that “pinwheel spin” that Mac users understand. And when it shut it down, it never started again. I made my appointment at the Genius Bar in Orland Park, IL. They were able to get it rebooted and running but it was not nearly up to speed. Turns out, I had some bad “sectors” in my hard drive so, eventually, I had to get it replaced. In the meantime, I was shut off from the world with limited access to my email and no ability to blog.
Once we left the Apple Store, we got checked into our hotel. We would be performing on Friday night at the Fine & Performing Arts Center. On Thursday, however, I was scheduled to teach a recreation therapy class at Moraine Valley Community College. It was a great experience and I got some very positive feedback from the department coordinator, Donna McCauley, and several of the students.
After the class, Alan and I went back to the hotel to change clothes, pick up the rest of the gang, and head over to the theatre. We loaded in on Thursday because one of my friends, Greg Mulvey, was going to shoot some video for us on Friday during the day. We were able to get all set up on Thursday afternoon (with the exception of tweaking the intelligent lights).
The following morning, Greg arrived and started setting up his equipment while we finished up the technical things for the evening show. We spent much of the afternoon taping Walking Thru a Wall and Windshear while getting “clips” of several of the other illusions. Greg is going to put together new television commercials for next year and we needed some HD footage to do it right. It think he got some good stuff!
The evening performance was SOLD OUT and we had several friends in the audience (thanks Joe and Julie for the goodies!). The energy coming from the audience was awesome and the show went very well. Tommy Hensel, executive director, sent along some very kind words that I’ll share:
The presentation of the “Spencers Theatre of Illusion” was the most successful performance we have had this season and, in my estimation, one of the best we have presented over the past several years. Everything about this show was spectacular! The Spencers are not only phenomenally talented, but they are great believers in the power of details – and everything from the merchandise table to the pre-show light show to the wonderful illusions – was professional, polished and appealing. One of the most appealing aspects of the production, and something that I think sets the Spencers apart from other magic shows, is the personal appeal of Kevin Spencer. He manages to engage the audience and bring them into his special world, creating a warm, intimate environment in the midst of a hugely spectacular stage show. Everyone leaves the show feeling like they have become his friend, and that sort of personal connection is rare for stage shows of this sort.
Thank you Tommy (and your staff and technical team) for a great experience in Palos Hills!