Chews your favorite

Find magic for all tastes at Lincoln City’s Festival of Illusions

Does anyone really grow out of enjoying magic, illusions and even giant bubbles? Every year during Oregon’s Spring Break, the Lincoln City Cultural Center gathers some of the best, and funniest, of these types of family entertainment under one roof.

The 14th annual Festival of Illusions, opening this Sunday, March 22, and running through Friday, March 27, features returning favorites Jeff Evans, Louie Foxx, Matt Baker, Joe Black and Professor DB Schreiber. And based on overwhelming customer demand, the amazing Bubble Man will be performing two matinée shows this year.

Jeff Evans is one of the busiest magicians in the Pacific Northwest and a longtime audience favorite. He performs more than 250 shows each year, blending interactive magic with clean comedy that appeals to all ages. His creative performances have earned dozens of awards, including Magician of the Year from the Vancouver, B.C. Magic Circle, Stage Magic Champion from the Pacific Coast Association of Magicians and Best Live Entertainment from ParentMap Magazine.

Louis Pearl, known around the world as The Amazing Bubble Man, is considered one of the leading “bubble-ologists,” exploring the surprising science and beauty of soap bubbles through comedy, artistry and audience participation. His performances include square bubbles, bubbles within bubbles, fog-filled bubbles, giant bubbles and elaborate bubble tricks such as bubble volcanoes, tornadoes and trampolines. Audiences might even find themselves standing inside a bubble as Pearl’s imaginative creations inspire laughter and amazement.

Professor DB Schreiber, known as the Historical Conjurer, brings a different approach to magic by blending performance with history. His presentations recreate the spirit of early conjuring shows while guiding audiences through centuries of magical entertainment. Along the way, he explores connections to historical events, literary figures and the science behind illusion. Schreiber is a member of the Academy of Magic Arts at the Magic Castle and the Society of American Magicians Portland Assembly. He has received the Stan Kramien Excellence in Stage Magic Award and has performed as a cast member at Disneyland, in addition to working as a magic historian, emcee and historical re-enactor.

Comedy and illusion come together in the work of Louie Foxx, whose “One-Man Side Show” mixes magic, humor and inventive stage tricks. He is known within the magic community as a prolific inventor, having published more than 100 original magic tricks and created props used by magicians worldwide. His inventions have appeared in productions ranging from the film “Machete Kills,” starring Sofia Vergara, to performances on “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” and at Shanghai Disneyland. Foxx has been named Best Stage Magician and Best Close-Up Magician in Minnesota by the Society of American Magicians. A two-time Guinness World Record holder, he has appeared on “America’s Got Talent,” the CW Network’s “Masters of Illusion,” Spain’s “Otra Movida TV,” and in the UK’s Guardian newspaper.

Joe Black is a hypnotist who brings a high-energy performance style shaped by an unusual career path. Born and raised in Seattle, he served six years in the United States Marine Corps before meeting a touring hypnotist and magician who became his mentor and inspired him to pursue the art professionally. Black has since developed a reputation as a dynamic stage hypnotist, appearing on “America’s Got Talent” and earning the Rising Star Award two years in a row. His performances have entertained audiences at corporate events for major companies including Microsoft, Expedia, Frito-Lay and Kellogg, as well as at fairs, casinos and special events.

Rounding out the lineup is Matt Baker, a comedic stuntman who has spent more than two decades performing around the world. A self-taught comedian and variety entertainer, he has appeared at corporate events, colleges, cruise ships and theaters across 17 countries and all 50 of the United States. His unique mix of physical comedy and daredevil stunts has earned him three Guinness World Records and appearances on “The Late Late Show with James Corden,” Comedy Central, “America’s Got Talent” and Chinese national television. Baker has also been voted Seattle’s funniest alternative comedian and has become one of the most requested variety performers in North America.

Reserved theater-style seats for the stage shows are $19 for adults, $17 for seniors and students, $11 for kids aged six to 18 and free for children aged five and younger.

For more information, go to lincolncity-culturalcenter.org or call 541-994-9994.