Published in the Vancouver Sun on December 1, 2010.
BY AMANDA ASH, SPECIAL TO THE SUN
Photo: Handout
Vitaly Beckman doesn’t just pull furry rabbits out of top hats. Magic is an art for the Vancouver-based illusionist, and his brand of tricks are more akin to experiencing The Nutcracker than something you’d see at a five-year-old’s birthday party.
“It’s the art of illusion in a theatrical context,” Beckman, the Sensation Of Magic, says of his shows that can be considered a performing art like dance, music and drama. “Some of my tricks tend to be more artistic, some tend to be more fun and entertaining, and some have a message behind them. The idea behind the show is to deliver the message that dreams can come true, and that something that looks impossible really isn’t impossible.”
While most magic tricks and illusions are pigeonholed as pure hocus pocus, consisting of scantily clad women being cut in half and men wearing funny velvet robes, Beckman stresses the symbolism, emotional communication and intellectual stimulation that emerge from his shows.
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