Former Schaumburg resident pushes magic's boundaries with 'Illusionists'
Illusionist Dan Sperry didn't always look like shock rocker Marilyn Manson's scary sibling.
Before Sperry amazed audiences with his creepy illusions like swallowing razor blades or tugging a strand of dental floss through his neck - a trick that notoriously freaked out judge Howie Mandel during Sperry's run on the 2010 season of NBC's "America's Got Talent" - the Minnesota native and former Schaumburg resident dressed as an old-school magician for numerous Chicago-area performances at elementary schools and kid's birthday parties.
"When I was younger, I kind of went with the classic magician look with tails and playing cards, but offstage I'd be into punk music, Alfred Hitchcock and horror films like the old-school Universal Studios monster movies or those by director John Carpenter," Sperry said. "Mid-to-late teens, I let some more of who I was offstage in real life trickle into my onstage performances."
Nowadays Sperry is known the world round as a "shock illusionist" or an "anti-conjurer," and he's a vital part of the international tour of "The Illusionists - Witness the Impossible," which plays Chicago's Cadillac Palace Theatre starting Tuesday, March 10. Sperry is one of seven illusionists, and he's been with the show since it premiered at the Sydney Opera House in 2012 and through its U.S. debut on Broadway during the 2014 holiday season.
Producers were initially nervous about launching the U.S. tour of "The Illusionists" on the Great White Way, Sperry said.
"You know we're not a musical and, going in, we were the first big magic show to be back there since David Copperfield played Broadway back in 1996, so we had some pretty big shoes to fill," Sperry said. "But it's not the usual-type magic show anyway, so we were definitely pleased with the results just as much as the audiences were clearly pleased with the show."
"The Illusionists" quickly recouped its $1.75 million New York capitalization, giving the high-tech spectacle show official "Broadway hit" status to tout on its subsequent 30-city American tour. What makes "The Illusionists" so successful, Sperry said, is its variety.
"There's no real overlap in what people are going to see from one magician to the next," he said. "Every performer in the show could appeal to everybody. There are going to be sections that are perfect for grandma and grandpa and little kids and every family member in between, but there are also going to be moments that are scary or shocking."
Sperry's colleagues are billed by their specialties. Aaron Crow from Belgium specializes in dangerous weapons so he's known as "The Warrior," while Italian Andrew Bosso's death-defying skills make him "The Escapologist." Joining them are special effects man Kevin James ("The Inventor"), digital video effects master Adam Trent ("The Futurist"), funny man Jeff Hobson ("The Trickster") and 2014 "Magician of the Year" Yu Ho-Jin ("The Manipulator").
Though Sperry has had solo success for his own magic shows in New York and Las Vegas, he enjoys sharing the spotlight with his peers for "The Illusionists." He also prefers touring since he's not just stuck performing in one city.
"I like going out and getting into local culture," Sperry said. "I've never been to Philadelphia properly, so I'm trying Philly cheesesteak for real."
For Sperry's return to Chicago, he's looking forward to returning to his old haunts. He might even go to Woodfield Mall where he had his first job at Hot Topic.
"I definitely want to try and get to a Portillo's, that's for sure," Sperry said. "And Colonial Cafe. Those are the two restaurants that I didn't spend enough time at when I was there."
“The Illusionists — Witness the Impossible”
Location: Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 W. Randolph St., Chicago, (800) 775-2000 or
Showtimes: Runs March 10 through March 22; 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and Sunday, March 15; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday and Wednesday, March 18
Tickets: $16-$80