Here's my write up of Masters of Magic from the forthcoming revised edition of "The Other Orlando." I'll be including it in the dinner attractions chapter.
MofM is a
sorta dinner show as explained below:
Masters of Magic Show
8560 International Drive, Orlando 32819
(407) 352-3456
www.mastersofmagic.net
Prices: Adults $29.95, children (4 to 12) $19.95. Prices do not include optional dinner at a nearby restaurant.
Times: Wednesday through Sunday, 6:30 and 9:00 p.m. Box office open 2:00 to 9:00 p.m.
Directions: On the east side of I-Drive between the Mercado and Pointe*Orlando shopping centers.
Las Vegas-style entertainment comes to Orlando in the shape of Typhoon Lou and his razzle-dazzle extravaganza of large-scale magic tricks. Indeed, youd have to travel to Vegas to see more major illusions in a single show. There are other magic shows in the Orlando area, but none can touch this one for sheer size and show-biz spectacle.
Backed by a cadre of four beautiful gals and two hunky guys, Typhoon Lou performs one jaw-dropping stunt after another. He has himself hoisted aloft on a roaring Harley in a steel cage and when the cage collapses both he and the Harley disappear, but Lou instantly reappears in the audience. In another extended bit, he unfolds a small box, has one of his lovely assistants step in, and then refolds the box to its former size, and just for good measure runs it through with a few swords. Not only does the girl reemerge at the end of the trick, she does so in a new outfit. Later he performs a variation on the girl-sawed-in-half trick that is quite simply the best I have ever seen. Lou intersperses the major illusions with charming close-up magic featuring audience volunteers. In my favorite bit, he pours six different beverages from the same milk carton, which he hands into the audience for close-up inspection lest you think it contain separate compartments for the various liquids.
This is a major production. Running one and a half hours with intermission, it features great choreography and some of the best dancing to be seen in Orlando. The set elements and costumes are also first-rate. And Typhoon Lou himself is a genial and affable master of ceremonies who uses his Native American and Hawaiian roots to disarming effect.
The theater seats 210 in nightclub style at long tables, with every seat facing the stage. Soft drinks and snacks are available and a beer and wine license is in the works. In the lobby, you can buy magic tricks and books on the magicians art, as well as meet Lou and his crew after the show. The dinner part of the equation comes in the form of a discount offered by nearby Tony Romas restaurant to those showing ticket stubs from the show. More restaurant choices may be available when you visit.