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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MAGIC MIXES WITH LAUGHTER FOR CINCINNATI PLAYHOUSE IN THE PARK’S 16TH ANNUAL PRODUCTION OF ABRACADABRA, AUGUST 17-20 (CINCINNATI) – The Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park’s popular annual magic showcase gets a heightened twist of comedy this year for Fidelity Investments’ presentation of Abracadabra. The Playhouse’s annual tribute to sleight-of-hand and jaw-dropping deception also adds belly laughs to the mix when it returns for the 16 th year August 17 to 20 in the Playhouse’s Robert S. Marx Theatre. Abracadabra is the Playhouse’s only major fundraising event of the year. Proceeds from the weekend support the not-for-profit Playhouse's artistic, education and outreach programs throughout the entire season. Abracadabra has become a favorite Tristate summer tradition, respected by serious magic aficionados as well as those seeking magical family entertainment. This year’s Abracadabra lineup features a blend of new artists and returning favorites, all of them among the most acclaimed comedy magicians in the world. John Carney is widely acknowledged as one of the top sleight-of-hand magicians, combining exceptional skills and resourcefulness with pure entertainment. He has won two prizes at the International Federation of Magic Societies’ (FISM) World Magic Championships and earned accolades at the Opus International Magic Competition. Additionally, he has been awarded The Magic Castle’s Magician of the Year Award six times — more than anyone else in the organization’s history — and is the only magician to have won in every category: stage performance, sleight-of-hand, parlor and innovation. He can materialize fruit and lemonade from a portable black hole or make playing cards float through the air, shrink to microscopic size and then dance around his body. His alter ego, Mr. Mysto, is a bumbling magician who makes audiences howl while also performing the impossible, drawing a picture that comes to life or baking a cake in a man’s shoe. Mr. Carney has performed in casinos in Atlantic City, Lake Tahoe and Las Vegas, as well as appeared on television in Jerry Seinfeld's Stand Up Confidential on HBO, Disney’s New Vaudevillians, ABC Television’s Spin City and CBS Television’s Magicians' Favorite Magicians. Audiences also may recognize him as a spokesman for MasterCard, performing magic in the company’s national television commercials. He has written several books of his original magic and also lectures to magicians throughout the world. Kohl & Company is recognized by critics and audiences alike as one of the funniest magic acts of all time. Wizardry and mayhem are equal partners as the suave and sophisticated Great Kohl gamely meets every challenge thrown at him, only to fail miserably thanks to his crack team of totally inept assistants, Farky and the lovely Farkamena. The wrong people get hypnotized, piles of feathers appear where live doves should be and the real trick simply becomes completing a trick without something else going hilariously awry. Between them, they can ruin just about any magic prop ever invented, and yet, the show always ends on a high note — everyone survives. Kohl & Company has performed around the world with stars including Lance Burton, Harry Anderson, The Smothers Brothers, Mickey Rooney and Jeff Foxworthy. The team has earned the Siegfried and Roy Golden Lion Award for Comedy Magic in Las Vegas and the Clown Hall of Fame Lifetime of Laughter Award. On television, the group was one of the only American comedy acts to appear on England’s acclaimed Best of Magic series and also has appeared three times on The Jerry Lewis Telethon, prompting Mr. Lewis to comment, “This is one of the funniest acts I have ever seen.” John Thompson (The Great Tomsoni) got his start in show business as a harmonica player and music arranger, touring and recording with Jerry Murad’s Harmonicats, Johnny Puleo’s Harmonica Gang and The Harmonica Jazz Quartet. He began his magic career in Nevada casino venues. Wife and partner Pamela Hayes — an actress, comedienne and student of thespian teacher Lee Strasberg — joined the act and the billing became The Great Tomsoni & Co. The two have starred in the Lido de Paris, Folies Bergere and enjoyed numerous engagements in the Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe and Atlantic City casino circuit, plus appearances on The Tonight Show, Magic with the Stars, World's Greatest Magic and the PBS special The Art of Magic. They are two-time recipients of the Stage Magician of the Year Award, the Society of American Magicians’ Superstar of Magic Award and Prince Rainier’s Prix S.B.M. Magiques de Monte Carlo, Europe’s most prestigious magic award. Mr. Thompson also works as a consultant to his protégé, Lance Burton, and to Penn and Teller and received the most prestigious Master’s Fellowship Award from the Academy of Magical Arts. He currently is working as a magic consultant and appearing with Criss Angel in Mindfreak, A&E’s top-rated show that recently signed for a second season. Considered one of the world’s most talented magicians and a favorite at last-year’s Abracadabra show, David Williamson knows the secret to capturing the imagination of any audience. A born showman and an unusually accomplished sleight-of-hand artist, Mr. Williamson astounds audiences with a unique blend of entertainment that combines heart-stopping magic with side-splitting hilarity. He twice has been voted Sleight-of-Hand Magician of the Year at Hollywood’s famed Magic Castle. He also has earned awards as Magic Castle Lecturer of the Year and Magic Castle Parlor Magician of the Year. In 2003, he earned the title of Most Wanted Magician at the International Federation of Magic Societies’ (FISM) World Magic Championships. A native of Xenia, Ohio, Mr. Williamson has appeared on ABC Television’s Champions of Magic, CBS Television’s Magicians' Favorite Magicians and NBC Television’s Houdini: Unlocking His Mysteries and World's Greatest Magic III. He was the host of The Magic Comedy Strip, and his mix of humor and skill helped to make the program one of the highest rated shows in the United Kingdom. He has created illusions, performed in several commercials and has developed television shows for Walt Disney Productions and ABC, as well as consulted for illusionists David Copperfield and David Blaine for their television specials. His best-selling magic book Williamson's Wonders has been translated into four languages. Abracadabra week begins on Thursday, August 17 with a discounted preview performance of the show at 7:00 p.m. This year's Abracadabra Gala performance is scheduled for Friday, August 18, starting at 5:30 p.m. and features a Jewel on the Hill theme, complete with strolling magicians and entertainers. The full evening of events includes a pre-show reception, performance and gourmet dinner by Jeff Thomas Catering and dancing to the music of The Airwave Band following the show. Tickets are $250 per person. Corporate tables and sponsorships also are available. Space for the gala is limited. In addition to Fidelity Investments, support for Abracadabra is provided by Henkle Schueler & Associates and JBM Envelope. This year’s tent sponsor is Great Traditions Land & Development Company. Reservations for all performances (with the exception of the gala) can be made by calling the Playhouse box office at 513/421-3888 or toll-free in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana,
800/582-3208. More information about Abracadabra performances also is available online at the Playhouse web site at www.cincyplay.com. Gala tickets are available through the Playhouse development office at The Playhouse is supported, in part, by the generosity of the tens of thousands of individuals and businesses that give to the Fine Arts Fund. The Ohio Arts Council helps fund the Playhouse with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans. The Playhouse also receives funding from the City of Cincinnati. ###
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