Before Kevin and Cindy Spencer present their magic and illusion show Friday night, they’ll visit Emporia schoolchildren to share some tricks.
The Spencers will perform at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Granada Theatre. Tickets are still available and cost $22 for adults, $12 for youth. Emporia State students are free.
“I recently completed a nine-week curriculum for special needs students in the school system that uses these simple tricks as a way to help them develop fine and gross motor skills,” Kevin Spencer said.
The school program grew out of Healing of Magic, a program the Spencers developed in 1984 to work with people of all ages who have a variety of disabilities.
“These little tricks are also effective in helping them reach some of their educational goals while improving attention, concentration, memory, task follow through, frustration tolerance and more,” Kevin Spencer said.
During the Friday night show, the Spencers will combine music, movement, lighting, special effects and scenery.
“We call the show ‘Theatre of Illusion’ because it is a combination of our love for theater and our passion for the art of magic,” Kevin Spencer said.
Added Cindy, “We try to take our audience on a roller coaster ride of emotions — allow them to experience laughter and fun as well as drama and suspense.”
It’s an interactive show that encourages audience participation, the couple said.
Kevin Spencer dreamed of being a magician as a child. Cindy Spencer, however, didn’t get into the business until the two married. The couple has gained a following with their show on college campuses and other venues and have been recognized as Performing Arts Entertainers of the Year by event programmers for six consecutive years.
Tickets are available at the Emporia Arts Center, The Sweet Granada, Granada Coffee Co. or by phone, 343-6473.