If you ask Michael Carbonaro, the world needs the togetherness that comes along with live theater. From the smiles it brings, to the energy it exudes, the electricity of a live show carries a magic in its own way, even before he hits the stage to deliver magic of his own.
Readying for a characteristically wild night at Medford’s Chevalier Theatre on Saturday (May 21), the comedically-inclined illusionist brings a whole new batch of wonderment and snarky humor with his new show “Lies on Stage,” fully stocked with new effects that have already proven to be top-tier crowd pleasers. Of course, there’s a lot that goes into figuring out the ins and outs of such an endeavor, but Carbonaro is not only up to the challenge, but he’s embracing the creative growth that comes along with it.
“When you fine tune a show in front of hundreds of audiences it’s incredibly difficult to toss it to the side and put together an all new show, but the crowds demand it, and it’s good for the creative engine,” Carbonaro tells Vanyaland. “The challenge to make an all new tour this year allowed me to come up with brand new astonishing magic effects that I never thought I could pull off.”
With the advent of things like TikTok and other types of content that offer detailed dissections of magic tricks, and sort of pull back the curtain on the type of mysticality that Carbonaro has worked to uphold for years, it may feel like little is allowed to be left to the imagination anymore. But for the longtime magician, the moment the crowd flocks to the theater and the lights go down sets something off in him with a passion for the power of live entertainment, so he doesn’t have to worry about that sort of thing too much once he hits the spotlight. He does employ modern instruments to make the presentation more accessible from your seat, but by no means does that take away from the experience.
“My soul jumps from the stage. It’s where I’m made to be,” says Carbonaro. “Like any modern concert, I do use image magnification [with] large screens and cameras, so people can see everything they need to, but I am very cautious about overusing it. I don’t want people watching me on a screen all night. The camera work flows in and out in a way where you are still experiencing seeing me live ‘in the flesh’ but you don’t miss a thing, even if you are seated way in the back.”
With a few more rabbits in his hat, including a new TV show in the works and the opportunity to hold the keys to Penn & Teller’s Las Vegas theater for a few weeks during his residency on the strip this summer (a dream come true for a lifelong fan of the iconic magicians), things still continue to be on the up and up for Carbonaro. But while he’s living out his dreams one day at a time, he’s humbled by the opportunity he’s been given, and looks forward to offering up a night to remember.
“I like to create free-flowing family fun and joyful absurdity,” says Carbonaro. “People know me as the guy who always surprises people. Knowing this and then still getting tricked and surprised themselves creates electricity. They are so happy to be a part of the ‘Carbonaro Effect’ even though they know who I am.”
MICHAEL CARBONARO: LIES ON STAGE :: Saturday, May 21 at Chevalier Theatre, 30 Forest St. in Medford, MA :: 7 p.m. :: Tickets are $45 to $184