Wednesday, September 6, 2006

Magician catches machine gun bullets in teeth on stage of Kimo Theatre

Jane Moorman News-Bulletin Staff Writer; jmoorman@news-bulletin.com

Albuquerque When Curtis Adams takes the stage at the Kimo Theatre on Sunday, Sept. 17, in a sleeveless T-shirt and faded jeans, the audience is going to wonder, "Is this a rock concert or a magic show?"

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Magic That Rocks is the rock concert of magic shows. In fact, the show is so different that Adams says that calling it simply a magic show would be an understatement.

The 23-year-old magician appeals to the young and the young-at-heart, with the energy of a concert-like atmosphere paired with state-of-the-art illusions that set the benchmark high for magic shows around the world.

Adams is on a quest to change the face of magic.

"Magic has been a victim of itself with the tried and true tricks, such as pulling a rabbit out of a hat, and the weird props and jesters," Adam said in a telephone interview. "I like to say we have urban-stylized the show into a fast-paced, high-energy experience. We are using different types of visuals that are not traditionally used in magic shows. It's more like movie special effects meets live stage."

Audiences find themselves wanting more when the final curtain goes down.

"We hit you with tricks one after another, and throw in all types of dancing from hip hop and break dancing to the tango," he said of the show that he says has something for everyone. "People are on their feet, screaming and cheering. At the Tropicana (Casino) in Atlanta City, we had 80-year-olds getting out of their seats and dancing."

Albuquerque will be the third stop on Adams' U.S. tour. It opens in Scottsdale, Ariz., on Sept. 15. He will then perform in Flagstaff, Ariz., on Sept. 16 before arriving in New Mexico.

During the tour, Adams is introducing a new trick — attempting to catch bullets from an AR-15 machine gun.

"During the vaudeville days, people would catch one bullet from a six-shooter with their teeth," he said. "The AR-15 fires 12 rounds in a second. In an instant, I have to dodge six of them and catch six."

Adams is quick to tell you that anytime he is introducing a stunt that isn't being done by other magicians, he is putting himself on the edge.

"It's a very vulnerable position to be in when you pour your heart and soul into something and put it out for the world to see, enjoy, experience and criticize," he said. "It takes a lot to give a piece of you to everyone, but nothing has ever been more rewarding. That's why I believe in giving my all every time I step on stage."

One of the portions of the show that he says is puts him at his most vulnerable, yet is most rewarding, is when he's interacting with the audience.

"Several parts of the show open themselves up to on-the-spot comedy, which is the part I love. When I'm working with the audience, I never know what's going to happen. They may try to throw you a curve, so you have to be on top of it. But putting myself out there and seeing the audience's response makes me feel good," he said.

Adams' magical skills became known nationally in 2001 when he was selected for the Fox Family Channel special, "Lance Burton's Young Magicians Showcase." At the time, 17-year-old Adams had been performing for seven years.

His work also caught the eye of a very prestigious name in magic, Don Wayne, creative director for magician David Copperfield's television specials.

Wayne has worked to mold Adams into the new Copperfield. But then they noticed they had been too successful in their mission.

"We realized it wasn't any different than Copperfield," Adams said. "I looked just like him. I acted just like him."

That led to a lot of soul searching as Adams went back to the drawing board to create a more authentic stage personality, one that better reflects the real Adams, a cheerful live wire of a guy who doesn't seem to need the Red Bull he's nursing during an afternoon rehearsal break telephone interview.

"I love being able to make people laugh, to make people feel," he said. "I am fortunate enough to be blessed to wake up each and every day, show up for work and make people smile," he said.

"What I love most about being on stage and performing is the electricity of a live audience and the roar of applause. That's what I live for."

At age 6, Adams began to display a love for performing by mimicking and doing impressions of his favorite musical icons. Then, at age 7, he discovered the amazement of magic when his father took him to a performance of "The Magic of David Copperfield."

"I was in awe of someone who was able to create miracles on stage," he said.

Completely captivated by Copperfield's performance, Adams became curious about the world of magic. He was hooked on the idea of making the impossible possible.

By age 10, Curtis had begun performing at local birthday parties and various charity events. At 11, he added performances at restaurants and corporate functions to his work schedule.

And, at age 13, he opened his first production company. That gave him the capability to produce local small events as well as his own show.

He soon became one of the youngest illusionists to perform in casinos, including the Reno Hilton, The Eldorado and John Ascuaga's Nugget.

While performing at the Cache Creek Indian Casino at age 16, he answered an ad placed in newspapers all over the world for an international talent search seeking out young, new and up-and-coming magicians. He was selected for "The Young Magicians Showcase" and, as they say, the rest is history.

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