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PW OPINION PW NEWS PW LIFE PW ARTS •CALENDAR• 20 PASADENA WEEKLY | <strong>06.20.19</strong> Ivan Amodei Magic With a Message ILLUSIONIST IVAN AMODEI BRINGS LIFE-CHANGING MAGIC TO THE ALEX THEATRE BY CARL KOZLOWSKI You have to be one hell of a magician to confound the legendary magic duo of Penn & Teller on their CW network TV show “Penn & Teller: Fool Us,” but Ivan Amodei is one of the few to have accomplished just that. In the past couple of years, he has parlayed that achievement into a fast-rising career that brings him to the stage of the historic Alex Theatre in Glendale on Saturday night. Titled “Secrets & Illusions,” the show features Amodei leading audiences on an epic journey to discover the secrets of life. Set on the dark and deserted streets of Paris, audiences will enter the legendary Louvre Museum, where an enchanting musical muse escorts them through galleries, while Ivan uncovers life’s greatest mysteries deep inside the priceless works of art, one dazzling illusion at a time. The 90-minute spectacular focuses on providing “magic with a message,” and displays Amodei’s signature style of thought-provoking vignettes, audience participation, and storytelling. “The show isn’t just magic tricks, it actually has parts that address important life things like facing fears, making choices and finding love all in a funny way with illusions that support the message,” says Amodei. “I say ‘we’re gonna face your fear today,’ and a spectator comes on stage and we play Russian Roulette with a 12 inch hunting knife hidden in a paper bag straight up and you have to decide which one to slam your hand into. “There’ll be a large butcher knife with a 12-inch blade, hidden under a paper bag drilled into a stand so the blade is straight up,” Amodei continues. “I cover the entire stand and knife with a paper bag and put the identical ones that are empty there too, then mix them up on the table so we don’t know which is which. And I tell her the game is slam hand on the bag and then come to which one will have the knife. Most people run out and I have to get a second participant. That just adds to the suspense, and the whole point is to face your fears.” The 45-year-old Amodei was born in Sicily and moved to the US at the age of two, becoming fascinated by magic when he saw a family friend performing tricks when he was 5. He first started performing small-group magic as a waiter to earn better tips while saving for college, then moved on to parlor-size audiences before going fully professional with large-scale crowds. Rather than waiting for gigs to come to him or languishing at a day job and performing at parties for side money, Amodei created a full-fledged show after college and took the risk of selling tickets to theaters he rented. “The show’s illusions are demonstrations of messages in life, not a magic show where I put a girl in a box and saw her in half,” says Amodei. “This is a show about thinking about the messages and facing your fears. The participation allows the show to go in a different direction. It’s a show that actually will help inspire you to move on to the next level of your life. “A lot of people are stuck and don’t know what they want to do,” he concludes. “This is about how you can achieve more and demonstrate and prove what I’m saying is right. All of the show’s illusions have premises in them, including finding love, purpose in life, why are you on this planet, your destiny. What if you said yes to that job, no to that job, move to this state? Things that actually prove certain things about life. It’s a really different show.” n Ivan Amodei performs “Secrets & Illusions” at 7:30 p.m. Sat. at the Alex Theatre, 216 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale. Tickets are $35 to $85. Call (818) 243-2539 or visit alextheatre.org. Thursday June 20 through Wednesday June 26 PLEASE NOTE: Deadline for Calendar submissions is noon Wednesday of the week before the issue publishes. Send to johns@ pasadenaweekly.com THURSDAY The Blue Guitar Arroyo Seco Golf Course 1055 Lohman Lane, South Pasadena blueguitar.club The club at Arroyo Seco Golf Course presents Twanguero at 7 p.m. Tickets are $14 general admission, $20 for table seating, available on the website. Crowell Public Library 1890 Huntington Drive, San Marino (626) 300-0777 crowellpubliclibrary.org Tracy McCubbin, of the company dClutterfly, presents a workshop on “Making Space, Clutter Free,” explaining the seven emotional clutter blocks leading to an inability to get rid of unneeded items, starting at 2 p.m. Free. Descanso Gardens 1418 Descanso Drive, La Cañada Flintridge (818) 949-4200 descansogardens.org Descanso’s annual Music on the Main live jazz series features piano-driven jazz by Yuko Mabuchi from 6 to 7:30 p.m., included in Descanso admission of $9 general admission, $6 for students and seniors, $4 for children 5 to 12, free for those 4 and younger. Norton Simon Museum 411 W. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena (626) 449-6840 nortonsimon.org Thursday Summer Fun, Gameplay, invites guests to explore games reflected in the collections, then design a puzzle of their own, from 1 to 3 p.m., included in Norton Simon admission of $15 for adults, $12 for seniors, free for students, those 18 and under and members. Pasadena Public Library, Hastings Branch 3325 E. Orange Grove Blvd., Pasadena (626) 744-7262 pasadenapubliclibrary.net A Pasadena Fire Department meet-and-greet invites guests to meet the local heroes at 4 p.m. Author Kathleen Vallee Stein discusses her book “Loving Choices, Peaceful Passing: Why My Family Chose Hospice” at 7 p.m., followed by a Q&A session. Pasadena Senior Center 85 E. Holly St., Pasadena (626) 795-4331 pasadenaseniorcenter.org Anthem Blue Cross representatives discuss the dangers of sun exposure at 10 a.m. San Gabriel Valley Orchid Hobbyists Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden 301 N. Baldwin Ave., Arcadia sgvoh.org The club hosts and open forum for questions on all things related to orchids starting at 7 p.m. Free and open to the public. Refreshments are included. FRIDAY Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock 2225 Colorado Blvd., Eagle Rock (323) 561-3044 cfaer.org Mary Frances Spencer and Gongphoria present Summer Solstice Sound Bath, a sonic vibrational concert featuring symphonic gongs and crystal singing bowls. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. and the concert starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door. Pasadena Senior Center 85 E. Holly St., Pasadena (626) 795-4331 pasadenaseniorcenter.org Free films screen at 1 p.m. on select Fridays. This Friday’s film is “My Fellow Americans” (1996). SATURDAY Alex Theatre 216 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale (818) 243-2539 alextheatre.org Master illusionist Ivan Amodel, winner of Penn & Teller’s “Fool Us,” brings his new stage tour, “Secrets & Illusions” to Glendale. It is set on the dark and deserted streets of Paris. Guests seemingly enter the Louvre, where a musical muse escorts them through the galleries, while Amodel uncovers life’s greatest mysteries deep inside priceless works of art, and other illusions. It starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $35 to $85. Arcadia Performing Arts Center 188 Campus Drive, Arcadia (626) 821-1781 arcadiapaf.org Tribute artist James Garner and his band faithfully recreate the music of Johnny Cash starting at 7 p.m. Tickets are $20 to $60. The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino (626) 405-2100 huntington.org “Night Owls,” a Family Evening event, invites families to learn about the animals that call the Huntington home. Guests can tour the Desert Garden, meet night creatures from the Wildlife Learning Center and explore the Orbit Pavilion at night, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Cost is $20 per person, free for kids younger than 5. Register at huntington.org/calendar. A monumental new, site-specific installation, “Tang Qingnia: An Offering to Roots” by artist Tang Qingnian goes on view, featuring full-size prints of five banner paintings, the largest one, 18 feet long, suspended from a framework above the water of the Chinese Garden lake. It continues through Sept. 23, during regular Huntington hours, included in Huntington admission of $29 for adults, $24 for seniors, youth 4 to 11, $13, free for those younger than 4. Norton Simon Museum 411 W. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena (626) 449-6840 nortonsimon.org A guided tour visits works from the Spanish Golden Age from 1 to 2 p.m., included in Norton Simon admission of $15 for adults, $12 for seniors, free for students, those 18 and under and members. Pasadena POPS Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden 301 N. Baldwin Ave., Pasadena (626) 793-7172 pasadenasymphony-pops.org The POPS launches its Sierra Summer Concert Series with music from the Great American Songbook, from Stephen Foster’s “Beautiful Dreamer” to Broadway favorites including “Can’t Help Lovin’ That Man” and “Maria,” to music of Frank Sinatra. Michael Feinstein conducts. Guest vocal soloists are Kevin McKidd and Melissa Errico. Gates open at 5:30 p.m. for picnicking and the concert starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 and up. Pasadena Public Library, Central Branch 285 E. Walnut St., Pasadena (626) 744-4066 pasadenapubliclibrary.net The Family Science Fiction Classics film series screens “Countdown” (1968), about two astronauts vying to be the first American to walk on the moon, starting at 2 p.m. Vroman’s Bookstore 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena (626) 449-5320 vromansbookstore.com
PW OPINION PW NEWS PW LIFE PW ARTS •CALENDAR• ONGOING Sierra Madre Playhouse, 87 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre, presents the musical “Dames at Sea,” a story about a woman who arrives on Broadway from Utah. She is cast in the chorus of a show, but the theater soon closes. Her songwriting sailor boyfriend persuades the captain of his ship to allow the show to move on deck. It opened June 15 and continues at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2:30 p.m. Sundays through July 21. Tickets are $25 to $45. Call (626) 355- 4318 or visit sierramadreplayhouse.org. Boston Court Pasadena, 70 N. Mentor Ave., Pasadena, presents Kit Steinkeltner’s “Ladies,” a fictional account of the real women behind the Blue Stocking Society, the world’s first major feminist movement in 1750s London. Their ambitious goals created scandal in London society and conflicts among themselves. It opened June 1 and continues at 8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays through June 30. Tickets are $20 to $39. Call (626) 683-6801 or visit bostoncourtpasadena.org. Norton Simon Museum, 411 W. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, presents the exhibition “The Sweetness of Life: Three 18th Century French Paintings From the Frick Collection,” featuring visions of contemporary life and fashion, by Francois Boucher, Jean-Siméon Chardin and Jean-Baptiste Greuze, on view through Sept. 9 during regular museum hours. Admission is included in Norton Simon admission of $15 for adults, $12 for seniors, free for students, those 18 and under and members. Call (626) 449-6840 or visit nortonsimon.org. Pasadena Museum of History, 470 W. Walnut St., Pasadena, presents the exhibition “Giddy Up: Children Take the Reins,” featuring an array of more than 35 small-scale carousel horses and exotic creatures that guests of all ages will be able to touch and view through Sept. 15, during regular hours of noon to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays. Call (626) 577-1660 or visit pasadenahistory.org. Pasadena Playhouse, 39 S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena, presents “Gather: Surprising Stories & Other Mischief,” which opened May 24. Starring John C. Reilly and Betsy Brandt, it was created by Reilly and Patrick Murphy, who directs. The show takes audiences to wondrous worlds full of legendary creatures and colorful characters, as traditional folklore and contemporary pieces come to life in a magical experience for all ages. The show continues at 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, closing Saturday. Tickets are $56. Call (626) 356-7529 or visit pasadenaplayhouse.org. Jet Tila discusses and signs “101 Epic Dishes: Recipes that Teach You How to Make the Classics Even More Delicious” at 3 p.m. SUNDAY Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden 301 N. Baldwin Ave., Arcadia (626) 821-4624 arboretum.org A discussion and musical performance explores the Arboretum’s Dawn Redwood, a tree once thought to be extinct, which died during California’s recent drought. Wood from the tree was fashioned into a guitar by luthier Dennis Hays. Peter Del Tredici, senior research scientist emeritus at Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, discusses the tree’s history, and popular artist Laurence Juber, formerly of the group Wings, will perform pop and jazz classics on the guitar. The event runs from 3 to 5 p.m. Tickets are $15, or $12 for members. Soulful Sunday Brunch The Rose 245 E. Green St., Pasadena (888) 645-5006, wheremusicmeetsthesoul.com Enjoy a live Motown-style band, gospel choir and mouthwatering brunch from $29 to $58. The $18.50 general admission does not include brunch. Brunch starts at 10 a.m. and music starts at 11 a.m. Taste of Eagle Rock Corner of Hill Drive and Eagle Rock Boulevard, Eagle Rock cerb.us/taste-of-eagle-rock Community service organization The Collaborative Eagle Rock Beautiful (CERB) hosts the event, featuring food and beverages, including beer and wine from various Eagle Rock establishments from 4 to 7 p.m. Tickets are $45 for adults, $35 for designated drivers, $15 for kids 6 to 12, free for those 5 and younger. MONDAY Maureen Choi Quartet Concert Bacchus’ Kitchen 1384 E. Washington Blvd., Pasadena (626) 594-6377 –CONTINUED ON PAGE 22 <strong>06.20.19</strong> | PASADENA WEEKLY 21
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