Producers Terry Hill and Milt Larsen have toured the country with the production since 1956. Each season, they choose different magicians from around the world to perform. This year's lineup is an all-American cast — Dana Daniels, Danny Cole, Chuck Jones, Eric Buss and Long Beach natives Les Arnold and Dazzle.
"The show is very fast-paced, and we really mix it up," said Hill. "We want to showcase all different types of acts so that people of all ages can enjoy it. It's really something like you see in Vegas, but you can bring the kids to it."
Cole, 27, began performing magic at the age of 7. The Los Angeles native said his act is something everyone can relate to. His routine centers around a normal guy who is plagued by the problems of life.
While an eclectic mix of music plays in the background, Cole performs humorous tricks like trying to sit in a chair that keeps moving away from him and such illusions as making a bunch of CDs appear and disappear.
Along with appearing on the NBC special "Lance Burton, Master Magician: The Encounter," Cole won the Lance Burton Teenage Stage Contest held in Las Vegas in 1996. In 2004, Cole starred in an hourlong magic special called "THEM." That same year, he was voted Stage Magician of the Year at the Magic Castle in Hollywood.
"The most important thing with my magic is that I find a common ground with the audience," said Cole, 27. "I want to create illusions that are not only visually interesting, but also help audiences see that sometimes our real-life problems are solved in a magical way. That idea is really my inspiration."
For Long Beach native Arnold and his sidekick Dazzle (portrayed by his daughter Alex Arnold), inspiration comes from the old-time comedy and magic of vaudeville. The duo describes their show as a roller coaster ride of laughs and astonishment, set to campy, vintage music. Arnold plays the stuffy magician who takes his magic much too seriously. The zany and mischievous Dazzle works overtime to mess up Arnold's act.
"Dazzle is really over the top," said Arnold. "She's full of punch and vinegar and kind of like a Lucille Ball character. She's always upstaging me and doing funny stuff behind my back. And during the whole show, we play this weird-sounding vintage music, which makes it that much funnier."
Arnold is the grandson of The Great Leon, a magician who won international acclaim for his grand illusions in the vaudeville era. Arnold began performing magic at the age of 10. By the time he reached
his teens, he was building his own props and performing at local venues.
In 1975, Arnold formed an act with his wife Charlee Ann. The couple appeared at the Magic Castle, as well as at private events, colleges and vacation resorts. Charlee Ann recently retired, and Alex, who holds a bachelor's in fine arts and dance from Cal State Long Beach, stepped in to fill her shoes.
"Alex and I believe people are really starved for good entertainment," said Arnold, who graduated from Cal State Long Beach in 1969 with a degree in industrial arts. "That's why we love following in the footsteps of the vaudeville entertainers, who spent years perfecting their acts. There's really something to be said for that."
For the past 16 years, Buss has been polishing his comedy magic, which he says combines whimsy, illusion and fun. He loves to dazzle his audiences with unconventional props such as pogo sticks, wigs and Barbie dolls.
The Tucson, Ariz., native has performed on five continents. Along with appearances on the PAX television network special "Masters of Illusion," Buss has shared the stage with William Shatner at the world-renowned comedy festival "Just for Laughs" in Montreal. In 1999, he made a command performance for the Royal Family of Monaco at their International Magic Gala.
"My style is like something that's been conceived by a hyperactive kid in a toy store," said Buss, 31. "I'm always kind of bouncing off the walls."
Unlike Buss, illusionist Jones' act is more conventional and packed with tricks like a levitating assistant, a girl who is cut in half and a disappearing tiger. Jones has been entertaining audiences since the age of 12, when he appeared as a magician with Johnny Carson.
In his early 20s, Chuck began devising many of his own illusions, such as the mis-made girl illusion (a girl is divided into four parts and accidentally assembled wrong). That trick earned him honors from the Society of American Magicians.
Along with headlining at casinos and showrooms around the globe, Jones has worked with celebrities such as Donald O'Connor, Steve Allen, Michael Landon, Mickey Rooney, George Gobel, Dennis Day, Bill Bixby, and Edgar Bergen.
Rounding out "It's Magic!" is Daniels, who also will serve as emcee. Daniels, who has headlined in casinos and comedy clubs all over the U.S., will work alongside his psychic parrot Luigi. The pair will perform off-the-wall magic, mixed with comedy and audience participation.