By Jennifer Feinberg
Black Press
Goose bumps are a natural reaction to being utterly astonished.
They're all part of the package from illusionist Ted Outerbridge and his wife, Marion.
Outerbridge's latest show, The Time Capsule Tour, arrives at Coquitlam's Evergreen Cultural Centre for one thrilling night on Friday, Feb. 24 at 8 p.m.
"It's a 90-minute ride," promises Outerbridge. "It's very interactive, which keeps it fresh. It starts off with us getting to know the audience and then we share a little about ourselves."
It goes from silly to awe-inspiring and larger-than-life in short order, with the Outerbridges combining illusions with scenarios from everyday life.
"The show is about sharing the wonder," Ted says. "When I went to my first rock concert, The Who, it gave me goose bumps.
"My first experience watching a magic show did the same thing. So Marion and I have spent a lot of time over the years brainstorming ways to give people goose bumps."
They've honed the experience to a sharp edge, having won the 2010 Touring Artist of the Year award from B.C. Touring Council a year ago.
"That was big-time recognition," Ted says. "Plus, we broke into the U.S. this year as well."
It's their passion for creating the show that sets them apart.
"Our attitude is that there are miracles everywhere, and in order to make magic entertaining, people have to care about what they're watching," he adds.
As with soul-searing lyrics written by a tortured and talented songwriter, there are also sections in the show that can literally make some people cry with their beauty, Ted believes.
"It's not a bunch of tricks out of a magic store catalogue, we celebrate moments in time that the entire audience can appreciate or relate to in some way," Ted says.
The illusions are custom-designed by the duo, which makes them unique, such as the seven-foot high alarm clock that the graceful Marion climbs into.
Marion, who has a masters degree in ballet from Russia, says the show delivers a blend of illusion, dance and theatre for an exciting family friendly night.
"It's for everybody," Ted says.
They spend about half the year touring, traveling and performing for astounded audiences. Marion met Ted when he was looking for a second dancer for his show.
"My friend, the other dancer, was a matchmaker," Ted says.
It's been hearts and stars ever since. So bringing the crowd together during their show is crucial. One way they accomplish it is with one pivotal question: What would you put in a time capsule?
Randomly selected audience members will which timely and localized items they would include.
In fact, one of the highlights of the show could be Outerbridge's predicitons of the contents of a time capsule before it's opened.
"Time capsules are exciting and they've been around since the beginning of time," he offers. "Cave paintings are basically time capsules and so are pyramids.
The burning question remains, what will he say is in the locked capsule?
Oooohhh, there's only one way to find out.
Tickets are $10 to $35 and are available by calling 604-927-6555 or by visiting www.evergreenculturalcentre.ca.
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