Nostalgia and magic combine in Carnival of Illusion

By Theresa Poalucci
Oro Valley Voice

Our lives are full of illusion, after all we live in an age of computer technology and special effects. So where does magic fit in, in a world of cynics? 

“We think people like it when something is real,” said Roland Sarlot, one half of the team of Carnival of Illusions. “People like to connect with the performer. When they go to a live show it is a special
night in their lives and it should be a magical experience.”

“What we hear every night from our audiences is that when magic is performed three feet away from you it is much more amazing than watching it on television,” said Susan Eyed, the other half of this amazing duo, the talent behind Carnival of Illusion — a show that is filled with magic, has a vaudevillian sensibility, and presents in an intimate setting with no more than 100 audience members.

The show use to be much bigger, traveling from city to city, but these Tucson residents have decided to keep things closer to home and scale the show down to work for a smaller audience. They alternate between four venues now, Tempe, Mesa, Phoenix and Tucson.

“We actually have the longest running show in Arizona, with over 450 performances,” said Sarlot, who explained the “Carnival” in the title of their show comes from the idea of traveling from city to city.

Both Sarlot and Eyed lived abroad for a time and have used their love of other cultures to engage the audience in the show’s theme of “Around the World in 80 Minutes.” Their travels have inspired them to create story based illusions as they share their experiences with the audience.

“This is not a card trick show,” said Eyed. “There is a lot of variety to the magic, all the props are custom made, and many of the tricks have never been one so close up.”

It is the up close and personal approach with the audience that inspires the awe and mystery. Dressed in turn of the century inspired costumes, the duo, who are also husband and wife, not only present “Classic Old World” magic, but also include dance, humor and music to the mix. There may even be a bit of mind reading and there is always some audience participation.

Sarlot had a passion to learn the art of trickery from an early age. Eyed, is also a seasoned illusionist, storyteller and dancer. Together the two have fun with the audience and with each other.

“I learned my first trick from the back of a cereal box,” laughed Eyed.

“When I grew up, there weren’t a lot of magicians,” said Sarlot. “I remember seeing Doug Henning on TV. It was a big event for me and filled me with a sense of wonder and mystery. So I started to learn what I could, mostly by reading. Then I had to practice and practice.”

“Houdini wrote a whole book just on paper magic,” he continued. “There is plenty of information out there to discover, but the days of having a magic shop in every city is gone. I just knew from an early age that magic was for me.”

In Carnival of Illusion, some of what the audience sees is very old and based on Sarlot’s extensive research, but the duo have reinterpreted the magic with a modern sensibility for sophisticated audiences.

“The show is not stuck in time,” said Eyed. “However we have included our love of the vintage, of art nouveau, and similar esthetics. Each aspect of the show delivers its own emotional component as well. It is not all serious magic, as that would only be one flavor. We laugh a lot.”

The real trick to good magic is getting the audience to care,” said Roland. “We want the audience to ponder and wonder about the possibilities of what they have just seen.”

If you go: Tickets can be purchased online at www.carnivalofillusion.com and range from $48 for front row to $35. Carnival of Illusion is set to play in Tucson at the Scottish Rite Grand Parlour. Because the audience size is limited, these shows sell out rather quickly. Although the show is family friendly, Carnival of Illusion is for the “young at heart.” Fabulous for audiences 10 years and older. For more information call 520-615-5299.