Do you want to experience an evening of enchantment and mystery, offering &uot;side-splitting humor&uot; and &uot;edge-of-your seat&uot; thrills live – and right in your hometown?

The opportunity will be yours next Tuesday night, October 19, when the curtain of the Ritz Theatre rises at 7 p.m. on &uot;Theatre of Illusion&uot;, the second of four productions offered this season by the Greenville Area Arts Council (GAAC).

Talented husband-and-wife team Kevin and Cindy Spencer have won international acclaim for what has been described as &uot;a magical concert for your eyes&uot; and &uot;theater in the truest sense of the word.&uot;

The Birmingham News described the show as &uot;fast-paced, sophisticated, state-of-the-art entertainment&uot; while the Vail Daily News proclaimed the Spencers to be &uot;modern-day Houdinis.&uot;

Award-winning performers

The duo has been performing on the road for over a decade with one of the largest and most successful touring illusion shows in the country.

Along the way, the Spencers have won more national awards than any other magical performers in the country. They have been named Performing Arts Entertainers of the Year no less than six times, sharing that honor with only one other magician, David Copperfield, and holding the title longer than any other performer.

&uot;Theater of Illusion&uot; is the fulfillment of a life-long dream for Kevin Spencer.

&uot;I can remember telling my mother when I was five that I was going to be a magician when I grow up…I worked my way through college doing magic and pursued it as a career. It has always been my dream to perform magic. I am now living that dream,&uot; Spencer says.

While wife and stage partner Cindy Spencer says she first became involved in magic simply because she married a magician, she has gone on to become the first woman recognized for her contributions to the art of magic by the International Brotherhood of Magicians. She was also the first female to be featured on the cover of &uot;The Linking Ring,&uot; the oldest magic publication in the world.

A powerful theatrical experience

The Spencers: &uot;Theater of Illusion&uot; is a high-tech stage show combining dazzling special effects, comedy, choreography, scenery, lighting and music in a truly magical way guaranteed to capture the attention of theatergoers of every age.

The duo is said to encourage audience participation, so don’t be surprised to see some of your Butler County friends and neighbors become part of the show. &uot;We’ll be looking for people in the audience to join us on the stage,&uot; promises Kevin Spencer.

Fun for all ages

&uot;We know this show is going to be a wonderful production for the entire family to enjoy, so mark those calendars…and plan to get here early for a good seat,&uot; says GAAC Membership Chair, Roberta Gamble.

Tickets for next Tuesday night’s production are $20 for adults and $15 for students. For more information, contact Gamble at 382-3414 or at starpeacock@alaweb.com.