Nationally recognized illusionist and local businessman Scott Anderson is offering two performances of his acclaimed magic show at the Canby Fine Arts Center this weekend.
Anderson, one of the few Pacific Northwest-based entertainers to be elevated to the national stage, has wowed judges and audiences alike in his Vegas-style magic show and on hit programs including America’s Got Talent, Wizard Wards and most recently, the Go-Big Show on TBS just last year.
Also an Iraq War Army veteran, Anderson weaves his own life stories, hilarious comedy, audience participation and jaw-dropping illusions into an unforgettable performance that promises to be “magical theater at its finest.”
The show will include many astounding illusions he has performed before, including levitating an audience member and sawing himself in half, as well as never-before-seen material.
“We’ll be bringing all of the illusions we did on America’s Got Talent, all of the illusions we did with Snoop Dogg on the Go-Big Show,” Anderson says. “It’s kind of a ‘best of’ show, plus we’ll be unveiling some brand-new ones. For one of them, we’re going to create a superhero — that’s my new favorite.”
Anderson, who is also known locally for his family’s elaborate Halloween and Christmas displays, has performed his show at the Fine Arts Center in the past, always in support of local causes, including the Boy Scouts, the Canby Fire District first responders fund and the Canby Vietnam Era Veterans Memorial.
“Most of the big shows I do are either at casinos or for private corporations, and most people here don’t have the chance to see that,” he explains. “So this is a real opportunity for me to perform at that level for my friends and neighbors here in Canby.”
The show’s cast includes Anderson’s 11-year-old daughter, Hailey, and three assistants. Tickets are only $10, with proceeds benefiting the Canby High School trap shooting team.
“You know, the last theater show we did, they were charging $75 per ticket, and it wasn’t even as big as this one’s going to be,” Anderson says. “This is 10 bucks. It’s basically the price of going to the movies, it’s live entertainment, and you get to support a great cause.”
Performances will be at 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday, May 21. Tickets are available online at eventbrite.com, at Cutsforth’s Market through Friday, May 20, at the Canby High School accounting office, from a member of the trap shooting team, or at the door.