Bill Blagg III Brings a Night of Magic to the SMPAC

The South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center kicks off the New Year on Saturday, January 16, at 7:30 pm with Bill Blagg III’s A Night of Magic. See the performance that is shattering the barrier between the audience and the stage by infusing an unmatched level of audience interaction into each and every show. This performance will also be the 2nd Annual Bring Your Child to the Arts Day at the South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center. A variety of family, fun activities will be planned before the performance. More details will be announced in January. Tickets are $8-$22 and can be purchased by calling the SMPAC Box Office at 414-766-5049 or online at www.southmilwaukeepac.org. It is recommended that you purchase tickets in advance.

Bill Blagg III is often referred to as magic's best-kept secret, despite achieving fame as a premiere performer at a relatively young age. A single beginner's magic kit given to him at the age of 5 set the stage for what would become a lifelong love and a desire to become one of the genre's biggest stars. Still only a teenager when he won the prestigious Adult Stage Competition at Abbott Magic's Get-Together in 1998, Blagg continues to break barriers and excite audiences with A Night of Magic, his high-energy signature show, which Entertainment USA calls “absolutely electrifying.”

A Night of Magic stands apart from most magic shows in the sense that it strives to heighten interaction between audiences and the art of illusion. In each act, Blagg employs creative ways to engage his fans, such as finding random volunteers (rather than trained assistants) to levitate or else vanish completely from the stage. The 28-year-old Blagg also possesses an off-the-cuff sense of humor, which he employs regularly, whether walking through a plate of steel or attempting to read the audience’s minds. The combination of interaction and comedy, paired with state-of-the-art lighting and digital sound effects, lends A Night of Magic a grand sense of scale. The highly-acclaimed show has been likened to a cross between the improvisational antics of Chicago’s Second City Theatre and the famed dramatics of David Copperfield.

Having spent years honing his elusive craft, Blagg is clear on his reasons for continuing such an elaborate show. “I do it to see the smile on people’s faces. Seeing their looks of amazement, hearing their laughter and knowing I’m making a difference in their day, even if it’s only for a short period of time. I want people to come to my show and enjoy every single moment. That’s the reason I’m always pushing myself harder, to give people what they want. Those are the greatest highlights of being an entertainer and that’s why I love it.”

Bill Blagg III first aspired to be a magician as a young child, when he visited Chicago’s Magic, Inc. shop on his eighth birthday. David Copperfield became an early icon, and was Blagg’s constant idol throughout junior high. “I always told [classmates] I wanted to be a professional magician,” he recalls. “A lot of people didn’t understand how serious I was about making magic a career.” His 4-minute performance and subsequent win at the 1998 Abbott Magic Get-Together competition in Colon, Michigan was met with buzz from the magic industry, allowing Blagg the opportunity to become a consummate magician and stage performer while still only a teenager.

The South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center is located inside the South Milwaukee High School at 901 15th Avenue, South Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Free parking is located in the northwest parking lot. Patrons should enter door #9. The South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center is located between College and Rawson Avenues and is easily accessible from I-94 and 794. For tickets or directions, call 414-766-5049. For more information about the South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center, visit their website at www.southmilwaukeepac.org.

This performance is supported in part by a grant from the Wisconsin Arts Board with funds from the State of Wisconsin and the National Endowment for the Arts.