We are back home for a couple of days after a great weekend in Schenectady, NY at the Proctors Theatre. This is a spectacular venue that underwent a huge renovation in 2004. We performed here twice before that renovation and this was our second time after.
We arrived in town on Thursday night. I had the opportunity to meet with Dr. Ginny Lee, a special education professor at SUNY Albany. I met her son, Spencer, in Miami. He works with the Ballet Magnificat in Jackson, MS. Spencer and I were talking and the conversation found its way to the Hocus Focus project…and then the connection to Dr. Lee. Through a series of email exchanges, we decided it would be great to set up a face to face and explore how we might work together in the future. It was a great meeting – and I’m excited about the possibilities!
The following day, we pulled the big rig into the loading dock of the Proctors Theatre and the day began. We have worked with this crew every time we’ve been here. They’re great, easy to work with, and well organized.
Once everything was loaded in, the day moved along easily. Scenery, lighting, sound, all tech – wrapped up in time for a quiet dinner.
We’ve been working on a new illusion much of the summer and decided this might be the perfect place to debut it. Keith and I had already worked out much of the lighting so there was very little to actually tweak. “The Invisible Lady” made her debut and the audience responded even better than we had imagined!
Prior to the show, I also had the chance to sit down with a group of students from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. These are aspiring artists, each in their own way, looking for opportunities to bring their talents and abilities to the world with inspiring outcomes. I enjoyed talking with them, before and after the show. A big thank you to their professor, Michael, for reaching out to me.
Speaking of audience – wow, what an awesome crowd! We had a large turn out (this venue has more than 2600 seats) and they were incredibly enthusiastic! The review that appeared the following day was validating in so many ways. You can read it here but here is one paragraph:
The Spencers are a refreshing approach to an art that has tried to buffalo us throughout the ages. While most of us don’t like the erie concept of ‘magic’, we love the notion of walking through dimensions to get to the other side of what might be. It is this true grasp of illusion and bending the rules that have won the Spencers critical acclaim the world over. They take your hand on a journey as if to say, “Look what I found.”
This week, we’re off to Waterbury, CT – the Palace Theatre and some work with the Special Olympics!