3 minute read
Area Entertainment: World Class Illusionist
BY LINDA PAGE, Entertainment Writer
The Branson entertainment scene is fortunate to have several great illusionists performing in town and ranked right up there as one of the greats and a personal favorite is Reza John Borchardt, known on stage as simply Reza.
Reza is one of today’s most highly sought after touring illusionists, delivering spectacular performances worldwide.
However, it took many years of honing his skills to reach this level of success. He was born in 1986 and his interest in magic began at the early age of six when he saw his first magic show at his elementary school in Brookings, South Dakota. For his seventh birthday he received his very first magic kit and put on his own magic show at his school. By the age of 14 Reza was performing for resorts and large corporations across the Midwest and at age 15 he arrived in Branson. His family had vacationed in Branson often when he was growing up and he always knew this was where he wanted to be. Since that time he has performed hundreds of shows here and was voted Branson’s Magician of the Year in 2016 and 2021.
Reza has performed his “Edge of Illusion” show all over the United States and several other countries, earning him the title of “the nation’s top touring illusionist.” He is currently wowing audiences at the Branson Famous Theatre located at 645 Hwy. 165.
His appearance on TV networks such as MTV, A&E, The CW, PBS, Reelz, CX, Fuji and Telemundo and in live venues including the Alamodome (San Antonio), Phillips Arena (Atlanta), Villanova Pavilion (Philadelphia) and Mundo Imperial Forum (Acapulco) has turned this young prodigy into a top star in the industry. Reza has been seen on Penn & Teller: Fool Us, Duck Dynasty and other reality shows in over 31 countries.
Even though “Edge of Illusion” is a grand scale production, Reza is not flamboyant, but rather is a soft-spoken, chill guy who connects with his audience on a personal level. When he asks for volunteers from the audience, hands are waving and people are yelling “pick me” and this is not just the kids.
I recently attended Reza’s show and was pleased to see a full house enjoying the show. There were all ages there, and I loved to watch the expressions on the faces of the youngsters as Reza performed his magic and included some of them in the show.
At the start of the show we see an empty stage and in the blink of an eye Reza appears on a motorcycle which is only the beginning of a couple hours of fun and wonderment. People disappear, shipping containers appear, augers pierce a human body, a wedding ring from an audience member turns up in a strange place and the magic goes on and on.
At intermission audience members have a chance to go on stage and have a picture taken with Reza. Then after the show there are backstage passes available to see the magic that goes on behind the scenes.
I overheard a man seated behind me say, “He’s kinda scary,” which I believe was meant as a great compliment. There were some scary, breathtaking moments but you just can’t not look. You can check out Reza’s schedule at REZALIVE.COM or call 417-231-4999 for information and tickets.
