In a nostalgic trip to yesteryear, the “Enchanted Flower Garden” blooms once again in a spectacular display of color and life. This particular illusion, not seen on an American stage since the 1940s, is part of WonderWorks’ new Wonders of Magic show headlined by internationally-recognized magician, Terry Evanswood. Performing at WonderWorks since 2010, Evanswood will leave the whole family spellbound during this spectacular all new show featuring world-famous illusions, thrills, suspense and more!
Designed to take audiences to the edge of reality and beyond, the all new show has opened with daily performances in its 250-seat Imagination Theatre and also features a death-defying escape that would make Harry Houdini proud. Always interactive, Evanswood invites audience members to manacle him in locks and chains leaving him only 30-seconds to escape a 36-inch, whirling, solid steel, buzz saw descending to its final impact. Will he escape?
Celebrating 17 years of providing awe and wonderment to the millions of people he’s entertained, Evanswood is the longest-running headline performer in Pigeon Forge, a widely popular, must-see tourist destination in the foothills of Great Smoky Mountains National Park and within a one-day drive of most major cities in the eastern United States. Complimented by a talented cast, Evanswood is one of the most outstanding performers in the industry and is one of a very select group of artists to ever earn a “Merlin,” a highly sought-after award given only to the most elite magicians. Other notables to receive the Merlin include David Copperfield and Siegfried & Roy.
Designed for audiences of all ages, Wonders of Magic features never before seen illusions, from the intimacy of award winning sleight-of-hand illusions, to mind-boggling grand illusions and beyond. Additionally, audience members witness a tribute of Titanic proportions as a woman defies gravity as she floats off a water fountain ten feet above the stage. And, highlighting the uniqueness of the Smoky Mountains, Evanswood recreates on stage one of the area’s most famous events – the dance of the summer fireflies. Every summer only in the Smokies, thousands of fireflies light, in unison, and illuminate the darkened foothills of East Tennessee – a phenomenon unexplainable by science. Evanswood highlights this natural dance of light event, in a way only he can create, and an illusion only seen during Wonders of Magic.
Plus during the show, Evanswood teaches the entire Wonders of Magic audience a trick guaranteed to amaze their friends and family for years to come. At every performance, Evanswood selects children to not only participate on stage, but also to learn a little magic themselves. Additionally, Evanswood shares a heartfelt message in every show about hope, love and the reminder of the real “Wonders” of the magical world we all share together.
But, wait as there’s more! Evanswood invites guests to take a journey down memory lane through the “Hall of Magic” at WonderWorks. In this free museum showcasing magic’s history, guests have the opportunity to meet the great magicians of the past. Evanswood serves as the audio tour guide in this all new shrine to magic as visitors are able to see artifacts, costumes, props, autographs and personal memorabilia from a wide collection of magicians including Blackstone, Thurston and the great Harry Houdini.
One of the most affordable shows guests can experience in the Smokies at only $14.99 plus tax per person, Wonders of Magic is located inside WonderWorks, an indoor attraction uniquely housed in an upside-down building – a must-see for visitors to East Tennessee and locals alike. The building appears to have been ripped from its foundation and set back down on its roof.
WonderWorks is an “amusement park for the mind,” combining education and entertainment in more than 100 hands-on exhibits that will spark the imagination and stimulate the mind. Visitors to the attraction will enjoy a variety of NEW experiences including the Virtual Army Experience that allows guests (ages 13 and above) to sit in a Humvee and test their skills on a virtual battlefield! Also new this year, visitors can explore an oversized version of a Lite-Brite and become a human lightening rod by touching 100,000 volts of electricity inside the Tesla Coli exhibit. Plus, visitors can be blown away by 65-mile per hour hurricane-force winds, maneuver the controls of a NASA spacecraft to land a shuttle, lay on a bed of 3,500 nails, pilot a fighter jet, design and ride a 360-degree virtual roller coaster, climb a 50-foot tall ropes challenge course, compete in a game of lazer tag and much more!
In 2012, WonderWorks added the Wonders of Flight tethered balloon ride allowing guests to the Smoky Mountains the ability to view the world-renowned tourist destination in a completely new way – from up to 400-feet in the air. One of only two attractions of its kind in the Southeast and different from any other East Tennessee attraction, guests board an open air gondola beneath the giant blue and green helium-filled, completely tethered, 72-foot diameter balloon, and experience the sensation of being on a flying balcony while seeing an unmatched, 360-degree panoramic view of the Smoky Mountains and beyond.
WonderWorks is open every day from 9 a.m. to midnight and also operates in Orlando, Fla., Panama City, Fla., Myrtle Beach, S.C. and Syracuse, N.Y. To learn more about WonderWorks, visit www.wonderworksonline.com.