Reza performs at Paramount

lllusionist and traveling entertainer Reza entertained a crowd of young and old Thursday at the Paramount Theatre, with everything from simple card tricks to vanishing people.

The show appeared to start with a hitch when Reza couldn’t make a $100 bill reappear in a volunteer’s pocket; however, the bill later showed up in one of three sealed boxes of Cracker Jack, of which the gentleman voluntarily chose the right box.

After winning over the crowd for 90 minutes, Reza neared the show’s closing with one of his signature tricks: a prediction he made eight years ago about people in the crowd. Reza removed a safe and sealed package from a lockbox, and the lock combination happened to be the birth year of a man from the crowd. Inside the safe, other contents included the name of a random volunteer chosen from the crowd, favorite candy bars, another’s birthday and more.

Finally, Reza ended with an attempt to beat Harry Houdini’s record in 3 minutes and 23 seconds while escaping from chains, a bag and then a locked crate. After locking the crate, his female assistant stood on top and raised a sheet in front of herself. Roughly three seconds later, Reza pulled away the sheet. The woman was chained, in the bag and locked in the crate.

Reza’s next performance will be Friday night in Dubuque, Iowa. To see Reza’s tricks and for more information on shows, visit Rezalive.com.