Times Square in New York City, 2018. (photo from eveningofwonders.com)
Illusionist Vitaly Beckman fooled the famous Las Vegas duo Penn & Teller on his first appearance on Penn & Teller: Fool Us, in Season 3. Now, four years later, he will attempt to do it again – this time, filmed remotely from Vancouver, and with only a virtual audience. The episode airs March 19, 6 p.m. PST, on CW Network, and the appearance will later be posted online.
The performance will be shot so as not to allow any camera trickery, and the secret of the act will be disclosed to a judge, who will be watching Vitaly’s act, as well as listening to every word Penn & Teller say to see if their guess is correct, or whether Vitaly will be receiving a second Fool Us trophy.
Vitaly, most recently, had his show produced off-Broadway by Daryl Roth, whose producing credits include Tony winners such as Kinky Boots and Indecent. Vitaly was booked for a 16-week run at New York City’s Westside Theatre, where Penn & Teller started their careers in the 1980s.
From making drawings and paintings spring to life to making audience’s faces disappear from their own driver’s licence photos, Vitaly’s illusions have never been replicated anywhere in the world. (See jewishindependent.ca/a-wonder-full-evening and other articles on the JI website for more on Vitaly.)
Watch facebook.com/vitaly.beckman for news of what happened on March 19, if you can’t watch Penn & Teller: Fool Us that night.