The show had an array of tricks to please the audience.

The show had an array of tricks to please the audience.
By L. CROW
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
YOUNGSTOWN -- Some magicians leave you with a ho-hum feeling -- not many surprises and tricks that are less than impressive. Then others keep the audience dumbfounded, jaws gaping, muttering over and over, "Now, how DID he do that?" Friday night at the Youngstown Playhouse was an evening of gaping jaws and dumbfoundedness as we were awed by the "Magic and Illusions of John Steven Bloom."
Bloom, a local magician, travels all over the country to perform, so it was a real treat to have him back at the Playhouse for this spectacular presentation. He was joined by his family, including his very beautiful wife, Chance, and their adorable little daughter, Victoria, with a cameo appearance by their year-old daughter Isabella, plus the ferret and rabbit.
This show included a little bit of everything, from rope-and-coat hanger tricks to levitation and an escape illusion of Houdini. From the simple to the grand, most of these feats left one wondering. Even this reviewer, who is usually pretty sharp at figuring things out, was left clueless. This guy is a pro!
Changing it up
The flow of acts in this performance really kept the audience at full attention, alternating between close-up style acts, such as the frustrating coat hangers that got all tangled, complete with obnoxious music, to the full stage act, where an empty tube seemed to be a bottomless pit of ugly hats and umbrellas of all sizes, which Bloom pulled out and scattered over the stage as he and Chance danced to the rock music.
And moods changed quickly, too. We heard exotic music as Bloom pulled dry sand in three different colors out of a bowl of water, representing the sands the Pharaoh used to build his pyramids, then switched to a dark and sultry scene with starlit sky as Chance, dressed in a purple harem costume, levitated several feet atop a huge scaffold.
And speaking of Chance, some of the most amazing feats of the evening were her costume changes. We never saw her twice in the same gown, and she seemed to slip out of one and into another at the drop of a hat.
One of the creepiest acts was from a Halloween show. (Bloom, incidentally, met Chance in a coffin in a haunted house) In that grand illusion, which represents human sacrifice, it appeared as if Bloom stuck wide blades through Chance, above and below her torso, as she was strapped inside a box with only her head and legs showing.
But don't by any means think this was a serious presentation. This magical couple has a wonderful, playful sense of humor. In fact, the ease with which they performed their tricks made them seem like child's play.
And Bloom loves to play with the audience, too, bringing people up onstage to assist him. Even Stephanie Holt, wife of Playhouse Managing Director John Holt, got into the act as Bloom tricked her with disappearing toilet paper.
Even if you're not a big fan of magic shows, this one is guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat. It continues today at 2:30. For reservations call (330) 788-8739.