Magician brings ‘futuristic’ approach to Pikes Peak Center show

As a kid, Adam Trent reveled in watching musicals at Pikes Peak Center.

“Wow, what an amazing play,” he remembers thinking. “One day, I want to play theaters like that.”

And soon, he will — returning to take the stage at the Pikes Peak Center on Friday. The family-friendly show will feature music, magic and comedy with plenty of audience participation.

“If you like magic, then this is the show for you. If you don’t like magic, this is definitely the show for you, because of all the different art forms kind of mixed into one,” Trent said.

Trent is known for his role in the Broadway hit “The Illusionists,” the world’s bestselling touring magic show, as well as his ABC prime- time special, “The Magic Maker.” The Boulder native has also appeared on “America’s Got Talent” and “The Today Show,” as well as his own 10-episode TV series “The Road Trick” on Netflix.

He got started in magic when he was 9 years old, after reading a book on the craft. From there, he was performing at birthday parties, doing street shows, and eventually moved to Los Angeles at 18 to pursue his career in entertainment. What he loves about magic: the interactiveness of the art form.

“When I would see shows as a kid, I always loved things where they had crowd interaction — and nothing’s more interactive than magic,” he said. “One of the things that I love more than anything is being able to pull volunteers on stage and let them partake in the magic. And that’s something that makes every show feel unique. It makes every show feel different.”

Trent describes his magic acts as “futuristic,” with use of technology for new illusions and fresh tricks, like cloning himself and teleporting across the stage.

“This is not your ‘pull a rabbit out of a hat,’ traditional magic show. There’s a lot of comedy. There’s a lot of audience participation, it’s kind of a show reimagined for the time that we’re living in today,” he said. “Of all art forms, I think magic is the one that is best experienced live. So for me, performing live and having audience members come on stage partaking in it — you see it just feet away from your face — I think is especially powerful.”