BATH — Master illusionist Vitaly Beckman will perform An Evening of Wonders at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 8 at the Chocolate Church Arts Center, 804 Washington St. Beckman has made it a personal challenge to reintroduce awe and wonderment to those who have forgotten what it feels like to be amazed.

Every illusion in Beckman’s performance is original and represents an “impossible dream” that he has set out to accomplish. From making drawings and paintings come to life to teleporting playing cards from one audience member to another, his illusions defy logic and belief. 

His acts are so astounding that he has fooled famous Las Vegas duo Penn and Teller in their hit TV show “Penn & Teller Fool Us.” According to a review published by Vanish Magazine editor Paul Romhany, a large part of Beckman’s appeal is that he never comes off “as a know-it-all magician, but somebody who sees wonderment in the world, and turns it into magic,” causing even the most jaded illusionists to declare his show as containing “some of the most incredible and impossible magic ever witnessed.” 

Never one to rest on his laurels, Beckman is constantly inventing new illusions. He is willing to risk arrest and imprisonment for identity theft by promising that he will channel his powers to make the photo from your driver’s license disappear. Will he restore your photo, or will it come back with a different face, say of Marilyn Monroe or George Clooney? Is it magic or trickery?

Tickets are $15 in advance, $18 at the door, and $12 for children under 12 (recommended for 8 years and older). Visit chocolatechurcharts.org or call the box office at 207-442-8455 to reserve tickets.

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