To capture the magical feel of a New England village bewitched by poltergeists in his new musical, "Sleepy Hollow," writer/director Jim Christian tapped the talents of a former student.
That would be Paul Draper, an esteemed Las Vegas magician/illusionist/mind reader whose work has been seen on ABC, A&E, the History Channel and HGTV, among other networks.
"I'm very excited about the show," Draper said, of "Sleepy Hollow." "I spent four hours with the production staff and two hours with the cast. I talked with the cast about creating magical moments, and how people react to their belief in the paranormal. Every element of the show has a wonderfully spooky feeling."
All actors and crew members have signed nondisclosure contracts, and will not reveal the secrets to any levitations, transformations, psychokinesis, or appearing and disappearing objects audience members might witness.
"Magic is an ancient art, and it has to be kept secret to be able to continue to create joy for the millions," Draper said.
Christian said the musical is family-friendly, with no adult language or content, but the spooky theme and the magic may make it too frightening for children younger than 10.
Draper, who was in Salt Lake City for a performance last week, has nothing but praise for his former mentor.
"Jim Christian is a brilliant playwright who could have worked anywhere, but for his love of Utah. He has chosen to make Weber State one of the hubs of musical theater in America. I'm always amazed at the quality of shows at Weber State. As I travel around the world with my own show and experience musical theater, I always hearken back to the professionalism and performance level of Weber State grads."
-- Nancy Van Valkenburg
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