Photos & Story by Christian Chapman
Prepare for an amazing journey where those age eight and up will experience the awe of illusion, mystery and magic.
Save the date, Saturday, June 11, 2022, 7:30 pm, at the beautiful, historic, PLAZA theatre. Tickets may be secured from Ticket Master. Price $20. Consider this, SUCCESS is achieved when hard work makes the impossible appear possible. SUCCESS must seem effortless.
Meet your host, Imran Raze, MD, the consummate illusionist, magician, entertainer, and local family physician. RAZE, the illusionist, magician, entertainer came to being as a child. Fascinated, “Little RAZE” learned all the magic he could on his own. He earned money by putting on his own shows. As he grew older he would seek out the Masters of Illusion and pay them to learn, then, he mastered illusion, magic, and performance art. Raze used his talent to pay for his education and the rest is history.
Raze is often described as a renaissance man, cultured, well educated, worldly, witty, charming, an extraordinary “performer” and story teller who leaves his audience spellbound.
What is so special about this production? How does your production give back to our community?
While the production is designed for age eight and up, it will be the El Paso Child Crisis Center that will benefit from ticket sales. Ten percent of the proceeds will go to Child Crisis Center where in times of emergency, a family may leave their precious children to be protected and cared for until such time as the crisis is over. There is never a charge. EPCCC depends on the kindness and generosity of the El Paso community. Imagine how your ticket to Medical-illusions will help out a child you may never know but because of the El Paso Child Crisis Center they will be safe, the family can focus on healing and repairs and you will have become a part of this noble cause.
What are your personal goals?
My magic must be fresh, must make the impossible to seem possible. The internet may have answers but not all the answers. Some performances defy credulity, leaving the most sophisticated audience wondering, “How did Raze do that?”
Will your production feature card tricks?
But of course! (Suddenly, cards appear………… as if by magic…..) “I prefer the term “CARDISTRY.” I enjoy the game, but it does require Raze to be an expert in the manipulation of the deck of cards.
Is your magic show predictable?
To a degree, these productions have been seen before, in one way or another, but then again there are those of us who seek out to create the unique in entertainment. The challenge of mystery. The demand for perfection. So, the audience may have seen other shows and may expect more of the same thing. Ah, but here is the rub, they are new to RAZE –MEDILLUSIONS, and so, will be mesmerized, mind boggled, awed and thoroughly entertained. Magic, illusions must evolve.” Consider this: SUCCESS is when hard work in making the impossible appear possible must seem effortless.
The production MEDICALLUSIONS is ninety minutes long; however in that time, a wide range of illusions, levitations and incredible escapes that cannot be found in any other production will appear on stage. Here, RAZE makes the impossible become possible! It is a family friendly show
Your press release shows a helicopter appearing on stage with beautiful young ladies assisting. How do you do that? Laughter, Raze smiles and says, “Can you imagine a helicopter suddenly appearing on stage? Illusion? Magic, my friend. Magic.”
What experience can your audience look forward to in this production? Wonder? Astonishment?
Fun. Goodness, to be amazed with levitation, to marvel at how I escape the deadly spikes and tremble as a beautiful assistant enters a glass box where she is sawed in half via a giant motorized buzz saw. Assistants will appear and disappear in seconds and it just gets better and better. The grand finale involves a giant helicopter that appears on stage as if by magic.
What inspired you to create MEDICALLUSIONS?
During the Covid shut down I came up with an idea whereby I would combine magic with medicine and that’s how MEDICALLUSIONS came to be. Each illusion is based on a real life medical experience while I was in medical school, during residency and my day-to-day practice,” said the good medical doctor.
You became; and are, a doctor of medicine, but then somewhere in time, you decided you wanted to be a magician and an illusionist. Why?
On one hand, I love medicine. I live medicine. On the other hand, magic/illusion, they are my passion. You only live once. I am very lucky.
Just as in practicing medicine, in today’s world, even a renowned illusionist and magician needs an office where he can focus his time and energy to his passion. Imran Raze, MD, joined forces with RAZE, the illusionist/magician and “together” they created MEDICALLUSIONS.
“There followed the need for a place where all this could take place. A studio was designed and built, “RAZE Studio Illusions & Magic.” This studio is Headquarters for all matters dealing with grand illusions and magic.”
What makes this studio different?
The studio is complete with a stage where slight-of-hand, hocus-pocus, and abracadabra call forth the impossible to become possible! Guests may shop for fun magic materials for any age, beginner and or advanced devotees of magic.
How do you define the difference between an illusionist and magician?
As I see it, an illusionist performs on stage using large scale props and often as not needs an assistant or two to help. The visual is all, no worries about language barriers. The audience views appearance and disappearance of an assistant or huge prop, or floating on air.
What is the down side to an illusionist production?
To take the time to learn how and paying for the privilege. The cost of transportation, freight, if you will, a much needed crew or a crew plus on stage assistants, and the cost of stage lighting. I am sure there is much more but this comes to mind.
How do you prepare for a production?
There is a time for medicine and a time for magic. It really helps when you have the support of your family, and a great crew.
Saturday, June 11, 2022 7:30 P.M.
Medicallusions: the Magic of Raze, MD
The Plaza Theatre – El Paso, TX
125 W Mills Ave, El Paso, TX 79901
Ticket Master
