Lauren Smith

Staff Writer

The Lakeland Community Theatre will be hosting a comedic magic show featuring the acclaimed magician and hypnotist Cesar Domico on Jan.  31 and Feb. 1.

In this interactive family-friendly production, the audience will become part of the show as award-winning Domico performs magic tricks with volunteers, both adults and children, and will even use his abilities to hypnotize them.

“I think it will make people appreciate the art of magic more,” said sophomore Paige Greenwood. “It might also make them want to support not just the magician but the theater, too.”

Domico has more than 20 years of magician experience under his belt and has performed stage shows all over the United States from California to Florida and even internationally in Canada and Latin America. In the Sunshine State alone, he has performed in over 30 cities, including Tampa, Orlando and Miami.

His incredible tricks have even earned him awards in North America and South America and a championship in Columbia for his signature card trick. He is also  certified in clinical and transpersonal hypnotism. Although he mostly uses his hypnotism skills for his self-produced magic show, he also uses his abilities to help participants quit smoking, lose weight, relax and develop positive thinking.

“Cesar Domcio sounds like a very decorated magician and I think his show could be really cool,” said FSC student Melique Hill. “It’s not every day you get to watch award-winning magicians.”

This production is one of the many the Lakeland Theatre has brought to the community. Since its first show in 1986, “Little Rosie,” Lakeland’s home for theater arts has put on many more productions including “The Wizard of Oz,” “Grease,” “Bye, Bye Birdy,” and “Chicago.”

Now in its 28th year of business centered around the theme “Fight, Dream, Hope, Love,” the theatre is looking forward to an exciting year filled with entertaining and successful shows. After opening the year with the record breaking musical phenomenon “Les Miserables” and “South Pacific,” the Lakeland Theatre hopes to continue its successful trend with the Cesar Domico magic show, “Sylvia,” “Spamalot” and “Disney’s The Little Mermaid.”

“We are also trying something new with our upcoming production of “Evil Dead: The Musical,” Alan Reynolds, Lakeland Community Theatre president and former theater professor of FSC, said. “We hope it’s something that might interest the community and college students alike.”

The Lakeland Community Theatre is located just off the shores of Lake Mirror in Downtown Lakeland between Orange and Main Streets.

Show times for the magic show are 7 p.m. on Jan. 31 and 8 p.m. Feb. 1. Tickets can be bought at the theater or online for $30 for adults and $25 for children.