What will the Masters of Illusion conjure up at the Orpheum?

As Greg Gleason sees it, magic shows combine the best of all entertainment worlds.

“Like a comedian, we get to add humor and comedy to our show,” he said. “We get to use music for our illusions, too. We have dancers. Then you have these illusions that amaze people. It takes them back to being a child, feeling the wonder.”

Gleason is a little biased toward the magic profession, having made his living in it since leaving Topeka after college in 1983. He’ll perform at the Orpheum Theatre on Monday as part of the Masters of Illusion tour. He promises to produce a very large object out of thin air, the trademark of any good illusionist.

The Masters of Illusion tour grew out of the TV show of the same name and bills itself as the “No. 1 touring magic show in the world.”

Gleason spent his early years in Dallas, then moved to the Kansas capital with his family when he was in high school. He earned a degree in finance and economics from Washburn University but never really considered another occupation. He started performing professionally while still in junior high.

He has a Wichita connection, too. Gleason used to travel to Wichita to buy illusions from Stevens Magic Emporium and attend an annual magic convention hosted by its owner, Joe Stevens. He remembers meeting David Copperfield at the 1980 convention. Gleason expects to see Stevens and his wife, Martha, at the show, along with his own parents and siblings, who still live in Topeka.

After working in clubs for years, Gleason returned to Dallas and ran his own venue for a couple of years. In 1993, he started a four-year run at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, which he still calls home. The hotel built a special theater for his show, which was called “Wizard’s Secrets,” at a cost of about $15 million – a lot of money in those days, he notes.

“I did it 9,000 times,” he said of the show.

Since then, he’s traveled the world, performing in 75 counties. At one point, the Chinese government invited him there to perform, which he did in Shanghai for six months. He’s been the featured act on luxury cruises and returned to Las Vegas for another stint, at the Venetian, in 2002.

He joined the Masters of Illusion tour a year ago. In addition to Gleason, the show features two other illusionists, a comic magician and a “manipulation” or sleight-of-hand specialist.

Gleason said he’s done just about every style of magic through the years, although on the current tour he is focused on illusions. The size of the object he’ll conjure up on stage here depends on several factors pertaining to the Orpheum, but he’s been known to produce a car, a levitating motorcycle and even a helicopter.

“We want to do the biggest and best show in every venue,” he said.

In addition to performing, Gleason creates tricks and illusions for himself and other magicians. He says he’s rarely had a trick figured out by an audience member.

“A lot of people come up and say they’re frustrated because they can’t figure it out. I tell them you’re supposed to just sit back and enjoy it.”

Gleason said studying finance helped him in his career, and he’s never regretted putting his degree to more conventional use.

“It’s just been an absolutely amazing life,” he said. “I’ve been everywhere I could imagine in the world.”

This story was originally published October 23, 2014 at 2:53 PM with the headline "What will the Masters of Illusion conjure up at the Orpheum?."