Michael Carbonaro, the magician and comedy star best known for truTV's The Carbonaro Effect, is bringing his live show WONDERBOY to the Byers Theatre at the Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center. The production blends quick-witted comedy with illusions and heavy audience participation, casting Carbonaro as what the venue calls the Hero of Mischief.
The Venue’s Community Role
The Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center says its mission is to provide the community with diverse arts, entertainment, educational, business and civic opportunities, according to Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center.
The Sandy Springs stop arrives after two hit national tours, according to sandyspringspac.com, which describes WONDERBOY as Carbonaro's newest adventure. Carbonaro also previewed the show on Good Day Atlanta ahead of its Sandy Springs run, telling the station, as reported by FOX 5 Atlanta, that the act combines illusions, comedy, audience participation and unpredictable moments, with Carbonaro attempting to fool hundreds of people at once.
Where the Name WONDERBOY Came From
The show's name connects to Carbonaro's childhood. He told Good Day Atlanta that a newspaper story from his youth inspired it. In a later interview with Newsday, he recalled being billed as a young magic and illusion prodigy in a June 4, 1992 notice in the Long Island Traveler-Watchman.
That same conversation with Newsday laid out what audiences can expect inside the 90-minute production. The show is family-friendly and focuses on the wonderment of being a kid again, the outlet reports. Carbonaro described one of the stranger bits himself: “I cover my face in shaving cream and sculpt it into different monsters and creatures while looking at myself in the mirror.”
Kids and Adults Both Get Pulled Onstage
Audience participation isn't limited to one age group. Newsday notes there's a significant amount of audience participation involved in Wonderboy, where Carbonaro uses both children and adults in his performance. Per the Good Day Atlanta preview, Carbonaro considers performing for a live audience his favorite kind of magic.
Carbonaro hosted The Carbonaro Effect for five years, from 2014 to 2019, according to Newsday. The outlet also reported on a recent tour stop at The Paramount in Huntington, New York, where he performed at 7:30 p.m. on a Friday.
VIP Packages and Ticket Pricing
For fans hoping to meet Carbonaro in person, the Sandy Springs venue is offering an upgraded ticket option. VIP tickets include the best seats and a meet-and-greet after the show, according to sandyspringspac.com. The venue also notes that its listed ticket price reflects the face value of the ticket, facility fee, and taxes.
