Blinn College will have a little extra magic in the air when the nation’s largest touring illusion show hosts a 90-minute spectacular at the College’s Brenham campus.

The Nelson Illusions Smoke & Mystery Tour will come to the Dr. W.W. O’Donnell Performing Arts Center (map) at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 30, as part of Blinn’s Performing Arts Series. There will also be a 60-minute show for area elementary schools earlier in the day.

“We might have seen magic on television before, but being able to see it live, especially on this scale, will be something special,” said Kevin Patrick, Blinn technical theatre director. “It is similar to the difference between watching a sporting event on television and then watching it live.”

Nelson Illusions’ touring show includes over 30,000 pounds of equipment, making it three times larger than any other touring illusion show in the nation. The show features four master magicians, each with an exciting, original style that combines an entertaining blend of mystery, drama, romance and comedy with some of the most beautiful and astonishing stage magic in existence today.

Acts include making a helicopter appear on stage, an industrial-sized 21-foot long Drill of Death, and a girl sawn in half in plain view.

“The effects were stunning in their scale, complexity and visual appeal,” wrote the Historic Fox Theater in Hutchinson, Kan. “I would enthusiastically recommend Nelson Illusions to anyone looking for a family-friendly show that nevertheless has a bit of an edge – just enough to keep things entertaining for teenagers and their parents.”

Individual show tickets are $30 for general admission and $20 for Blinn employees. Student rush tickets are $10 at the box office the day of the event. All seats are reserved.

Following the Nelson Illusions performance, Blinn’s Performing Arts Series will conclude April 10 with a 4 p.m. showing of “The Pirates of Penzance” by the New York City Gilbert and Sullivan Players. For information on both shows, visit www.blinn.edu/performingartsseries.

The box office is located in the lobby of the O’Donnell Center at 600 Blinn Blvd. Tickets can be purchased online at www.blinn.edu/BoxOffice or by calling 979-830-4024. The box office accepts cash and credit.