Feb 8, 2017 3 min read

Local illusionist Josh Knotts of Extreme Illusions & Escapes, who recently received the Merlin Award for Entertainer of the Year, will perform at Chartiers-Houston High School at 7 p.m. April 1.

The show will benefit the Chartiers-Houston boys basketball boosters.

“What better day to try and fool everyone in the community than on April Fools’ Day?” said Knotts.

By receiving a Merlin Award for his work, Knotts joined the ranks of other magic greats, including David Copperfield, Criss Angel, Siegfried & Roy and Penn & Teller. The criteria that voting members of the International Magician’s Society consider when awarding the honor are talent, showmanship, originality, skills and, above all, the ability to entertain under any conditions.

The Merlin Award is the highest award one can receive in the world of magic, and is the equivalent of the Oscar, Grammy, Emmy or Tony Award.

Knotts is the co-creator of Extreme Illusions & Escapes, along with his wife, Lea, formerly Leann Teyssier, a graduate of Canon-McMillan High School. They set out to perform a refreshing, new, modern style of illusions and escapes to astound audiences.

Together, they have performed between 300 and 400 shows annually throughout the country for the past eight years. When not on tour, the couple make their home in Washington.

“People are always asking when we are performing locally, and it very rarely happens. We are so excited to finally bring our show home to Washington County,” Lea said.

Knotts received his Merlin Award from Tony Hassini, founder and president of the International Magicians Society, which has over 41,000 members worldwide.

“A good magician can work under any circumstance, but Josh truly embodies that and still manages to excel at his art,” Hassini said. “He brings a show that rivals the best shows in theaters in Las Vegas and around the world.”

Hassini decided to feature Extreme Illusions & Escapes in his international television show “100 Countries, 1000 Mysteries: The Search for the World’s Greatest Magician,” and spent several days gathering footage of Extreme Illusions & Escapes to be used for an upcoming episode. The Chartiers-Houston show will be filmed for television opportunities.

“We would absolutely love to have a huge and lively crowd with us,” Josh said. “We use so many people from the audience onstage in our show, so come on out and be a star.”

Tickets are between $10 and $20, and can be purchased at www.showclix.com. Search for “Extreme Illusions” and use promo code Merlin to receive $2 off per ticket.