Pigeon Forge, Tenn., January 28, 2009- — “Branson’s Award Winning Specialty Show of the Year for 2009″ Sean-Paul and company will soon debut at The Magic Beyond Belief Theater on the Parkway in Pigeon Forge. Master Showman Sean-Paul, his wife, Juliane, and their “baby” Frankie-the trained monkey, will hold audiences spellbound with their jaw-dropping illusions, telepathy, sleight of hand tricks and most of all ? breathtaking surprises!

The new “Magic Beyond Belief” Show will debut on February 5th with fast-paced magic sequences that will appeal to magic and illusion lovers of all ages. Sean-Paul will perform his rare combination of magic, quick-witted comedy and audience participation six-nights-a-week at the theater. The show will include birds, tigers, and serval cats in addition to Frankie the mind reading monkey. “No other show in the country has a monkey, much less like Frankie. Frankie has been seen on national and international television including ‘America?s Got Talent,’” said Sean-Paul. “Frankie has gained a national following. He slams a red buzzer every time I tell a lie. Frankie even grabs my microphone and talks! He is so funny!”

“I will be doing a combination of close up, sleight-of-hand and large scale illusion magic,” said Sean-Paul. “The close up magic will be shown on large video screens at the front of the theater so that everyone can see what I am doing. I will also be performing a new deadly escape illusion trick that is terrifying. I will be doing a lot of audience participation with children including a trick with an African Black Mamba snake.”

Sean-Paul and his wife most recently appeared for three months at The Comedy Barn Theater in Pigeon Forge where they received critical acclaim. Prior to that they performed their amazing specialty show at the Grand Country Theater in Branson, Mo. Sean-Paul has enjoyed many honors and accolades and most recently BransonCritic.com voted his show the Branson Specialty Show of the Year for 2009. “With so many great shows to choose from we were very excited to receive this respected award,” said Sean-Paul.

He has also worked at the Magical Palace in the World of Magic, Celebration City, Silver Dollar City, The Comedy Pet Theater and on the Branson Belle, all in Branson. In addition to his wife, Juliane, the show will be augmented by a group of four beautiful assistants: Jessica Smith, Brittany Payne, Mallory Mattney and Lindsay Fee as well as head usher, Johnny. The new family friendly show will be interwoven with short dance production numbers choreographed by Rusty Miller. Sean-Paul and his wife are former competitive ballroom dancers as well as entertainers.

Juliane is also skilled at telepathy and she will appear on the stage blind folded and will be able to tell members of the audience what they have in their purses and backpacks. She is also skilled as an amazing quick- change artist and can change outfits in as little as a half a second.

“Most of my life I have loved to perform magic,” said Sean-Paul. “When I was 8-years-old I saw a magician at the Cub Scout Blue and Gold Banquet in my home town of St. Paul, Minnesota, who took a glass of ink and turned it into a glass of water with a live goldfish and gave the goldfish to the kid who was sitting next to me,” said Sean-Paul. “It was the most unbelievable thing I had ever seen. Shortly after that I went to a magic shop and I saw a magic set and figured out how to do those tricks on my own.”

Sean-Paul has now become a recognizable name in Magic circles. He is a member of the International Brotherhood of Magicians. As a youngster, his parents would take him to magic contest and talent shows and Sean-Paul had a dream of one day having his own magic act. At the age of 11-years-old Sean-Paul’s dream came true when he performed his first show at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival. He did that for four years and Sean-Paul said he gained a huge following after those shows.

At age 21, he traveled all across the country for General Motors performing at corporate automobile shows. He also performed Six Flags Over Texas, Magic Island in Houston, Texas, as well as on many cruise ships for Holland American Cruise Lines. He was the 1997 season opener for the Minnesota Timberwolves in Minneapolis, Minn., and the half time entertainment for the 2000 NBA playoff game the Lakers vs. Spurs in San Antonio, Texas. In 2004 he did a 12-state “Magic Within You” tour and in 2005 he performed at a change of command ceremony on the USS Oklahoma City Nuclear Submarine in Norfolk, Va. In 2006 he was featured at the Reno Hilton and was a guest performer at Mark Kalin and Jinger’s Magic Underground.

“My number one goal at any show is to connect with my audience,” Sean-Paul said. “I want to make even the biggest audience feel intimate as if they were crowded around the kitchen table with good friends, watching and listening to incredible entertainment as an amazing situation unfolds. I am fortunate to be in Pigeon Forge and very excited about our new show.”

This show is fun for all ages. Performances are scheduled at the new Magic Beyond Belief show at 8:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday and matinees at 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Magician Duane Laflin will perform at the theater on Sunday evenings at 8:00 p.m. Laflin is a professional magician who is well known for his classy style, sleight of hand techniques, and magically creative thinking. He is renowned for his silk magic.

Ticket prices for both shows are $29.95 plus tax per adult and children 11 and under are free one per paying adult. Additional children are $9.95 plus tax. Call (865) 428-5600 for show reservations. The Magic Beyond Belief Theater is located at 2135 Parkway, Pigeon Forge (between traffic lights 0 and 1). For more information, visit www.pigeonforgemagic.com.

David Fee and Jim Hedrick of the Fee/Hedrick Family Entertainment Group operate the Magic Beyond Belief Theater. Now in its fourth season, the Magic Beyond Belief Theater opened in April 2007, and quickly has become a popular attraction in Pigeon Forge, selling out most shows during the peak tourist seasons. The theater is an intimate showroom where everyone can feel they are part of the show. The company also owns and operates The Comedy Barn Theater, The Black Bear Jamboree Dinner and Show and The Miracle Theater, also in Pigeon Forge.
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PIGEON FORGE, Tenn., April 3, 2007 — The Fee/ Hedrick Family Entertainment Group is pulling another rabbit out of its hat—opening a new theater featuring a new magic show on the Parkway in Pigeon Forge. Co-owners David Fee and Jim Hedrick will open a new 400 seat-theater titled “Magic Beyond Belief” starring International Star of Magic, Terry Evanswood—one of the best magicians in the country.

Located in the former Ole Smoky Hoedown Theater at 2135 Parkway, Pigeon Forge, the new magic show will have a soft opening on Thursday, April 5, with the grand opening to follow during the first week in May.

A preview show will run for the first month, giving show patrons a first look at the show’s star, master magician Terry Evanswood. A professional magician who for the past 10 years has been the star of The Country Tonite Theatre’s morning “Grand Illusion Show,” Evanswood now fulfills a longtime dream of staring in a prime time magic extravaganza.

Throughout the preview month, new acts will be incorporated into the show, including the highlight illusion of a white tiger appearing out of thin air before the audience’s eyes.
Renovations for the inside of the theater will be complete before the show’s soft opening on April 5; while renovations on the outside of the theater will continue during the next month in preparation for the theater’s grand opening in May.

“Magic Beyond Belief” will feature stunning illusions, exotic animals, mind-boggling special effects, and hilarious comedy. It will be a high-energy, fast-faced production.
“We will have an intimate magic experience at our new theater and we are thrilled to have Terry Evanswood join our company,” said David Fee, co-owner of the theater. “Terry has wanted to have an evening show for a long time and we know it will be a huge success.

“The theater has been tailored during the renovation specifically to accommodate magic,” Fee said. The show will be a high-energy succession of illusions, close-up magic and sleight-of-hand tricks. Two large video screens will complement the show, as well as the glamour of mood-setting lights and music, new sets and costumes and state-of-the-art lighting and sound systems. The pacing according to Fee will be fast, fun and energetic and the show will include humor, and live animals.

Evanswood says in all of his shows that he is not trying to trick anyone, but to bring the child out in everyone who attends his show. He says his goal is to put a personal touch into every show. “I perform like the audience is a group of friends. What sticks with people are the personal moments we create. I try to touch people’s hearts in every performance,” Evanswood says.

The award-winning magician has been performing professionally since the age of 10. Originally from Chicago, Evanswood has appeared in live stage shows and on national television programs throughout the United States.

Evanswood is a member of the International Brotherhood of Magicians and the Society of American Magicians, being endorsed into membership by David Copperfield and Harry Blackstone, Jr. Evanswood is also a lifetime member of the International Magicians Society, which presented him with their highest degree, the coveted Doctorate of Magic diploma.

In fact, famous illusionist Harry Blackstone, Sr. was Evanswood’s inspiration for entering the profession. At age 9, Evanswood attended one of Blackstone’s shows, where he remembers the “floating light bulb” trick. He says of the experience, “I sat there wide-eyed and said to my Dad, I want to be a magician. I wanted to be able to make people feel like I did at that moment.”

Today, Evanswood says he wants to create imagination and wonder for people in a world that is full of reality. “I want to help people get away from their problems. Don’t try to figure out the tricks, just let your imagination wonder. I want people to enjoy the magic for what it is. It’s live fantasy,” he says.

For David Fee and Jim Hedrick, the theater’s owners are realizing a magical dream too. Fee said, “I used to be a professional magician and my business partner, Jim Hedrick used to be a professional juggler and we have always wanted to bring a magic show to Pigeon Forge. This will be a huge production and a great show for all ages.”

Both Fee and Hedrick performed at the 1984 World’s Fair in New Orleans, Louisiana World Exposition, and were featured entertainers doing magic, juggling, fire eating, comedy, ventriloquism and escape artistry on Carnival Cruise Lines for over nine years. Their roots go back to being performers at Magic World in Pigeon Forge and when they originally opened The Comedy Barn, they were performers as well as co-owners.

Ticket prices for the “Magic Beyond Belief” Show will be $19.95, plus tax for adults; and $9.95, plus tax for children ages 2 through 11. Show times will be 8:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday with 2:00 p.m. matinees on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Call (865) 428-5600 for reservations.

Other shows in the Fee/Hedrick Family Entertainment Group include “The Comedy Barn”, “The Black Bear Jamboree”, “The Miracle”, “The Blackwood Brother’s Variety Show” and “The Triumphant Quartet Southern Gospel Show.” Each show has its own demographics Fee said—comedy lovers, bear lovers, Broadway show lovers, religious show lovers, gospel music fans and magic lovers. “We want to provide clean wholesome entertainment for families who will return to see our shows again and again,” Fee said. “Our new theater will be Beyond Belief!”