Russell Anderson, better known as the Singing Illusionist, has been reduced to borrowing props and equipment from other magicians, after thieves made his touring trailer disappear.
It’s not clear if the thieves were aware of the “magic trailer’s” contents when they hitched it up to their dual-wheel truck and drove it out of Anderson’s property in Elloree, South Carolina, during the early hours of Monday morning. The trailer contained nearly $20,000 worth of equipment. Some of it, like the sound system Anderson uses during his performances, is obviously worth a pretty penny, but your average thief isn’t going to see the value in the illusionist’s more esoteric equipment. It’s easy to pawn a stolen television, less so a device that lets you saw a woman in half.
“At this moment, they’ve stolen my career,” he told the local press. “I don’t have employment for my assistant. I don’t have any illusions to put her in.”
Anderson is offering a reward for any information that leads to the recovery of the truck, and is willing to drive anywhere in the country to recover it, no questions asked.
“It has disappeared and I would love for it to magically reappear with all of the illusions in it,” he said.
On a more pleasant note, magicians around the country have offered to loan Anderson equipment as a gesture of solidarity.
If you have any information about Anderson’s trailer, or just want to wish him well, his Facebook page would be a good place to start.