Reviewed by
James Karas
What do you get when you put seven illusionists
on stage?
One hell of a good show.
It was so much fun, I can start with
complaints. To call them illusionists may be literally accurate but it does a
disservice to the show. They are damn good magicians. Illusionists gives the
impression of a temporary departure from strict logic when we almost believe the
unbelievable. A magician has superhuman powers and he does marvellous feats
that are far more than an illusion – they are magical. And why tell us they are
Live from Broadway in the title. They are magicians from around the world and I
believe everything that they do is magic.
Their nicknames are simply delightful. These
people are not mere creators of illusions, they are specialists. You get The Deductionist – Scotland (Colin
Cloud) which I take to indicate national origin as well as superior mental
agility and ability that could outwit the CIA, the FBI and the KGB (or whatever
they are called now) without waterboarding.
The Unusualist (Raymond Crowe) can do many things
but he can also provide a few minutes of delightful hand shadow theatre with What a Wonderful World as background.
The Eccentric (Charlie Frye) is a juggler par
excellence with comic flair. Rings, balls, a stick, his hat, his vest, he
handles all of them with panache, speed and comic skill. He bills himself as Charlie
Frye & Company in recognition of his wife Sherry who is on stage with him
and participates in the comedy.
The Daredevil (Jonathan Goodwin) can put everyone
in the Princess of Wales Theatre on the edge of their seats as he shoots arrows
from a powerful crossbow while blindfolded. His target: a balloon on the head
of an assistant. And he emulates Houdini in getting out of a straitjacket while
hanging upside down with his clothes on fire. He must get out of the
straitjacket and douse the flames before he is roasted. He can support his body
on a single nail and have a cement block split in two on his stomach. Holy
Jesus, Mary and Joseph.
Jonathan
Goodwin, The Daredevil. Photo by Claudia James
The Trickster (Jeff Hobson) is to some extent the
host of the evening. He is a natural comedian who can interact with the
audience and evoke laughter at will. He chose an interesting audience member on
opening night – a man called Mark Saunders who happens to be Toronto’s chief of
police. Hobson demonstrated his ability with cards and nicked the chief’s
watch. He returned the watch later but he proved his astonishing ability as a
non-illusionist pickpocket. Hobson is
akin to Liberace is his outrageousness and reassures audience members that he
touches that he is not a senator and there will be no Kevin Spacey stuff. An amazing
performer.
Jeff
Hobson, The Trickster - Photo by Joan Marcus
The Manipulator (An Ha Lim) can, well, manipulate
cards in huge numbers with speed, dexterity, appearance and disappearance that
defies belief. Where do the cards come from, where do they go, how can anything
be done that quickly? After thinking about it, I have come to the inescapable
conclusion that it is simply magic.
The Grand Illusionist (Darcy Oake) is a Canadian who dispels the
notion that only foreigners can do incredible non-illusory magic. He can
produce white doves to fill a barn. He lights a match and a dove appears. He takes
out a handkerchief and out pops a dove. And he does a disappearing act that is
simply astounding.
Darcy
Oakes, The Grand Illusionist - Photo by Danielle Baguley
In addition to the individual acts, the show
has glitz, music, lighting and rapport with the audience that makes for an
integrated theatrical evening. There is extensive use of large screens for the
audience to be able to see all of the details of each performance and roving
cameras to capture the interaction with the audience. A number of people from
the audience are brought on stage to add credibility to the illusions created
by the magicians and to add humour.
If I have given the illusion that I enjoyed The
Illusionists, it is because the magicians forced me to do it by
entering my mind and showing me how they can make me disappear unless I told
the truth about their show.
__________
The Illusionists – Live from Broadway by Simon Painter
(Creative Producer), Neil Diamond (Director/Choreographer) and Jim Milan
(Creative Director) runs until January 7, 2018 at the Princess of Wales Theatre, 300 King St. West, Toronto , Ontario . www.mirvish.com
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