|
The Magnificents
By Dennis Watkins
Directed by Molly Brennan
Produced by The House Theatre of Chicago
At the Viaduct Theatre
3111 N. Western Ave
Chicago, IL
Call 773-251-2195, tickets $17 on Thursday, $19 on Friday & Sundays
$22 on Saturdays $10 student & industry on Thursday & Sunday
Thursdays-Saturdays at 8 pm
Sundays at 7 pm
Running time is 1 hour, 50 minutes with intermission
Through November 3, 2007
Heartfelt tribute to a magnificent old clown filled with fine magic.
Dennis Watkins is a fabulous and fearless magician as evidenced by his underwater in a locked crate Houdini trick performed in a House show a few years back. In The Magnificents, Watkins pays tribute to his grandfather, Ed Watkins, the man who taught Dennis the magic of magic. This is a warmly human story of the aging magician (played Charlie Chaplin style by Dennis Watkins) and his loyal wife (the funny Marika Mashburn).
We see the old guard showman in his twilight years when a young red headed man (Tommy Rapley) quietly invades the magician’s home. The old man decides to teach the boy his magic. In a most thrilling display of magic including card tricks, the dancing hanky, the vanishing birdcage, the orange—lemon—egg canary birdcage plus the classic red ball under one of three cups, Watkins and Rapley thrill us with the powers of illusions.
Dennis Watkins is a fine actor, funny comic and spellbinding magician. He anchors this unique show. Tommy Rapley is the mute young protégé whose only words come in a haunting pop ballad at the shows end. Rapley says much with his face, eyes and body language.
Director Molly Brennan, together with Michael E. Smith and Stephen Taylor, intrude, add to, and punctuate the shows with a postmodern clown act that is part vaudeville, part 500 Clown with elements of commedia del arte. The sheer energy and exuberance made this device endear the production. Laughs abound with these three zany clowns. They also do some magic tricks.
I enjoyed this show and I only wish there was more story to compliment the wonderful magic and the wild clowning. Still, The Magnificents is a fun night at the theatre. The House Theatre of Chicago keeps their originality going strong.
Recommended
Tom Williams
Tom99@chicagocritic.com for comments
Talk Theatre in Chicago podcast
Date Reviewed: September 22, 2007
|
