In magic, as with all things, beware the superlative.
Is this truly the worlds greatest magic show? There is a place down the
road from my house that claims to serve the worlds greatest hot dogs. I
don't know if they are in fact the world greatest hot dogs, but they taste
pretty good so why not?
Fine, I will take a firm stance on the matter. The magic show currently
playing at the Greek Isles in Las Vegas NV is in fact the worlds greatest
magic show. If anyone decides to call me on it I can just point at the
marquee. "Says so right there" will be my out.
First, some tips.
Tickets are usually available at the discount outlets around town. If you
decide to take advantage of that fact you will want to show up very early.
What you receive at the discount outlet is a coupon that needs to be
presented at the box office, so don't think you will be strolling in with
the ticket thing handled. You may have to stand in line at the box office,
and once again stand in line to enter the theatre. Combined with the line
you stood in at the ticket outlet you may well be looking at a
"three-liner" evening.
The theatre is classic old-school Vegas which means you will either be
seated in a spacious booth facing the stage or you'll be lined up six deep
knocking knees with and facing your new best friend, some stranger from
Iowa, here to see a show. It's fun to sit in the booth and look at the
people who haven't quite figured out that the Maitre D's needs are simple,
not complex. That's right folks, the last three living Maitre D's of the
Vegas seating world are "Working the Aisles at the Isles", and the smart
money says a well loaded handshake and a smile will get you where you
deserve to be.
But still, arrive early since not every aspect of this show carries to the
back row. Fortunately most of it does. Be seated up close and, what the
heck... live it up. Get yourself one of those seats that actually faces
the stage.
Now on with the show!
Vegas is full of some very talented magicians who have been grinding out
their living in 15 minute slots between obscure dance numbers designed to
celebrate the female form. These guys and gals are A-list talent who have
not yet become household names, but are very well known and respected
among their peers. This show not only gets these performers in front of an
appreciative audience, but also demonstrates the range and versatility
that is possible with the performance of magic.
I'm kicking myself for waiting too long to write this review and
forgetting the name of the warm-up magician. I believe he was from
Louisiana. Please drop me a line if you know who this is.
After the warm-up act we meet our M.C., none other than Paul Kozak. Paul
is big and brash, has just a ton of charisma, has been doing shows forever
and it shows. He came onstage between acts to keep the audience energized
and entertained and was thrown a massive curve-ball when the kid he
invited onstage could not speak a word of English. Kozak picked up the
ball and ran with it and probably milked an additional couple of minutes
of stage time.
The acts rotate so be sure to visit their website (
http://www.greatestmagicshow.com ) to see who is playing.
The evening we attended the acts were:
Losander
Specializes in levitation. Levitation is in my opinion a very tricky thing
to pull off. At it's best it can be a very "pure" illusion. At its
worst... well, you know. But this guy really makes it work. We were seated
too far back to appreciate some of the finer points of his act.
Roy Shank
Contemporary magic with an Asian influence.
Joseph Gabriel
One of the all-time great bird magicians. His act closes with a very cool
levitation of a hypnotized dove.
Katalin
A very beautiful woman and I'm sure she is extremely talented.
Unfortunately her act just didn't do a lot for me. Partly because most of
it didn't carry well past the second half of the theatre, partly because I
just didn't care much for the theming.
Kevin James
The highlight of the show, as well as every show he is in. He is no longer
with the show but I have to suggest you seek him out wherever you can and
go see him. He is one of the great innovators of magic and created many of
the effects that are highlights of other magicians shows including David
Copperfield and Doug Henning.
He performed his signature act where he assembles a Charlie Chaplin doll
that comes to life onstage. Antonio Hoyos plays the Chaplin character and
continues to rush the stage throughout James' entire act, attempting to
steal and/or destroy the show. Many horrendous things happen to Chaplin
including getting sucked into a giant vacuum cleaner, as well as getting
carried offstage via two fingers inserted into his nostrils.
None if this is as horrific as what happens to another assistant during a
Doctor Sketch. Kevin pulls out a chain saw (of course) to do some surgery,
Chaplin harasses him again, and James assaults him with the chainsaw.
Unfortunately he misses, accidentally severing the assistant at the waist.
The legs take off in one direction and the torso sprints around the stage
on his arms. It was the most singularly hilarious and horrific thing I
have ever seen onstage. The staging and pacing of this piece is just
amazing, including an eerie silent segment where a woman is taken from the
audience to feel the now lifeless torso, which immediately springs back to
life when she is about one foot away.
This illusion has been broadcast on television, but in a truncated fashion
that does it no justice. It really has to be seen live for the full
impact. From the moment of the sawing, all hell breaks loose on stage.
Assistants are trying to capture and restrain the rogue body parts and the
audience is screaming and laughing like crazy. Then the theatre goes
completely quiet while the audience volunteer is coaxed to the stage, and
then all hell breaks loose again. It's an amazing manipulation of the
senses.
Kevin James leaving the show reduces my recommendation only slightly as it
really is a very nice show, and a good exposure to a wide range of
performers and styles. I think the long term prospects for this show are
actually greater than the long term prospects for the venue, and it would
be great if it could find a home closer to the Las Vegas Strip. As far as
bang for the buck, this is certainly one of the best values in Las Vegas
magic shows right now.
Anyone may post, repost, copy, give away, sell, email, translate, and
distribute this review in any manner they see fit so long as they do not
alter the copy (excerpts are fine) and as long as this entire disclaimer
is included, including the following URL
(http://www.vegasmagicreviews.com). The content of this review is the sole
property of Vegas Magic Reviews and Steve Harder-Kucera, author of this
review.
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