'The Illusionists-Magic of the Holidays' is back

‘THE ILLUSIONISTS-MAGIC OF THE HOLIDAYS’: Enzo Weyne & cast. Photo: Joan Marcus

THE ILLUSIONISTS-MAGIC OF THE HOLIDAYS
By various performers
Through January 5, 2020
Directed & choreographed by Neil Doward
Neil Simon Theatre
250 West 52nd Street
www.theillusionistslive.com

By Scott Harrah

The Illusionists is back on Broadway for the fifth year since 2014. Like last year, the 2019 iteration is called Magic of the Holidays. However, this year’s show features an entire new cast of wizards, sleight-of-hand specialists, mentalists and the like, from around the world. As in past shows, there is very little “magic” here one hasn’t seen before and anyone who saw the current Derren Brown: Secret might be less than impressed because Mr. Brown, in a one-man extravaganza, does most of the tricks and illusions that it takes six gentlemen to perform in Magic of the Holidays. Regardless, the show is a fun, entertaining two hours for families, tourists and New Yorkers alike.

This year’s performers include Eric Chien, “The Manipulator”; Chris Cox, “The Mentalist”; Dom Chambers, “The Showman”; Paul Dabek, “The Trickster”; Kevin James, “The Inventor”; and Enzo Weyne, “The Unforgettable.”

Paul Dabek, a delightful Brit, is MC for the evening and keeps everything moving along with corny jokes and witty banter. The show starts out with Mr. Dabek hopping on to the stage carrying wrapped holiday packages before introducing the entertainers. The show is certainly festive, complete with laser projections of various holiday scenes, a dancing elf and sexy holiday chorus girls.

2019 “America’s Got Talent” semi-finalist Eric Chien is the first performer. If you’ve seen any of the previous Illusionists shows, you’re already familiar with most of the “tricks” he does with cards and coins, with everything projected onto a big TV screen above the stage so you don’t miss anything, thanks to an onstage cameraman with a close-up lens capturing everything live. The card tricks you’ve likely seen before, but he makes them change color, etc. Mr. Chien, a native of Taiwan, was raised in the USA and currently lives in Beijing, touring around the world with his act.

“The Inventor” Kevin James is next. Mr. James is a founding member of The Illusionists and his act is mostly visual, complete with dazzling light projections, an elf, flying boxes, etc. He mostly does the old sawing-bodies routine that you’ve seen countless times in any “magic” show, but he also makes snow that sprays out over the audience, and a dancing paper napkin routine with an audience member.

One of the show’s highlights is “The Showman” Dom Chambers, a handsome, dark-haired Australian bloke with a fun stage presence and bubbly personality. Mr. Chambers, an “America’s Got Talent” semi-finalist, is a comedian as well as a magician. His act consists of “beer sorcery” and engaging chatter in his thick Aussie twang, plus lots of tricks involving alcohol. However, the best part of his act involves witty banter with a smart-mouthed Siri (of iPhone legend) as she tosses out catty quips and jokes aimed at him, joking about everything from his dating skills to what his parents think of his life achievements. It’s hilarious. He’s a true-blue “ripper,” as they say Down Under.

“The Mentalist” Chris Cox is a wacky British nerd who starts out his routine by claiming he’s the twin of Rachel Maddow from MSNBC and flashes a projection of himself and Ms. Maddow to show how much they resemble each other. If you’ve seen Derren Brown: Secret, you’re already familiar with the routine of knowing someone’s celebrity crush and purporting to read audience members’ minds with various guessing games. Still, Mr. Cox is a lovable eccentric Englishman in every sense and gets lots of laughs from the audience.

The last performer is Enzo Weyne, “the Unforgettable” and you’ll mostly remember him for his chiseled, movie star good looks and charming French accent. He primarily transports objects and himself in various visual stunts, but one can see it’s mostly thanks to wires, lasers and light trickery.

The Illusionists shows have never been original, but they have mass appeal for tourists during the holidays. Perhaps that is why they keep returning to Broadway each December. The evening is mindless, entertaining fun and amusing enough to satisfy people hungry for seasonal family fare. In addition, this version has lots of audience participation, so it’s truly an interactive experience for everyone.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published December 8, 2019
Reviewed at December 5, 2019 press performance.