With Dressing Flash and Alpha having performed (and been eliminated) in the last two live shows, two magic acts were left to compete this week- The Angels and Theo Dari.
How Did The Angels Do?
The Angels were the act I was most looking forward to in the live shows, but they disappointed. The problem was not their tricks, but their timing- they spent too long on their dance routines. Their first trick, making a member appear from inside a pyramid frame, took over a minute when it should have taken ten seconds. Their other illusion, which involved making a motorbike appear from a translucent shadow box was also ruined by a slow build up. If The Angels had cut out about a minute of unnecessary dancing and filled the time with solid illusions, they might have been more popular with the judges and audience, as their tricks, whilst pretty generic, were large-scale and well-presented.
How Did Theo Dari Do?
Theo Dari did what most viewers hoped he would- he upped his game while keeping what the viewers loved about his act- he used more lasers in more creative ways. The best and most original trick he did was at the end, where he created a rainbow of light above the stage and appeared to vanish into it, only to reappear on the platform he was using for his performance moments later. He fared far better then The Angels, and looks like a decent contender for victory.
What did the Judges Say?
The Angels received 2 X's from Gilbert and Sophie - All the judges agreed that they had wasted too much time dancing instead of wowing people with their magic. Theo Dari, however, received nothing but praise-Even an initially ambivalent Dave claimed he enjoyed watching his act.
Who Got Through?
The Angels were unsurprisingly eliminated, but Theo Dari beat favourites Abkari and Brahem to get through to the final, which will be held later this week.
Showing posts with label other. Show all posts
Showing posts with label other. Show all posts
Tuesday, 25 December 2012
Friday, 14 December 2012
Incroyable Talent semifinals - Alpha
After Dressing Flash's disappointing performance last week, Alpha was the next magician to perform live, in the Second Semifinal.
HOW DID ALPHA DO?
For his semifinal routine, Alpha did a pirate-themed routine. Beginning with a trick where he made a skull and crossbones appear on a flaming black cloth, he then proceeded to produce a number of birds, caged and uncaged, from under a number of cloths and silks. The birds were pretty and the productions were solid, but Alpha didn't up his game enough. His audition started slowly but ended well. His live performance started well, but ran out of steam as it progressed. The endless bird productions got a bit repetitive, and, in what has been a common problem for many magicians in Incroyable Talent, a number of interesting props stood in the background, adding to the mise-en-scene, but went unused, even though they could have been the basis for some great tricks. The assistant was also kept in the background, merely handing out silks and handkerchiefs. In short, Alpha lacked the scale and spectacle he needed to impress. Whilst I appreciate he's a close-up magician, the best close-up magicians (e.g former Incroyable Talent finalist Florian) are more creative, more imaginative and more professional. Alpha's presentation was good, but there was little imagination or excitement, and many of his productions can be figured out if you think about them for long enough.
WHAT DID THE JUDGES SAY?
The Judges all claimed that Alpha fooled them, but had little else to say.
HOW DID ALPHA DO?
Despite the judge's praise,the viewers were unimpressed by Alpha, and he was eliminated.
HOW DID ALPHA DO?
WHAT DID THE JUDGES SAY?
The Judges all claimed that Alpha fooled them, but had little else to say.
HOW DID ALPHA DO?
Despite the judge's praise,the viewers were unimpressed by Alpha, and he was eliminated.
Monday, 10 December 2012
Incroyable Talent Semi Finals- Dressing Flash
Dressing Flash were the first magic act to compete in the live shows in this year's series of Incroyable Talent.
HOW DID THEY DO?
Dressing Flash's live show routine was an improvement on their audition, because it had more personality, and incorporated skills outside of Quick Change. However, it was still a weak performance. The duo did a routine to a medly of James Bond themesongs including "Goldeneye" "Diamonds Are Forever" and "You Know My Name". There was plenty of clothes changing, but the majority of the routine was centered around a simple transpostion trick where the female member got into a box covered by a screen, appeared to remove her clothing, and vanished. The male member then appeared to walk through the box, before it was revealed that the two members had switched places- The woman was in the man's clothes, and the man was in the box.It ws a solid trick, but not particularly great. Some of the clothes changes were creative, but the routine failed to convince as a homage to James Bond- why didn't the male member wear the Tuxedo, White Shirt and Bow Tie combination associated with Bond? All in all, their performance was decent, but not great. Dressing Flash showed range and creativity, but not enough to stand out or impress the audience
WHAT DID THE JUDGES SAY?
Dressing Flash recieved to X's from judges Sophie Edelstein (Herself a magician) and Gilbert Rozon. Sophie felt that the costume changes were unconvincing and that she had seen it all before, whilst Gilbert felt they weren't ready yet. Fellow judge Dave, though, praised their performance.
DID THEY GO THROUGH?
Unsurprisingly, given the judges negative comments, Dressing Flash failed to make the next round.
HOW DID THEY DO?
Dressing Flash's live show routine was an improvement on their audition, because it had more personality, and incorporated skills outside of Quick Change. However, it was still a weak performance. The duo did a routine to a medly of James Bond themesongs including "Goldeneye" "Diamonds Are Forever" and "You Know My Name". There was plenty of clothes changing, but the majority of the routine was centered around a simple transpostion trick where the female member got into a box covered by a screen, appeared to remove her clothing, and vanished. The male member then appeared to walk through the box, before it was revealed that the two members had switched places- The woman was in the man's clothes, and the man was in the box.It ws a solid trick, but not particularly great. Some of the clothes changes were creative, but the routine failed to convince as a homage to James Bond- why didn't the male member wear the Tuxedo, White Shirt and Bow Tie combination associated with Bond? All in all, their performance was decent, but not great. Dressing Flash showed range and creativity, but not enough to stand out or impress the audience
WHAT DID THE JUDGES SAY?
Dressing Flash recieved to X's from judges Sophie Edelstein (Herself a magician) and Gilbert Rozon. Sophie felt that the costume changes were unconvincing and that she had seen it all before, whilst Gilbert felt they weren't ready yet. Fellow judge Dave, though, praised their performance.
DID THEY GO THROUGH?
Unsurprisingly, given the judges negative comments, Dressing Flash failed to make the next round.
Friday, 30 November 2012
La France A Un Incroyable Talent- Semifinals Preview
La France A Un Incroyable Talent, the French equivalent of Britain's got Talent and America's Got Talent, has returned to French screens for its Seventh Series. The Live shows are about to start, and four magic acts are among the thirty who have been selected to compete for the 100,000 euro prize. They are...
Theo Dari is not a traditional illusionist. Instead of cards and boxes, his act is exclusively focused on laser manipulation. It is daring and unique, and Theo looks to be a major favourite at this point. But how can he take the act to the next level?
2. The Angels
An all-female Magic and Dance act, previously seen of the Dutch version of the show, The Angels are not the first all-female magic act seen on Incroyable Talent (the previous female magicians to make the live shows were Series 5's Julia Webb and Series 6's Amelie And Sylvie, neither of whom lived up to the promise of their auditions), but they still stand out as unique, coming across as a group of assistants taking control of their own act. The tricks they performed at the audition were strong and the delivery excellent. Dads and young women are likely of voting for this act, which could help them do well in the competition, but they need to really deliver in the live shows to earn this support.
3. Dressing Flash
Dressing Flash are a quick-change duo similar to David And Dania from Americas Got Talent, and Soul Mystique from Australia's Got Talent. Their act is well presented, but Quick Change is not as new to Incroyable Talent as it was to the Aforementioned shows (Amelie and Sylvie specialised in Quick-Change too), and, anyway, Dressing Flash don't appear to be particularly original or exciting. Will they be able to up their game and stand out against bigger and flashier acts?
4. Alpha
Alpha impressed in his audition with a small-scale but impressive trick involving floating fireballs. Though the beginning of the trick was slow and not very convincing, it improved as it went along, with an excellent finish. The presentation was strong, but Alpha is neither as grand nor as contemporary as his immediate rivals. His live performance needs to be flawless if he wants to compete for the title.
To find out how these acts, plus their fellow competitors, fare in the Live shows, be sure to check out our blog over the next few weeks.
- Theo Dari
2. The Angels
3. Dressing Flash
4. Alpha
To find out how these acts, plus their fellow competitors, fare in the Live shows, be sure to check out our blog over the next few weeks.
Saturday, 31 December 2011
50 greatest magic tricks
As part of their New Years Eve programming, Channel Five gave us a countdown of their 50 greatest magic tricks. This was completely different from the countdown Channel 4 did almost 10 years ago, There were 22 tricks from the previous countdown, but they were accompanied by new and amazing tricks from the likes of Dynamo and Pete Firman. The lineup was slick and contemporary, featuring magic tricks from Americas Got Talent (Britain's got Talent hasn't had enough good magicians), Penn and Teller: Fool us and Dynamo:Magician Impossible. Unlike Channel 4's version, which featured too much emphasis on annoying comedians talking about the clips, this time (Joe Pasquale notwithstanding) it was mostly the magicians themselves talking about what made the tricks so great. The longer length ( 2 hours 40 to the 2 hours of the Channel 4 special) also meant more time and greater focus on each clip.
The top 50 were (a * denotes a trick that wasn't on Channel 4's 2002 countdown)
50. Dynamo- Floating Guitar * (Beats my impossible straw trick any day!)
49. Penn and Teller- Misers Dream *
48. Franz Harary - Vanishing Tower Bridge *
47: Tommy Cooper- Multiplying Bottles
46. James Galea - 673 King Street * (An inventive piece of storytelling with sleights)
45. Paul Daniels- Million Pound Vanish* (An excellent and original trick)
44. Marc Paul- Any Card, Any Number*
43. David Copperfield- Portal* (A spectacular trick with a family reunion theme)
42. David Blaine- Card in window
41. Uri Geller- Spoon Bending
40. Piff the Magic Dragon- Card changing by quarters *
39. Ali Cook- Card caught by Toe *
38. Harry Blackstone Jr.- Floating Lightbulb
37. Siegfried and Roy- Interlude
36. Lance Burton- Doves
35. Paul Zenon- Tax Disc trick (If only he'd done this at the palladium)
34. Barry and Stuart- Hommunculus * (A medley of tricks involving a self-solving Rubix cube and a person vanishing from a chair)
33. Simon Drake- Silhouette * (A set of scary sleights done in Silhouette)
32. Criss Angel- Goldfish into Lady *
31. Kevin James - Sawing a man in half * (With no boxes, the man upright, and both halves having a life of their own)
30. David Copperfield- Flying
29. Dynamo- Ring into Snowball *
28. Doug Henning- Motorbike Vanish *
27. David Berglas- Pulse Stopping
26. An Ha Lin- Card Manipulation * (Amazing magic from a virtual unknown)
25. David Blaine- Balducci Levitation
24. Penn and Teller- Truck Trick
23. Ali Cook- Water Torture Escape *
22. Criss Angel- Coin into Arm * (Sick but memorable- Didn't Homer Simpson once do that by squeezing too hard?)
21. Mathieu Bich- Spreadwave *
20. Franz Harary- Hummer * (Franz Harary stands in front of a speeding car, and vanishes at the last physical moment. He is then revealed to be inside! I saw this trick on Youtube in March and I'm really pleased it's on the countdown)
19. Paul Daniels- Iron Maiden* (The trick that shocked all of Britain)
18. Derren Brown- Tube Hypnosis ( Derren induces amnesia in a passenger and restores his memory with a snap of his fingers)
17. Paul Zenon- Billiard Ball on Chosen Card
16. Simon Drake- Guillotine
15. Geoffrey Durham- Torn and Restored Newspaper
14. Siegfried and Roy- Dream* (Tiger Teleportation)
13. John Lenahan - Vanishing shoe in Random Train* (This trick was aired and exposed in 2003's failed TV pilot "Secrets of Magic". However, enough people have remembered the trick and forgotten the secret for it to make the countdown)
12. The Pendragons- Metamorphosis
11. Pete Firman- Blended Mouse* (Don't worry, no mice were actually harmed)
10. David And Dania- Quick Change* (A performance that went viral)
9. Tom Mullica- Cigarette Eating
8. Robert Gallup- Death Dive
7. Pete Firman- Goldfish regurgitaion* (Pete can be seen on The Magicians when it returns next week)
6. Dynamo- Walk on Water*
5. Shadid Malik- Cardboard Box
4. Paul Daniels- Chop Cup
3. Derren Brown- Russian Roulette *
2. David Copperfield- Death Saw (Number 1 in Channel 4's countdown)
1. Penn and Teller- Double bullet catch
The top 50 were (a * denotes a trick that wasn't on Channel 4's 2002 countdown)
50. Dynamo- Floating Guitar * (Beats my impossible straw trick any day!)
49. Penn and Teller- Misers Dream *
48. Franz Harary - Vanishing Tower Bridge *
47: Tommy Cooper- Multiplying Bottles
46. James Galea - 673 King Street * (An inventive piece of storytelling with sleights)
45. Paul Daniels- Million Pound Vanish* (An excellent and original trick)
44. Marc Paul- Any Card, Any Number*
43. David Copperfield- Portal* (A spectacular trick with a family reunion theme)
42. David Blaine- Card in window
41. Uri Geller- Spoon Bending
40. Piff the Magic Dragon- Card changing by quarters *
39. Ali Cook- Card caught by Toe *
38. Harry Blackstone Jr.- Floating Lightbulb
37. Siegfried and Roy- Interlude
36. Lance Burton- Doves
35. Paul Zenon- Tax Disc trick (If only he'd done this at the palladium)
34. Barry and Stuart- Hommunculus * (A medley of tricks involving a self-solving Rubix cube and a person vanishing from a chair)
33. Simon Drake- Silhouette * (A set of scary sleights done in Silhouette)
32. Criss Angel- Goldfish into Lady *
31. Kevin James - Sawing a man in half * (With no boxes, the man upright, and both halves having a life of their own)
30. David Copperfield- Flying
29. Dynamo- Ring into Snowball *
28. Doug Henning- Motorbike Vanish *
27. David Berglas- Pulse Stopping
26. An Ha Lin- Card Manipulation * (Amazing magic from a virtual unknown)
25. David Blaine- Balducci Levitation
24. Penn and Teller- Truck Trick
23. Ali Cook- Water Torture Escape *
22. Criss Angel- Coin into Arm * (Sick but memorable- Didn't Homer Simpson once do that by squeezing too hard?)
21. Mathieu Bich- Spreadwave *
20. Franz Harary- Hummer * (Franz Harary stands in front of a speeding car, and vanishes at the last physical moment. He is then revealed to be inside! I saw this trick on Youtube in March and I'm really pleased it's on the countdown)
19. Paul Daniels- Iron Maiden* (The trick that shocked all of Britain)
18. Derren Brown- Tube Hypnosis ( Derren induces amnesia in a passenger and restores his memory with a snap of his fingers)
17. Paul Zenon- Billiard Ball on Chosen Card
16. Simon Drake- Guillotine
15. Geoffrey Durham- Torn and Restored Newspaper
14. Siegfried and Roy- Dream* (Tiger Teleportation)
13. John Lenahan - Vanishing shoe in Random Train* (This trick was aired and exposed in 2003's failed TV pilot "Secrets of Magic". However, enough people have remembered the trick and forgotten the secret for it to make the countdown)
12. The Pendragons- Metamorphosis
11. Pete Firman- Blended Mouse* (Don't worry, no mice were actually harmed)
10. David And Dania- Quick Change* (A performance that went viral)
9. Tom Mullica- Cigarette Eating
8. Robert Gallup- Death Dive
7. Pete Firman- Goldfish regurgitaion* (Pete can be seen on The Magicians when it returns next week)
6. Dynamo- Walk on Water*
5. Shadid Malik- Cardboard Box
4. Paul Daniels- Chop Cup
3. Derren Brown- Russian Roulette *
2. David Copperfield- Death Saw (Number 1 in Channel 4's countdown)
1. Penn and Teller- Double bullet catch
Thursday, 15 December 2011
Frances Got Talent- How did Xavier and Syl et Son fare?
In the final of Incroyable Talent, Syl et Son and Xavier Mortimer performed one last time with the aim of winning the 100,000 euro prize.This time, I was able to get videos of both performances quickly and easily (You can see them on the Incroyable Talent website, which now works in Britain. Hooray!), so I can tell you how they fared.
Syl et Son upped their game considerably when they performed, doing a novel version of one of the most popular (and dangerous) mentalism tricks, as Son predicted which of four cups had a spike under it. The trick was executed with panache and enthusiasm, and all three judges noticed this.
Xavie Mortimer again showed how charming and original he was with a routine themed around sticky tape, which he turned into a tie, a silk, a rose and stripes for his suit. Head judge Gilbert Rozon called him "the Fred Astaire of magic". However, the routine took a while to get going and was a bit too small-scale for the final of a national talent show. Furthermore, the number of unused cardboard boxes in the background were frustrating, as Xavier could have done some impressive tricks with those-maybe making a woman or two appear (I had the same problem with Laurent Beretta, who left a mini and Telephone box on stage without using them in his live performance). Therefore, he was a bit disappointing.
So, who won?
Eventually, Incroyable talent's winner for 2011 was revealed as teenage singer Marina, who edged out young ventriloquist Nans and another singer, Lois. Syl and Son came in at 6th, exceeding my expectations, but Xavier Mortimer came in at a diappointing 10th. Hopefully, next year will see some truly spectacular magicians, as the British, Australian and American Got Talents are about to start filming soon. Look out for more coverage of them on this blog soon.
Tuesday, 13 December 2011
France's Got Talent FInallists
I'm sorry that I didn't provide any news on the Incroyable talent finallists-I couldn't find any videos (This is when I hate being British). However, I can reveal that, Whilst Amile and Sylvie were amateurish and Laurent Beretta was bland, Xavier Mortimer and Syl et Son have made the final. But can they beat competitiors including two ventriloquists, two singers, two acrobats, a dance crew, a biking crew, an impressionist and model plane fliers on wednesday's final and win the prize? We will reveal all on thursday.
Xavier Mortimer
Audition: Did a trick with a disembodied hand, which drunk milk at one point
Semifinal: Did a tick with multiplying shadows and span 360 degrees in midair
Pros: Very original and inventive
Cons: not especially spectacular
Aim For Final: to do another original routine, and add spectacle
Where might he finish?: 6th
Syl et son
Audition: Son Predicted a chosen card, a dice on a board, and an assortment of shapes
Semifinal: Son Predicted a chosen planet, state of Canada and number
Pros: Original and cute
Cons: Not winner material. A bit repetitive
Aim For final: Add some more excitement
Where might they finish?: 10th
Xavier Mortimer
Audition: Did a trick with a disembodied hand, which drunk milk at one point
Semifinal: Did a tick with multiplying shadows and span 360 degrees in midair
Pros: Very original and inventive
Cons: not especially spectacular
Aim For Final: to do another original routine, and add spectacle
Where might he finish?: 6th
Syl et son
Audition: Son Predicted a chosen card, a dice on a board, and an assortment of shapes
Semifinal: Son Predicted a chosen planet, state of Canada and number
Pros: Original and cute
Cons: Not winner material. A bit repetitive
Aim For final: Add some more excitement
Where might they finish?: 10th
Sunday, 13 November 2011
France's Got (Plenty of) Magicians
(Before I start, I'd like to apologize for all the mistakes I made in my badly-received review of the Palladium Magic show in September. I'd also like to apologize for most of my outspoken comments on some of the acts (though I still dislike Jeff Hobson). Sometimes, it's better to look at the positives instead of the negatives.)
Of of all the versions of Got Talent in 39 different countries, the French version, Incroyable Talent, is one of the best for magicians. In the past, it has seen amazing Magicians such as Enzo Weyne, Florain, and Mohamed Chedaddi, and this year looks to be no different. In fact, we've seen more magicians then ever before! There have been four episodes of auditions so far, and there is only one to go before the top 30 is picked. 38 acts have been passed so far, and 6 of them are magicians. Although last year, just two magicians got to represent the art in the live shows, this year could be far better.
The six magicians are...
With one episode left before the live shows, there is still a chance of new magicians before the ones who go into the liveshows are picked, however, it is very likely that at least two of those through already will make the next round. I predict that Syl and Son and Xavier Mortimer will go through, and Laurent Beretta will if there's room for three in the liveshows (Provided a new and better magician doesn't emerge in this week's episode.
Continue coming to this blog for more coverage on Incroyable Talent in the coming weeks.
Of of all the versions of Got Talent in 39 different countries, the French version, Incroyable Talent, is one of the best for magicians. In the past, it has seen amazing Magicians such as Enzo Weyne, Florain, and Mohamed Chedaddi, and this year looks to be no different. In fact, we've seen more magicians then ever before! There have been four episodes of auditions so far, and there is only one to go before the top 30 is picked. 38 acts have been passed so far, and 6 of them are magicians. Although last year, just two magicians got to represent the art in the live shows, this year could be far better.
The six magicians are...
- Syl and Son - Father and son mentalists.Their act is impressively unconventional, but I wonder how far it could go.
- Xavier Mortimer- Did an inventive spin on the disembodied hand trick. A part involving it drinking milk was particularly effective
- Aldo Nicoloni- A finalist in Italy's got Talent, Aldo's signature routine involves making his head drop off. It's very funny and clever, but I wonder if he will be able to do anything else
- Laurent Beretta - Did an effective spin on the levitation trick, but does he have the talent or ability to innovative he needs to go all the way?
- Drago- Did a version of the Aquarian illusion, which most magicians do on these shows (e.g David and Karen in Britain, Landon Swank in America,Phoenix in Australia).However, compared to those magicians, it was pretty weak.
- Amile and Sylvie- An all-female quick-change act. Unique for this show, but the changes have been seen before, and quick-change acts are notorious for lacking range (American quick-changers David and Dania did the same routine each time they were on the show)
With one episode left before the live shows, there is still a chance of new magicians before the ones who go into the liveshows are picked, however, it is very likely that at least two of those through already will make the next round. I predict that Syl and Son and Xavier Mortimer will go through, and Laurent Beretta will if there's room for three in the liveshows (Provided a new and better magician doesn't emerge in this week's episode.
Continue coming to this blog for more coverage on Incroyable Talent in the coming weeks.
Tuesday, 20 September 2011
Palladium Magic- Exclusive Review
Last night, I went to the Palladium theatre to see one of the hottest events in magic history for years. I was really excited about it, but, as can be expected from a variety show, it was a mixed bag. Some performers were great, and others were abysmal. The magic was good, but the comedy was excruciating.
100 magicians were billed as appearing. However, only 15 acts performed on stage, 5 of whom weren't magicians. The other 85, including Penn and Teller:Fool Us star Chris Dugdale, did close-up magic to people in the aisles during the build-up and interval. I didn't see any of them in detail, though, which was a bit of a shame. The ones I did see were mostly ring and rope affairs and wholly meh.
As well as these 100, there were several iconic variety performers in the audience, including the magicians Wayne Dobson, David Berglas and Roy Heard, and the ventriloquists Roger De Courcey and Paul Zerdin.
However, the show was about the main 15 performers. Were they worth the centre billing?
FIRST HALF
The show started with a performance from the "Palladium Magic Dancers" . Like the acts that tend to open a Britain's Got Talent live show, they were technically proficient but meh and forgettable.
Following, and beginning the actual magic, was Erix Logan (Above). Logan performed several loud and exciting illusions, including making a singer appear from 5 small boxes stacked together and impaling an assistant on a giant pair of scissors.
Then came Yelena Larkina, a hula-hoop performer. Her performance was beautiful, amazing, faultless, and one of the best of the night.
She was followed by the first (And Best) of three American performers, Michael Finney (Below). He did some hackneyed but amusing card magic, and finished by making his head "vanish".
The next performer came from another distant land- France. Mikael Szanyiel did musical magic involving bow tie manipulations, sponge microphones and lots and lots of paper.
Whilst the stage hands were cleaning up, legendary magician Silvan did some of his signature card manipulations.
Following was Mac King, who did some very strange card magic, including the cards across effect and a signed card in several places trick.
Baton Twirler Nathalie Enterline (Below) followed with a very good performance, then the first half finished with a Finnish magician. Marko Karvo did some excellent bird magic with flair and skill to allow the audience to go to the intermission impressed
SECOND HALF
On paper, this seemed like a better half then the first, but, untill the very end, was far, far worse. The dancers danced again (yawn), then came one of the worst acts of the night. John Calvert is 100 years old, and I honour him for both his past magic and his coming onto stage at that age, but his performance was still awful. After struggling to find his seat for half the performance, Calvert did a simplistic Scarves-on-rope trick.
The next act, top british magician Paul Zenon, should have been a blast. He begun excellently with his cut-and-restored microphone lead trick, but the performance petered out, as he spent nearly all the remainder swinging a glass of beer over his head. The patter meanwhile, was at times too edgy for the large family audience, but not edgy enough for the late-night club Zenon usually performs to. In short, he was a bit dissappointing.
However, no one was more dissappointing then Kris Kremo. I was really looking forward to this legendary juggler's performance, but it was a mess. His ping-pong and scarve juggling was very good, but he made mistakes juggling hats and cigar boxes, and, in attempting to redo the failed moves, caused the show to drag on. It was a bit sad to see, and I think that he's beginning to lose his magic
Thankfully, the following performance was short, but also unessecary. Ben Stone was introduced as a singing magician, but just sang a meh number. He should audition for the X Factor, but not perform on this sort of show.
However, none of the above three performers, dissappointing as they were, were the worst of the night. That dubious honour goes to Jeff Hobson. The magic-some card stuff and an Egg Bag routine - was OK, but the presentation was horrific, with Hobson's presentational approach basically amounting to "Look at me, I'm soooo gay!" I don't understand how Vegas theatregoers put up with him for over an hour.
Thankfully, the final performer made the evening worthwhile. Hans Klok mixed card manipulations and sleights with lavish illsuions, including the "Eclipse"(one of my all-time favourite tricks) and his versions of the "Suspended Animation" and "Spiker" illusions. His act gave everyone something to talk about (For the right reasons) as they headed out of the theatre.
100 magicians were billed as appearing. However, only 15 acts performed on stage, 5 of whom weren't magicians. The other 85, including Penn and Teller:Fool Us star Chris Dugdale, did close-up magic to people in the aisles during the build-up and interval. I didn't see any of them in detail, though, which was a bit of a shame. The ones I did see were mostly ring and rope affairs and wholly meh.
As well as these 100, there were several iconic variety performers in the audience, including the magicians Wayne Dobson, David Berglas and Roy Heard, and the ventriloquists Roger De Courcey and Paul Zerdin.
However, the show was about the main 15 performers. Were they worth the centre billing?
FIRST HALF
The show started with a performance from the "Palladium Magic Dancers" . Like the acts that tend to open a Britain's Got Talent live show, they were technically proficient but meh and forgettable.
Then came Yelena Larkina, a hula-hoop performer. Her performance was beautiful, amazing, faultless, and one of the best of the night.
She was followed by the first (And Best) of three American performers, Michael Finney (Below). He did some hackneyed but amusing card magic, and finished by making his head "vanish".
The next performer came from another distant land- France. Mikael Szanyiel did musical magic involving bow tie manipulations, sponge microphones and lots and lots of paper.
Whilst the stage hands were cleaning up, legendary magician Silvan did some of his signature card manipulations.
Following was Mac King, who did some very strange card magic, including the cards across effect and a signed card in several places trick.
Baton Twirler Nathalie Enterline (Below) followed with a very good performance, then the first half finished with a Finnish magician. Marko Karvo did some excellent bird magic with flair and skill to allow the audience to go to the intermission impressed
On paper, this seemed like a better half then the first, but, untill the very end, was far, far worse. The dancers danced again (yawn), then came one of the worst acts of the night. John Calvert is 100 years old, and I honour him for both his past magic and his coming onto stage at that age, but his performance was still awful. After struggling to find his seat for half the performance, Calvert did a simplistic Scarves-on-rope trick.
The next act, top british magician Paul Zenon, should have been a blast. He begun excellently with his cut-and-restored microphone lead trick, but the performance petered out, as he spent nearly all the remainder swinging a glass of beer over his head. The patter meanwhile, was at times too edgy for the large family audience, but not edgy enough for the late-night club Zenon usually performs to. In short, he was a bit dissappointing.
However, no one was more dissappointing then Kris Kremo. I was really looking forward to this legendary juggler's performance, but it was a mess. His ping-pong and scarve juggling was very good, but he made mistakes juggling hats and cigar boxes, and, in attempting to redo the failed moves, caused the show to drag on. It was a bit sad to see, and I think that he's beginning to lose his magic
Thankfully, the following performance was short, but also unessecary. Ben Stone was introduced as a singing magician, but just sang a meh number. He should audition for the X Factor, but not perform on this sort of show.
However, none of the above three performers, dissappointing as they were, were the worst of the night. That dubious honour goes to Jeff Hobson. The magic-some card stuff and an Egg Bag routine - was OK, but the presentation was horrific, with Hobson's presentational approach basically amounting to "Look at me, I'm soooo gay!" I don't understand how Vegas theatregoers put up with him for over an hour.
Thankfully, the final performer made the evening worthwhile. Hans Klok mixed card manipulations and sleights with lavish illsuions, including the "Eclipse"(one of my all-time favourite tricks) and his versions of the "Suspended Animation" and "Spiker" illusions. His act gave everyone something to talk about (For the right reasons) as they headed out of the theatre.
HOW WOULD I RATE THE EVENING?
The performers make a show like this. Some, such as Hans Klok and Yelena Larkina, justified the length of the show (3 and a half hours!) and the price of the tickets. Others, such as Jeff Hobson and John Calvert, were disasterous, and it saddens me that they were even on the bill at all. Meanwhile, some performers, such as Marko Karvo and Erix Logan, were better then I expected, but Kris Kremo and Paul Zenon were real letdowns. Due to this inconsistency, the show as a whole was niether great nor terrible, so I would give it a 3 star rating.
HOW WOULD I RANK THE PERFORMERS (From worst to best)
15. Jeff Hobson
14. John Calvert
13. Ben Stone
12. The Palladium Dancers
11. Mack King
10. Kris Kremo
9. Paul Zenon
8. Silvan
7. Michael Finney
6.Mikeal Szanyiel
5. Nathalie Enterline
4.Erix Logan
3. Marko Karvo
2. Yelena Larkina
1. Hans Klok
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