Vitaly: An Evening of Wonders
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Cititour.com Review
The latest in a surprisingly long line of illusionists who have graced the New York stage, Russian-born Vitaly Beckman will definitely have you asking yourself (or your companion) “How did he do that?” more than once during his family-friendly show “Vitaly: An Evening of Wonders,” now running through September 30 at the Westside Theatre.
Beckman, whose biggest claim to fame may be an appearance on Penn & Teller’s TV show “Fool Me,” is probably not the most amazing magician currently in town –although he is quite a good one. However, he’s a charming, attractive and often self-effacing companion who creates a lovely rapport with the audience (many of whom become enthusiastic volunteers) which is an excellent gift for any entertainer to have in his repertoire.
A fairly low-tech affair (especially compared to a Broadway extravaganza like “The Illusionists”), “An Evening of Wonder” uses merely a video camera and a big-screen monitor (mostly to let the back of the house see what he’s doing) for equipment. Meanwhile, Beckman’s main props are, in no particular order, a sketch pad, some apples, photographs, plastic water bottles, a wine glass, a water goblet and a coffee mug, decks of oversized playing cards (of course), and – yes if you’re willing – your driver’s license. It would spoil the fun to say exactly what he does with each of these items, but in many cases, they’re being used (sometimes in tandem) in ways you wouldn’t – or couldn’t -- imagine.
Admittedly, Beckman doesn’t seem to have a huge arsenal of tricks in his bag, and the show (even at 80 minutes) does begin to feel repetitive even before its conclusion. And some of his bits are unduly stretched out with Beckman moving slowly and pretentiously on the stage in an obvious attempt to stretch out the show. Still, the evening is a pleasant diversion and is likely to prove to be a welcome respite from the sure-to-arrive heat during the dog days of summer.
By Brian Scott Lipton
Visit the Site
https://www.newyorkcitytheatre.com
Open/Close Dates
Opening 6/20/2018
Closing 3/5/2019
Theatre Info
Westside Theatre
407 West 43rd Street
New York, NY 10036
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