This season at Liberty Magic, several of the performers have been given catchy monikers; the latest magician to headline the venue, Robert Ramirez, is billed as “the Musical Theater Magician,” a phrase that piqued my interest and left me not quite knowing what to expect going in to the show. While I can’t say the transitions between the various elements is always seamless, I can say that the overall effect of the combination of these two artforms is charming and incredibly entertaining.
Ramirez’s show is best described as a mash-up by way of vaudeville: there’s magic and singing, as advertised, but there’s also tap dancing, comedy, and even a few lessons in magic history (Ramirez’s repertoire spans a range of styles and eras, from tricks done with iPhones to authentic props from the 50s and 70s, to the re-creation of a series of card manipulations first performed in the late 19th century). The show as I saw it was still in its early stages; Ramirez mentioned putting together a new program for his Pittsburgh run, including making changes up to each show. Perhaps it was this approach that gave the tone of the evening an appealing informality (though Ramirez’s talents prove that his approach to learning his crafts is anything but casual.) It’s an approach to magic performance I haven’t seen before, and while I wasn’t always clear on how exactly the pieces fit together, I was more than willing to enjoy each as it came.
In magic, perhaps more so than in any other performing art, the persona of the performer sets the tone for the entire evening, and I’ve rarely seen someone as good as Ramirez at putting an audience in the mood to be entertained. His demeanor is laid-back without veering into apathy, and his clear delight in performing is infectious. The atmosphere felt more relaxed than at any other magic show I’ve been to, and Ramirez’s willingness to roll with a few jokes thrown out by members of the audience fostered a real connection among everyone in the room. Ramirez’s willingness, too, to be playfully ridiculous serves him well throughout the evening: his presentation of a “bullet catch,” my favorite number in the show, is inventive and pure fun to watch.
At the close of the show, Ramirez shares a story from his recent past: he wanted to learn how to play a complex classical piano piece he loved, but, lacking technical training, was skeptical he could master it. He describes the process of practicing twenty minutes every day for over a year—which was a success, as he proves by sitting at the keyboard on stage and playing the piece flawlessly.
The message of his story—that it’s never too late, and always worthwhile, to pursue something that sparks your interest—is implicitly woven throughout the show. Ramirez clearly does not limit himself in going down the path of any topic or artform that piques his interest, and his joy in sharing what he finds on those paths is completely contagious. His persona, and his show more generally, is childlike in the best and most enviable way: he’s found something he loves, and is determined to show it off until others love it, too. His Pittsburgh run is perfectly timed for the holidays, the magic-show embodiment of a time of year devoted to indulging in this kind of joy and cynicism-free wonder.
For tickets and more information about Robert Ramirez as the Musical Theatre Magician, visit the Cultural Trust’s page.
Laura Caton grew up as a military brat and has lived in six states and two countries, but considers Pittsburgh her adopted hometown. She moved back to Pittsburgh in 2017 after four years of working in theater administration in New York City. When she’s not writing about theater, she can be found translating German novels, watching anything that bears even a passing resemblance to a Nora Ephron movie, and reading omnivorously.
Categories: Archived Reviews