Reviewed by Laura Caton
At the risk of shirking my duty as a reviewer, my reaction to Journey of the Master, currently playing at Liberty Magic, can best be summed up in four little words: just buy a ticket.
To say much more is to risk spoiling the atmosphere, humor, and mastery of Chris Capehart‘s performance, but I’ll try to elaborate. As his biography indicates, Capehart is a master of his craft by any metric: in a career spanning over forty years, he has performed in all kinds of venues for all kinds of audiences, winning awards, accolades, and a 23-page spread in Genii magazine. (If you’re going to see this show, I recommend steering clear of any Google searches of his past performances beforehand. His work is best experienced for the first time live.)
From the moment he steps onstage, Capehart’s command of both the room and the attention of everyone in it is obvious. His show flows effortlessly from moment to moment, carried out with a confidence and sense of humor I’ve rarely seen matched by a performer in any art form. I could hardly believe ninety minutes had passed when the show wrapped up. It was hard to tell for sure, given the masks everyone in the audience was wearing (part of the much-appreciated safety protocols in place at Cultural Trust venues).
I’m confident my jaw was not the only one dropping in light of Capehart’s illusions. This light was mainly figurative—as his props consist primarily of cards, coins, and scarves. It was sometimes literal, as in the case of a particularly impressive illusion involving a bare lightbulb.
Even if he weren’t a master magician, Capehart could have a decent fallback career as a comedian. His rapport with the audience was nearly instantaneous and built throughout the evening, mainly via a few clever recurring bits popping up every few minutes. Capehart’s performing style is one of the most relaxed of any magician I’ve seen, and it lends itself well to putting his audience at ease.
The staff at Liberty Magic are, as always, equally good at providing a warm welcome to audience members, this time with the added challenge of enforcing COVID procedures. The Liberty Magic team handles it beautifully: the protocols are clearly communicated and monitored without detracting from the relaxed atmosphere.
This being the first show at the venue in over eighteen months, there was a vibrant sense of joy in returning to the space from the moment I stepped inside.
Liberty Magic has always been one of my favorite venues in Pittsburgh. Journey of the Master is a beautiful reminder of why that’s the case: it presents expert performers in an intimate space perfectly crafted and staffed to highlight the art form of magic. I can’t think of a better return to the venue and live theater in general than Chris Capehart’s show.
Just buy a ticket. I’m betting you’ll be glad you did.
Liberty Magic: Chris Capehart in JOURNEY OF THE MASTER runs from now through October 29th.
For tickets visit https://trustarts.org/production/76395/list_performances
Categories: Reviews
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