What do you get when you mix a healthy dose of infectious comedy with a whole lot of magic? The only conceivable answer is David Williamson, a wonderful entertainer and sleight of hand artist who in 2017 was named Magician of the Year by the Academy of Magical Arts. Since launching his career in the early 80’s, Williamson has found a way to maximize the power of his wickedly quick wit by coupling it with his own very special brand of magic. The combination is irresistible and on full display in Ridiculous!, his latest touring show now in performance at Rogers Park’s Rhapsody Theater until the end of June.
With Williamson, you learn that engaging can come in many different forms. A classic performer, he appears as comfortable on stage as most people do in their favorite lounge chair as he lays out his aspirations for the evening. Declaring that magic is about “creating a sense of wonder”, he lets you know that is exactly his objective with Ridiculous!. Judging from most of the faces in the audience, he was already accomplishing that goal five minutes into his act. It wouldn’t be long before the rest of room succumbed to the powerful effect of laughter and awe coming together to make the outside world disappear.
There seems to be a diabolical tinge to Williamson’s humor that’s ultimately ingratiating because you sense it comes from a place of honesty and candor. Completely devoid of venom, those hints of snark add to the color and vitality of the show. Magic Dave, as Williamson refers to himself, may not always treat his volunteers with kid gloves, but there’s never a shortage of hands going up when he’s looking for someone to join him on stage. And this show thrives on audience participation.
It’s not uncommon for a single trick, set up like a recurring theme, to span the greater part of a show. By calling for the use of an audience member’s one-hundred-dollar bill, the one opening Ridiculous! carried stakes slightly higher than you usually see. Leaving its owner truly doubtful whether she’d ever see it again, that bit of currency was destined to experience its fair share of trauma over the course of the next 75 to 90 minutes. You can’t appreciate the skills of a master sleight of hand artist until you’ve had the chance to witness the journey of that C-note. After it looked as if a child brought on stage to assist mistakenly put it through a shredder, the entire audience was convinced of its demise. Alluding to it throughout the rest of the show, with Williamson often promising restitution, the ruse had the room wondering whether it was honestly witnessing a trick gone rogue.
While waiting to find out, we learn a little about Williamson and how he came to magic. Describing himself as a “feral” child after surviving an F4 tornado in his home state of Ohio, he shared how he stumbled onto Quacky the Clown. Attending a traveling circus that had come to town, Williamson experienced an immediate infatuation with a 7’ man who was doing things he craved to do. It was his first exposure to magic and at the tender age of 13 he had found something that fulfilled him. Like anyone who’s suddenly discovered their calling, he tried to learn as much as he could as fast as he could. He joined magic clubs in Dayton and immersed himself in the culture of magic. But it was Quacky who proved his true catalyst by first teaching him a few tricks out of his circus canon.
The history of their craft and the people who inhabit it enchant magicians and listening to them share their knowledge and passion gives us a better appreciation for what they do and why. In a subsequent segment where he invited another volunteer up to take a seat in Dave’s Café, with the stage designed to look like a quintessential French bistro; he mixed Houdini focused history with his own magic. By simulating a séance once conducted by Houdini’s widow to pierce through death’s veil and contact the deceased magician, Williamson hoped to succeed where she had often failed. And even though he prevailed impressively, the lasting take away was noting the level of conviction he and other masters of the art form have for the power of magic.
With other tricks like “Pick a Nose”, “Who Wants to be a Hundredaire” and Where’s My Pants” things got a little lighter and slightly wilder; but they all held their own quirky mix of suspense and fun. The first turned into a family act involving a father, his 12-year-old son, clown noses and the prospect of a face full of whipping cream. The others were similar examples of why you simply can’t trust your eyes when a world class magician is around. Especially one who travels with a telepathic goose.
The fate of that hapless $100 bill? Well, let’s just say magicians sometimes dabble in miracles and it was extremely entertaining watching this one play out. The same can said for a unique production that anyone of any age would find delightful. There’s even a mini-aftershow upstairs that takes you into the highly sophisticated mechanics of sleight of hand artistry. A must for the curious and the insatiable.
David Williamson in Ridiculous!
Through June 30, 2024
The Rhapsody Theater
1328 W. Morse Ave.
Chicago, IL 60626