Review: Celebracadabra - Week Three

This week, the crew takes on comedy magic in a college bar. And with his win last week, C. Thomas Howell requires Lisa Ann Walter to perform with no vocals and only grunts. Despite the severe impediment, Walker more than rises to the occasion and this week's elimination, as it was during week one, was the result of a magic trick gone bad. We also see a contestant rely on celebrity to help a routine.

For the week three, the remaining five contestants included: C. Thomas Howell, Lisa Ann Walter, Chris "Kid" Reid, Hal Sparks and Kimberly Wyatt. After Walter was cursed with what was effectively duct tape over her mouth, I initially thought that in a noisy college bar, which I misinterpreted to be strolling, Walter could simply perform a silent routine.

However, the show turned out to be a comedy style night with stand-up performances. Walker had her work cut out.

The Recruits
The first part of the show had the contestants drumming-up spectators for the evening's show. They apparently spent five hours in Westwood, CA near the campus of UCLA. I winced as I watched the contestants try to gather a crowd under far less than ideal conditions where there was little or no foot traffic.

I know how difficult it is to gather a crowd on the street (for the record, I've never busked but entertained on sidewalks to draw crowds into a bar and worked street fairs.) In these segments, Silly Billy's instincts and advice to Walker were the strongest. In the end, it appeared that the recruitment phase did not play a role in the final judging. If this was the case, the show devoted far too much time to these segments.

The Show
Kid Reid opened the stand-up show. He demonstrated his comedic skills - actually I'll take the judges' words because I didn’t see enough to be able to evaluate - and his bottle trick gave him trouble. It's not clear whether the steal was a problem, but the production was revealed far before its moment. This would be Reid's undoing on the show.

Of all the coaches, I would personally pick David Regal for his ability to write witty dialogue. Regal is Howell's coach and here, Regal’s recommended mechanical duck opener seemed off base for the college crowd. Howell's act ultimately evolved into a head-scratcher and he displayed poor management of his volunteer. He left the stage after his act with the volunteer left standing with nothing to do.

Interestingly, I was wondering when the contestants would use celebrity to assist them. And Howell proved to be the first with a mentalism effect that used titles of his movies. Using celebrity allows one to more easily pursue other avenues, whether it's the actor who wants to sing or the singer who wants to write and publish a book. I thought there might be a rule against this, but I was apparently wrong. I’m sure that this ploy helped Howell when he played this card.

"Pacoima Woman"
The highlight was Walter's game attempt to overcome her curse of not being able to speak. She brilliantly adapted a cave woman persona and used her coach, Silly Billy, to provide necessary dialog that bridged her effects. I know how touchy the "glass trick" can be, and I found this to be a nail biting moment. Silly Billy himself was cast in a new role that he was unaccustomed to and felt the jitters of the contestants. In the end, Walter succeeded.

Kimberly Wyatt used her stage persona and dance skills to command the crowd and her tricks went well. It was enough to win the evening and I completely agree with this choice.

As I said earlier, if Wyatt makes it to the big illusion show, her dance and choreography skills will be a huge advantage on stage. By the way, did someone tell her to spice up the show? She certainly raised the sedate temperature with alluring outfits. Hal Sparks performed the most skillful magic, he clearly deserved to stay.

The Judging
This week, Max Maven and Jonathan Leavitt were joined by Steve Wyrick. I agree with Max Maven that C. Thomas Howell was the performer who should have been eliminated in the split decision.

I still find it hard to watch this show. I find myself sitting on the edge of my seat as I watch magic tricks on the edge of going bad. I know too well how it feels to lack confidence in a routine and struggling in front of a crowd when problems occur. While the contestants are not actually magicians, they are our entertainment brethren and I definitely feel their performance pain.

When I heard that next week's show was to feature restaurant strolling, I was looking forward to seeing the contestants in the venue where I perform most. However, the twist is, they’ll be performing for senior citizens, which may have been a mistake on the part of the producers.

It's a funny idea, but it's probably far less than an ideal crowd. We'll see what's in store.

More Reading:
Review: Celebracadabra Week Two - Kids Magic
Review: Celebracadabra - Week 1, Street Magic
What Makes a Great Magician?