Guy Hollingworth & Erdnase

[Magic Newswire]

Knowing that so many of you here respect the work of Guy Hollingworth as much or more than I do, I thought that I'd share this with you here on the Genii forums. As I post this, he has just wrapped the first night of his latest presentation of "Expert at the Card Table" in Los Angeles, directed by Neil Patrick Harris. Guy and I have attempted to schedule this chat previously, and have finally made it happen! We talk about the show, his dual life, his love of magic, his collaboration with NPH and much more! http://bit.ly/MNWGuyH

[Brandon Hall]

I've got tickets for the 28th. I'm looking forward to it. I'll write a breif review.

[houdini's ghost]

I saw the 9:00 show last night. It was the third time I'd seen Expert. I would like to see it again. I think it is terrific.
I had caught the play at the Magic Castle a year or so ago and my 19 year old son and I saw the first preview of this production at the Broad Stage in Santa Monica on July 13. There is plenty of free parking and the theatre is a beautiful plant in which to stage the Expert--it's part of Santa Monica College.
Guy Hollingworth and Neil Patrick Harris have, through writing, stagecraft and performance, presented a fascinating story about a magical genius and a sociopathic gambler. And the very most impressive thing to me is how clear Guy's presentation is to innocent civilians--people who don't know anything about Erdnaise.
When I saw an excellent, but, still learning about itself, performance of this play at the Magic Castle, most of my fellow spectators were familiar with Erdnaise, about half of us, I'd say, own at least one copy of the book, and some carry it around with them. This was not the case in Santa Monica.
The audience at the Broad Stage were right with Guy Hollingworth, moment by moment. They--we--were completely charmed--and there is nothing charming about Milton Andrews--but Hollingworth uses his own extreme charm to make up for Andrews' shortcomings and even manages to give us cause to appreciate Erdnaise. (Alan Merson and I were sitting together last night and certainly we both have an appreciation of Erdnaise, but, most of the audience came in there not knowing Erdnaise from Herod, and they bought into him as well).
The way Hollingworth sells his subject is by interrupting his narrative frequently to perform some of the very best card magic and sleight of hand I have ever seen, a great deal of it right out of Erdnaise. And last night, Guy was on fire. And after he has bludgeoned us, and stupefied us, with that sleight of hand--and his charm--he returns to the story, and, this is important, nobody loses the thread. The magic and the story are perfectly balanced. The magician and the gambler are perfectly balanced. The plot never seems ambiguous or murky, despite its mysterious subject.
Was I convinced by the play as to Erdnaise' true identity? Yes.
Patrick Culliton

[BrianB2]

Who is Erdnaise?

Did you mean Erdnase?

[houdini's ghost]

I said I like the play. I never said I could spell it.

[houdini's ghost]

I'm amazed I didn't add an "i" to Andrews just to make it fit.

[houdini's ghost]

I saw the 9:00 show last night. It was the third time I'd seen Expert. I would like to see it again. I think it is terrific.
I had caught the play at the Magic Castle a year or so ago and my 19 year old son and I saw the first preview of this production at the Broad Stage in Santa Monica on July 13. There is plenty of free parking and the theatre is a beautiful plant in which to stage the Expert--it's part of Santa Monica College.
Guy Hollingworth and Neil Patrick Harris have, through writing, stagecraft and performance, presented a fascinating story about a magical genius and a sociopathic gambler. And the very most impressive thing to me is how clear Guy's presentation is to innocent civilians--people who don't know anything about Erdnase.
When I saw an excellent, but, still learning about itself, performance of this play at the Magic Castle, most of my fellow spectators were familiar with Erdnase, about half of us, I'd say, own at least one copy of the book, and some carry it around with them. This was not the case in Santa Monica.
The audience at the Broad Stage were right with Guy Hollingworth, moment by moment. They--we--were completely charmed--and there is nothing charming about Milton Andrews--but Hollingworth uses his own extreme charm to make up for Andrews' shortcomings and even manages to give us cause to appreciate Erdnase. (Alan Merson and I were sitting together last night and certainly we both have an appreciation of Erdnase, but, most of the audience came in there not knowing Erdnase from Herod, and they bought into him as well).
The way Hollingworth sells his subject is by interrupting his narrative frequently to perform some of the very best card magic and sleight of hand I have ever seen, a great deal of it right out of Erdnase. And last night, Guy was on fire. And after he has bludgeoned us, and stupefied us, with that sleight of hand--and his charm--he returns to the story, and, this is important, nobody loses the thread. The magic and the story are perfectly balanced. The magician and the gambler are perfectly balanced. The plot never seems ambiguous or murky, despite its mysterious subject.
Was I convinced by the play as to Erdnase' true identity? Yes.
Patrick Culliton

[Kevin Connolly]

Who is Erdnase?

Did you mean Erdnaise?

[houdini's ghost]

Erdnaise. So as not to tip the ending. That'll throw them off.
The play is at the Broad Stage--not broad like Sinatra would say broad--that's Brohd, long "o"--accent grahve over the "o."
As in Souse--accent grahve over the "e."
By the way, in my first book (Houdini's Strange Tales, 1991), I mispelled the names of seven members of the Weiss family.
Still a fascinating book--available at:
http://houdinihimself.com/

[Richard Hatch]

A fun video clip of NPH and Guy Hollingworth backstage:
http://tinyurl.com/3jrftp3

[Sam Kesler]

Thumbs up review in the LA Times Calendar section today with the headline "These Tricks Are A Treat."

[Travis]

I saw the official opening night 9:00 show, as well. The show is a fantastic piece of work. Exciting, funny, dramatic, and astonishing. Guy performs several of his own creations throughout the the show, and if you've read 'Drawing Room Deceptions' you'll no doubt recognize these. One, in particular, I wish I'd never read the explanation for because it would have fooled me very badly, and I'd have very much enjoyed that. However it was a treat to be able to watch Guy perform it for a real audience.

See it while you can. I can't think of a better way to spend an evening.

[The Magic Apple]

The Expert at the Card Table Shows have JUST been added:

The additional shows are as follows:

July 30 and 31 at 1:00 pm

Aug 3 and 4 at 9:00 pm

Aug 6 and 7 at 1:00 pm

Most shows have been selling out so get your tickets NOW!!!

Click HERE for all the information

[Richard Hatch]

Perhaps this was posted elsewhere earlier, but I just stumbled across it today, a VARIETY review of Guy Hollingworth's LA show:
http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117945662

[houdini's ghost]

Very high praise from an often tough source and completely deserved. I saw the play twice during it's run at the Broad and attended Guy's lecture at the Magic Apple. Superb! Matchless!
Hollingworth is one of the greats and Neil Patrick Harris did everything right. And Variety couldn't agree with me more.