Xavier Mortimer’s “Magical Dream” Is Illusion With a French Twist
Does “Magical Dream” At Planet Hollywood Truly Deliver Innovative Magic?
Exactly one year ago, this writer was invited to attend the media premiere for Mat Franco: Magic Reinvented Nightly. And while I found the Franco to be charming, his show was anything but “re-invention”. It was just the same old tricks, recycled for a new (and ideally naive) generation. Snore…
Last month, Criss Angel: Mindfreak Live pulled the same old dusty rabbits from his hat for a newly-revamped/renamed BeLIEve. Unfortunately, Angel had blatantly and brazenly stolen those bunnies from numerous other magicians. He was subsequently called on it in the press. Not just in my less-than-flattering review, but by the LV Review Journal and established Strip illusionist Rick Thomas, no less.
So it’s understandable that I’d go into another supposedly innovative magic show with my “B.S. meter” on full charge. Fool me three times? Not this guy. There was a glimmer of hope in that the show is directed by Alex Goude, the quirky French talent behind the much-maligned Twisted Vegas at Westgate Las Vegas earlier this year. I was one of the few who found Twisted Vegas to be refreshingly-offbeat, which made it a hard sell. Naturally, it vanished in no time.
Interestingly, those same traits don’t seem to be hindering Xavier Mortimer’s Magical Dream, the new show at Planet Hollywood‘s Sin City Theater. Not only was the performance I attended quite packed (on an uneventful Thursday, no less), but they’ve added matinee performances on Saturday and Sunday. My friends in the “magic circle” have also been giving Magical Dream consistently high marks…and that insider culture isn’t usually very generous with praise…especially someone as youthful as Mortimer (26 years old).
Magical Dream begins with Xavier popping onto the stage – quite literally – from a very large balloon. He is dressed for bed (in a whimsical sleeping cap) and invites the audience to visit his dream world. That adventure, which is the framework for a variety of clever set-pieces, is frequently interrupted by Mortimer’s evil alter-ego.
“Evil Xavier” causes mayhem from inside the glass of a dressing mirror, which is situated at the right side of the stage. His disruptions aren’t limited to wisecracks, though…Evil X reaches through the mirror itself, one of many reality-bending moments that will catch your attention.
The stage is rather sparsely dressed – the mirror, a collapse-able white dressing screen and a claw-foot bathtub. They represent Xavier’s bedroom, which receives frequent visits from the lovely and squeaky-voiced “Belle” (Lauren Metter). Serving as magician’s assistant/dancer/chaste love interest/illusionist in her own right, Metter is a somewhat grounded presence amidst Mortimer’s manic lunacy.
Vegas show-goers who cringe at the thought of French-style comedy (slapstick, silliness and rapid-fire physical antics) have had a rough time of it since the arrival of Cirque du Soleil. Luckily, Cirque was just paving the way for the arrival of Xavier, who honed his Vegas chops at Michael Jackson ONE. His heavy accent is hard to follow from time to time, so Mortimer includes a witty segment in which he uses flash cards instead of speaking. Sounds lame, but it’s spot-on.
The most stand-out moment in director Goude’s Twisted Vegas was a mind-boggling section where he physically interacted with a high-tech laser (another victim of Criss Angel’s thievery). Magical Dream has several such moments, where technology blends with meticulous choreography and precision timing to jaw-dropping effect. I won’t describe those sequences here – they demand to be seen live and in person.
As a fan of fan of magic and illusion, I’m pleased to discover a new Strip show that isn’t the same old gags wrapped in shiny new paper. Hat’s off to Xavier Mortimer’s “Magical Dream”. There’s a new kid in town, and he’s worth checking out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVz7gQEr-0M
Magical Dream performs six nights a week (Dark Wednesdays) at 7 pm with an additional 5:30 pm show on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets start at $60 (plus taxes/fees) and are available through this link. Groupon is currently offering a deal through 12/31/16 – general admission for $25 and VIP seats for $35 (with no additional fees) by visiting this page. The show is family-friendly (with mild adult innuendo).
VegasBright attended this performance as an invited guest, but our opinions remain our own.
A fitness buff and Vegas fan. Sam enjoys shows, bargains, and cheap healthy eats.
2 thoughts on “Xavier Mortimer’s “Magical Dream” Is Illusion With a French Twist”
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Sir, thank you! Based on this recommendation, I now have an additional event planned for my trip next month :)
This looks like a fun little show. But… I think I over planed my trip. I would love to support but the 5:30pm show I don’t think I could get from PH to my other shows on Sat/Sun.
But yeah this goes on my “next show to see list”. Will have to keep an eye on it..