Between being a season ticket holder at the Pantages and being on mailing lists for other theaters, I find out about a lot of shows that are going on around LA. I don’t see as many shows as I should, and I tend to get tickets for things that aren’t exactly normal plays or musicals outside of my season tickets. For example, I saw the virtual show “Inside The Box” and then went to the in-person show “The Enigmatist”, both of which were puzzle-type shows. But those shows were so fun because I had no idea what I was in for and I loved how they were set up with a storyline to go through the various games and tricks.
So when I got an email about the show “Mindplay” and read that it was a one-man show with a mentalist, I knew it would be an amazing show to check out. I know being a mentalist and being a magician isn’t exactly the same, but they have similar elements so I felt certain that I would enjoy the show. And even better than getting the email about the show, they were offering a discount on tickets, so my friend Jane and I were able to get incredible seats for the same price as the cheapest seats (although the theater is small so I think all seats would be amazing).
The show was created and performed by Vinny DePonto, and the theme and storyline throughout the evening was about memories and mental manipulation. There was a lot of story about how we keep memories and how things like dementia can make us forget our memories and then sometimes they can resurface. I loved that storyline and message because that’s something I witnessed through my grandma. In the last few years of her life, she had moments of clarity where she was able to share memories with us that none of us had heard before. And those moments were really special to me because I was able to see the person that I remembered from my childhood.
I don’t want to give away a lot about the show because I think it was so good and everyone should check it out. And I think the less you know about the show, the better. But I can share that there is a lot of audience participation (I wasn’t called on so I just watched) and that there are lots of mind-reading moments. The way he was able to find out information had me speechless. None of these moments felt like a gimmick or a trick. They were seamless within the story and felt like this was a normal experience we were watching and not something special and incredible. I think that made it even better!
It wasn’t a long show and there isn’t an intermission, so the evening flew by. I wish it was longer because I was enjoying it so much. And I know that Jane felt the same way as we kept saying after the show was done that we had no idea how he could do the things he did but that it was so much fun to watch everyone in the room in awe the same way that we were. And there was a surprise at the end of the show (that I won’t spoil) that was just the best way to end the night!
After the show was done, we had a quick chance to meet Vinny and I let him know how much I enjoyed the evening.
Even though this show wasn’t about puzzles like the other ones I had seen recently, it had a lot of the same elements with mystery and improvisation. I would love to see another show that he does because it really was the perfect thing to watch that combined my love of shows and my nerdy side that enjoys puzzles and magic.
I know I’m so lucky that there are a lot of opportunities to see shows like this very close to my house. I know I won’t see every show that I’m told about because I do have to be a bit selective with my time and money, but I’m so glad that this was a show that I had the chance to see because I had the best time and got to have an evening that felt like I was witnessing something magical.
You Might Also Like
“The Enigmatist” (or A Night Of Puzzles, Word Games, and Magic)
A Night Of Magic (or Not Quite A Musical)
Magic Castle Fun (or Girls Night Out)
All Set For Another Musical Season (or I’m Glad I Can Continue This)
42nd Street (or So Much Tap Dancing!)
Saturday Evening With My Parents (or I’m Posting A Little Out Of Order About My Weekend)
