REVIEW: ‘The Magic City’ is wondrous family-friendly entertainment
Photo: The Magic City stars Sarah Fornace and Jeffrey Paschal, but other actors have portrayed Philomena, including Ellie Duffey. Photo courtesy of Katie Doyle / Provided by Rubenstein with permission.
NEW YORK — There are many awesome qualities to The Magic City that prove memorable, but the best one is the lack of a curtain. This off-Broadway show, now playing a limited engagement at the New Victory Theater on 42nd Street, tells a wondrous tale of a young girl trying to understand her new family dynamic and how the relationship with her older sister is ever-changing. The action of the 60-minute piece takes place in front of multiple cameras, and the images are broadcast high above the New Victory’s stage on a central screen, almost as if one were watching a movie or television show.
But that lack of curtain is the key. As the hard-working actors bring to life the plot, every one of their actions can be seen on the stage below, allowing audience members, both young and young at heart, the chance to see what the making of art looks like. It’s a fascinating duality that Manual Cinema is able to achieve. They are presenting a magical, seamless narrative on the movie screen, but at the same time, one can view the inner-workings of the theatrical machine and how the actors use light, perspective, puppetry and simple props to aid their storytelling.
The cast consists of Brandon Boler, Sarah Fornace, Kasey Foster, Jeffrey Paschal and Alicia Walter. They embody several characters in the story, and the main one is 9-year-old Philomena (Fornace, who is also a co-deviser of the show), who has enjoyed playing make-believe with her older sister. Together they create an imaginary world that is constructed from discarded boxes and labels; it’s quite the creative achievement. But then her sister, Helen (Foster), becomes engaged to Brandon (Boler), and Philomena must learn how to adjust to this new living environment. Plus, this new person in Philomena’s life brings along a friend, Brandon’s son, Lucas (Paschal), and the 9-year-old is left wondering how Lucas fits into her imagined world.
The creativity of the so-called Magic City comes courtesy of stationary cameras that are set up around the stage. There’s one main camera that is set on a backdrop, and the actors bring props and puppets in and out of focus to describe and detail Philomena’s story. There are other cameras on the other side of the screen, allowing for even more creativity and viewpoints, all of which are broadcast on that movie screen up above. The only words that are said aloud come from a narrator (Walter), sitting downstage right, and she adds original music and notes from an accompanying keyboard.
The images and videos that are broadcast on the movie screen have the look and feel of children’s television, with extreme closeups and exaggerated gestures. More than a few youngsters in the crowd at a recent performance had their eyes fixed on the screen, as if they were watching an episode of Nick Jr. Others were watching the screen but were also mesmerized by the creative footwork down below, and again that lack of a curtain truly elevates the play. There’s a reason that the Chicago-based Manual Cinema likes the audience to see the process of creation; it’s half the story, given that the narrative is all about a 9-year-old creating an alternate world.
The Magic City, based on a novel by Edith Nesbit and devised for the stage by Drew Dir, Fornace, Ben Kauffman and Julia Miller, continues through Sunday, April 6, at the Midtown Manhattan venue. It’s an hour well spent in the company of creative geniuses.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
The Magic City, devised by Drew Dir, Sarah Fornace, Ben Kauffman and Julia Miller, continues through Sunday, April 6, at the New Victory Theater on 42nd Street in Midtown Manhattan. Click here for more information and tickets.
