The Jewish Priest, The Gangster, & The Magician

What I liked

The Jewish Priest, The Gangster, & The Magician is a wildly funny, genre-bending ride that finds humor in the sacred and the profane, and heart in the most unexpected places.

What I didn't like

It was a preview show, so it was understandable that the cast didn’t always “find their light” and some actors didn’t project as much as others. I’m sure these issues will resolve themselves at future shows

My overall impression

If you’re looking for an evening full of laughter, surprises, and genuinely charming chaos, The Jewish Priest, The Gangster, & The Magician delivers all that and more. With a bold premise and an even bolder cast, this offbeat comedy dives headfirst into themes of love, loyalty, and tradition—then gleefully tosses the rulebook out the window.

The story centers on a deeply conflicted Jewish Piest who finds himself hopelessly in love with a married woman. The catch? According to religious tradition, he can’t marry a divorcée—only a widow. Enter his loyal, if slightly misguided, gangster friend, who’s more than willing to “solve” the problem in his own criminally creative way. Just when it seems like the plan might go horribly (or hilariously) wrong, the woman’s husband turns out to be a magician with a knack for escaping danger—quite literally. What follows is a clever collision of faith, friendship, and fast-talking absurdity.

The cast is the show’s greatest strength; each performer fully committed to the outrageousness of the plot while keeping it grounded in real emotional stakes. Adam Walker Federman portraying the Jewish Priest strikes the perfect balance between earnestness and comedic timing, while the Gangster (Yasha Rayzberg) and his two weaselly sidekicks (Zach Kanner, Stephen Parker) steals scenes with charm and wild energy. And the Magician (Joshua Luke Johnston) is equal parts slippery and showman as he brings an unpredictable spark to the stage that keeps the audience on its toes. But all of these man are outshone by Ariel Barber portraying the no-nonsense Magician’s wife who won’t take guff from any man.

The script is sharp, the one-liners land with precision, and the chemistry among the leads keeps the stakes high even in the most ridiculous moments. Laughter came easily and often from the audience, who were clearly having as much fun as the cast on stage.