What I liked
I LOVED this show. Marisa does such a good job playing with the audience, tricking them and delighting in how they respond. The crowd I saw the show with was laughing at every joke, appreciative of every audience interaction, and stunned into silence at some of the emotional turns in the story. I think it’s a testament to all the work put into the show – not just learning magic, but filling in the details of the world, down to calling her tech “orphan boy.”
I was fully immersed in the world of the show and the stakes of the story and loved all the different levels of jokes – it was a perfect mix of stupid reveals, charming failures, and biting satire, and Marisa is great at breaking the 4th wall to check in on the audience or punctuate a point.
What I didn't like
The show got a standing ovation. I don’t think anything needs to be improved, we just want more!
My overall impression
This was hands down my favorite show of Fringe. Marzini (who’s definitely a man, definitely Italian, and it’s definitely 1872 or whatever) has one final show to repay his debts before his execution. The show finds time for magic tricks, shadow puppets, a musical number, a critique of Orientalism, walk-on roles for the audience, a tragic backstory, and the voice of Marissa herself, peeking out from her character and showing us why this story was important to her.
