☆☆

At a show called Barry Potter and the Magic of Wizardry, the audience has to have a good idea of what they’re getting themselves into. Potter does not disappoint. The magic may be recognizable by those who have seen muggle magicians, but there’s plenty of Hogwarts-magic style props and more wizardry puns than you can shake a hippogriff at. The execution did face some issues at the reviewed show, but he pressed forward with admirable professionalism.

Potter has a decent rapport with the audience, but surprisingly given the type of show, seemed to have trouble connecting with the younger audience members. One youngest was admittedly overly chatty from her seat, and he shut her down pretty harshly for an overactive toddler, calling her narcissistic and telling her that not everything is about her. It would have been an understandable, if unfortunate, reaction from a non-performer, but for a magician performing a self-aware childish kind of show it felt far too unkind. Potter was better with a young boy who joined him onstage for a coin trick, who had a great time getting in on the magical fun.

The magic performed was well themed but had a significant error on the day that the show was reviewed with the final reveal. As much as it’s a shame to end on an error, the rest mostly goes to plan, and if the patterns are familiar, it’s all perfectly themed. Potter uses familiar props, such as a golden snitch and photos of the Harry Potter film characters, to perform his effects. He tells a Harry Potter style story throughout the show, but a highlight is his playing card retelling of the original story. This did hit a few snags at the reviewed show but was nevertheless creative and engaging.

If it wasn’t perfect when it was reviewed, Barry Potter and the Magic of Wizardry was still a great time, thanks to the irrepressible professionalism of Potter himself.  There are plenty of fun reveals even when things go wrong, and errors of some sort are inevitable in a month-long live theater run. Harry Potter fans looking for a dose of nostalgia peppered with the best kinds of bad jokes need look no further.