☆☆

The nostalgia hits as soon as the audience steps in to the venue for Sam Hurst’s Magic Mayhem and Memes! show, to music classics that every millennial will recognize. The nostalgia doesn’t ever stop, with song references and memes of varying vintages. It’s certainly accessible even for the younger end of millennial, and probably even gen Z if they have spent enough time on the internet. If the Meme/millennial theme isn’t always a constant in the show, the fun is, and the time flies by.

The reviewed show was not without its challenges. Chief among these was a little French boy who tested Hurst’s skills with audience participants. Hurst had evidentially planned an early segment to cater to his younger viewers, always a nice thing to see in a magic show, but with younger viewers comes greater chaos. Hurst managed to muddle through with a mixture of simple French, miming, and the universal language of magic.  Additionally, Hurst experienced issues with the technology components of his show initially failing to perform their duties.  His good humor despite these setbacks made the audience feel safe in his hands.

Unfortunately the magic itself was at times noticeably imperfect as well. Hurst could have performed the red balls tricks with a bit more finesse, and a noticeably discolored thumb in full view right at the end slightly undercut the final reveal. However, it’s clear that Hurst is a skilled magician, his version of the classic cup and balls trick was flawless, even to audience members who have seen it countless times before. If the audience and technical issues at the reviewed show might have thrown him off slightly, hopefully future shows will be smoother sailing.

Magic Mayhem and Memes! can be confirmed to contain all three of those elements in significant quantities. It feels like the adult version of a children’s birthday party. The silliness is infectious and Hurst’s humor keeps the whole audience laughing. If it isn’t always perfect it’s difficult to care too much. Millennials have gone through a lot worse than an imperfect magic show. Hurst won’t fix that but he will temporarily distract us from it—about all that can be reasonably expected from a magician. This is the show to nourish the inner child of every millennial.