Orlando Fringe 2023 review: ‘Great and Powerful Tim: Magic Tonight’

Veteran Fringe prestidigitator Tim Hoffman makes his long-awaited return after several years away with new mentalism effects and illusions, along with his signature side-splitting verbal antics.

Hoffman’s takes on time-honored prediction and mind reading tricks are greatly energized by his motormouthed, self-deprecating patter, and he’s as adept as anyone working Vegas at winning over a skeptical audience.

Full of frantic audience participation and goofy props (including a remote-controlled robot), the show’s structure revolves around Hoffman’s mock audition to be a late-night talk show host. Patrons play celebrity interview subjects, and get roped into facilitating magical gags with absurd premises.

I thought the shell-game finale’s payoff didn’t quite earn its windup, but thanks to Hoffman I’m now aware of the mortal threat that global warming poses to playing cards?

A big part of Hoffman’s shtick is that he always seems to be skating on the edge of disaster. In actuality, Hoffman’s success rate has sharply improved since his early Orlando appearances, making his show a fantastic pick for fans of fast-talking comedy-magic.

Great & Powerful Tim: Magic Tonight
The Great & Powerful Tim

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This article appears in Summer Guide 2023.