In & Of Itself NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (182)
See it if You enjoy illusionists but also a deeply personal and moving story.
Don't see it if You are looking for a fast paced extravaganza
See it if Best magic show ever
Don't see it if don't like magic tricks
See it if you want to be amazed by some outstanding illusions, and don't mind the slow pace & lengthy stories in between.
Don't see it if you're expecting a fast-paced show, with lots of action and excitement Read more
See it if You appreciate great storytelling, and are open to a new and different experience.
Don't see it if You're expecting huge dazzling tricks or a cohesive plot. Read more
See it if You seek a unique theatrical experience delivered by a master storyteller and magician. The show comes together in a profound way.
Don't see it if You are expecting a flashy magic show. While there are magic elements to the show, it is about so much more than that. Read more
See it if you want to lose yourself for 75 minutes of mind-blowing fun and wonder while having this pause also make you think.
Don't see it if you need quick action by a rousing cast that has no pause. Here, you need to pay attention to one person.
See it if You want a piece of theatre that is outside the ordinary where you will leave reflecting on what happened.
Don't see it if You expect a traditional magic show.
See it if You want to see an artful, cerebral storytelling illusion show. Derek Delguardio pulls off a masterful performance with absorbing tales.
Don't see it if You don’t like magic or would prefer a play. This is an experience performance.
Critic Reviews (25)
"It’s all very heady and will intrigue even those not predisposed to card tricks and the like, but only up to a point. If all you want is to be blown away by mind-twisting illusions, 'In & Of' Itself might leave you a little disappointed...While DelGaudio’s approach to his craft is wholly original, it is engaging only in so far as one is interested in magic. Otherwise it quickly becomes the same old thing in a beguiling new wrap."
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"Such an unexpected puzzle of a show, such an eclectic collection of stories, confessions, illusions and tricks — several truly dumbfounding — that audience members will want to come back...The show, proceeding in unpredictable directions, has a quirky, grab-bag feel that is at once attractive and a bit unsatisfying...DelGaudio announces large and portentous themes but could use some more supporting evidence and a stronger concluding paragraph to tie everything together."
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"DelGaudio does not perform parlor tricks, he tells stories and connects directly with the audience using the illusions as emphasis to heighten their impact...Derek DelGaudio is a masterful storyteller. He fills minds with anecdotes and perplexing tales then blows those minds with simple but astounding feats. No matter how much one wants to know how everything has been achieved, one cannot help but enjoy the thrill of the mystery. And that's the real magic."
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"As thought-provoking as any piece of theatre I’ve ever seen and as revelatory in its awe-inspiring moments as any magic act I’ve ever witnessed...'In & Of Itself' is a rare entertainment where magic and theatre have evolved into a new form of art...More than the sum of its parts, each decision enhances the overall effect and delivers on the show’s promise."
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"'In & Of Itself' leaves you just kind of expecting more...There’s a fair bit of literal and symbolic misdirection as well, of extended buildups that don’t seem to lead anywhere or pay off...All told, there are some half-dozen illusions that, while impressive, don’t withstand the-walk-to-the-car scrutiny...For an experience billed as both magic show and night of revelation, it comes up a little short on either end."
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"The illusion and prestidigitation show feels somewhat underwhelming. Ostensibly a very short evening with a solo performer the show unfolds at a languid pace. Derek DelGaudio’s presents for us as a series of stories, illusions and card tricks. His demeanor is quiet and his delivery is measured and soporific...He performs a neat little piece of sleight-of-hand and shadow puppetry...Derek DelGaudio’s show is a pleasant, if brief, diversion but as a magic show it’s not all that remarkable."
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"A quirky kind of magic show, one whose basic comic spirit has an aura of darkness and mystery...When he’s not being serious DelGaudio, a low-key but skilled magician with a deft line of patter, does card tricks, interacts with the audience, tells jokes, disappears various objects before our eyes, and entertains us masterfully...Mothersbaugh’s score provides a haunting underpinning to the one-hour show, which is ably directed by Frank Oz."
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“Some stories thrill and send shivers down the audience’s spine, while others feel like a bemusing non sequitur to lead DelGaudio to his next trick…In a way, the magic of 'In & Of Itself' is less about the tricks and reveals but more about what it makes the viewer contemplate. DelGaudio’s questions and stories worm their way into the audience members’ minds, and make them question if what they are seeing is real…‘In & Of Itself’ is like nothing I have ever seen before.”
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