"While Mr. Deblinger unfolds the story of his life, he disappears so often into the other colorful characters in the tale that he himself almost seems to be a supporting player…‘Lucky Penny’ isn’t the most cogently thematic show; it’s a grab bag of incidents from Mr. Deblinger’s life…But Mr. Deblinger’s high-voltage energy, his gift for vocal and physical impersonation and his snappy delivery of the narration enliven even the less compelling moments."
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"You may squirm at some of the dysfunctional family stories in David Deblinger's wild and crazy, yet ultimately loving and touching solo-ish show...Deblinger has a great talent for making his stories come alive...Even though the entire evening, smartly directed by Ben Snyder, is composed of a series of self-contained stories, it all comes across as a fully developed coming-of-age tale that finds a surprisingly upbeat pathway through the thorns and thickets of life."
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"The real success here is that the production never feels bogged down by the potentially sorrowful content. Deblinger's performance is outstanding, and the contrast provided by his accomplice Johnson is the making of a formidable duo. Deeply personal yet amazingly light-hearted, 'Lucky Penny' is an unabashedly original memoir which is full of life lessons but also delightfully entertaining."
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