Marcel and The Art of Laughter NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (57)
See it if You enjoy physical comedy by two experts and a second half master class that is great fun.
Don't see it if Physical comedy is a turnoff Read more
See it if you enjoy really well-done pantomime. Marcel, the first one-act is clever and delightful.
Don't see it if Second one-act, The Art of Laughter, is a primer on how to laugh and how to get audiences to laugh. It's engaging and enjoyable.
See it if You want to see a masterclass in physical comedy then get a very funny lesson about how it’s done. Delightful and clever. Talented players.
Don't see it if You don’t like slapstick or physical comedy or would prefer to see a play or musical. This is neither.
See it if you like clown work
Don't see it if you don't think clowns are funny
See it if 2 masters at point of perfection in comedy with ingenuity and timing that has the audience roaring with laughter
Don't see it if Slapstick is not your thing
See it if you enjoy a show of comedy that is intelligent as well. The second act very different from first, a master class about the art of comedy
Don't see it if you don't enjoy comedy of any kind. Read more
See it if you delight in truly splendid physical comedy and want to experience a true masterclass in the art of humor
Don't see it if you're already tired of the usual gags & don't want to watch a man impersonate cheese for the purpose of expounding on an intellectual point
See it if the first act is near perfect
Don't see it if the second act--although enjoyable--felt like a class that i didn't sign up for
Critic Reviews (13)
"The second act functions as a coda, though each works perfectly as a stand-alone offering. Not hysterically funny by any means, but definitely enjoyable, insightful, and presented by two first-rate performers, 'Marcel + The Art of Laughter' provides an excellent example of what comedy can be and how, while we may all find different things funny, we all enjoy having a good laugh."
Read more
"A funny, heart-breaking show...Right from the start the fourth wall is breached and the show continually reaches out to the audience, playing us with a knowing sweetness...It’s a brief hour that gives the kiss of life to the ancient art of the gag, and it echoes not just to the laughter of this particular audience but of all audiences who, down through the ages, have laughed and recognized their own absurdity in the comic antics of the clown."
Read more
"The overall impression is of childlike clowning combined with ageing innocence, and light-fingered slapstick which is mildly entertaining...While there is some discernible progression, the production suffers from a lack of structure, though the evident chemistry between the two performers prevents it from slipping into random banality...Occasionally poignant but not very penetrating...The kind of piece which ends up penciled rather than inked on the memory."
Read more
"Houben has honed his technique to perfection and so his soliloquy on laughter is a detailed analysis of the human body and psyche...Every aspect of our movement, reactions, emotional state and surrounding environment has comedic potential. Throw in the mix a talented, eloquent, and witty performer delivering a flowing and example-rich lecture...and you get an hour-long hilarious delight with sprinklings of anthropology and psychology."
Read more
"A masterclass in physical acting that explores the cause and effect of laughter...Houben picks out the details we subconsciously notice and consciously shows us their comic potential...Houben’s confident manner demands the attention of the audience...Houben’s demonstration of different ways of walking, moving our head, or gesturing causes great hilarity amongst audience members...His dissection of physicality is fascinating and very informative not only for actors, but for everyone."
Read more