My Name Is Gideon: I’m Probably Going To Die, Eventually (2016) NYC Reviews and Tickets

"A mishmash of twangy songs and stories about his mother, his friends and his travels. Other odds and ends are tossed in: jokes, audience participation, a magic trick. A few run on a little long, but there’s charm in that shagginess, and in Mr. Irving’s folksy and welcoming manner. He’s the school nerd who you discover is pretty cool, once you tune in to his quirkiness...He’s so easygoing and free of cynicism that you may contemplate hosting him, too. I’ve considered inviting him to my place."
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"I still don't have a handle on the project, but it doesn't matter. Gideon's profound good nature immediately draws you in and holds your attention. He is an innocent, wise troubadour with a peaceful if wildly eccentric presence...To call 'My Name is Gideon' unconventional hardly captures the imaginative power of the work in (perpetual) progress...If this sounds crazy to you, you're not alone. But Gideon, who lives life on his own terms, makes you believe in him."
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"‘My Name is Gideon’ has a definite shaggy-dog charm…Given his ability to earn laughs from his deadpan delivery, Irving comes across like some kind of apex of hipster humor…He is sometimes funny, sometimes sad, and sometimes plain mystifying, but he has the power to hold an audience in his hand…It is the damnedest thing I've seen all season, a nutball special that, against the odds, proves to be surprisingly amusing right up to its time-tripping finale."
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"A quirky and enjoyable performance-art extravaganza…It could benefit from editing that would bring more focus to its entertaining features. There’s no great sense of profundity when it’s over but there has been a deep, communal bond between the audience and the performer…’My Name Is Gideon: I’m Probably Going To Die, Eventually’ is a terrific showcase for Irving’s considerable and idiosyncratic gifts. Its unruliness reflects his appealing freewheeling sensibility."
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"A playful rumination on journeys and who we were a long time ago. Happily based in a space of magical realism, it will tickle you and leave you with surprising poignancy…The musical performances of the show are entrancingly engaging with beautiful, haunting images and raw exposed nerves...Gideon is part whirling dervish, part prop comic, and the effect is dazzling…With playfulness and sensitivity, 'My Name is Gideon' will take you on the journey of a lifetime."
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"You are offered warm and loving sustenance in many forms. The tunes are all by Irving. He accompanies himself on instruments that are sometimes recognizable and often are not. Irving’s voice is perhaps the most important calling card of this show, with its huge range, with which he accompanies himself on each instrument with wondrous nuance and ululating resonance...Come with an open heart. Heart, head, stomach, and sense of humor are filled and thrilled by this production."
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"A charming and entertaining evening...What Gideon delivers best is his music...His melodies are folksy and blue-grassy, with elements of African rhythms. And his voice is resonant, with a surprising range that takes him to the stratosphere when he hits his falsetto...The problem here is that I’m not sure Gideon’s show translates to a theater venue...Interestingly enough, the show needs to be a little more personal...And although I had a pleasant evening, I walked out feeling a little empty."
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"There’s no denying Irving has talent radiating from him. He’s so gifted that his eagerness to share those gifts keeps him from knowing when to stop: at the 60-minute mark would have been fine...He sings several songs he’s written...Throughout he indulges surprise activities that often rely on audience participation...But Gideon is a talented man, and I’m going to be tolerant of a show that began cheerfully and fresh but slowly transformed into the somewhat irritating."
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"There's no storyline or shape of any kind...The songs are pretty but intentionally abstruse. Part stand-up routine, part performance art, 'My Name is Gideon' comes across as though a clever college kid were showing off for his buddies...Irving is 30 years old and I'd like to see him do something less puerile. Taylor Mac takes a similar grab-bag approach to his work but uses his talent and eccentricities to explore matters of substance. Irving has the goods to do the same."
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"It’s better than the cold side of the pillow on a hot night. More freeing than riding your BMX on the sidewalk at age 11, has more layers than a Japanese-inspired crepe cake at Lady M’s, more surprising than your sister’s diary, and more heartbreaking than the love letter you never sent...Gideon Irving is an epic talent with a voice that melts marshmallows...He is a gifted storyteller and wily wordsmith...It's sunshine after the rain, people–just go and see it!"
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"Irving carries the energy of a one-man, nearly two-hour show with laser-sharp focus and deliberate storytelling. He makes it feel so natural and effortless that the evening is more like one spent with a dear friend...Delightful surprises and fantastic music support the magic Irving spins. One surprise turns into a song, which folds into a story, which intersects with another, creating a brilliant, sparkling web of joy. This is a piece that earns rapt attention and investment."
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"'My Name is Gideon' is a balm for what ails the psyche. There is magic in his work, and I don’t just mean the playing cards…As a performer, Gideon is unassuming but obviously insanely creative. He and his production team have created a lovely, intricate, wholly safe space for people to come and experience something different and quietly wonderful. He’s a talented songwriter, too, and his music is the kind that uplifts and helps you forget what you left behind on the outside."
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"The actual theatrical constructs of 'My Name Is Gideon' are loose, mainly because...why shouldn’t they be? This is Gideon Irving’s show and you get the sense that it gives him immeasurable joy to have you there with him as he shows off his space in a way that’s completely devoid of any pretension...A piece full of wonder that focuses on joy in a way that doesn’t deflect from the now but rather reminds us of the good people in the world."
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"Gideon’s performance was inspiring. He is a master of instruments and a passionate singer/songwriter. He really leaves it all on the stage and bares his soul...Audience participation was a huge part of the show, and it was done right...The direction, by Wright, was organic and stayed in line with who Gideon is. He let the performer inspire his direction...A must see...This show is funny. This show is clever. This show is thought-provoking. This show will make your week."
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"Part musical, part stand-up comedy, (very small) part magic act, and part intriguing night in a complete stranger’s living room, 'My Name Is Gideon: I’m Probably Going to Die, Eventually' is far from a one-trick pony...Irving holds the audience captive with his unique and magnetic personality, weaving seemingly unrelated tales into a singular work that makes the audience feel connected to and intrigued by Irving’s life."
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"Irving conjures a sense of gentle showmanship scaled down to a charming, lo-fi level as he tells stories and sings. There are a couple of magic tricks, a few simple visual gags. But it’s the songs that make this show...Irving is an easy man to like, an endlessly interesting raconteur and a talented multi-instrumentalist. The show would be a delight in any living room; it’s certainly a delight here."
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"'My Name is Gideon' continues to flout conventional music and cabaret form but it's no less engaging. Much of this is to do with Irving's endearingly coy delivery, which renders him part clown and part musical genius. His lyrics are closer to poetry than formal ballads but it's the manipulation of sound that characterizes his work...It's lighthearted, occasionally silly and wholly entertaining."
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"A unique blend of musical gizmos, an impressive vocal range and treats of different varieties: his show is warm, honest, a little bit silly and full of surprises. His name is Gideon and his show is a sweet little treat – like a warm cookie melts in your mouth, Gideon Irving’s voice melts your ears, and his charm can melt your heart."
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"There’s an intimacy to the performance, no doubt honed in hundreds of living-room performances, and it was impossible to resist the pull of Irving’s charisma. The show itself is often funny, sometimes moving, and constantly punctuated by songs that are incredibly sophisticated, both musically and lyrically...Unclassifiable? Yes. Unmissable? Undoubtedly."
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"Even if his music isn’t your style, he sings with such passion and ability it’s impossible to not be captivated. Skilled in several instruments (and objects that make sounds) and armed with his wonderfully dry and incongruous sense of humour, Gideon leads the audience through the show with cheerful precision and confidence...If you hope to see something a little different and be part of Gideon’s personal odyssey, then go see this show. You will not be disappointed."
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