There’s something impressive about good sleight of hand, especially when a well-told story accompanies it. Liz Toonkel, the female magician and performer behind “Magic for Animals,” is a fantastic storyteller. And given that the audience is just a few feet from her at any given time during this show, her illusions are impressive.
The matinee crowd seemed somewhat distant or standoffish - at first. But Toonkel’s charm is undeniable, and her fearlessness on stage brought us all together so that by the end of the performance we were in her corner. She saves her best tricks for the end, as any good magician should.
Featuring one of the best costumes of the festival, one can’t help but be impressed by the technical skill this Hollywood-based production designer employs for her own show. (She worked on the Marcel the Shell movie, among others.) But I’m more impressed by her spunk, her unflappability, and her passion for animal ethics.
Magic for Animals has two more performances at 1316 Main Street:
Sunday, June 11th at 7:00 PM
Wednesday, June 14th at 8:45 PM
Tickets and more info can be found here.