Although "lazer" may not be the best adjective to describe Carter Brown's Lazer Vaudeville, the show however provides an entertaining morph of Stomp and Blue Man Group as the result of the this non-traditional Off Broadway style. There is little acting and surprisingly, little laser incorporated into the show, but Lazer Vaudeville still offers an entertaining performance for a ticket price that anyone can enjoy.
The premise is simple – new age technology meets vaudeville. The three players of Lazer Vaudeville, Carter Brown, Cindy Marvell and Nicholas Flair use juggling pins, lassos, hoops and ropes to create a visual and rhythmic performance that is enticing to the eye. Most of the "props" are used under black light to enhance the movement and velocity of these objects while playing with color as an additional dimension to the performance. For these reasons alone, I feel "Black Light Vaudeville" would have made a more appropriate title, but alas, I can't judge a show by its title alone.
However, a show can be judged on its entertainment value, which I think Lazer Vaudeville has a lot of. The performance however did remind me slightly of David Letterman's Stupid Human Tricks and by no means do I say that as a negative. On the other hand, I think it is probably one of the most relatable ways to describe Lazer Vaudeville - it is what it is. As much as Letterman's Stupid Human Tricks may be just that, we all love to watch them because they are entertaining and they allow us to ponder the question of 'how'd they do that?' The entire show is a display of amazing human skill and concentration surrounded by a cheesy vaudeville theme that somehow works. Think of Charlie Chaplin juggling a buzz saw in black light and you'll understand. From one black light juggling act to the next, you'll enjoy and be amazed by every minute of it. Don't come to this show if you don't like to applaud – it is impossible not to.
I must admit that my skeptical self did doubt what I was watching. I will brazenly call this the "Ashlee Simpson Factor." This concept is when there is something in the back of your mind questioning the realness of the show you are watching. Is it real? Are the props somehow enhanced to help the performance? I asked myself these questions during Lazer Vaudeville because the talent is almost unbelievable to watch and I don't think I was the only one feeling this way. The majority of Lazer Vaudeville featured audience members constantly shaking their heads in amazement of the live skills seen before their eyes. Yet how can the audience ensure that they are not being fooled? The only way to answer this question is to rely solely on human error during the act. When this occurs, the performers will either expose themselves as frauds or as the real deal. Although you ideally hope each live performance runs flawlessly, the showing of Lazer Vaudeville I attended did feature a few mishaps. None of these were detrimental to the show, but the mistakes did however give Lazer Vaudeville a truly authentic feel and undoubted credibility. With Lazer Vaudeville, what you see is what you get – something in this day and age that is seemingly harder and harder to find.
In my estimation, there are a few jugglers in life that make it as more than just circus clowns – these must be them.
Lazer Vaudeville is performing at the John Houseman Theater on 42nd Street through May 14th. After the closing date of Lazer Vaudeville, the John Houseman is officially scheduled for demolition – a true loss to Off-Broadway theater. Be sure to check out Lazer Vaudeville if for nothing more than to see the theater for the last time.
