I finally made it out to see "The Tempest," co-direced by Teller, at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater. Nearly everything about the production was great! The set was a clever mix of ship-like and stage elements. The music was amazing (Tom Waits is one of my favorites).

I was especially impressed by the stage illusions. There were a lot of magic effects utilized throughout the narrative, but it didn't all have a "hey, look at this fantastic magic thing I'm doing!" quality like it often does in big stage magic productions. Nearly all of the magic was directly motivated by the story and had a context. I even enjoyed some of the illusions that frequently make me cringe a bit.

I'd love to get some opinions from those of you who have also seen it, especially anyone who saw the Vegas version or the Los Angeles version.

It was a fun show. The Caliban was very impressive. Chicago actor Larry Yando was great as Prospero. I thought the levitation was unmotivated and a letdown - the original scene it replaced could have been done in a really impressive way with some thought. But overall a fun show & well worth seeing.

I wish they would release this on DVD for those of us who can't make it out.
of course, I'm sure if they did, it wouldn't be any time soon, but I can wait.

I worked extensively on the show aquiring the non magic props and set pieces. My Partner, Thom Rubino built all of the magic, minus the levitation which was John Gaughan. This was one of the most gratifying experiences of my life! It was very well received here in Las Vegas!

--Vinny