Night Clubs Reviews

Apr 7, 2002 - Kalin & Jinger's "Illusionarium" at the Reno Hilton

By Jack Neal

Still a good night-club entertainment, "Illusionarium" at the Reno Hilton, suffers by comparison with its predecessor, "Carnival of Wonders."

Magician Mark Kalin and his gorgeous wife and superlative dancer, Jinger Leigh, do a yeoman's job of keeping their show afloat without Jeff Hobson, the comedy star who collaborated with them creating the exceptional "Carnival of Wonders." "Carnival" was simply the most entertaining small-production show to play Reno in memory.

With the departure of Hobson after a successful three-year run in Reno, fans wondered what would become of a show Hobson made worth seeing over and over again. The media got its look-see at "Illusionarium," "Carnival's" spinoff, Saturday (4/6/2002). Even with the gifted comic Mark Kornhauser doing his droll and hilarious routines, Kalin and Jinger's adjusted evening with magic comes up considerably short. Hobson's collaboration with his co-stars was so complete the thrilling and delirious thread of comedy and silliness that made audiences so adore the show is, unfortunately, irreplaceably missing.

Fortunately, what remains is well worth experiencing.

Joanie Spina, who directs, still brings her tight reins to a show that moves along with serene dispatch. If some of the lines Hobson used to deliver so deftly in the opening dance routine, a goofy take on "Caravan," and now delivered by Jinger lack the shrewd timing they once got, perhaps time will improve timing. The contributions of Peggy Hickey's inventive choreography, David Mitchell's attractive scenic designs, Lucio Boliver's colorful costumes, Blair Harris's comfortably (thankfully) listenable sound engineering and Tom Ruzika, Don Guy and Ben Tusher's lighting designs all give "Illusionarium" a professional gloss that make an evening with the show pleasing.

Kornhauser takes what is pleasing and gives it the zip of his humor. For Kornhauser fans, Brainiac, the zip-code wizard, Samarai Sam, the frumpy masked stabber of cards, and the hilarious dancing shenanigans of Little Mac are all on hand and more fun than ever. Kornhauser's humor is self-effacing, never obnoxious or crude and grows out of situations and characters he creates. Each routine is a mini sitcom in the best use of the term sitcom, so many of them being dull and unfunny today. Kornhauser is very funny.

The beautiful Jinger is as attractive a performer as ever and she certainly is a firstrate dancer. Beyond her obvious dance talent, it's the way she handles her beauty and attractiveness that makes her so engaging for an audience. She uses her physical attributes to good advantage with participants plucked out the audience without ever seeming self-absorbed, a too often unusual plus for someone in show business.

Mark Kalin, the show's centerpiece for magic, is a grand illusionist. Much of what he does could not have been done in pre-tech days of yore. But we're no longer in those pre-tech days and the magical comings and goings with humans transfigured into panthers and tigers is pretty impressive stuff. Making the Boeing 747 jet airliner disappear is the evening's grand illusion and an impressive finale, although I'd prefer an explosion followed by smoke as a way of getting rid of the plane. But, then, I don't have to do it. That fact that Kalin is dark, fit and handsome doesn't hurt either. He's a striking image on stage.

On balance, "Illusionarium" misses Hobson terribly. But with so much that's top drawer, the show comes close enough to meeting the high expectations of what once was a true carnival of wonders to be choice entertainment.

Kalin and Jinger's "Illusionarium" can be seen nightly except Fridays at the Reno Hilton Theater, 2500 East Second Street, Reno. For information call 800-648-3568 or 775 789-2285.