174307 1 Location 857312 <p>While visiting Hot Springs, my husband and I received a very "high praise" recommendation from a local merchant that Maxwell Blade's Magic show was "THE" thing to see in Hot Springs. I specifically asked if this was a "professional" magic show and not some "cheesy" slight of hand, street magic. She assured me it was top notch and "world class". She even mentioned that he was "written up" in big magazines, was on YouTube. (Uh, so am I, so that should have been my first clue.)<br /> <br /> On that recommendation and reading reviews we found online, we made reservations and went to the show. It's a very small, intimate theater, only 100 seats, which makes it very nice and cozy and easy to see the stage. I'm not certain, but I think it was a recent move into this theater, and a "downsize" of his staff and assistants and his show. The beginning of the show was some music and a dark stage with smoke. This was followed, finally, by Maxwell coming on the stage performing the same old tired magic, with cards, scarves from the hand, etc. His "assistants" were young teen-aged/early 20's boys and his two daughters, aged 11 and 5. The magic was the same old "street corner" magic with nothing new or original. It appeared almost as if this was the first week of this show as Mr. Blade seemed to be having trouble with props, (dropping things, things falling off his tables, his continuous looking off stage and asking for help and talking to his assistants, almost as if this was the first time this particular show was being performed. I REALLY wanted to love this show, and kept hoping throughout that he would work out the kinks and it would get better. <br /> <br /> It didn't. <br /> <br /> He spoke many times of how he "used to" perform in Vegas, with these huge productions and large staff, etc. He even eluded to having been in a "3-hit rock band" back in the 80's, but because of "lawsuits" he couldn't mention the name, but reassured you that "you have heard of them!" After an extensive and LONG search of 80's rock bands, I could find nothing. <br /> <br /> What really put me off throughout the entire show, was the fact that he kept "selling" his "tricks" from the gift shop, especially his "$20 'bag of tricks" which included nothing more than "dime store" card tricks and fake frame. More than once, several times actually, he would "remind' you of the $20 bag of tricks you could purchase upon leaving, or during intermission. It was very off-putting to say the least. <br /> <br /> My husband and I don't have children, so the kids he brought on stage to "assist" with the magic were not as entertaining as you would think, especially when one of the tricks included the "offing of" one of the kids' heads! I'm sure his mom was "happy" about that one! The kid nearly peed his pants he was so frightened. <br /> <br /> All in all, this one is for adults with kids. Young kids, because any kid over 15 or 16 will be as bored to tears as we were. <br /> <br /> I'm sorry to do this, but after receiving the "rave recommendation" which was obviously a "plant" since she worked right next door, and after reading the reviews I found before making the reservations were either made up, or during the time before Mr. Blade moved into this new venue and lost his "staff of 13" at his old venue.<br /> <br /> Bottom Line: Save the $30 (per couple) and go have a nice meal or see something else. This one is a waste of time and money.</p> 2009-08-24T00:53:54-07:00 817102857 2009-08-22T00:00:00-07:00 0 0 291730 174307 0 0.0 2009-08-22T00:00:00-07:00 0.0 2009-08-24T00:47:32-07:00 123373 0