Mentalist Gerry McCambridge is performing at Addison’s Lounge at the Rampart Casino in Summerlin. His is a show of what would be considered parlour tricks---part magic, part psychic, part hypnotist, and part statistical analyst. "Mentalism is the art of riding the fine line between intuition and illusion," says McCambridge. "How much of each I use in a particular routine is my secret." The show is an amusing escape with a very subdued pace and tone.
McCambridge has studied memory techniques, body language, hypnosis, linguistics, statistics, law of averages, non-verbal communication, magic, acting, theatre, and stand up comedy. They have all helped him sharpen his skills and natural intuitive abilities, and all have helped him create this show through a synthesis of these techniques.
The show is cute and amusing. He blithely takes us from one routine to another, the outcome of which is always surprising and fun, but definitely falls short of the brilliant or awe-inspiring. Part of the problem is that when he is working with individuals, while it may be moving for that one person, the rest of the audience is sitting back thinking, "oh, interesting."
The order of his show seems to be wrong...the solo stuff should be first, and routines that involve the entire audience should be last. It would seem to make sense for the performance to build to end, rather than move to smaller and smaller routines.
The Addison Lounge is a curtained off space that only adequately serves the show. The noise of the casino seeps through the material. The sightlines are awkward, and the lighting serves the needs of the show, but doesn’t necessarily enhance it.
The greatest part of the evening was the dinner prior to the show. The Carmel Room at the Rampart offered a brilliant meal. Joseph Flannery, the Carmel Room Chef d’Cuisine, has created many wonderful dishes. Every course was a treat, and a lot of the dishes are presented and completed tableside by the server. It was a truly fabulous experience.
It may be a bit odd to include accolades of a restaurant in a show review, but as part of a complete evening out, the Carmel Room supplied a specialty that far exceeded my expectations, and is certainly deserving of a mention.
Gerry McCambridge’s show will continue to run at Addison’s Lounge, and it is also FREE. Tickets are issued through their slot promotions counter. As I said previously, it is an amusing show...but go to the Carmel Room first.
Note: Now playing at Hooters.