Patrick Murray and Matilda making their own kind of magic in Las Vegas!
I want to mention a new show that has just opened at the D Hotel in Las Vegas. I think it will be of considerable interest to performers visiting “Sin City.” The new production is called “Jamaican Me Laugh” and stars Patrick Murray, one of the finest ventriloquists that I have had the pleasure of working with. Patrick is the mega talented sidekick of Matilda—“Jamaica’s #1 Comedienne.”
Every now and then I take the opportunity to introduce my readers to variety acts that I feel will be of particular interest to our primarily magical subscribers. Patrick is a natural in this department as his skills as a ventriloquist and puppeteer deftly turn his show into a fascinating demonstration of theatrical illusion. Watching the misdirection and illusion involved in this show is truly a learning curve for most magical acts and could prove an invaluable lesson in stagecraft.
I always enjoy watching Patrick work because he seems so deeply involved in the nuts and bolts of his craft and yet makes it seem so effortless that 
he achieves a very special hyper reality. Rarely if ever will you see a performer pay such intense attention to his craft. In many ways Patrick is a highly traditional ventriloquist and would not have looked out of place stealing the bill on an old Ed Sullivan show in the fifties. When you see Matilda communicating with him, within seconds you dismiss any sense of the artificial and are totally caught up in their relationship.
Of course, it really helps that both Matilda and “Second City” trained Patrick are both incredibly funny. While many contemporary ventriloquists feel a need to bring out a succession of different one- joke characters and milk them for some obvious jokes, this is not the way Murray does business. Matilda and Patrick interact like a well-honed comedy team and their routine avoids many of the clichés that so often pop up in a show like this. This really is character-based comedy rather than merely novelty material and you will likely find yourself laughing so hard that you may not fully absorb his faultless technique.
“Jamaican Me Laugh” can be seen seven days a week at the D Hotel in downtown Las Vegas with a show time of 2.30 pm. If you want more details about ticketing then check out their website at http://tickets.thed.com/eventperformances.asp?evt=15&MV=8%2F19%2F2014&c or go to Patrick and Matilda’s Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/JaMakinmelaugh The show began an indefinite run this week and I strongly suspect it is there for the long haul. Catch the show early and avoid paying the larger ticket price that is bound to follow.
While you are at the D Hotel catching Patrick’s show at 2.30 I strongly recommend that when it finishes you have a drink at the bar and then go right back into that same showroom and catch “Laughternoon Starring Adam London” immediately afterwards at 4.00 PM, ticket info for Laughternoon can be found on the Internet at http://tickets.thed.com/eventperformances.asp?evt=7
I have long been a fan of Adam and his show just gets better and better. This is a wonderful chance to catch two fine entertainers in an intimate setting without paying an arm and a leg for your tickets! Make sure you stop by and say hi to them after their shows, as you will have trouble finding two much nicer guys.
REMARKABLE MAGIC 