When we walked into the Manhattan Movement and Arts Center (MMAC) there was a lot going on: people were pouring out of the Freckleface Strawberry show that had just ended and we saw Freckleface herself posing for pictures with fans; the Manhattan Youth Ballet was in one dance studio preparing for its upcoming Nutcracker performance and in another studio there was an adult jazz dance class. The café was busy with people chatting over fancy coffee drinks. The whole atmosphere was exciting and alive with creative energy. All the buzz got us even more charged up for our adventure with “The Amazing Max and the Box of Interesting Things” in the downstairs theater at MMAC.
Max did not disappoint. His stage entrance via an electric dune buggy with musical accompaniment set the tone for “The Amazing Max and the Box of Interesting Things”.
This isn’t a show that you ask, “How did he do that?” It’s not that Max doesn’t do great tricks, he does. It’s that the show is so focused on the hijinks of Hamlet the mind-reading pig and the silliness of coins appearing out of every bodily orifice, that the audience doesn’t have time to focus on the head-scratching things Max performs. The magic is just the sideshow to a very entertaining and engaging performance.
It isn’t a surprise to learn that Max Darwin was born into show business. His parents were professional street performers specializing in clowning, mime, juggling, and magic. At five months of age, he was thrust onto the stage, and the street, with his parents in shows all over the United States. He is a seasoned performer and knows how to work an audience.
“The Amazing Max and the Box of Interesting Things” engages all ages: the younger kids dig his silly physical humor and the older kids love his slightly rude jokes. Although Max does have something for everyone, I’d say his wheelhouse would be around the age of my kids (4 and 6) who had a great time. Their favorite part of the show was getting called up to the stage. Max calls up a different assistant for every trick, making sure that they get plenty of applause and recognition, and throws them a magic wand to take home when the trick is done.
At the end of the show, audience members can get Max’s autograph- if you are lucky enough, you can even have him sign one of his playing cards that he flips into the audience.
“The Amazing Max and the Box of Interesting Things” most amazing trick is putting on a show that appeals to ages three to eighty.
Details:
The Amazing Max and The Box of Interesting Things, in an open-ended Off-Broadway run.
Manhattan Movement & Arts Center
248 W. 60th Street, NYC (between Amsterdam and West End Avenues)
Performances:
Saturdays and Sundays at 4:30pm.
No performances on the following dates: Saturday, December 10; Sunday, December 25; Sunday, January 1. Special mid-week holiday performances have been added at 11am on the following dates: Monday, December 19; Wednesday, December 21; Friday, December 23; Tuesday, December 27; Monday, January 2; and Wednesday, January 4.
Tickets:
The Amazing Max is performed at the MMAC Theater located in the Magic Carpet Rides (VIP seating) $49.50, regular general admission tickets $29.50. Tickets are available at www.telecharge.com or by phone at 212-239-6200 or 800-432-7250.