Susan Granger’s review of “RICKY JAY: ON THE STEM” (Second Stage Theater)
In 1994, astonishing sleight-of-hand showman Ricky Jay sold out the entire run of “Ricky Jay and his 52 Assistants” (i.e.: a deck of playing cards) in just hours; in 1998, he repeated the trick again. So for me to recommend that you run, not walk, to the box-office to get seats for his current limited run at the Second Stage may be an exercise in futility; then again, the box-office seems to do its own amazing tricks to squeeze people into the small theater. If you manage to wangle a ticket, you’re in for a treat! Written by Jay and directed by David Mamet, this production pays homage to Broadway (“the Stem”) with Ricky Jay flawlessly performing his magic and memory tricks while spinning intriguing tales about the legendary scammers, gamblers, pickpockets, grifters, spiritualists and burlesque stars who formulated the seamier side of New York City’s bygone entertainment history, illustrated by a rolling backdrop of illustrations designed by Peter Larkin. Jay’s dexterity remarkable – evidenced by his juggling and card-throwing – and he has charm to spare. Who else could slyly persuade an audience member to sign a written contract for the purchase of the Brooklyn Bridge or slyly go down the aisles hawking $5 cardboard boxes filled with candy? (His book, “Jay’s Journal of Anomalies,” is also on sale.) The one-man show culminates with the “Automaton Orange Tree,” a magnificently complex optical illusion invented in 1848 by Robert-Houdin, whose name was later adopted – in homage – by the great Harry Houdini. And if Ricky Jay already looks vaguely familiar to you, yeah, you’ve seen him as a character actor in David Mamet films, like “Heist,” “State and Main” and “House of Games.”