by Terrance McArthur

It is Rogue Festival time again! This year’s festival takes place from February 28-March 8 in the Tower District of Fresno, CA. This is the first of many show reviews coming over the next few days! Before Rogue opened, we published several Rogue Festival Performer Preview articles, as well as an article about Rogue itself.
You will be able to find all of our coverage in our Rogue Festival category, and more info including some performer press releases on our Rogue Festival event page over on KRL News and Reviews. You can purchase tickets on the Rogue website.

Absolute Magic
Review by Terrance McArthur

He has a quiet air about him, this man called a magician. Neatly bearded, neatly dressed, he doesn’t look like a person who would be hobnobbing with the First Lady of Iceland, but he is! That is Keith Brown. His show at the Fresno Rogue Festival is called Absolute Magic, and the name of the show is pretty accurate!

Brown is calm, laying out the logical world he upends with mystifying revelations. He matches drawn sketches to their volunteer artists, penetrates rubber bands–even when he isn’t holding them. An audience member becomes an illusionist. An empty bottle provides a refreshing drink. Peek at a held deck, and he can name the card for each peeker.

Brown has performed at the Rogue Festival before. In 2018, his show Hotter Than Potter introduced the young, clean-shaven Canadian to Valley audiences with a program laden with card magic. This year, his maturity shows as his words lull the crowd into believing he’s doing something that is a lie, and we’re thrilled to be mistaken.

The final show for Absolute Magic is Saturday, March 8 at 12:30 pm at the VISTA Theater, 1296 N. Wishon Ave. Tickets are $15. It must be magic—Absolutely!

If you love theatre, be sure to check out Mysteryrat’s Maze Podcast, which features mysteries read by local actors. You can find the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, and also on podbean.

Check out more theatre reviews & other local entertainment articles in our Arts & Entertainment section. You can also find more theatre coming up on KRL’s Local Theatre event page.

Terrance V. Mc Arthur worked for the Fresno County Public Library for three decades. He is retired, but not retiring. A storyteller, puppeteer, writer, actor, magician, basketmaker, and all-around interesting person, his goal is to make life more unusual for everyone he meets.