Tomáš Kubínek is the wildest thing to fly out of Canada since geese! His one-man show has captivated audiences of all ages with its outrageous theatrics, surreal feats, and mind-boggling “miracles.” The New York Times proclaims that Kubínek is a “magician, clown, and comic whose jokes and ad-libs bring giggles from youngsters and guffaws from adults.” Part vaudeville, part improv, and completely magical, this artist of international renown leaves his audiences with a comically altered view of life’s creative possibilities.
Friday, February 13
Concert Hall 7:00 pm
$30, $25, $15; Special for Five College Students and Youth 17 and under $10
I don’t recall ever laughing so much. He has a real gift for finding ways to amuse both adults and children.
I don’t mind giving money to the FAC, but prices seemed rather high for a 90-minute one-man show. A little googling showed that tickets for Kubinek’s performances at other colleges and universities are typically a lot lower.
I was extremely disappointed with this show. His act seemed extremely dated, and it was not entertaining at all.
He talked way too much, and built up (both verbally and physically) to the climaxes of his show giving the viewer the impression he was going to do some sort of amazing, mind-blowing illusion — but then he would fail to deliver.
Playing a saw? Running around in a circle on a stage cord? Hiding a scarf and making it re-appear? These are you basic sleight of hand tricks and Houdini magic… what is this, 1994? I’ve seen more entertaining shows in the streets of China. I was expecting him to at least do something the average human couldn’t do… but he never did.
I’m sorry to write such a harsh review, but the only thing Kuberick did was disappoint. I am very glad I only had to pay $10 for the student tickets…
It is obvious that Legato (above) has a right to his opinion but he failed to grasp the nuance and theater and limberness and splendor of this beautiful performance. He must be watching too much “America’s got Talent,” which was NOT what this show was about at all. Kubenik is so incredibly limber and has soooo much control over his body he can make very difficult things look very easy, but it is his inventiveness that I loved (and love) the most. Bring your family wherever you can find him. You won’t be disappointed unless you are looking in all the wrong places. Hey, Legato, how many people do you know that can make their leg look like an arm?
We were so happy to have a family-friendly outing where we all enjoyed ourselves equally. My 8 year old son was so enthralled by Tomas; his eyes were glued to him all night. We all laughed — adults and kiddo alike — and would have enjoyed it more if the little ones in the row in front were a bit better behaved. It was a lovely way to spend the evening, and was a great way to kick off Feb vacation week. The Comp ticket (from Rush sales) really made this more affordable for a family to attend.
Oh, to be a child again. For 90 minutes you get to do that with Tomáš KubÃnek. Running around flapping wings and “flying”? What child has not done that? We enjoyed every minute.
Liked the show but the sound system continues to disappoint. First class acts deserve first class sound as do paying customers.
LOVED THE SHOW and so did the kids.
Wonderfully inventive and witty–and a terrific athlete. Seeing him sbecome a tiny short person right before our eyes was astonishing. And we loved “The Dance of the Six Shoes.” But from where we were sitting, back in the $15 seats, both seeing and hearing were difficult. We were leaning forward and listening hard, but we still missed some of the lines that got the people down front laughing.
We all enjoyed the show, but I am certain my 8 year old son loved it best. He was just one big smile! Kubinek is amazing-so creative. The sound was frustrating though, we had difficulty hearing what was being said, and clearly we missed out on some of the fun because of it. I have tried to describe the show to friends and family, hard to label an act as wonder-full as his!
Oh, the family fun thing…my two children are 8 and 11, they had no interest in the ‘craft’ that was offered. It did seem geared to a much younger age group, that little valentine puppet. The complimentary healthy snack was fantastic-I think more people might have stepped up and enjoyed it if there was a little notice stating that it was indeed complimentary…it really looked too good to be free!
This was good old fashioned fun! The craft of storytelling, magic, contortions and audience interaction was a sweet break from the stresses of the day. I agree with the comments about the sound system, however – we were sitting in the $15 section and probably missed about 1/3 of what was said. Because we couldn’t see all the facial expressions and hand motions at that distance, the sound was fairly crucial. Despite that, though, we still laughed out loud throughout the show!
I don’t think this was appropriate for kids under the age of 8 – in the evening there were a lot of crying, bored toddlers and slightly older kids around us. Would likely be wise to put something like that in the advertisement, since it made the show trying for the kids, their parents, and those around them – and who could blame a 4 year old for not “getting” it?
I had a ball and appreciated the variety of the performance–simple but exquisitely performed magic tricks, acrobatics performed with such control that they seemed easy, and engaging stories with a twist (not just passing the candy down and up the line, but then its memory too!). Since it was a one-man show I splurged for close-up seats, which was worth it; I can see how the sound might have been inadequate for the back of the house. I haven’t had so much fun at a performance on campus since…well, not too long, since Cirque du Soleil, but they’re very different acts, and equally enjoyable.
One added note: I agree that the sound needs to be improved, but I thought it was because I was so close (section 1) and the speakers were overshooting my seat. Obviously, this has nothing to do with Tomas’ performance. Grand!
We loved the show! However, I have to agree that the sound system was very disappointing. We were sitting in the mezzanine and the speakers didn’t seem to be working at all.
We really enjoyed the show, and we (two adults and two young boys) found Thomas Kubinek to be extremely humorous and entertaining. Our only issue was the sound, which was a bit low and muffled at times from where we were sitting. Thanks for the treats!
I think the performance was wonderful. I just am disappointed that the seats we had, which were in the highest price range in section 5, were not close enough to hear well the running commentary essential to his performance. We laughed but I am positive that it would have been more enjoyable had we seats much closer to see the intricacies of his movements as well as his expressions. We were too far away to really enjoy the performance.
I generally liked and enjoyed the show. However, with tickets in section 6 we had a very hard time understanding the plentiful talking. And for a one-man entertainer like Kubinek sitting that far away from the stage just does not work.
I would say: Wrong stage, wrong venue for a worthwile show. I would expect the Fine Arts Center to plan accordingly and only sell tickets in places where people can actually hear and see the facial expressions of the artist. Also, it is very scary that balcony seats are sold to young children. They are certainly not safe for wiggeling, moving bodies.
So thumbs up for Kubinek, thumbs down for the hosting venue.
Our expectations for Tomas Kubinek’s show were based on our great enjoyment of shows by Fred Garbo, another physical/visual performance artist who started out with magic as a youngster. Kubinek’s performance was more visual and more traditional and perhaps not as wonder-inspiring, but still brilliant. People’s enjoyment was reduced by the hopeless sound in the FAC, since the show was very verbal and witty. (Even in section 2, we did not understand all the words.) We also regretted not having brought our binoculars. (Typically we do not get tickets for any FAC show further back than section one, since FAC sound and visibility degrade so quickly to the point where the viewer is better off with a DVD.) Nonetheless, Kubinek is a great performer in a cherished tradition, and we would see him again.
We loved the bits with audience participation and how Tomas shrunk himself.
The seats were comfortable and spacious, however, missed dialogue due to the poor sound system.
My little ones loved the craft table, the food and the Bay State Hospital mascot.
Outstanding. I’d go again in a minute with my two children (ages 2 and 4). Although its cliche, I felt this show had something for all ages.
Sorry to bring this comment up in the context of this particularly wonderful show, but the sound system is a disgrace. Please fix it.