“Ithamar Has Nothing To Say” review by Rose Hunt

[rating=4]

Have you ever wanted to see a flop magician? How about a man on a date with a stack of ten paper faces? Surely no one can resist watching all their favorite movies played out by just fingers. The one-man show, “Ithamar Has Nothing to Say” has all this and more.

Prepare to be amazed by Ithamar Enriquez’s one-man silent show. I certainly was. I can’t remember the last time I smiled ear to ear for so long and I consider myself a tough audience member to crack.

Ithamar’s no talking style was similar to that of Charlie Chaplin and Mr. Bean. I have to admit, I was skeptical of a silent show. When I heard that “Ithmar Has Nothing to Say” had no words in it, I thought, “Oh no. Not a mime.” But, it turned out to be one of the best shows I have ever seen.

First of all, the music choices were delightful. The songs included “Quadrophenia,” “Tiny Dancer,” and a whole slew of memorable movie scores and were all perfectly timed to fit Ithamar’s every movement. There were even seamless sprinklings of audience participation throughout the show.

Ithamar’s performance is so interesting and hilarious; it will put a spell on you. When Louis Armstong’s “La vie en rose” played at the beginning, I was in a delightful trance. By the end of the show, I was in a state of bliss. As “La vie en rose” played again, just as it did at the beginning, the spell was broken and I had to face the reality of going back to my ordinary life. I did not want the buzz to end. During the car ride back home, I found myself imitating Ithamar’s angry giraffe impression and reenacting Jaws with my fingers.

You see, Ithamar Enriquez has the ability to not only make you laugh, but to make you forget about your troubles while you’re in his world. And that is the true mark of comedy. It’s something that is worth every glorious minute.

You have to see it. If I said more about the skits, I would ruin the wonderful surprises that await you.

The show runs Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30p.m. from June 12-20.
Visit the Second City website for tickets:
http://www.secondcity.com/shows/chicago/ithamar-has-nothing-to-say-2/ or call 312-337-3992

Donny’s Skybox is located at1608 N. Wells (in what used to be Piper’s Alley) on the fourth floor. The show runs around an hour and the ticket prices are a little more than a move, $20

Editor’s Note: While most would call this show more of a Cabaret type experience, because I value the work of communication by not saying a word, I would call this “theater” as well.