The Magic Play

I went to see a performance of The Magic Play at the Goodman Theatre this past Sunday and while I largely enjoyed the story of a gay magician who can't seem to get over his last boyfriend (who dumped him) and his father's abandonment during his childhood, I felt that the gay couple didn't have any chemistry. The guy who played the magician's former boyfriend (referred to only as "the diver" because he was supposed to be an Olympic-level diver) was a great actor, but totally wrong from the guy playing the magician. I have no issue with color-blind casting, but I thought having a black guy as an Olympic diver was a stretch here. I just didn't buy it. Not that black folks aren't divers and swimmers, but the role was clearly written for a white guy and probably should have been cast that way. I'm just saying; no disrespect. I did enjoy seeing a gay relationship worked out on stage. Watching the characters meet for the first time, start dating, and eventually break up was great. Many of the magic tricks performed were also good, but the final trick was a bit of a letdown. Oh well. They can't all be winners.