Once in a great while, something comes along that changes your life. I was privileged to attend a performance last night at the Electric Lodge in Venice of a one-man theatre piece written, directed and acted by Dominic Hoffman.
Uncle Jacques' Symphony has already been performed at the Edinburgh Festival, SF's Magic Theatre and other venues of note and has been honored with two Ovations Awards. Some work in this genre comes off as little more than ego-driven vanity so-called "performance art". Mr. Hoffman gives us the real thing; 90 minutes of pure unadulterated magic. At once funny, tragic and moving, it is a virtuoso tour-de-force of a superb theatre artist at the top of his game. If you recall the late great Richard Pryor and have seen the shows of John Leguizamo, you'll have some idea of what to expect.
The show has an all too brief run at a small black-box space upstairs at the Electric Lodge and plays this weekend and next (Thursday-Sunday at 8 p.m. with a final performance 2 p.m. on May 6th).
It's a block away from fashionable Abbot Kinney Blvd. Lots of dining and drinking options before or after the performance.
DO NOT MISS THIS!
Electric Lodge, 1416 Electric Ave, Venice, CA 90291
Phone: (310) 306-1854 for reservations.
