The quaint Windows Showroom at Bally's Hotel Casino has been home to a number of successful productions, from The Bronx Wanderers to legendary Wayne Newton. Even 50 Shades: The Parody enjoyed a long, healthy run in the second-level space.
Now the quirky venue is hosting another laugh-filled movie spoof, this time without the riding crops and blindfolds. Experience a phantasmal adventure filled with magic wands, dark arts and fearsome dragons at Potted Potter, a face-paced and humorous retelling of the wizarding-world saga.
Potted Potter was created by Daniel Clarkson and Jefferson Turner, sharp-witted BBC actors/writers who clearly love the source material. They're also the stars of the production, which has toured through the United States and the rest of the world. Clarkson and Turner themselves came here to launch the Vegas residency, acting out all the characters in the two-man comedy. They'll be here only a short while before passing the torch on to a new Sin City cast.
Nobody can skewer pop culture like the British (think: Monty Python's Flying Circus, Little Britain and the films of Simon Pegg). The students and faculty of JK Rowling's beloved Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry prove to be perfect targets for this style of humor. Using just a few silly props and lots of audience participation, Daniel and Jefferson plunder and pillage the entire seven-book epic (and dozens of characters) in only seventy minutes.
Children will have an especially good time at the all-ages Potted Potter. During a media event that this writer attended last week, an adorable five-year-old girl with amazing improvisational skills was welcomed onstage for a magic-wand battle. Her deadpan responses and gestures matched anything that the professional cast could dish out. It was truly a priceless moment, one of many sure to follow in the open-ended run.
Of course, every Harry Potter story includes at least one Quidditch match...and 'Potted Potter' offers its own twisted version. The entire audience gets a chance at capturing the Golden Snitch, albeit without the aid of flying Nimbus 2000 brooms. It helps not to notice that the quaffles, bludgers and scoring hoops look suspiciously like pool inflatables.
Whether you're a fan of the Harry Potter series or don't know your Dumbledores from your Hagrids, Potted Potter will keep you in stitches from beginning to end. Just ignore that 25-foot dragon sitting in the back row.
Potted Potter performs Friday through Wednesday at 8 p.m. with 2 p.m. matinees on Saturday and Sunday. Snag deals on tickets right here on Best of Vegas.
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