Jandro.TV

Saturday, January 14, 2012

It was another late night last night as we got home a little after 1:00 and did not get to bed until after 2:00. Brian and Ofelia came over a little after 8:00 and we had a drink and some nibbles before we headed across the street to A Nou for some dinner before we headed off to the theater. We shared a salad that, in addition to the lettuces, had a variety of cheeses, nuts and dried fruits. Brian tried the mollejas de pato, which are duck gizzards, and he and Susan shared that dish. Our main course was a paella with generous portions of peeled shrimp and langoustines. We paid our bill, hopped in the car and headed to the Teatro Flumen.

The Teatro Flumen is located on the other side of the river and is about a five-minute drive from the house. It is a former movie theater that has been entirely renovated and seats about 300. The seats are pitched backwards so that everyone has a perfect view of the stage. Our seats were in the fifth row on the aisle. Ofelia and Brian were in the second row on the aisle. There were a number of magicians in the crowd and we greeted each other and we then settled back and watched the spectacle begin at its announced starting time of 11:00 PM.

These days Jandro is working in Madrid as a semi-regular on a daily program called El Hormiguero. He is both a comedian and a magician and on the show he is frequently called on to do both. I have known Jandro for fifteen years and we first met when I was the guest of honor at La Cuchara Mágica, which at that time met in Pedreguer at the summer home of Pepe’s family. Jandro and I would touch base every now and again and the last time I saw him live was at the Spanish National Magic Convention that took place in Valencia in September of 2008.

The ninety-minute show had a little bit of everything in it. There were funny bits both on stage and on screen, jokes, interactive magic and good old-fashioned magic. There was also a bit with Jandro and Nacho Diago playing a giant piano similar to the one that was used in the movie “Big” that starred Tom Hanks. The piano was used several times in the course of the show. Here is a link to Jandro playing the BIG piano on El Hormiguero with one of the hosts. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-s7zChBjIec The bits that stood out for me was a stage version of Copentro that he did with the assistance of two younger members of the audience. His handling of the two young spectators was masterful and the presentation was both humorous and magical. A combination pick-a-card and thumb tie routine done with a male member of the audience was hysterical.

A card is selected and returned to the deck. Jandro’s thumbs are then tied together using duct tape. Using only his fingers and his mouth he extracts the deck from the case and drops the cards into a purse. He then reaches in to produce the selected card, except he produces the wrong card. At that point the card is placed face up between the palms of the spectator and his fingers are duct taped together. At a given point Jandro and the spectator are linked at the arm with jandro’s arm inside the spectator’s thus forming a human version of the linking rings. Jandro directs the spectator through a series of contortions to free himself, but in spite of all the movement they are still linked. A stagehand comes out and cuts Jandro’s tape and then the spectator’s. When the tape is removed completely from the spectator’s hands and he shows his open palms the card that was in his hand has changed to the selected card.

When the show ended Jandro came out into the lobby to take pictures with his fans. I took a picture with him and when the crowd had thinned a bit Ofelia, Brian, Susan and I took a picture with him. I also had the chance to chat with Nacho and introduce him to Ofelia and Brian. Nacho’s girlfriend, Rebecca was there and we chatted for a while. She will soon be appearing in Valencia in a Spanish production of Davis Mamet’s Speed the Plow and she invited us to come and see her. I also had the chance to meet Nacho’s mother and father and to complete this Nachogram I hasten to add that today is his birthday. After the meet and greet it was time to head back home. Brian dropped us off at our door and we said our goodnights. What a fun evening!