Saturday, March 06, 2010

Project 365 (65/365): Dixie Dooley

.:65/365: Dixie Dooley:.



One of the biggest fans of Harry Houdini and himself an accomplished escapologist, Dixie Dooley is one of my personal favourite performers when it comes to the art of escapology.

As an escapologist, Dixie’s repertoire is either a great homage to Houdini, or a blatant ripoff, depending on your mileage. His appeal though is that he has successfully managed to mix good humor and comedic timing with his routines to make the inevitable moment where everyone is gasping in fear over his death-defying escape acts become all the more impactful after keeping the audience laughing and at ease for the better part of the show.

One thing you might notice if you catch Dixie’s video is that he has an extensive collection of Houdini memorabilia. The man is a big fan, and it shows. It’s also good to note that he has his own personal touches on a few classic routines, especially his take on the milk can escape that only he seems to be utilizing at the moment.

Sometimes, I wonder, though. How many in and out moves can one guy do throughout a show before people get the joke? He seems to have a lot of similar routines that all happen to utilize that very principle, and it’s just odd.

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