Project 365 (102/365): Aldo Colombini

.:102/365: Aldo Colombini:.

Quite honestly, I don’t know how best to describe Aldo Colombini as a comedy magician except for one word: underrated.

Colombini is one of those magicians whom you tend to know for one thing, but not for another. As a performer, his execution is smooth. As a lecturer, his teaching style is very effective. But as a comic, his timing is absolutely impeccable, and it’s criminal how many people tend to forget that Colombini is a very hilarious magician, because of his ability to drop relevant one-liners in the middle of his routines, and his penchant for absurd humor at times.

Colombini is obviously an Italian who migrated to America, and has established himself as one of the premiere names in magic not just in Italy and America, but all over the world. What makes him especially effective as a performer though is his ability to establish rapport with his audience the instant he presents himself onstage. He likes telling stories about friends, family, memories. Very simple anecdotes with comedic gems snuck in between excellent magic.

Aldo Colombini is one of the magicians I may not have had as much exposure to, but already is one of my favourites, if only for the few times that I have seen his work. The routines I’ve seen him utilize have been consistently powerful, and as if that weren’t enough, his patter has been top-notch. There’s something about his accent that enhances the way he tells his stories, such that he becomes a pretty good raconteur himself, all the while flawlessly executing his work, which is something that proves to be a testament to the man’s excellent multi-tasking skills.

Watching this video alone, you already get a feel for how hilarious and quick-witted the man can be. With a career spanning decades, it’s hard to imagine Aldo Colombini’s handiwork ever going out of style.