The Great Gorgonzola & His New Assistant

The Great Gorgonzola & His New Assistant is a black comedy about a magician who loses his mind during a performance. The magician, The Great Gorgonzola, is an embittered old-timer making one last stand at a third-rate theatre in New York City. It is July 4, 1927. His act, most of whose 40 or so magic tricks are based on eggs, is laced with references to opera and other glories of an Italy gone by.

To add to the miserly Gorgonzola’s often comic woes, he has hired a new assistant, an always-hungry shoeshine boy. The assistant keeps messing up the stage act and trying to grab the spotlight. In a sinister turn, dark secrets from Gorgonzola’s past mingle with a strain of the supernatural, resulting in a double twist of an ending. Donato Colucci, founder in 1971 of Boston’s Publick Theatre, wrote the piece and plays Gorgonzola. Colucci also wrote The Encyclopedia of Egg Magic, an across-the-board hit with magic-magazine book reviewers now taking a respected place on the well-read magician’s shelf.

Praise for The Great Gorgonzola & His New Assistant

“I cannot see why this delightful bit of fluff shouldn’t become an established favorite alongside SHEAR MADNESS and BLUE MAN GROUP.” -Carl A. Rossi, theatermirror.com

“Donato Colucci entrances with tricks in ‘Gorgonzola,’ while David Skeist charms as his bumbling Assistant.” -The Boston Globe

“I absolutely loved it.” -Larry White, Magic Editor of M-U-M, the magazine of the Society of American Magicians

“The whole is hovering on transmigration to the Big Apple where it will play for years to come.” –Larry Stark, theatermirror.com

“The two-person show is a manic two hours of eye-boggling, egg-related magic tricks, slapstick pratfalls and eerie soliloquies, all spiced up with a soundtrack of Italian opera.” -Ed Symkus, TAB Newspapers

“The torrent of tricks and charming performances should be more than enough to egg anyone on to sample The Great Gorgonzola.” -Chris Harding, Dorchester Reporter

“The illusions baffled this layman.” -Jim Sullivan, The Boston Globe Calendar

“This little gem of a production is not to be missed.” -William LeBlanc, MagicK 5.3.02

“The best-kept theatre secret in Boston. Go see it!” -June Judson, Founder, Theatre in Process