Rehearsals for The Hook have been in full swing since acclaimed director Cal McCrystal arrived in Atlantic City from London a few weeks ago, fresh from directing Sir Ian McKellen in the West End hit pantomime Mother Goose. McCrystal is one of the world’s most renowned comedy directors with previous credits including the Paddington films, The Amazing Spiderman, One Man Two Guvnors on Broadway and in the West End, Giffords Circus, and Spiegelworld’s spectacular neon-western Atomic Saloon Show.
An international cast of razor-sharp comics, sizzling acrobats and jaw-dropping circus artists have descended on the Jersey coast to create this world premiere residency show for the brand-new venue.
The Hook cast includes maverick comedian, actor, and musician Phil Nichol (Scotland, Canada), who has been nominated for the prestigious’ Oscar of Comedy’, the Edinburgh Comedy Award, and recently starred in the hit London West End musical, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie. He is joined by the stunningly funny Scout Durwood (USA), whose screen credits include Oxygen’s Funny Girls and MTV’s Mary & Jane, and globetrotting Brooklyn-based clown and physical comedian Jarrod Bates (USA).
The show will also feature an incredible array of circus performers, from aerial straps specialists Reed Kelly (USA) and Jack Dawson (Australia) to dazzling aerial hoop artist, dancer, and contortionist Angie McIroy-Wagar (Canada), who has performed around the world with her unique combination of acrobatics, contortion and waacking, a unique dance style of dramatic poses and lightning-speed arm movements.
Natsumi Miyazaki (Japan) competed around the world on the Japanese synchronized-swimming team before performing in the long-running, water-based show La Reve in Las Vegas. In The Hook, Natsumi will be showing off her dynamic acrobatic pole skills. Also from Japan, the internationally acclaimed magician TanBA will be joining the cast, having impressed Penn & Teller on Fool Us with his daredevil illusions.
Other acts include hair-hang performer Elena Suarez (Spain), ‘bone-breaker’ contortionist Nikita Gergert (Russia) and versatile circus performers Danielle Saulnier (Canada), Kellin Quinn and Nate Armour (USA) whose collective skills include hand-balancing and juggling. Direct from the beaches of Miami, dancer Kamal Zebib (Venezuela, USA) specializes in poi manipulation, while Colombian Sebastian Jimenez is a thrilling hoop diving expert.
Spiegelworld Impresario Extraordinaire Ross Mollison said:
“We’ve spent the past fifteen years creating a new form of live entertainment and using this new artform to completely revolutionize all the elements of hospitality – food, drink, art, architecture – that other producers reduce to window dressing. The Hook is the zenith of this model for creating life-changing experiences and Atlantic City is the perfect place to open it: a goldmine of untapped potential a mere two hours from the tired old status quo of Broadway.”
Director Cal McCrystal said:
“We’ve scoured the globe to find performers with the skill, imagination and ambition to match our vision to create a production like nothing ever seen before. We’re using the whole gambit of circus, comedy, theater, variety and music to create something that has evolved beyond performers performing on a stage. We can’t wait for people to experience it.”
