SINGAPORE – Incanto, the new theatrical spectacular especially developed for the Festive Grand Theatre of Resorts World Sentosa, serves viewers a great mix of close up magic and large set-piece illusions interspersed with some nail-biting acrobatic stunts. The overall enjoyable family show is only marred by the rather disappointing execution of the music and dance numbers that would otherwise have kept the pace going and tied the weak storyline together better.

The story loosely underpinning the show follows the journey of a young girl (Oon Shu An) caught up in a battle between a good sorcerer (the award winning Magician Joe Labero) and a master of the dark art, the dungeon master (actor Chad O’Brien).

Three-time recipient of the Merlin Award, Labero does not disappoint with the magic show staples that include a classic slicer (when his pretty assistance is separated in no less than nine pieces before being brought whole again), a double levitation act 10 meters above the stage, a teleportation act, and a predicament escape (the Table of Death). Most impressive was the magician’s penetration act where he “miraculously” passes through his assistant, which prompts a few cheeky comments from the very engaging artist as he built a strong rapport with his audience.

Acrobatic stunts performed by members of the Shenyang Acrobatic Troupe were shaky at times which added to the sense of jeopardy and included synchronized trapeze performance on a giant bell above the stage, somersaults through revolving hoops, and the most spectacular segment, the challenging Wheels of Death where each of the four performers keep their own wheel rotating at the end of an arm that itself rotates around a massive central axis and take turns venturing out to balance atop their wheel with some running to keep up and others seemingly skipping with relative ease.

Incanto runs from Nov 4 to March 10 2013, 8pm, Festive Grand, Resorts World Sentosa.