DANCES WITH FILMS 2025 REVIEW! As VOICES: The Danny Gans Story ended, I thought of that line from Blade Runner, “The light that burns twice as bright, burns half as long.” This was the ecstasy, the legacy, and the curse of the life of one of the greatest performers to ever grace a stage. Danny Gans only needed a spotlight, a mic, and a stool, and he could leave the audience mesmerized by his talent. A talent that seemed infinite.
This brilliant documentary, the debut film of his son, Andrew Davies Gans, is the story of two Dannys. The first half is about Danny Gans and his rise to fame. Beginning his life, driven by a domineering father who was living vicariously through his son. Gans was initially an athlete and an aspiring baseball player. But, as fate would have it, a crushing injury saw his dreams of stepping out onto a big-league diamond dashed.
Luckily, in the wake of this early life crisis, Danny’s dad took him to see Sammy Davis Jr., and Gans’ life was changed forever. Having always been the performer of his household, Gans took to becoming a variety act unlike anyone had ever seen. Approaching his stagecraft and showmanship with the discipline of an athlete, Gans made a name for himself early, trying to climb toward the mantle of being a triple-threat. Making appearances on stage, television, and eventually film, though everyone said how good Danny Gans was, he still could not seem to take his career to that fabled next level.
So, he took a detour into the world of being a corporate entertainer. Here, as part of a prestigious package of incentives provided by companies to reward their top sales teams, Gans would become the most in-demand act around. Taking this time to enhance his talents further, making changes and adding extra tricks to his bag of magic, Danny Gans ended up on Broadway. But Broadway didn’t know what to do with him, for what he brought to the stage was so unique.
An animated scene from Voices: The Danny Gans Story shows Danny Gans in quiet reflection backstage, capturing the emotional cost of stardom.
“…sold-out crowds for more than a decade.”
But then, the clouds parted, and Gans was offered a show in Las Vegas, and in Vegas, Danny Gans showed sold-out crowds for more than a decade why he was a showman not to be missed. He did all the greats that made him great, showcasing an industry through characters and musical history. He was astounding. Still, Danny Gans was only human.
The interesting feature of the narrative is that we feel as though we are learning about the subject along with the filmmaker. As the second half of the film opens, we find its director conflicted about whether he should continue, particularly as he explores the human toll, and the price of performing non-stop at the highest level.
VOICES: The Danny Gans Story is a documentary you’ll need to watch with tissues. Some tears will be for joy and amazement, whilst other will be for hurt and sorrow. The story that Danny Gans leaves us is one we all know. We have all been driven in our lives to reach for the stars, to shine, as bright as we can, for as long as we can, doing that thing, whatever we are called to.
Danny Gans never felt like he was ever good enough to be what he would become. We see that in successful people, we wonder why someone who effortlessly captivates people feels so inadequate. VOICES: The Danny Gans Story drives that fueled, the pain that killed, and the legacy that shall thrill you when you experience the life and extraordinary talent of ‘The Man of Many Voices’ Danny Gans.
VOICES: The Danny Gans Story screened at the 2025 Dances With Films.
"…the pain that killed, and the legacy that shall thrill..."
