George Blass (Madrid, 1980) came back with a new magic show. “I put my best hopes and most innovative things on this show,” he says.
What will this new show be like?
It will be very interactive. Those who come will be able to see join from your seat. We do not force anyone who just wants to go on stage, but everyone from the sofa will be able to do magic with their own hands. It’s in a show for all audiences and I’ve put my best hopes and most innovative things. I will do it magic with mobile phones, interactive magic, very visual and very spectacular numbers. I’m going to do some sleight of hand too, which is a very old branch of magic, but in essence it’s just where the magician makes things appear out of the air with his hands. There will be many surprises. First of all, I would like to say that it does not appeal to children or adults, it appeals to all audiences from the age of four-five to 120 years old.
Where do you find the inspiration to update your numbers and incorporate innovation in such a fast-moving world?
Especially looking at the audience. The public is changing. When I started 92 or so, it wasn’t the same. now we have one more technological people who likes to explore other things. You can see in our staging and what we do that we are inspired by the concerns we have now. Before we did a different kind of magic, we now combined technology, newer staging, and lots of interactions. I think that in the magic of the 21st century, the audience has to interact and not just watch but be a part of it.
Is it harder to get the public’s attention than when you started? Is it more complicated to cast a spell?
I think so too. Attention is shorter now than when I started, you have to constantly get people’s attention. Think about it, it takes an hour and a half and you have to keep up with the pace, capturing the viewer’s attention and never losing it. You have to be interesting, fun and magical. The show I am going to present has a lot of rhythm and a lot of emotion. Then, on the other hand, the viewer can access technology they didn’t have before. You can explore any game if you are online right now. The thing is, it’s not that easy to catch us. The magic has also improved a lot. and some of the games we are going to present have a very complex back room that is very hard to imagine.
A magician will have to undergo constant training. But of course, I don’t think he’ll be accepted into Hogwarts right now. Where are you going?
There are many magical schools and societies. For example, there are many meetings that serve to build fans and attract new members. There are people who are curious and can get advice by going to these magic rings and meeting with other magicians. Magic is an art that still works hard between teacher and student or reading a book.. It’s a pretty little known art, hardly known, but there are ways to learn and now much more with the advent of the internet.
As the founder and director of the Madrid International Magic Festival, you will meet colleagues from all over the world.
Of course. First of all, we discovered many different ways of doing magic. At a festival like we did in Madrid, you learn how magic happens in Korea, the United States, and other European countries. It’s very enriching but you realize the Spanish magic is at its peak. We should be proud because recently the major world awards have been Spanish, we perform all over the world and our colleagues are giving the world something to talk about. So celebrate.
Can the principles of magic be transferred to our daily lives?
There is a philosophy in magic and a way of understanding the work. transferable to companies and the lives of professionals. For example, a magician must be constantly surprising, know your audience very well and fulfill their wishes, make what they dream or imagine real and tangible. You have to constantly renew yourself because playing the same game over and over is not enough. These principles inspire companies and serve to improve the way they work or their relationship with employees.
Undoubtedly, one of the most beautiful aspects of magic is its healing power. You know this well because you belong to the Abracadabra Foundation.
This much. It’s a project we started about 15 years ago and started doing magic in hospitals. The truth is, it’s been an incredible journey, and it still is, because we realized that magic can be therapeutic. And not only do magic, teach them and organize workshops where they become magicians. This improves their self-esteem and psychomotricity, but also improves communication.
What qualities should a magician have?
first thing to have so much passion for magic It’s a very professional thing, it’s not worth forcing someone to do it. To create good magic, you need to work hard on communication, understand magic, learn from books and masters of the past. But the main thing is to love him and have a passion for him.