Singapore Magic in Art's Spotlight: 2 Shows by Esplanade Presents (Flipside Festival 2019) [Details here]

It is not every day that magic gets feature in a prestigious Art venue like the Esplanade. Though I did a show a by the Esplanade Presents programme in 2015 (Virtual x Reality), it is truly a feat for us to do 2 shows under the Esplanade Presents feature! It was not easy to be able to convince Esplanade to feature magic.

As I have learnt they had many magicians apply for the same programme but most of them lack artistic rigor and look too similar to a dinner and dance programme.

My involvement in Arts Festivals and directing magic content allowed me to see magic in a different way. I see magic as a vehicle to move narratives and emotions. Moving beyond just entertainment, magic can truly mean more than just the giggles and laughs.

The shows, If You Can Imagine and Elephant in the Room are distinct pieces of magic show. Though they are both directed by me, they both have qualities that capture the hearts and minds.

If You Can Imagine (26th May & 2nd June: 6.30pm | 7.30pm @ Concourse)

If You Can Imagine is one of the projects I have been working on for many years. It always starts off with a simple idea and then it grew to a 30 minute performance. This show uses multiple iPads for the magic and storytelling to move a narrative about imagination.

Conceptualizing the show took me about 3 months and the programming itself took me 4 months. This is quite a technology intensive show. And I can assure that if you have not seen multiple iPad Magic and story telling, this is one show you do not want to miss!

Here are the details in brief:

Esplanade Presents: If You Can Imagine

Venue: Esplanade’s Concourse

Date and Time: 26th May and 2nd June (6.30pm and 7.30pm)

Elephant in the Room (24th May & 31st May: 9.45pm @ Annexe Studios)

One of the best lessons when I was an undergraduate psychology student was learning about information processing and that once a person learns a valuable information, it can never be unseen.

This forms the backbone of Elephant in the Room

My objective with this show was to craft a performance that can be experienced before, during and after the show. Valuable bits of information, hidden in plain sight, are planted throughout the show. And when the finale comes, it comes as a satisfying revelation.

Together with Anderson, we crafted this show to have an intellectual slant to it. The show itself has a variety of unorthodox magic pieces and even a viewing gallery before the show begins (which is part of the show)

Come by and experience the Elephant in the Room for yourself!

Here are the details in brief:

Esplanade Presents: Elephant in the Room

Venue: Esplanade’s Annexe Studios (Next to Outdoor Theatre)

Date and Time: 24th and 31st May (9.45pm. Come by early at 9.15 onwards for seating!)

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I really hope to see you guys there for an amazing and artful experience. This will not be just “another magic show”, this will truly be an experience for you.

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Alexander Y. is Asia’s Top iPad Magician, who has been invited performing in several countries such as Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia, India. He is known for his storytelling and magic, allowing him to not just capture the eyes of the audience, but also their hearts. In his (little to negligible) free time, he enjoys films by Christopher Nolan, Spike Jones and Makoto Shinkai. The best feeling one can give is to give his/her audience the satisfaction of realization and everything is illuminated.

Want more information about Esplanade' Presents’ performances? Contact him at alexander@ipadmagician.org