 Rising
star of magic, Jonathan David Bass, a magician with an international
reputation, will be performing at the Efendy Theater in Istanbul, Turkey.
After a very interesting conversation with Jonathan, I was able to see how
this impressive young man got started in the magic world.
Q: How did you start in this
profession?
A: When I was eight years old my father gave me a magic set as a gift,
from that moment I was hooked. I did my first professional show at the age
of twelve.
Q: How did you progress in illusion, did you have any training?
A: During high school, I attended seminars and conventions in the art of
magic. It was at that time I became a member of the international
brotherhood of magicians. I read every book I could find on the subject of
magic. Later in college I studied theater dance and prop design. It was
always my dream to combine science fiction and illusion.
Q: How would you define your style on stage?
A: In magic there are both classical and contemporary styles. My style is
an unusual one, it has an MTV feel to it. It's an extremely modern style
where the magic of the future is performed using cutting edge technology.
For example: there is a segment called “Instant Babe,” where I
create a freeze-dried robot from a microwave.
Q: Do the people who assist you learn your secrets?
A: My illusions are composed of a series of complex methods. I am the only
person who is familiar with all of them, since I developed them. People I
am working with sign a confidentiality agreement, however, I believe deep
inside people do not really want to learn the secrets of magic. If they
do, the magical world is lost.
Q: What does the word illusion mean to you?
A: A world of unknown and unexpected possibilities… a fantasy world.
Q: Do you get lost in this fantasy world while you are performing?
A: When I am on stage I am drawn into the world I create, the audience
feels this and we journey through this world together.
Q: You perform your show all over the world, how do the reactions
differ from place to place?
A: American people usually react boldly with large rounds of applause.
Germans react similarly. There is a long history of live entertainment in
these countries. Asian country's, are generally more passive during the
show, even when they enjoy the show immensely they sometimes feel that
they are being rude if they applaud too much. No matter what the external
reaction, the internal reaction is always the same. This is one of
intrigue wonder and exhilaration. Magic is a universal language that
transcends all cultural barriers.
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