From “If You Can Imagine” - Miser’s Dream
If You Can Imagine plays for its final 2 runs for Esplanade this coming Sunday (2nd June) at 6.30pm and 7.30pm.
The previous run last Sunday was received with fantastic reception from laypeople, magicians and people in the arts.
From “If You Can Imagine” - Starry Night
Here are 10 fun facts about the show:
Total number of iPads used in this show is 5. Alexander owns 6 iPad Pros, 2 iPad Minis, 3 iPhones and 1 iPad Air.
The concept of this show to Esplanade was shared in the early 2018, but because Flipside festival went for a revamp in 2018, they did not have any magic acts involved. The whole discussion from concept to reality took 1 year and 6 months.
Alexander’s Virtual x Reality (2015) was his first magic performance under Esplanade’s programming. Thereafter, Flipside had magic consecutively from 2016 and 2017, and stopped in 2018. And Alexander’s If You Can Imagine and Elephant in the Room is the first magic performances after the refresh.
In the act, “The Three Kingdoms”, Alexander uses 2 lighters for the same type of magic effect, one at the start where he was recounting on his lonely childhood and one at the finale of his performance where he found peace. This is a subtle addition to hint that though the magic was the same, the effect it had on him was different.
In the original ending of “If You Can Imagine”, Alexander would sit on his chair, and die. But after much discussion, it was modified because it needed a “family-friendly” ending.
The first version of the opening act, “Miser’s Dream”, debut in Saudi Arabia’s Cisco Connect Conference in 2016. Back then it only used 1 iPad. In this current rendition, it uses 4 iPads.
In his closing piece, except for the psychologist, Alexander refers to his actual friends when he talks of a lawyer who wants to be a musician, a doctor that wants to be a painter and a psychologist who wants to just do magic. The psychologist is a subtle reference to himself.
The inspiration for Alexander’s “Starry Night” is a subtle homage to Alexander’s favorite book, “The Little Prince”. He makes 3 subtle reference of it in that act. The first is where he used an imagery close to the The Little Prince’s Planet and the other 2 is for you to find out :)
In totality, Alexander took 2 months of programming the 5 acts that involved the iPad. He then took another 1.5 months for rehearsals.
In his 4th Act called “Society”, Alexander laments about Society telling him to “Stop living in his mom’s basement and doing magic” was an actual thing that was said to him on a dinner date who found out that he was doing magic for a living. Despite knowing that Alexander has a Master’s Degree from NUS, she decided to scoff at him for simply doing what he loves.
(Bonus Fact) Alexander will have to change his 2nd Act “Cocktails of Imagination” to another act for this coming Sunday’s performance because of NEA regulations that does not allow him to distribute unsealed drinks. But he promises that another act of the same theme will be replacing it.
Alexander will play again this Sunday, 2nd June
Venue: Esplanade- Concourse
Time: 6.30pm and 7.30pm
Hope to see you there!
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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