Wayne N. Kawamoto: Please tell me about “Masters of Illusion.”
Gay Blackstone: I think it's exciting because we are introducing to the world the best of many new performers. We will let audiences know that magic is alive and well, and thriving and an entertainment form that audiences want to see on television. I think one of the very exciting things is that we are going to have 13 hours of magic that has NO CAMERA MAGIC [all caps requested].
Of the over 70 magicians that will be appearing, 27 have never done television. And because of this, they're bringing new concepts, ideas and performance styles. It's certainly not stodgy old performers. And even the ones that are performing classic magic are doing it in new and fun styles.
We have so much magic that it is truly magic, magic, magic. This time, there’s no host. We are going to be introducing to the world many different styles that they've never seen or have forgotten about. We have close-up magic, stage magic, street magic and parlor style, so we run the gamut.
Yes, there's gorgeous girls. Yes, there are people sawed in half. Yes, people float. At the same time, these are being done differently and some of our young performers are so clever and entertaining.
We have a 15-year-old on the show that is a cross between Jack Benny and Johnny Carson. And half of our audience will never even know who these two people are. He's amazing and has never done television. We have one young woman, Krystyn Lambert, who is 17, who’s doing street magic. Sensational!
WK: What are your thoughts about the state of magic on television today?
GB: Except for "World Magic Awards" and "Masters," there really isn't any magic on television today. I think that audiences want it and find it entertaining.
[David] Copperfield hasn't done a special in seven or eight years so you have an audience of basically under 25 that don't know Copperfield. You then have David Blaine who has been introducing street magic. But David is, although he does very fine close-up magic, much more of an escape artist in style of performance. So that’s what they've been seeing.
Therefore, to see a stage and full magic and things that totally blow you away and yet, it's all done with audiences and it's all real, makes it a very exciting time in magic. One of the things we've tried to do with Masters is that since an audience is there, you can feel the energy and see their reactions. It's not the same as being there totally, but it's pretty close.
WK: What are your thoughts regarding the challenges of the internet?
GB: I think as wonderful as the internet is, there are problems with people not understanding the ethics of many things. Just because you watch something you don't have the rights to own it and put it up on the internet for all to see. You’re taking someone's livelihood and something for which they are paid and putting it up to be shown for free.
I think the internet gives us challenges from the standpoint of what can be put on the internet. For instance, right now, we're putting together a web page that teaches tricks that can be done that are in public domain. We are going to be teaching some magic on the internet and things that you can do that are fun.
The internet is a great source of information and a learning tool and it's a great entertainment tool. But we have to control what's there and how it's used.
WK: What were some of the challenges that you encountered selling this series to the network?
GB: I was brought it at the point of "we're doing this project." This show has been done two other times in years gone past. It was very successful when it was done in the mid nineties. My late husband Harry Blackstone hosted it. And then, a few years later, we did a series of them that I worked on in 2000.
I am so proud of "World Magic Awards." We received a number of responses from around the world. It gave the world an awakening of what sensational magic can be. So we are just going to continue this on a weekly basic.
And when you think about the fact that magic is cyclical. It goes in seven year cycles.
WK: You mention that magic goes in cycles. Do you see an upward trend?
GB: Oh yes, very much so. The fact that the network wanted magic. The fact that the World Magic Awards, the last two years, has done very well in the ratings. The various things that the world in general is wanting is more entertainment, whether you want to call it a reality show or a variety show.
Typically, when economies have not been good, the world, in general, turns to entertainment. Well, what can be more of a fantasy in entertainment than to watch a person cut someone in half?
People want to be entertained and forget their problems. Their problems are not going to go away, but they want to enter that fantasy world of either going back to their childhoods when things were possible or emerging from their childhood and seeing that things can be done in an entertaining way for adults.
We have become so jaded. You can see someone leap a building in a single bound. Well, that's not something you can ever see in person. Magic is different, you can see it live.
WK: In your experience, what are the biggest challenges when presenting magic on television?
GB: Well, especially when it's in HD [laughs]. The advantage of HD (high definition) is the fact that it is so crisp and clear and everything is bigger than life. The disadvantages are the same thing.
WK: Anything else you would like to talk about?
GB: I want everyone to watch. I think when they do they are going to thoroughly enjoy the show. They are going to see that we are taking magic in new directions with new elements. It's just a lot of contemporary ways that no matter what age range you are, you are going to enjoy it.
