They’re about as jumpy to get to India as we are to see them. Magicians Brad Ross and Alex Gonzales can be called the playmakers of Disney Live! Mickey’s Magic Show – they make the whole team look good. In act after act, the duo – either singly or together – help Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy and Goofy bring magic on stage. “This is the tenth country we’ll be performing in and we can’t wait! India has a lot of mysticism and what better place to have a magic show,” they say.
The duo has been performing since they were teenagers. “Magic is very expensive, so I began performing at age 13 to earn money to buy more magic,” says Alex. He has won various magic awards such as the Lance Burton Award, been named the National Stage Magic Champion at the World Magic Seminar and calls his greatest achievement being named National Champion Magician at the age of eighteen. “My style of magic is smooth and contemporary and all I expect the audience to get is entertainment.” In Disney Live! Mickey’s Magic Show, Alex portrays the role of ‘Benny Boyle’, a show newcomer who learns that magic is inside him all along. Benny’s practice and determination helps him master the rings display, which is a spectacle!
Brad Ross, on the other hand, plays himself in the show. His interactive style as an illusionist adds another dimension to the show as he brings children from the audience up on stage to assist him in the magic. Whether it’s making a Magician’s Apprentice tissue paper hat or inspecting a trunk for ‘The Fastest Escape in the World’, children in the audience have an opportunity to participate. “It’s a unique theatrical experience and it’s your only chance to see it,” he says.
Both Brad and Alex are in their early twenties, with a plethora of opportunities in front of them. So why did they choose a show for kids? “It’s not just for children, the adults enjoy it too,” they quickly correct me. “Magic crosses age and cultural boundaries. It gives us and the audience a chance to take a break from our hectic lives where everything is taken too seriously and just relax.”
But surely, performing day after day in different countries every month can be quite hectic, not to mention the amount of theatrics the duo has to put on with each magic act. “We have had a lot of training in that regard. But in the end, it’s so much fun to perform to a responsive audience and when we see them loving the magic, it gives us the energy to go on and on!” they say, smiling.
Meggan Schafer, Teri Dagnesi and Boomer agree. The three perform as dancers and magician’s assistants in the show. Even after a hectic two-hour performance, they’re smiling, energetic and raring to go. “Touring with Disney Live! Mickey’s Magic Show is a huge opportunity,” says Boomer. “We perform ten shows a week — which means we’re on our toes for 25 hours every week.” “But the upside,” adds Meggan, “is that we go to faraway countries and get to meet various kinds of audiences.”
One thing we can be sure of is that their energy will get you jumping out of your seats with excitement and going wide-eyed at the fantastic magic. Disney Live! Mickey’s Magic Show will be held at the Koramangala Indoor Stadium today, for eight shows. Tickets are available at Amoeba on Church Street and at Garuda Mall.
