This week, Ira Sternberg spoke with magician Mat Franco, headlining at The LINQ Hotel in “MAT FRANCO: MAGIC REINVENTED NIGHTLY” (and where his show has just been extended for the next five years). In this 30-minute episode of Talk About Las Vegas, Franco talks about his fascination with magic at an early age; his pipe dream as a kid to perform on the Las Vegas Strip (which came true!); his magic habit that keeps him learning about the craft; his unique approach to magic, including improvisation and interaction with the audience; why Donny Osmond holds the answer to a lengthy show business career; and why his goals are large, which allows him to accomplish more over time.
NBC’s America’s Got Talent-winning magician Mat Franco takes an innovative approach to magic-making. Almost entirely self-taught, the 31-year-old Rhode Island native began staging his own shows before the age of 10 and quickly cultivated a performance style that highlighted his natural warmth and wit.
“I’m pretty well-versed in the history of magic, and I love to learn about what people before me have done, but I usually get my own inspiration from the sorts of things most of us are dealing with every day,” Franco says. To that end, much of his material hinges on instilling magic into slice-of-life scenarios.
“For me, magic isn’t about pulling the wool over anyone’s eyes and trying to blur the lines between what’s real and not real,” says Franco. “It’s about giving the people in the audience a good show, something that surprises and excites them but also lets them laugh and have some fun—just like any kind of great entertainment would.”
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