MAGICIAN Andrew Lee is mesmerising audiences with his mind-boggling illusions on social media. During the movement control order (MCO) he found a creative way to continue performing for audiences, even though the numbers may be far smaller than what he had been commanding prior to the pandemic.
Lee, who is currently revamping his website, said: “I have been busy doing virtual shows. I want to introduce virtual magic shows to audiences in Malaysia.”
Lee said his virtual shows are different from the shows normally seen on streaming and social media platforms. He holds a Thursday Night Zoom Virtual Show (Zoom Virtual Interactive Show) at 9pm which the public can view by invitation after emailing team@andrewlee.com.my.
A Zoom link will be sent upon confirmation.
He is also busy with live events as well.
Lee became famous due to his shows on YouTube and his appearance on Asia’s Got Talent season 2. His fantastic card and mind reading tricks really thrilled the audience.
“Social media is now the new normal. With social media, everything can be out there. My goal two years ago was to go global. It was not that I was not [already] doing shows overseas, but I wanted to go further.”
He was aware that talent shows were a risk, but he went on Asia’s Got Talent anyway because his house had caught fire and he lost a lot of his props.
“I had nothing to lose and so I went and did my best.” That decision paid off because it got him a slot on Britain’s Got Talent in 2018 where he performed a risky knife-throwing card trick that earned him unprecedented global publicity.
Then the pandemic happened, and Lee had to get creative.
“For me virtual shows should be as lively and as interactive as real shows. Zoom allowed me to do that, as I get to interact with my audience in real time and my audience can get to see everything that I am doing,” Lee said.
“In fact some of the effects in virtual shows are far more effective than those done in real life.
“If you think of the impossibility ... I am over here, you are across the screen. I can read your mind, and all that stuff.”
Lee said his biggest obstacle was that event companies were not very receptive of this concept.
“For them, they think I will go in a studio, use green screen effects and put on a virtual show. That is exactly like doing a show on YouTube, there is no interaction.
“I have been doing virtual shows since the MCO [started]. I actually invite companies who want to host this event. We set the day and time, and then I just appear and do the show for them.
“Virtual shows are very different from doing a show physically. The [standard] effects and methods used by magicians are completely obsolete.”
He explained that if you try conventional magic with props and effects, there will be no audience to inspect the props and be physically there to truly enjoy the experience.
“One thing about virtual shows is that you are no longer limited by geography.
“In my shows on Zoom, I want to get everyone involved. From mind reading to audience interaction, to revealing what they are thinking at that moment. There is some visual magic stuff as well.
“I call this no-touch magic. I don’t have to be physically there. Everything is happening in your minds.”
Lee tested the concept out with his friends.
He noted that many people in the entertainment scene are currently not doing anything relevant to their jobs as entertainers. Many people are doing other things to survive, such as selling food or cooking food online.
“There is nothing wrong with doing an ‘outside business’, but you should always be honing and practising your craft. So for me, during the MCO I was conducting my online magic course. I have been doing a virtual talk show that comes on every Wednesday night (the Facebook Live Magic Connection Show) that features top magicians from all around the world.
“The whole reason for the show is to connect magicians from the East and West, as well as give opportunities for local magicians to perform on the show. It is to make new connections.”
Lee revealed that he was supposed to be in Las Vegas in March recording for a TV show, which has been temporarily put on hold due to the pandemic.
Lee is keeping himself busy until then. After all, at times like this, we all need a bit of magic in our lives.
