Found a story on Cosentino in my mailbox from LiveDesign trade publication: "Young international illusionist Cosentino fuses traditional magic and grand illusion into a unique performance that involves lighting as a core element..." Robe And Cosentino: A Truly Magical Combination .

Here's a link to his website: http://www.cosentino.com.au

And a YouTube link that Ryan Reed missed http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0BhjUPNGFU


Interesting kid. I don't know who was a bigger influence on him: Jeff McBride or Michael Jackson.

Well he certainly doesn't have any problem with movement on stage. looks cool, can't wait to see where he goes in his magical career. As far as lighting and staging goes, the only thing I could see from that video that I wasn't a fan of was the little 'center stage pool of smoke effect' he has going through most of the video. In my designs I'm more of a 'overall even haze' sorta guy, but to each his own. Other than that it looks really kinda cool.

"the art of magic is changing"
with d'lites?
Ha!

Larry,

Remember that most people have not seen a live magician. I read in some book that about 1 in 5 people see a real live magician. So that means that D'Lite or not he's making an impact on our art and contributing to it. Just because the D'Lite isn't new to you or I doesn't mean it's not new to a lay person.

Josh London

This guy has performed for years doing a robot act with a little bit of magic in it eg. silk vanish. You can see the movement and mime background in what he is doing now. It looks like he has been spending some serious money and time improving his act.

Also here in Australia D'Lites are not sold in malls or on tv, so they don't have the over exposure that they do in some parts of the US.

By no means am I making fun of him or D'Lites, or anyone that uses them.
I am just "tickled" by the direct quotes before it.
Did not mean to offend.
Larry

I went to see his show last week.

Having looked at his website a few times - which raised my expectations - I was surprised not to see a single original effect.

BUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! an audience of mainly teenagers (and extremely well mannered and well behaved teenagers at that) absolutely loved him.

I certainly have criticisms of his act but am loath to list them because I was entertained - and he attracted a wonderful audience and held them in the palm of his hand.

The light design really was quite special live - it set the atmosphere beautifully and focused attention on him without fail.

I didn't see it as a 'core element' though - more a wonderful enhancement.

He could have done most of the show under our harsh tropical sun and been just as entertaining.

Like Larry though, I am 'tickled' by the quotes because I believed them and didn't realise they were just advertising.

Destiny

Very cool. I for one like what I see in the video. It looks like a very entertaining show.

New, modern refreshing, he's trying hard!

(At least from that short video)

Blair Marshall
"ShaZZam!"

http://www.cosentino.com.au/gallery/

You go to the gallery above and scroll down a bit and click on the pic of David Blaine and no picture happens (at least for me). Is he trying to say something? LOL

From the video, it looks like a very entertaining show.

That's a fairly old video - he's now got quite long hair.

The levitation of the masks and the flight to collect it were not performed in the 2 hour show I saw last week.

The masks were just worn - no magic was performed with them.

Probably the constraints of touring.

The lighting was actually better than in that clip, and as I said earlier - the audience loved him.

I haven't seen girls go so crazy for a guy in make up since Michael Jackson was still publicly virtuous.

Destiny

He's playing near me soon. I haven't decided whether I want to go or not yet. Which is unusual, because considering the limited exposure we have in Australia to live magic, you would think I would jump at the chance. I just get annoyed by all these guys who are claiming that they are "changing the art of magic", when really, they're not doing anything different. Rabbits, dancing hank, straightjacket escape. Anyone see anything really revolutionary in Cosentino's promo video? I didn't.

There seems to be this idea at the moment that if you're under 30 and add an electronic music backing track to your show, you're suddenly permitted to advertise yourself as some kind of prodigy sent to teach the old guys how it's done in the new millenium. Don't get me wrong, I mean no disrespect to the guy. It's more of a general observation. Anyone agree, or wish to comment?

-- Topher

PS. I'm only 24 myself, but I HATE electronic music!

Hey Folks,

Cut him some slack. He is advertising to the lay public, not other illusionists. I thought his promo video was very good.

I see this kind of thing almost every time someone shares a clip of someone's performance or promo here on the Café.

There are many (the vast majority that I've seen) who use hyperbole and grandiose statements when promoting themselves. Would this be better?

"Let's welcome Joe Schmoe to the stage. He's on the cutting edge of mediocrity. He's never had an original thought in his life and performs what you could do yourself if you could find a magic shop or magic website. He's been inspired by Jeff McBride & Michael Jackson, but he's not as talented as either. Just to be polite, let's clap for Joe Schmoe! You can dissect his show later."

Think about how you would feel if your website, promo, act or introduction went under the Magic Café microscope - even if you didn't submit it for inspection.

If he were an hour drive from me, I'd go watch his show and try to express my appreciation for his performance afterwards.

Remember - it's "magicians helping magicians" - not "magicians dissing magicians."

Lou

Hi Lou,

With all due respect, this whole "magicians helping magicians" mantra doesn't sit well with me. I'm all for helping people. I've just finished writing a couple of paragraphs in a PM to a guy in my area who sought me out and asked for assistance getting into the audio/visual industry. I don't know who he is, but he asked for my help and I was happy to give it. But most members of this board seem more than happy to heap praise on even the most average performer, for fear of offending anyone. I totally agree that we should all be helping and supporting each other. But if I am not permitted to post my real opinion, then why would I bother? How dull and pointless would the Magic Café be if everyone had the same opinion.

In a different industry, this level of mediocrity would not be tolerated. If a performer such as Cosentino were to give a performance indentical to everyone else at say, a ballroom dancing contest, he would be either scored low or disqualified from competition. Yet the same dull and repetitive performances are commended and encouraged in the magic world. A few years back, I saw a junior magicians club perform at the theatre I work in. Every single child, except for one (the one I coached, funnily enough), performed the same ultra-mental deck routine. The organisers/club managers knew of the acts beforehand, and did nothing to encourage a bit of variety. What hope has our craft (because it's not art until you make it worthy of such title) got of progressing past the bottom rung of the entertainment ladder if we encourage our future performers to do the same thing as their friends? That's where the cliches come from. You know the ones? The rabbits, and wands and bad comedy?

Cosentino clearly knows the value of his claims, as he is exploiting them as a marketing tool. But would it not be better for magic as a whole if he (and the others like him) were to hold true to their claims, and actually BE different to everyone else?

The main reason magicians can get away with performing the same routines as everyone else is because the general public (I hate the term layperson) are rarely interested in magic as theatre. Why? Probably because they know that once you've seen one, you've seen them all. It's a vicious circle, that few magicians seem prepared to do anything about.

I wish Cosentino all the best. He's got his own touring magic show, which is a hell of a lot more than what I've got. But I'd much rather have my originality and dignity any day of the week.

Get your pitchforks ready.

-- Topher

Hey Topher,

Saw a singing show the other night, was surprised all the singers sang songs I new, and that were actually written and performed by others before!!! I thought they would have been more original. I think it was called "American Idol" I believe you have a similar show "down under". Quite highly rated as a show. Some nights they even do a series of songs in the same style.

Hopefully all performers (magical) can develope their own material as they mature throughout their performing careers. If not that, get to the point where they can hire creators to develope material for them. And of course with time there also comes a refinement of their style.

Remember I saw Henning perform the Pom-poms on his first major National tour, and Copperfield do the Invisible Deck on his, and both as per the instructions . Doug was always quite adamant about performing purchased routines the way the creator developed/designed it.

Most performers I would not blast in public, but would be honest in private to them if I was asked (ask my friend Alain about this). What determines level??? Who determines level?? On a forum such as this there are folks of many different levels. And, I am sure many aspire to be great. But not all will be. Should you be comparing with the top? It used to be the big magic conventions were the place to see fellow performers pre-internet, and boy I can tell you I was disappointed in several that I saw. But now with communication you can put your material up "with the pros", but doing so comes with a risk.

Nuff said, hope my logic was not too convuluted!!

Blair Marshall
"ShaZzam!"

Winfried and Angelique from The Netherlands perform everything in black and yellow. All their illusions are only black and yellow. Their costumes are black and yellow. The doves are yellow... For them it seems to work. It is their style. The floating routines of Cosentino depend on the background and indeed the restrictions of the theater. In most theaters here in Europe you are not allowed to just float like that there are safety restrictions. His style is cool, flashy, fast... but some of his illusions are not. For instance Modern Art. To me it does not seem to fit his style en performance. It's not the trick itself but how it looks. He has to make it just as cool looking as he is himself. If he wants it to be yellow well there are many kinds of yellow. He better not use the bright circus-yellow but a warmer one. And more chrome on it. But that is me looking as a designer.. D-lite is, whatever we think of it, a piece of magic that not many people have seen. Therefore it is new for the audiences. You don't have to be new and original for other magicians, you have to be that for all those other people seeing you..
I think he will survive...
EVI