Exclusive: Cosentino reveals plans for performance in international showcase, urges Victorian Govern
Exclusive: Cosentino reveals plans for performance in international showcase, urges Victorian Government to open theatresThe star illusionist says the indoor entertainment venues can re-open in a COVID-safe manner.JAYDEN FORSTER - NOV 20 2020Cosentino says COVID-19 restrictions on Melbourne theatres need to be lifted as soon as possible.Speaking exclusively with Celebrity Lane, the illusionist questioned why shopping centres can be packed full to the brim with large crowds, while theatres are not permitted to welcome punters in a way he says could be managed to ensure public safety.“In a theatre you can control testing someone’s temperature when they walk in, you can control wearing gloves or sanitising their hands, masks, as well as the distance they sit down in seats. Plus you can contact them if anything goes wrong, whereas in a shopping centre you have thousands of people clambering over the top of one another and you could have any random, who could be ill, walking in.Cosentino is Live Nation’s highest-selling artist and normally puts on around 100 shows per year, Credit: Cosentino, Instagram“I just find it quite fascinating how certain things have different rules and regulations. “I know I’m a bit biased because I want to get back to work and my passion of performing, but I think the restrictions on theatres need to be lifted,” he said.Cosentino, who usually puts on around one hundred shows per year, says opening theatres with reduced numbers would be a waste of time.“At the moment you can have 25 percent or 50 percent capacity, but for a lot of the bigger shows that doesn’t really work,” he said.“We budget at the bad end for 60 percent or 80 percent capacity, so straight off the bat, those kind of things don’t really work.”Video: Cosentino was forced to take his product online due to the pandemic, Source: Cosentino, YouTubeLike most entertainers affected by the pandemic, the award-winning magician was forced to postpone his commitments for 2020 – Cosentino was set to tour nationally and had plans to release two new books and a magic kit – until next year and move his entire product online. “I’ve been doing a lot of corporate gigs, teaching magic, doing some keynote speaking and I’ve just done a couple of social media endorsements, which believe it or not, I’ve never actually done before.“It can’t replace my live (performances) by any means, but it’s something anyway. I’ve had some revenue coming in, so I have a lot of gratitude for that.”Cosentino is a former recipient of the International Magician of the Year award and several Merlin magic awards, Credit: SuppliedCosentino is one of 19 artists – American singer Michael Bolton and former Spice Girl Mel C are two of the other high-profile entertainers – from eight different locations worldwide taking part in the AXN All Stars virtual showcase on November 28.The world-first entertainment concept, an event organised by Asia TV giant AXN in partnership with Indonesia’s Ministry of Tourism, aims to inject a sense of joy, hope and unity around the globe as the world continues to battle the COVID-19 pandemic.Cosentino’s performance, which he filmed under strict COVID-safe protocols at his studio at Hallam in Melbourne’s south-east, is an illusion he created specially for his The Magic, The Mystery, The Madness TV special in 2017.“It’s a piece where my head is inside this locked Perspex box and I’ve got a sand timer connected to 18 kitchen knives and there’s 350 identical keys and only two of those keys will open the padlock and I have to find them before the time runs out,” he said.Cosentino says he was honoured to be asked to be part of the AXN All Stars showcase, Credit: SuppliedCosentino has previously toured to sell-out crowds and rave reviews in Australia and Asia and his TV specials were watched by an estimated 50 million people per night in South East Asia.He said he was honoured to be given the opportunity to appear alongside superstars such as Bolton and Mel C in the AXN showcase.AXN All-Stars will stream live for free on November 28 at 11pm AEDT on AXN Asia’s YouTube and Facebook. Details about Cosentino’s tour and merchandise at cosentino.com.au.Main Image: Supplied -- source link
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