Magic in Saragossa: Interview with Civi Civiac

Every Christmas the streets of the center of Saragossa are filled with magic. Literally. The International Zaracadabra Street Magic Festival brings some of the best national and international magicians to the city. The performances in atypical settings, assaulting and surprising passersby who do not expect to encounter a spectacle of that nature, have been a success that has not stopped growing with each edition.

Our guest in this edition of Interviews is one of the creators of the festival. An exceptional magician who surprises us with each new show and who captivated us with his friendliness and sense of humor from the first day. We are pleased to introduce you to Civi Civiac.

After the resounding success of the first Saragossa Street Magic Festival, expectations were very high. How was the second edition of Zaracadabra? What prospects are there for the third?

The second edition could not be more satisfactory. We have infected 14,000 spectators with magic and excitement. Zaracadabra has come to stay and has pulled a magical future out of its hat.

Do you think these types of performances are a way to bring magic to an audience that perhaps would not go to a theater to see a show of these characteristics?

Indeed, the format of shows proposed by Zaracadabra assaults the viewer in the middle of the street. They are a very direct and improvised street magic format and the audience is walking around and suddenly sees a circle of spectators around a magician and gets hooked on enjoying it, without thinking about getting a ticket or how long it will last.

Which of the magicians they have managed to bring to Saragossa are you most proud of?

Without a doubt from Mago Migue. An eminence and an institution in the art of magic at the national level and one of the illusionists with the greatest international projection of the moment.

Is there an added difficulty in preparing tricks in atypical settings such as a shopping center?

Yes that’s how it is. The main added difficulty in a shopping center is that you are working surrounded by 360º and in many cases, you also have an audience above the artist, so…you have to be a great professional and have a lot of experience to manage all that audience that has a good time. Well, let them see and enjoy the magic and also don’t see any secrets.

In the world of magic it is difficult to create something totally new. Most tricks are variations of already invented illusions. How do you manage to be original and surprise the public?

In street magic, you can be original and surprise, adding to the magic effects, everyday material and elements that are part of the street furniture. In this way, asking for a purse from a spectator and removing a kilo of candy from inside is devastating for the public.
On another note, I would like to specify that at the Zaracadabra Festival, we look for the peculiar, world magic awards and original acts. We do not bring magic to use and that is the great differential and what makes this programming more talked about every year.

They say that when it comes to magic there are two types of audiences. There are those who allow themselves to be surprised and simply enjoy the show and there are those who cannot help but try to discover the trick. What class are you?

I am a classic! I love being surprised and being made to enjoy and dream of impossible things and I leave aside the stress and anxiety that comes with trying to discover the magical effect.

Are there still colleagues who surprise you with a trick or an illusion?

Yes, of course, and that is a great satisfaction, because that means that it is constantly evolving and creating new devastating magical effects.

What kind of tricks do you prefer, big setups or small sleight of hand games with cards or other objects?

The answer is difficult, but I love great montages, great challenges, with great staging, choreography, suggestive music and lighting that reveals little by little what is going to happen.

Due to your profession you must travel constantly, what is the strangest thing that has happened to you in a hotel?

I have some very good anecdotes and memories. For example, one time at midnight, we arrived at the hotel we had booked, and they gave us the room. We open the door with the key. We went in, went to bed and soon… a couple arrived with the keys to the same room! What a scare!
Another time, we made a reservation, we arrived at the hotel at 4:00 in the morning and we had to get up at 7:00 and the girl at the reception told us that there was no such reservation for that day, that the one she had was from the previous day and since we had not entered, we had to pay again for that night. And I told him that man…for the 3 hours we’re going to sleep, I’m not going to pay you for two nights! The girl laughed so much that she let us sleep for free.

What absurd object cannot be missing from her suitcase?

A glass eye and some false teeth, which I put in a glass of water and leave on the bedside table in the room all day.

Do you think it’s a suitable city for this type of event?

Saragossa is a fantastic city. It has everything and is strategically and geographically well located and this is a benefit for programming large events.