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We’re happy to be spending some time today with award-winning illusionist Xavier Mortimer; welcome to our humble pages, Xavier! Before we dive into the deep-end, how has your 2022 been treating you thus far?
Hi! Thank you for having me! I am happy to see businesses and live entertainment reopening this year, so far 2022 is looking great!
Congratulations are in order for your recently announced multi-year partnership with wallstreetbets.com and Wally’s NFT! Can you explain to our readers why this deal is a particularly big thing for you and your show on the Las Vegas Strip – The Dream Maker?
We want to be innovative in every direction. Opening our ticket sales to crypto is a big step and we believe more and more shows and businesses will follow in the near future. Wally’s NFT is a great project and we want to support them because we believe in it. Right now, we are creating a new illusion with Wally’s character too!
Backtracking a little bit here, and for anyone that might be late to the party, can you talk a little about The Dream Maker and what its genesis has been thus far?
The Dream Maker is a magic show with a storyline. It is different from any magic show seen before, there are elements of music, dance, acrobatics. The audience is brought into a world of dreams, where anything is possible. It’s a show for all ages and nationalities. We started 6 years ago at Planet Hollywood in a small room, and with the success of the show growing we moved to a much bigger room at The STRAT Hotel, Casino & Skypod in 2021.
Tickets for The Dream Maker go on sale starting July 1, 2022. At this point, are you still tweaking and finessing the show?
Tickets are on sale now! They will be available for purchase using Crypto, specifically $WSB, on xaviermortimer.com starting July 1st. The show opened at The STRAT a little over a year ago, but it’s definitely not the same show it was originally. We are constantly improving and updating the show and we will continue to do so. Like a storyline, our show is always changing and evolving – we are always moving and reinventing ourselves constantly to not lose that magic that keeps the show alive. If you’ve already seen the show, you should definitely come back and enjoy an updated act!
What made wallstreetbets.com and Wally’s NFT the perfect crowd of folks to team-up with for the new Vegas show The Dream Maker?
We are both start up companies with the desire to be innovative in our field. Also, the Wally’s NFT team was really eager for me to participate in the expansion of the brand and of the character Wizard Wally, which I really like. I only partner with brands that I like and that excite me. Having creative control and collaborating with this team is incredibly interesting and exciting.
Is it important to emphasize precisely how big of a deal it is that The Dream Maker is now officially the first show on the Las Vegas Strip to accept cryptocurrency as a form of payment?
Of course. There is always a first and we believe that taking risks is the key to change the world!
Do you feel cryptocurrency is here to stay?
Yes, we do. Everyone has the right to be skeptical, but crypto has been around for almost a decade. We don’t know which form of crypto will continue to thrive, but whatever it may be, it is the future of monetary exchanges.
Along a similar line, NFT’s have become all the rage and we know that The Dream Maker will offer exclusive NFT Holder Perks. For someone reading this from Bedrock (i.e. someone who hasn’t quite figured out the wherewithal of NFT’s), what exactly is an NFT and why would someone covet such a feature?
An NFT is like the skin of a video game: it’s a virtual piece of art. The big difference is that in a game or virtual reality, you pay for something, but you don’t own anything. When you buy an NFT, you own it. You decide what to do with it, whether it be making other people pay to see it, selling it, or even showing it to the world. It’s like having an original Picasso. Every NFT is the original.
Wally’s NFTs have built-in utilities, or perks. These are benefits that you’ll enjoy in the Metaverse but also In real life. If you own a Wally’s NFT, you’ll have access to VIP seating at the show, exclusive merch, and more.
Can you talk a little about the development of Wizard Wally and how this new character figures into a new magic illusion from you?
We are building a Wally’s puppet now that will be featured in the show. The characters will also be featured in the special video creations we are adding to the show as part of the set up. Audiences who know about it will be able to see the characters appearing all along the show.
Wizard Wally is described in publicity as the first hero of the Metaverse. As longtime comic book fanatics here at Vents, we’re very familiar with the concept of the Metaverse. But outside of the comics, what exactly would you say the Metaverse is?
A big part of the future. Social media today is about interacting with friends and family. In the Metaverse, you will be able to play, entertain, socialize but with the parameters you chose. You’re creating a world within a world.
Going basic here, what fascinates you so much about the world of magic?
I have loved magic since I was a kid. For me the magic is more about what we have to tell rather than fooling the audience. It is, essentially, about creating emotions. It’s about sharing a story and a moment with someone you may not know, but will remember you forever. I remember the first magician I saw that inspired me and, doing what I do, creating these moments for other people, is incredibly special.
Can you envision a time when The Dream Maker may actually tour the entire country? Is that on the drawing board at all?
We have been working on a touring show. We started a tour right before the pandemic closed down everything, now we are starting over! We’re super excited about the future.
What are you most excited about when it comes to The Dream Maker?
Every night is a challenge – one night you can skip a trick, land a joke, get the audience excited, mess up, fall flat on your face. Nothing is guaranteed, no matter how much time you put into something. I love to share all those moments with my audience, bring them into my world of magic!
Being in Las Vegas, the entertainment capital of the world, you are here competing with the best of the best. It is motivating, intimidating, and fascinating. We’ve been here for going on six year and have been voted Best Magic Show of Las Vegas for the last four of them! As we continue evolving and changing, we’re so excited for the future.
If The Dream Maker goes gangbusters and your partnership with wallstreetbets.com and Wally’s NFT yields gold in them there hills, might we expect that vaunted multi-year contract to be extended?
Yes, of course! We would love to grow and push our companies further!
What do you hope fans walk away feeling after taking in a showing of The Dream Maker?
I hope they believe in Magic! I also want my audience to take some time and forget about their every day – take a couple hours to forget about their daily problems and venture into a magical world of possibility and storytelling.
