Teacher, magician, performer: Gonçalo Fino de Sousa brings magic to every role he plays

Los Angeles Times

3 hours ago

There are three Gonçalo Fino de Sousas. On weekdays, he takes the form of an excited calculus teacher with derivatives and integrals galore. He shifts personas on Friday nights, donning a suit and just the right amount of melodramatic flair for a weekend of pure magic. In between the two, there is a hidden version of Sousa, flitting between his passions to find his next adventure.
There's no doubt about it: Gonçalo Fino de Sousa was born to perform.
Born in Portugal, Sousa made his debut on stage at a piano recital when he was four years old, years before he became a magician.
'At the time, my feet didn't even touch the floor when I played,' Sousa said. 'My mother would show me the photo time and time again as my first experience on stage.'
Sousa soon found a new outlet for his creative artistry: magic. Fervently searching up YouTube tutorials, he found his undying love for the craft.
'Then, I was living and breathing magic tricks day in and day out,' Sousa recalled. 'In Portugal, there wasn't much of a magic community — I think I was one of 12 Portuguese magicians.'
Sousa regards that time as an era of comfort, where he was free to perform for the sake of performing. His daily routine consisted of blowing the dust off his magician's table and creating tutorials as well, tracking the progression of his proficiency. These videos served a second purpose: they were also how he learned English.
'I was having the time of my life performing on the ground in front of my iPad for the internet void,' Sousa laughed.
His target audience shifted from online viewers to a live, tangible crowd when he attended a cultural exchange and English program the summer he turned 12.
'It was my first big show, at their talent showcase,' Sousa said. 'There were kids from Germany, Austria and all around the world.'
Sousa felt like a performer for the first time.
'This was when I first felt the butterflies on stage, and the high after,' he said.
In the summer of 2015, Sousa left Portugal's crystal shores for the promise of California, finding himself at the center of the Hollywood scene.
It was in the heart of Los Angeles that he found his next big dream: to perform for the Magic Castle. As he went to watch his first live magic demonstration, he envisioned himself on stage. With the applause ringing in his ears, he made up his mind — he was going to audition.
The first time he auditioned, he was rejected. His failure was accentuated in big, bold letters, with the text 'Thank you for trying out for the Magic Castle' scrawled in type across the paper. But Sousa was not resigned.
He auditioned again.
'I still keep the rejection letter with me, as remembrance,' Sousa said, drawing out the envelope from his pocket. 'Because really, it changed my life.'
Sousa was accepted to the Magic Castle on his second attempt. He was overjoyed.
'That was my first intro to the real magic world,' Sousa said. 'Suddenly, I was 16 years old and part of the most exclusive magic community in the world.'
Then, COVID-19 hit. The global pandemic abruptly halted all live performances, leaving the industry in limbo. Sousa took this time to refine his work.
'Every morning I would read, and every afternoon I would write. Every day I would learn, learn, learn more magic.'
He even took this opportunity to start his own podcast with friends, 'Ungimmicked,' analyzing and discussing performance theory, scripting and the philosophy behind magic as a performing art.
As the performing world slowly whirred back to life, Sousa was ready. He dabbled in magic consulting, creating the 'magic behind the magic' with the production and presentation of shows.
'This was really my first teaching role,' Sousa said. 'I was consulting for kids who wanted to audition for the Magic Castle.'
Going back to the start of it all, Sousa even orchestrated his own magic show titled 'Stepping Stool,' a nod to the stool next to the piano bench as he dazzled his first audience.
Now, Sousa has found yet another sea of inquisitive faces — this time, in the classroom. He notes how attendees to his magic show and the students in his math classes share similarities, both wanting 'to be simply entertained for an hour.'
For his plans now, Sousa refuses to be limited.
'I plan as far as lunch tomorrow,' Sousa admits. 'I don't want a career; I want careers. I have dreams, I have goals and I spend each day chasing those for happiness.'
But for now, let the lights shine and the curtains open. Gonçalo Fino de Sousa is ready to perform. Related