{"693560":{"#nid":"693560","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Mario the Maker Magician Asks: What If?\u00a0","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat happens when the expected outcome has an unexpected result?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/tickets.arts.gatech.edu\/Online\/article\/26-27GTAMarioMaker\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EMario the Maker Magician\u003C\/a\u003E, that\u0027s when things get interesting.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA trick takes an unexpected turn. A handmade robot joins the act. An audience member becomes part of what happens next. Mario experiences those moments alongside the audience, turning the unexpected into magic, comedy and an opportunity to explore what\u0027s possible.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt\u0027s an approach that may feel familiar at Georgia Tech.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOn \u003Cstrong\u003ESaturday, Nov. 14 at 2 p.m.\u003C\/strong\u003E, Mario the Maker Magician brings an inventive mix of magic, robotics, engineering, visual art and comedy to the Ferst Center for the Arts. Behind the handmade robots, audience participation and confetti is an invitation to stay curious, use your imagination and see where an idea can lead.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMario Marchese is a magician, artist and self-taught robot maker whose work has been featured on \u003Cem\u003EThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon\u003C\/em\u003E and \u003Cem\u003ESesame Street\u003C\/em\u003E and performed for audiences around the world. His work invites audiences not only to experience the magic, but also to think about the creativity and experimentation behind it.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor a magician, that may be unexpected. For a maker, it makes perfect sense.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhere imagination becomes something you can build\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMario builds much of the world audiences encounter onstage. Handmade robots become supporting characters. Science and mechanical engineering meet fabric, visual storytelling, comedy and traditional magic.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat process connects naturally with a culture of making at Georgia Tech, where students across disciplines turn ideas into something tangible through designing, coding, fabricating, performing and experimenting.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe connection isn\u0027t simply that Mario uses technology. His work reflects the curiosity behind it: What can I make? What happens if I try this? What else could this become?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThroughout the performance, Mario encourages audiences to explore those questions themselves. He references inventors and groundbreaking thinkers, asks audience members what they want to be when they grow up and brings volunteers into the performance as collaborators.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAn unexpected result can become an opportunity to try something different. A robot can become a character. Engineering can become part of a magic trick. The boundaries between art, technology and making begin to disappear.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt\u0027s a reminder that creativity doesn\u0027t belong to one discipline. Neither does innovation.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe possibilities of \u201cWhat if?\u201d\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat spirit makes Georgia Tech a fitting stop for Mario\u0027s work.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAcross campus, students are creating and tackling questions whose answers may not exist yet. Doing that requires technical knowledge and imagination, along with a willingness to experiment and follow an idea somewhere unexpected.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMario brings that same sense of possibility to the stage. Through humor, magic, invention and audience participation, the performance turns curiosity into action and invites audiences to experience the discovery alongside him.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd while the performance can spark curiosity in young audiences, the invitation isn\u0027t limited by age. Mario creates a shared, all-ages experience where students, families and multiple generations can laugh, participate and wonder together.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe result is more than a magic show. It\u0027s an invitation to stay curious, make something and see where an idea can lead.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESometimes all it takes is asking: \u003Cstrong\u003EWhat if?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMario the Maker Magician\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESaturday, Nov. 14 | 2 p.m.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EFerst Center for the Arts at Georgia Tech\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETickets and information:\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/arts.gatech.edu\/presents\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Earts.gatech.edu\/presents\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe magician and robot maker brings an inventive mix of magic, engineering and imagination to the Ferst Center for the Arts Nov. 14.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The magician and robot maker brings an inventive mix of magic, engineering and imagination to the Ferst Center for the Arts Nov. 14. "}],"uid":"36758","created_gmt":"2026-10-27 18:57:40","changed_gmt":"2026-10-27 19:02:37","author":"LaKenya Norris","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-10-27T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-10-27T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"681573":{"id":"681573","type":"image","title":"03-31-25-MARIO-SHOT-7-319.jpg","body":null,"created":"1793127659","gmt_created":"2026-10-27 19:00:59","changed":"1793127659","gmt_changed":"2026-10-27 19:00:59","alt":"Mario the Maker Magician","file":{"fid":"265994","name":"03-31-25-MARIO-SHOT-7-319.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/10\/27\/03-31-25-MARIO-SHOT-7-319.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/10\/27\/03-31-25-MARIO-SHOT-7-319.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2515661,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/10\/27\/03-31-25-MARIO-SHOT-7-319.jpg?itok=N18WTUgW"}}},"media_ids":["681573"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.mariothemagician.com\/","title":"Mario the Maker Magician Official Website"}],"groups":[{"id":"145331","name":"Georgia Tech Arts"},{"id":"660380","name":"GT Arts"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}