Fresh off his performance at the YouTube FanFest in Mumbai, Collins Key spoke with The Indian Express about his rapid rise to online stardom. Like so many professionals, Key’s interest in the performing arts started young. He made his theater debut with a Shakespeare play at age four before discovering the interpersonal power of magic at just nine years old.

“Shakespeare and theatre was only on stage, but magic I could do everywhere for almost everyone,” Key said. “And the way I could connect with the people through that — it was really personal. I could see their reactions and responses. And that’s when I shifted my focus to magic.”

Maybe his stage training allowed him have that level of self-awareness at such a tender age. But his high-octane personality probably helped too.

“I have always had this crazy amount of energy. I was the kid who would be screamed at by parents, ‘sit down’ or ‘you will break something’. I thought it would burn down with age, but well it hasn’t.”

After training with the Magic Castle in Los Angeles, Key went on to a finalist run on season 8 of America’s Got Talent and now stars in a popular YouTube channel. In his videos, he does occasionally share magic tricks, but he’s more likely to be goofing around with his brother.

“It’s honest fun that the whole family can sit and enjoy together,” he said of his YouTube presence. In fact, more than 11 million fans are enjoying his videos together. Read the full interview here.

You don’t have to look much farther than YouTube to notice the global, connective power of the Internet. While the platform still has issues to work out, there’s no denying what a powerful resource it is, both for those who have a knack for creating videos, as well as for people who want to learn more or entertain themselves with the videos those creators make. 

YouTube celebrates the symbiotic relationship between creators and their fans all year with special events called Fanfest, and in an upcoming event in march in Mumbai, India, YouTube users can attend a special show starring magician Collins Key.

Collins Key is behind one of YouTube’s fastest-growing family-friendly channels, with over 10 million subscribers and 100 million monthly views. He’s also had a successful turn on America’s Got Talent, becoming the first magician to make it into the finals within the show’s first eight seasons. 

Key will join other YouTube performers like musician Aksh Baghla, hip-hop choreographer Matt Sefffanina, and comedy troupe SNG Comedy. The show will take place at the Jiogarden in Mumbai on March 23, 2018. Check out youtubefanfest.com for more information about the Mumbai show, as well as other shows happening across the globe.