Let me preface my comment by saying this – I haven’t channel surfed in about 7 years. I remember the specials that came on in the late 90′s but, apparently, there have been several more episodes since then. I did, however, read a synopsis of the more recent masked magician episodes, to see if my comments still apply.

Although these shows have never affected me personally, I do sympathize with those magicians who were affected.

I remember the outrage in the 90′s when the show was announced. Magicians lobbied together to prevent this show from airing (and, in the process, played right into the hands of the studio by creating a huge amount of publicity). They revealed some old, and current illusions.

The old illusions I saw exposed were outdated.  P.T. Selbit’s “Sawing a Woman in Half,” is a great example. Just about everybody has heard of this trick (and think they know how it’s done.) Watch the Pendragons perform it with a clear box, and watch everybody who thought they knew the secret will be scratching their heads.

Some of the more common illusions probably had a significant impact on the magicians performing those items. Illusions are expensive–one tv special might cause a magician to shelve tens of thousands of dollars worth of equipment.

On the whole, the effect was very small. The illusions that were common before the Masked Magician TV shows are still common today and the people who saw the shows and remember the specifics are few.

Four years ago, I launched my first stage show and soon we will be launching the third major overhaul. Today I’m taking a moment to reflect on that journey and why I waited so long to break into stage magic. For the longest time I believed that stage magic could never be as strong as close-up magic, and every stage show I saw seemed to confirm this. In my experience, the chief advantages of close-up magic over a typical stage show are:

• It’s interactive – When you’re watching good close-up magic, it’s an engaging experience. You’re not a passive audience member, you’re an integral part of the show. As a result, the performance is a co-creation between the audience and the magician.
• It doesn’t involve a bunch of contraptions (usually) - Most stage illusion shows involve the magician wheeling on a ‘magic box’, doing a ‘trick’ and then wheeling it off only to replace it with another one. A modern audience knows that the secret is hidden inside the custom built device and that they, too, could perform that trick if they had the device and had read the instructions.Good close-up magic, however, can be performed with whatever happens to be around at the time. It’s true that some magicians carry around a bag of props, but a talented close-up magician can entertain a crowd with any props or magical apparatus whatsoever.
• You’re right there! – When you’re watching a stage magic show, you might be 50 or 100 feet away. When you’re watching close-up magic, you’re inches away. Over and over, my audiences have told me how much more impressive they found magic happening in close proximity

Years ago I decided that, if I could not create a stage magic show that was as entertaining and amazing as my close-up magic, then I would not perform on stage. For many years, I did not. If someone wanted to hire me for a stage show, I directed them elsewhere.

In 2006 I began working on bringing all the qualities of Close-up magic onto the stage. It was not an easy process, and it had a lot of dead ends, but the debut was a resounding success and my first–and subsequent–client performances earned standing ovations.

Life, art, and magic are eternally works in progress. The show evolves after every performance and occasionally I will rework or rewrite large chunks of the show; usually after devising better methods for the existing routines, or replacing routines with better creations. As I mentioned above, I’m nearing the end of my third major revision. Looking at the changes we’ve made is very exciting! The show is the best it has ever been, the comedy more refined, the magic even more astonishing and the production values are way up. Compared to the show we created 4 years ago, it’s night and day.

It’s important, especially in this business, to be constantly improving. Too often performers put together a decent show and rest on their laurel’s. The greatest artists and performers continue to innovate, continue to improve and live by the axiom “The enemy of the best is the good.”

In our modern world, there is a clear path to just about any career. Typically these involve further or higher education.  It’s no surprise, then, that I am frequently asked if there are schools where you can learn magic. Well, yes and no; more on that in a moment.

Historically magic has been (and still is) a ‘pursuit’ in the truest sense of the word. The knowledge must be actively sought. Novice magicians would seek out books, mentors, and apprenticeships and the like. Most magicians are largely self-taught (although this does not necessarily mean they are not college-educated, but that their skills in legerdemain were independently acquired.) For the most successful magicians, magic is something between a passion and an obsession.

Today, in the age of information, it is easier to begin this journey. When I was growing up, there was no google,  no other magicians within a several hundred mile radius; just a library. 100 years ago, that library would be considered a luxury to budding magicians. But even with technology–dvd’s, instant downloads etc–the ‘old ways’ are still important for furthering one’s magical education; the new trends are simply too ‘one dimensional’.

Magic Schools

Regarding magic ‘schools’ there is no equivalent to the iconic ‘clown college’ but there are ‘teachers’ ranging from world-class to novelty-only.

On the low-end of the spectrum, a magic ‘class’ is an upsell or another income stream for a local magician, who will sell you a beginners prop and explain it’s workings and, effectively, read the instructions to you.Great for kids and people who want to learn a trick or two.

Somewhere in the middle, there are local magicians who are somewhat accomplished and knowledgeable who actually think about what they’re teaching and try to give a more complete education. They also won’t accept just any student.

On the top end, you can study with the masters; the intelligentsia of the magic community. World class magicians who have traveled the world and are recognized as the leading thinkers, innovators and artists in the community. The cost can range from several hundred dollars for group classes to several thousand for personal instruction. These top Magicians will often consult for TV magician like Criss Angel, and other ‘big names’ in magic.

I am honored to count some of these magicians as my friends and mentors. Every year or so, I make a ‘pilgrimage’ to Las Vegas for the privilege of learning from the likes of Jeff McBride and Eugene Burger. As a result my show is more polished and I am a little wiser after they share their advice and wisdom earned from decades of study and thousands of performances world wide.