“Thank you for a most enjoyable performance. Every attendee commented on your great style.”
- Blume Levinson, Fashion Exhibitors of America
4 Types of Stage Magicians
Tuxedo and tails, white gloves, top hat. Pulling a rabbit out of a hat. Is that what comes to mind when you think of a stage magician? Years ago this was more commonplace, but today things have evolved to where there are 4 main types of stage magicians:
Comedy Magic Show
A comedy magic show combines comedy and magic. There are a lot of laughs, great magic, and interaction with the audience with several lucky (?) attendees getting to assist in the show. This is what I do. I'm known as a "suitcase act". My props play big but pack small, all fitting into a suitcase for easy travel, whether driving or flying.
Illusionist
An illusion show involves sawing people in half, levitations, people vanishing and appearing in the back of the audience,... These are big production (big budget) shows. David Copperfield is perhaps the leading illusionist today. If you haven't seen his show at the MGM Hotel in Las Vegas, I highly recommend it if you are out that way.
Manipulative Act
A manipulative act is pure, beautiful sleight of hand. Producing cards from thin air. Making lit candles vanish at the blink of an eye. Tossing up a dove only to have it come down as a white handkerchief. These tricks take years to master. They are the kind of tricks we aspire to do as young magicians, but bail out because of the hours of practice involved.
Lance Burton (pictured here) was perhaps the leading manipulative act before he retired a few years ago. Today many of the world's leading manipulative magicians are based in Europe and South Korea.
