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People often ask me, "How do I learn to do magic?"

 

Answer:   Begin   Read   Practice   Perform!   (Repeat)

Books, Magazines, Magic School, Lessons, Magic Shops,

Favorite Magicians, Getting Your Show On the Road, Articles, Reading List

 

  •   What Magic Shops Do You Recommend?

     

    • Denny & Lee Magic Studio (Baltimore & Las Vegas) THE BEST SHOP FOR PROS WITHOUT QUESTION.  If Houdini were alive, this is where he would shop.  Tell Denny I sent you. 

    • Hank Lee's Magic Factory (Boston)  Get his catalog.  It is wonderfully complete and an excellent way to learn about magic.  They have about the best stock of magic in the country.

    • Fantasma Magic (New York City) - They do shows here and you can rent the place out for great birthday parties.  The magic they sell is pretty cool too.  It's the best new thing in retail magic in the Eastern United States.

     

  •   Favorite Magicians

     

     

  •   I seriously want to get my show on the road.  What do you recommend?

     

    • Stop thinking.  JUST DO IT.

     

    • Practice and rehearse daily.

       

      • "Practice" individual moves in front of a mirror.

      • "Rehearse" entire routines from beginning to end without stopping.  Even if something goes wrong, try to figure out how you will recover.

      • Video your rehearsals and critique yourself.

      • Only learn one trick at a time.

      • If a routine is not ready, do not perform it for an audience.

      • Get only 2 or 3 people you trust to critique you:  a family member, a very good professional magician and a theater person.

      • Learn magic from books.  It's cheaper and you learn more.

      • Begin with the Classics of magic like

        • Cut and Restored Rope

        • Liking Rings

        • Cups & Balls

        • Card to Wallet

        • Etc.

        • You can specialize later.

       

    • Get 200 stage or stand-up shows under your belt.

       

      • It takes that long to get familiar being on stage.

      • Be yourself. 

      • Do not copy other magicians. 

      • Just work hard and trust what you have inside.

      • You only need ten routines for a 50 minute show.  Make sure you have variety and no more than two audience participation routines in a row.

      • For stand-up magic, a club or cabaret show is the most flexible because you can scale it up for stage or down for a home.  A cabaret show is bread and butter.  See lecture notes by Haney & book by Charvet in the reading list below.

      • You do not need a lot of large props to entertain large audiences.

      • Prop Management

        • "Out of sight out of mind."  Only bring out what you're going to use, then put it away.  Clutter distracts people's attention away from the magic. It's about you not your props. Don't bring anything on stage that you're not going to use.  Leave extra stuff out of sight.

        • Look at the audience when you're talking to them.  Talking to your props is rude.

        • Never put your case or table front and center. The show is about you, not your table.  Put it to one side of your performing area.  If it needs to go in the center than put it up at the back of the stage.

        • Perhaps the most simple thing to do is to have props on chairs covered with black cloths. (Large 36" black silks work well.)  These get removed as you need items.

        • For a simple stand-up show, try performing with a catalog case resting on a chair or stool.  Most any container that opens from the top will work well - people cannot see inside.  A shoulder strap will let you to carry everything on stage as you enter.  Just set it down and get to work!

        • Seriously consider investing in a quality suitcase table. Joe Leffler's is great.

      • Get a small and very simple "Portable PA" sound system with a quality wireless microphone so 100-200 people can hear you. 

        • The Anchor AN-130bphh is the size of a lunchbox and sounds amazing. 

        • For larger crowds, the systems from Sound Projections are top quality and an excellent deal. 

        • Anchor Audio also has the Explorer, Liberty and Beacon systems, but they are the most expensive.  The Explorer gives you the best bang for the buck and weighs only 25 lbs.

        • At the very least, get a "Pignose" amplifier and microphone.

      • For Bigger Shows:  Think Lighting, Backdrop & a Cart

        • LIGHTING:  If people can't see you, what's the point?  When performing for larger audiences on the cheap, consider adding simple shop clamp lights with PAR38 flood lights (not spot lights).  Use a wash of red, yellow and blue or a natural sunlight bulb.  Do NOT use standard white lights because they will make you look harsh, stark and pale. 

        • CURTAIN:  A backdrop can also help focus people's attention on you. Abbotts "Jet Set" works well with a couple 16 foot lengths of dark crushed velvet thrown over the top.  (Remember, it's about you, not your backdrop.)  The 8 foot Jet Set is better than the 6 foot.  HINT:  If you use two Jet Sets, you will have an 8 foot high by 16 foot wide stage.

        • CART:  Finally, if you are lugging a lot of equipment, a "Multicart"  is a an invaluable tool.  However, the more you practice to be an entertainer, the more you you can amaze thousands of people without huge props.

       

    • The Magic Tech Road:  This series of articles discusses the technical aspects of a one or two person stand-up show.  It covers portable public address systems, music, microphones, wireless remote music control, backdrops and cases.  There is also an article about choosing quality linking rings and a conference review from Genii Magazine.

       

    • You can do walk-a-round close-up magic with only 3-5 good tricks

       

      • Perhaps use smaller versions from your stand-up show.

      • Make these routines "reset" quickly or instantly.

      • See the Kirk Charles book below.

      • Also read the Magic Menu journal by Jim Sisti.  Two two bound collections are available.

      • Courtesy and manners are extremely important in close social situations.  See Eugene Burger's book, "Growing in the Art of Magic" below.

     

    • Be completely professional even if you don't make your living from magic.

       

      • Confirm your shows in writing.

      • Arrive to shows on time and dress the part (a bit better than everyone else at the engagement).  Avoid sequins and stage names that end in "ini."

      • Be charming and kind to your audience. NEVER put them down - it's neither nice nor magical.

      • Send a thank you note after your show.  It's all about building relationships. 

      • Success is defined by a steady stream of repeat bookings.

       

    • "A goal is a dream with a deadline."

       

       

    • Read the following (You can purchase most of these from Denny & Lee.)

       

      Also these:

      • The Books of Wonder by Tommy Wonder

      • Magic and Showmanship by Henning Nelms

      • Showmanship for Magicians (Fitzkee Trilogy) by Dariel Fitzkee

      • Our Magic by Maskelyne and Devant

 

"Whatever you do, begin it. 

Courage has genius, boldness and magic in it."

- Goethe

 

 
 
 

 

This site was last updated 03/15/08