You are here: Home → Forum Home → General Discussion → General Discussion → Thread
A Brief History of Magic part 1
Hey guys,
I was reading an article the other day and thought i'd share it on here, i've changed the wording just that the owner of it doesnt get all like "hey you soap dude you stole my article" i'll post it in sections due to it being a little long but it is really worth 15mins to read
Early Magic Around the World:
The story of magic is as old as recorded history i mean like so old that it even smells a bit off. The Westcar Papyrus, written nearly 4000 years ago, holds a story of a magician performing centuries earlier in the Pharaoh's court. Magicians performed in the streets and marketplaces of ancient Greece and Rome. Almost every society has some form of magic. Some say that magic is the most universal of the performing arts, because it translates so easily from one culture to another.
Before the year 1750, most magic was performed outdoors in marketplaces, in fairs, and on street corners. Magicians had no stages of their own. Their shows were limited to what they could carry with them—or what their audiences were likely to have handy.
ANCIENT EGYPT Beheadings in the court
Nearly 5000 years ago, magic entertained the court of the Egyptian king Cheops. A magician named Dedi cut off and restored the heads of a goose, a pelican and an ox.
ANCIENT GREECE Magic on the street
Magicians drew crowds on the streets of ancient Greece. One watcher wrote of seeing a man put three small cups on a table. The magician then moved pebbles "one by one under the cups, and then—I don't know how—made them appear under one cup, and showed them in his mouth."
INDIA The illusion that never was
The tale of the famed "Indian rope trick" goes back more than 600 years. The story goes roughly as follows: a magician suspends a rope in an outdoor clearing. Then a boy climbs the rope and disappears, calling down insults. The magician grabs a sword, follows and disappears too. The audience hears screams as body parts fall to the ground. Then the magician reappears, climbs down, throws the bloody parts into a basket and shakes it. The boy steps out of the basket unhurt.
Only one problem: as described here, it's impossible. While magicians have reproduced some parts of the Indian rope trick, the whole tale is most likely just a story passed along by people who said they knew others who had seen it. Many magicians have said that repeating it all outdoors just can't be done.
This famous painting by Hieronymus Bosch shows the popular cups-and-balls.
EUROPE Magic for kings and commoners—and suspicion
While some European magicians performed in royal courts, most worked in marketplaces, at fairs and on street corners.
Though the illusions were quite popular, people sometimes accused the magicians of witchcraft. To make it easier to find "real" witches, Reginald Scot wrote "The Discoverie of Witchcraft" in 1584. In it, he revealed how magicians did some common illusions to show that they used natural methods, not witchy powers.
By 1750, most magic we know of took place at fairs in Europe. Several magicians had made a living there, but then the fairs were scaled back and shortened. In response, magicians started moving into the cities.
I was reading an article the other day and thought i'd share it on here, i've changed the wording just that the owner of it doesnt get all like "hey you soap dude you stole my article" i'll post it in sections due to it being a little long but it is really worth 15mins to read
Early Magic Around the World:
The story of magic is as old as recorded history i mean like so old that it even smells a bit off. The Westcar Papyrus, written nearly 4000 years ago, holds a story of a magician performing centuries earlier in the Pharaoh's court. Magicians performed in the streets and marketplaces of ancient Greece and Rome. Almost every society has some form of magic. Some say that magic is the most universal of the performing arts, because it translates so easily from one culture to another.
Before the year 1750, most magic was performed outdoors in marketplaces, in fairs, and on street corners. Magicians had no stages of their own. Their shows were limited to what they could carry with them—or what their audiences were likely to have handy.
ANCIENT EGYPT Beheadings in the court
Nearly 5000 years ago, magic entertained the court of the Egyptian king Cheops. A magician named Dedi cut off and restored the heads of a goose, a pelican and an ox.
ANCIENT GREECE Magic on the street
Magicians drew crowds on the streets of ancient Greece. One watcher wrote of seeing a man put three small cups on a table. The magician then moved pebbles "one by one under the cups, and then—I don't know how—made them appear under one cup, and showed them in his mouth."
INDIA The illusion that never was
The tale of the famed "Indian rope trick" goes back more than 600 years. The story goes roughly as follows: a magician suspends a rope in an outdoor clearing. Then a boy climbs the rope and disappears, calling down insults. The magician grabs a sword, follows and disappears too. The audience hears screams as body parts fall to the ground. Then the magician reappears, climbs down, throws the bloody parts into a basket and shakes it. The boy steps out of the basket unhurt.
Only one problem: as described here, it's impossible. While magicians have reproduced some parts of the Indian rope trick, the whole tale is most likely just a story passed along by people who said they knew others who had seen it. Many magicians have said that repeating it all outdoors just can't be done.
This famous painting by Hieronymus Bosch shows the popular cups-and-balls.
EUROPE Magic for kings and commoners—and suspicion
While some European magicians performed in royal courts, most worked in marketplaces, at fairs and on street corners.
Though the illusions were quite popular, people sometimes accused the magicians of witchcraft. To make it easier to find "real" witches, Reginald Scot wrote "The Discoverie of Witchcraft" in 1584. In it, he revealed how magicians did some common illusions to show that they used natural methods, not witchy powers.
By 1750, most magic we know of took place at fairs in Europe. Several magicians had made a living there, but then the fairs were scaled back and shortened. In response, magicians started moving into the cities.
Signature
Magic is believing in yourself, if you can do that, you can make anything happen
A Brief History of Magic part 2
The Golden Age of Magic 1750-1930
By 1750, most magic we know of took place at fairs in Europe. Several magicians had made a living there, but then the fairs were scaled back and shortened. In response, magicians started moving into the cities.
At first, magicians performed at inns and public houses, or rented rooms for their performances. Eventually, magic caught on with the upper classes. Magicians started performing in large theaters and gained respectability and status. Many magicians capitalized on the public's interest in science, drawing people to their magic shows with scientific sounding terms or combining their shows with science lectures.
The great traveling show also arose in this period. The network of small vaudeville theaters created another venue for magicians. Magic shows of all sizes flourished—it was a time of enormous development for magic. Many of the trends that exist in magic today have their roots in this period.
The science of finding a wealthy audience
In the late 1700s, scientific lectures became popular with wealthy people in England. To capture that audience, the magician Katterfelto added science into his act. Before each show, he'd lecture for an hour on scientific topics. Katterfelto used a solar microscope to show thousands of tiny creatures hidden in a drop of water, beer, milk or anything else he wanted to magnify.
Puttin' on the ritz to get high-class crowds
When you see a male magician dressed up in tails, you're seeing the unofficial "dress code" made popular by French magician Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin in 1845. He was one of the first magicians to dress in eveningwear for his show, instead of the usual long, star-covered robes. Robert-Houdin's new look helped upper-class audiences feel comfortable, with a stage set up to look like a friend's parlor.
The Egyptian Hall
Magic finds a permanent home in the city
When the Egyptian Hall was built in London in 1812, "England's Home of Mystery" was mainly a museum. Over the years, magic shows replaced lectures and other programs until 1873, when magicians John Nevil Maskelyne and George Cooke moved in permanently. Maskelyne and Cooke brought audiences back by constantly changing and adding to their show.
The big traveling show becomes popular, and Kellar was big
Magician Harry Kellar was the first American-born magician to create a blockbuster traveling magic show. He toured around the world, mostly in the United States after 1884.
Kellar had a staff of assistants and a show that filled the stage. He sometimes "borrowed" popular tricks from other magicians and repeated them in his own style. He believed that the United States would support only one big magician at a time. For his time, he was that magician.
When Kellar left, his show went on
When Kellar wanted to retire, fellow magician Howard Thurston bought his props and took over the show. Kellar toured with Thurston in 1908, passing on the role of most popular magician in America.
Thurston kept some of Kellar's illusions, but added his own ideas to make the show even bigger. He made a car full of people disappear. He levitated a woman out over the audience and around the stage, eventually making her vanish from the air. Thurston hired other magicians to help him tour several versions of this popular show.
Short magic acts make the variety show circuit
In the late 1800s, most magicians got their start in the variety shows of vaudeville. A typical act lasted only 10 to 12 minutes. But a magician could take that act on the road for years.
Cardini
Cardini's card handling set a new standard
In Cardini's legendary vaudeville act, he played a tipsy gentleman surprised by cards that just kept appearing in his hands.
Coming back to life was a great trick–until he really died on stage
The foremost African-American magician of the early 1900s, Benjamin Rucker, performed under the name Black Herman, and was widely popular. Black Herman was good at being buried alive. People paid to see his "corpse," feel that he had no pulse, and watch his coffin be buried. Days later, Herman would rise from the dug-up coffin and lead the audience into the theater.
One night in 1934, Black Herman collapsed on stage and died. But the audience wouldn't leave. Huge crowds gathered outside the funeral home to see the end of the "trick." Herman's assistant finally said, "Let's charge admission. That's what he would have done." So they did.
The fairer sex became fair game
P.T. Selbit
Magic never showed the "torture" of women before 1921. In that year, magician P.T. Selbit shut a woman in a wooden box, with ropes holding her down, and cut the box in two. The audience loved it. Magicians everywhere rushed to make their own, bloodier versions.
Why did it catch on in 1921? The numbing, brutal world war? Anger over women's recent and often violent battle for the right to vote? Whatever the reason, magicians still twist, stretch and carve up women on stage.
Wanted: magician's assistant Must be able to:
Mr. Electric (Marvyn and Carol Roy)
• set, pack and care for all props
• handle animals, from rabbits and doves up to large cats and snakes–no allergies allowed
• be beautiful, glamorous, charming, sexy, persuasive and funny without upstaging the magician
• make sure lights and music hit their cues
• bring props to the magician openly and secretly
• fit into small boxes and holes
• take the bumps and bruises of a show night after night
The Golden Age of Magic 1750-1930
By 1750, most magic we know of took place at fairs in Europe. Several magicians had made a living there, but then the fairs were scaled back and shortened. In response, magicians started moving into the cities.
At first, magicians performed at inns and public houses, or rented rooms for their performances. Eventually, magic caught on with the upper classes. Magicians started performing in large theaters and gained respectability and status. Many magicians capitalized on the public's interest in science, drawing people to their magic shows with scientific sounding terms or combining their shows with science lectures.
The great traveling show also arose in this period. The network of small vaudeville theaters created another venue for magicians. Magic shows of all sizes flourished—it was a time of enormous development for magic. Many of the trends that exist in magic today have their roots in this period.
The science of finding a wealthy audience
In the late 1700s, scientific lectures became popular with wealthy people in England. To capture that audience, the magician Katterfelto added science into his act. Before each show, he'd lecture for an hour on scientific topics. Katterfelto used a solar microscope to show thousands of tiny creatures hidden in a drop of water, beer, milk or anything else he wanted to magnify.
Puttin' on the ritz to get high-class crowds
When you see a male magician dressed up in tails, you're seeing the unofficial "dress code" made popular by French magician Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin in 1845. He was one of the first magicians to dress in eveningwear for his show, instead of the usual long, star-covered robes. Robert-Houdin's new look helped upper-class audiences feel comfortable, with a stage set up to look like a friend's parlor.
The Egyptian Hall
Magic finds a permanent home in the city
When the Egyptian Hall was built in London in 1812, "England's Home of Mystery" was mainly a museum. Over the years, magic shows replaced lectures and other programs until 1873, when magicians John Nevil Maskelyne and George Cooke moved in permanently. Maskelyne and Cooke brought audiences back by constantly changing and adding to their show.
The big traveling show becomes popular, and Kellar was big
Magician Harry Kellar was the first American-born magician to create a blockbuster traveling magic show. He toured around the world, mostly in the United States after 1884.
Kellar had a staff of assistants and a show that filled the stage. He sometimes "borrowed" popular tricks from other magicians and repeated them in his own style. He believed that the United States would support only one big magician at a time. For his time, he was that magician.
When Kellar left, his show went on
When Kellar wanted to retire, fellow magician Howard Thurston bought his props and took over the show. Kellar toured with Thurston in 1908, passing on the role of most popular magician in America.
Thurston kept some of Kellar's illusions, but added his own ideas to make the show even bigger. He made a car full of people disappear. He levitated a woman out over the audience and around the stage, eventually making her vanish from the air. Thurston hired other magicians to help him tour several versions of this popular show.
Short magic acts make the variety show circuit
In the late 1800s, most magicians got their start in the variety shows of vaudeville. A typical act lasted only 10 to 12 minutes. But a magician could take that act on the road for years.
Cardini
Cardini's card handling set a new standard
In Cardini's legendary vaudeville act, he played a tipsy gentleman surprised by cards that just kept appearing in his hands.
Coming back to life was a great trick–until he really died on stage
The foremost African-American magician of the early 1900s, Benjamin Rucker, performed under the name Black Herman, and was widely popular. Black Herman was good at being buried alive. People paid to see his "corpse," feel that he had no pulse, and watch his coffin be buried. Days later, Herman would rise from the dug-up coffin and lead the audience into the theater.
One night in 1934, Black Herman collapsed on stage and died. But the audience wouldn't leave. Huge crowds gathered outside the funeral home to see the end of the "trick." Herman's assistant finally said, "Let's charge admission. That's what he would have done." So they did.
The fairer sex became fair game
P.T. Selbit
Magic never showed the "torture" of women before 1921. In that year, magician P.T. Selbit shut a woman in a wooden box, with ropes holding her down, and cut the box in two. The audience loved it. Magicians everywhere rushed to make their own, bloodier versions.
Why did it catch on in 1921? The numbing, brutal world war? Anger over women's recent and often violent battle for the right to vote? Whatever the reason, magicians still twist, stretch and carve up women on stage.
Wanted: magician's assistant Must be able to:
Mr. Electric (Marvyn and Carol Roy)
• set, pack and care for all props
• handle animals, from rabbits and doves up to large cats and snakes–no allergies allowed
• be beautiful, glamorous, charming, sexy, persuasive and funny without upstaging the magician
• make sure lights and music hit their cues
• bring props to the magician openly and secretly
• fit into small boxes and holes
• take the bumps and bruises of a show night after night
Signature
Magic is believing in yourself, if you can do that, you can make anything happen
A Brief History of Magic part 3
Magic Changes with the times 1930-1975
When movies came along, the vaudeville theaters that had supported so many magicians turned into movie theaters. Most magicians had to look for new venues for work. The popularity of magic waned.
Cantu
Nightclubs were one place magicians turned to, but it was a different kind of work. Vaudeville performers traveled around circuits of theaters, so they were always getting fresh audiences. In nightclubs, the audience was the same, so the act had to be different. Magicians had to keep changing their shows and adding new material to stay in demand.
Magicians soon discovered another way to perform—television. Many people doubted that magic could work on TV, because they thought viewers wouldn't believe what they were seeing was what was really happening on-stage. Mark Wilson and the other magicians who pioneered magic on camera proved that it could work, and it did. Over time, many magicians made a name for themselves in this new medium.
Cantu was the first to make doves appear
Mexican magician A.J. Cantu became famous working with doves. His magic inspired magician Channing Pollock.
Nobody did doves like Channing Pollock, though everybody tried
Channing Pollock
In the 1950s, magician Channing Pollock set the standard for producing doves from thin air. Better known for his magic than for his film career, Channing Pollock dressed formally, smiled only at the very end of his act, and inspired magicians around the world. His handsome face, serious air and graceful moves left nightclub audiences spellbound. As he made doves appear, he seemed to be shaping them from air with his hands. Magicians everywhere copied his moves.
When their old venues closed, successful magicians like Jack Gwynne had to adapt
In the mid 1930s, vaudeville was dying. Magician Jack Gwynne knew that he'd need to take his show somewhere else–hotel dinner dances and nightclubs. He reshaped his show, making it longer and changing some effects to fit having an audience on three sides. He was always creating new shows to stay in demand.
Playing off the many people claiming to be the world's greatest magician, in 1935 Gwynne successfully advertised himself as "The World's SECOND Greatest Magician."
Magic happens under your nose
"Close-up" magic is magic done for just a few people. Magicians started to make a living with it.
Dai Vernon taught close-up to other magicians–naturally
Before magician Dai Vernon came along, many magicians liked to show off their skill with cards. Vernon taught instead that card magic should look like something that just happened, with no extra moves. He became a mentor in person and through books. Vernon taught magicians to act in their own style and make their work look natural.
In the 1960s, Dai Vernon came to the Magic Castle, a private magicians' club in Hollywood. People moved to Los Angeles just to study with him.
Slydini's close-up fooled the mind
Magician Tony Slydini mastered close-up magic through his skill with misdirection–fooling the mind more than the eye.
Don Alan's "Magic Ranch" showed close-up to everyone
Don Alan
Close-up magic, by definition, is magic for just a few people. But when Don Alan's "Magic Ranch" series aired on American TV in 1962, he showed it to a whole country. He had turned these "pocket tricks" into an entire act with a beginning, middle and an end. His timing and his build to a finale showed that close-up could be as good as any stage show.
Don Alan appeared on the TV shows of Ed Sullivan, Steve Allen, Johnny Carson and many others.
Mark Wilson proved that magic works on TV
Mark Wilson
When Mark Wilson tried to get a magic series for children on national television in 1958, people told him that magic "won't work on TV." But he never gave up. He found his own sponsor in Kellogg's. "The Magic Land of Allakazam" first aired in 1960; the first sponsored magic series on American TV.
Wilson believed that magic needed three things to work on TV:
• Always have a live audience
• Never have the camera cut away during a trick.
• Let viewers know that they see exactly what the studio audience sees.
The magic of Mark Wilson and Nani Darnell inspired quite a few youngsters to become magicians when they grew up.
Milbourne Christopher
Milbourne Christopher did variety magic specials on TV
Magician Milbourne Christopher performed in the first magic show on national TV. He promoted his specials with a grand effect at the end, making people stay tuned to the end of the show. In this photograph he's doing a dangerous bullet catch.
Doug Henning brought magic to a new generation
The talent and energy of Canadian magician Doug Henning revived magic on TV. His look captured the spirit of his time. And in his TV specials in the 1970s and 80s, he presented magic with an open, childlike wonder that delighted viewers.
Henning's magic on stage and his many live TV specials helped make magic popular again. When it aired live on December 26, 1975, "Doug Henning's World of Magic" drew 50 million viewers–and became the highest-rated magic special in the history of television.
Magic Changes with the times 1930-1975
When movies came along, the vaudeville theaters that had supported so many magicians turned into movie theaters. Most magicians had to look for new venues for work. The popularity of magic waned.
Cantu
Nightclubs were one place magicians turned to, but it was a different kind of work. Vaudeville performers traveled around circuits of theaters, so they were always getting fresh audiences. In nightclubs, the audience was the same, so the act had to be different. Magicians had to keep changing their shows and adding new material to stay in demand.
Magicians soon discovered another way to perform—television. Many people doubted that magic could work on TV, because they thought viewers wouldn't believe what they were seeing was what was really happening on-stage. Mark Wilson and the other magicians who pioneered magic on camera proved that it could work, and it did. Over time, many magicians made a name for themselves in this new medium.
Cantu was the first to make doves appear
Mexican magician A.J. Cantu became famous working with doves. His magic inspired magician Channing Pollock.
Nobody did doves like Channing Pollock, though everybody tried
Channing Pollock
In the 1950s, magician Channing Pollock set the standard for producing doves from thin air. Better known for his magic than for his film career, Channing Pollock dressed formally, smiled only at the very end of his act, and inspired magicians around the world. His handsome face, serious air and graceful moves left nightclub audiences spellbound. As he made doves appear, he seemed to be shaping them from air with his hands. Magicians everywhere copied his moves.
When their old venues closed, successful magicians like Jack Gwynne had to adapt
In the mid 1930s, vaudeville was dying. Magician Jack Gwynne knew that he'd need to take his show somewhere else–hotel dinner dances and nightclubs. He reshaped his show, making it longer and changing some effects to fit having an audience on three sides. He was always creating new shows to stay in demand.
Playing off the many people claiming to be the world's greatest magician, in 1935 Gwynne successfully advertised himself as "The World's SECOND Greatest Magician."
Magic happens under your nose
"Close-up" magic is magic done for just a few people. Magicians started to make a living with it.
Dai Vernon taught close-up to other magicians–naturally
Before magician Dai Vernon came along, many magicians liked to show off their skill with cards. Vernon taught instead that card magic should look like something that just happened, with no extra moves. He became a mentor in person and through books. Vernon taught magicians to act in their own style and make their work look natural.
In the 1960s, Dai Vernon came to the Magic Castle, a private magicians' club in Hollywood. People moved to Los Angeles just to study with him.
Slydini's close-up fooled the mind
Magician Tony Slydini mastered close-up magic through his skill with misdirection–fooling the mind more than the eye.
Don Alan's "Magic Ranch" showed close-up to everyone
Don Alan
Close-up magic, by definition, is magic for just a few people. But when Don Alan's "Magic Ranch" series aired on American TV in 1962, he showed it to a whole country. He had turned these "pocket tricks" into an entire act with a beginning, middle and an end. His timing and his build to a finale showed that close-up could be as good as any stage show.
Don Alan appeared on the TV shows of Ed Sullivan, Steve Allen, Johnny Carson and many others.
Mark Wilson proved that magic works on TV
Mark Wilson
When Mark Wilson tried to get a magic series for children on national television in 1958, people told him that magic "won't work on TV." But he never gave up. He found his own sponsor in Kellogg's. "The Magic Land of Allakazam" first aired in 1960; the first sponsored magic series on American TV.
Wilson believed that magic needed three things to work on TV:
• Always have a live audience
• Never have the camera cut away during a trick.
• Let viewers know that they see exactly what the studio audience sees.
The magic of Mark Wilson and Nani Darnell inspired quite a few youngsters to become magicians when they grew up.
Milbourne Christopher
Milbourne Christopher did variety magic specials on TV
Magician Milbourne Christopher performed in the first magic show on national TV. He promoted his specials with a grand effect at the end, making people stay tuned to the end of the show. In this photograph he's doing a dangerous bullet catch.
Doug Henning brought magic to a new generation
The talent and energy of Canadian magician Doug Henning revived magic on TV. His look captured the spirit of his time. And in his TV specials in the 1970s and 80s, he presented magic with an open, childlike wonder that delighted viewers.
Henning's magic on stage and his many live TV specials helped make magic popular again. When it aired live on December 26, 1975, "Doug Henning's World of Magic" drew 50 million viewers–and became the highest-rated magic special in the history of television.
Signature
Magic is believing in yourself, if you can do that, you can make anything happen
A Brief History of Magic part 4
Magic in the World Today
Now magicians are everywhere, doing many different types of magic. Comedy, card tricks, illusions, doves, escapes, and even magic that defies definition—no matter what kind of magic you want to see, chances are there's a magician out there making it happen. Experience the many flavors of magic.
Siegfried and Roy started the big magic tradition in Las Vegas
Siegfried & Roy
Before 1980, Las Vegas was best known for legal gambling. German magicians Siegfried and Roy made Vegas into the home of magic. With their rare white tigers and other animals, they worked up to starring in their own show at the Stardust hotel.
In 1989, they moved into a theater built for them at the Mirage and opened a larger-than-life show featuring fabulous sets, lighting, showgirls, music, exotic animals and illusion
The pair met in 1960 working on a German cruise ship, where Siegfried tended bar and did magic once a week. After one show, Roy said, instead of making a rabbit appear, why not a cheetah? Roy smuggled his pet cheetah on board for the next cruise. This new act stunned the audience and started a long and profitable partnership
David Copperfield presented the magician as rock star
David Copperfield
Magician David Copperfield followed the TV success of Doug Henning, but with a twist. Henning used the flower-child symbols of the 70s. Copperfield adapted the look of a rock star, usually presenting magic to rock music Other magicians have since adopted the look
Lance Burton turned classical magic success into a big Vegas show
At first, Lance Burton's magic was a classic, 12-minute, silent routine with doves and cards. He kept working in Las Vegas for years, improving and adding to his act. In 1995, he opened a large, lavish show in a theater built just for him. With his mix of classical magic and big illusion, Burton's show is a major attraction
Lance Burton fell in love with magic when he was five years old and a magician made coins appear from Burton's ears. Even now, he refers to invite children to join him on stage
Goldfinger and Dove dance with high-energy magic
On stage, magicians Goldfinger and Dove are always in motion. They don't seem to be performing magic so much as dancing it into existence. They make impossible things happen–cards appear, silks flow from nowhere and torn papers are made whole–with an unmatched energy and enthusiasm.
One of Goldfinger and Dove's early appearances on TV came with Sammy Davis Jr, who said of their act, "Goldfinger and Dove have flash, man"
Max Maven knows what you're thinking
Max Maven
If you went to see world-famous mentalist Max Maven, you'd see him tell people things they were thinking that seem impossible for anyone else to know. With psychology, memory and the power of suggestion, he seems to read minds. He also writes, invents new magic and consults for other magicians. Most people know Max Maven best for the interactive effects he has created for TV
Athletic and fast, the Pendragons are masters of the big illusion
Magicians Jonathan and Charlotte Pendragon are most famous for their version of Houdini's "Metamorphosis." Jonathan is tied in a sack and locked in a chest. Charlotte stands on the chest and tosses up a curtain. Suddenly Jonathan is standing there; she's in the chest. When Houdini did this trick, he was out of sight for only three seconds. The Pendragons do it in a split second. Jonathan and Charlotte Pendragon use their incredible athletic strength to perform magic that no one else can do.
Jade presents magic with grace, elegance and beauty
Jade
The magician Jade has a range of performing styles, including but not limited to traditional Chinese magic. She changes a small bowl of rice into water, brings paper butterflies to life, and creates a snowstorm on stage. Her grace and skill as a magician have earned the respect of her peers–she is the first woman to win the coveted Gold Medal from the International Brotherhood of Magicians.
Jade fell in love with magic in high school, when she walked into a magic shop on Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco. They thought at first she was too shy, but she convinced them to give her a job and grew from there into a talented professional magician.
Penn & Teller call themselves the "bad boys of magic"
Penn & Teller performing Casey and the Bat
Magicians Penn and Teller have perfected their creative, original and irreverent style. They can seem to show you how a trick is done and still leave you baffled.
For example, their version of the magician's standard cups and balls–with clear cups–also comes with quick talk, smooth teamwork and moves that you simply can't follow. Even at the end, you won't know how they did it
In one of their illusions, pictured here, Teller tries to break free before Penn finishes a fast reading of Casey at the Bat and stands to take a bow, releasing the rope
In Portugal, Luis de Matos does magic on TV
Luis de Matos
If you ask someone from Portugal to name a magician, they'll probably name Luis de Matos. He turned his early love for television into a career presenting magic. While only in his 20s, he'd already starred in and produced several series of magic shows–more than a hundred shows. De Matos performs illusions, escapes, close-up magic and even shows tricks viewers can use to win bets
Tina Lenert blends the arts of mime and magic
Tina Lenert
Tina Lenert prefers not to be called a magician. But on stage, she uses magic with other arts, like mime or music, to tell a story. In her best-known routine, she plays a cleaning woman who's tired and unhappy. When her mop magically "comes to life," it offers flowers, romance and the chance to live her dreams.
Tina Lenert followed a strange path to magic. She has played guitar (rock and classical), surfed with a tandem surfing team, and left a secretarial job to become a mime
Magic in the World Today
Now magicians are everywhere, doing many different types of magic. Comedy, card tricks, illusions, doves, escapes, and even magic that defies definition—no matter what kind of magic you want to see, chances are there's a magician out there making it happen. Experience the many flavors of magic.
Siegfried and Roy started the big magic tradition in Las Vegas
Siegfried & Roy
Before 1980, Las Vegas was best known for legal gambling. German magicians Siegfried and Roy made Vegas into the home of magic. With their rare white tigers and other animals, they worked up to starring in their own show at the Stardust hotel.
In 1989, they moved into a theater built for them at the Mirage and opened a larger-than-life show featuring fabulous sets, lighting, showgirls, music, exotic animals and illusion
The pair met in 1960 working on a German cruise ship, where Siegfried tended bar and did magic once a week. After one show, Roy said, instead of making a rabbit appear, why not a cheetah? Roy smuggled his pet cheetah on board for the next cruise. This new act stunned the audience and started a long and profitable partnership
David Copperfield presented the magician as rock star
David Copperfield
Magician David Copperfield followed the TV success of Doug Henning, but with a twist. Henning used the flower-child symbols of the 70s. Copperfield adapted the look of a rock star, usually presenting magic to rock music Other magicians have since adopted the look
Lance Burton turned classical magic success into a big Vegas show
At first, Lance Burton's magic was a classic, 12-minute, silent routine with doves and cards. He kept working in Las Vegas for years, improving and adding to his act. In 1995, he opened a large, lavish show in a theater built just for him. With his mix of classical magic and big illusion, Burton's show is a major attraction
Lance Burton fell in love with magic when he was five years old and a magician made coins appear from Burton's ears. Even now, he refers to invite children to join him on stage
Goldfinger and Dove dance with high-energy magic
On stage, magicians Goldfinger and Dove are always in motion. They don't seem to be performing magic so much as dancing it into existence. They make impossible things happen–cards appear, silks flow from nowhere and torn papers are made whole–with an unmatched energy and enthusiasm.
One of Goldfinger and Dove's early appearances on TV came with Sammy Davis Jr, who said of their act, "Goldfinger and Dove have flash, man"
Max Maven knows what you're thinking
Max Maven
If you went to see world-famous mentalist Max Maven, you'd see him tell people things they were thinking that seem impossible for anyone else to know. With psychology, memory and the power of suggestion, he seems to read minds. He also writes, invents new magic and consults for other magicians. Most people know Max Maven best for the interactive effects he has created for TV
Athletic and fast, the Pendragons are masters of the big illusion
Magicians Jonathan and Charlotte Pendragon are most famous for their version of Houdini's "Metamorphosis." Jonathan is tied in a sack and locked in a chest. Charlotte stands on the chest and tosses up a curtain. Suddenly Jonathan is standing there; she's in the chest. When Houdini did this trick, he was out of sight for only three seconds. The Pendragons do it in a split second. Jonathan and Charlotte Pendragon use their incredible athletic strength to perform magic that no one else can do.
Jade presents magic with grace, elegance and beauty
Jade
The magician Jade has a range of performing styles, including but not limited to traditional Chinese magic. She changes a small bowl of rice into water, brings paper butterflies to life, and creates a snowstorm on stage. Her grace and skill as a magician have earned the respect of her peers–she is the first woman to win the coveted Gold Medal from the International Brotherhood of Magicians.
Jade fell in love with magic in high school, when she walked into a magic shop on Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco. They thought at first she was too shy, but she convinced them to give her a job and grew from there into a talented professional magician.
Penn & Teller call themselves the "bad boys of magic"
Penn & Teller performing Casey and the Bat
Magicians Penn and Teller have perfected their creative, original and irreverent style. They can seem to show you how a trick is done and still leave you baffled.
For example, their version of the magician's standard cups and balls–with clear cups–also comes with quick talk, smooth teamwork and moves that you simply can't follow. Even at the end, you won't know how they did it
In one of their illusions, pictured here, Teller tries to break free before Penn finishes a fast reading of Casey at the Bat and stands to take a bow, releasing the rope
In Portugal, Luis de Matos does magic on TV
Luis de Matos
If you ask someone from Portugal to name a magician, they'll probably name Luis de Matos. He turned his early love for television into a career presenting magic. While only in his 20s, he'd already starred in and produced several series of magic shows–more than a hundred shows. De Matos performs illusions, escapes, close-up magic and even shows tricks viewers can use to win bets
Tina Lenert blends the arts of mime and magic
Tina Lenert
Tina Lenert prefers not to be called a magician. But on stage, she uses magic with other arts, like mime or music, to tell a story. In her best-known routine, she plays a cleaning woman who's tired and unhappy. When her mop magically "comes to life," it offers flowers, romance and the chance to live her dreams.
Tina Lenert followed a strange path to magic. She has played guitar (rock and classical), surfed with a tandem surfing team, and left a secretarial job to become a mime
Signature
Magic is believing in yourself, if you can do that, you can make anything happen
Woah that is long. I will read it soon :P
Awesome posts!
There are 3 things that appeal to me strongly and I literally cannot learn enough about, I could physically read hundreds of books and watch thousands of videos on these things:
- Things That Are Really Big (e.g. space, planets, galaxies, the universe. Yeah I know a lot about space)
- Things That Are Really Old (e.g. space, planet glalaxies, early life etc... and now MAGIC!!!!! :D)
- Things That Are Really Small (e.g. I love chemistry and physics, atoms and stuff like that).
Magic appeals to all of these:
It is a big part of my life (not literally planet sized, but you get what I mean)
It is such a small thing but can change people dramatically
And the knowledge that magic has gone back for 4000 years is amazing and makes practicing it that much more special.
Great thread soap cheers!
There are 3 things that appeal to me strongly and I literally cannot learn enough about, I could physically read hundreds of books and watch thousands of videos on these things:
- Things That Are Really Big (e.g. space, planets, galaxies, the universe. Yeah I know a lot about space)
- Things That Are Really Old (e.g. space, planet glalaxies, early life etc... and now MAGIC!!!!! :D)
- Things That Are Really Small (e.g. I love chemistry and physics, atoms and stuff like that).
Magic appeals to all of these:
It is a big part of my life (not literally planet sized, but you get what I mean)
It is such a small thing but can change people dramatically
And the knowledge that magic has gone back for 4000 years is amazing and makes practicing it that much more special.
Great thread soap cheers!
Signature
“Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.”
Thomas Jefferson
Wow this was a great post! I am waiting at the airport for my next flight and this kept me mega entertained!
Thanks for sharing that with the community Soap! You know we love you! :D (no homo of course... or is there.... >:D)
Thanks for sharing that with the community Soap! You know we love you! :D (no homo of course... or is there.... >:D)
Signature
Rather a mind open by wonder, than one closed by belief.
LOL Vihn, this was really interesting. Must have sucked for magicians since ( I forget his name now :D ) wrote a book explaining some tricks. Maybe a good thing though, because it likely beats whatever punishment there was for being a witch. Great post. Long though, oh well.