Are
We That Important?
I
recall hearing Marvyn "Mr. Electric" Roy say
something to the effect that regardless how
good you become, a magician will never be
more than a "middle" act. That is to say that
you could open for "big name" entertainers
or be somewhere else on the bill, but you're
not going to close for them nor be the feature
act. The number of successful magicians who
are the exception to this rule can be counted
on one hand. Far and away the majority of
us must be satisfied with our own little spotlight
when we get it.
Magicians
have big egos and we have a tendency to think
of ourselves a little more special than we
really are. Sure we may rub shoulders with
"celebrities" on occasion, but that does not
make us into celebrities. The fact that we
perform in front of the footlights doesn't
make us overly special. We just happen to
have a skill which is a little different from
our neighbor.
Perhaps
the point of what Marvyn Roy was trying to
get at was that magicians are often interchangeable
with one another. That is, most of us just
beat our neighbor to the magic shop. Our performing
styles may be different and that's what sets
us apart from the other magicians. But how
often have you heard someone complain that
the last magic convention show had too many
zombie balls or linking rings? Anyone could
be a magician if you have a little time and
a little money to pay for the business cards.
We
are constantly hearing about ethics and stealing
from other magicians . . . their ideas, their
lines, their tricks, even their style. How
many "Lance Burton" clones have you seen?
This is the reason that many professional
comics on the comedy club circuit don't like
magicians. First of all we must rely on props
whereas they only use the microphone. Second
of all, our tricks are old, tried and true
standards given the rare twist, and our lines
have pretty much all been heard before, whereas
their comedy is all original and topical.
Even Mr. Electric's act is a twist on old
effects (e.g.; light bulbs strung from the
mouth was originally shown as threaded needles
from the mouth.) Sure the premise may be new,
but the effect is old.
We
may be doomed to forever being the "middle"
act because there are only nine basic effects
(see Fitzkee's Trick Brain) and everything
is just a variation on those basics. After
just a couple of shows, our audience can say
that they have seen it all. I'm afraid that
is what booking agents and producers think
also when they are looking for something new
to bring in an audience night after night.
We
are limited in effect but not in originality.
We should expand our minds to become more
creative. There is no copyright on creativity
nor originality but that may be the problem.
It is easier to "lift" someone else's idea
rather than come up with our own. Professional
comics recognize this "feeding frenzy" magicians
seem to have on one another. Don't you think
that our audiences are at least as intelligent
as those of the comedians? They have come
to expect something fresh, original, and topical.
Audiences are fed new material every night
in their homes from the electronic box sitting
in their living rooms. Hundreds of staffs
of copywriters come up with funny, entertaining
lines and situations every week for their
sitcoms. When is the last time that you have
rewritten your material to give it a fresh
look?
The
audience may think that the first magician
they see is the funniest guy that they have
ever seen, but when they see the next magician
and then another, they begin to subconsciously
compare them with the ones previously seen.
They begin to see and hear similarities with
each of them and before long they begin to
think "well, I've seen one magician so I guess
that I've seen them all." And that's a sad
state of affairs. It is getting more and more
rare to find that audience who seems starved
for entertainment and who has never seen a
professional magic show.
Another
problem is that audiences often come to see
an act because the theatrical production is
casting a celebrity they like or that they
like their music and they have that artist's
recording(s). A magician's problem here is
that we have nothing tangible to leave with
our audience . . . no records, CD's, nor video
taped movies that they can watch or listen
to over and over. We can only leave them with
a (hopefully) pleasant memory of an enchanting
evening (and maybe a T-shirt, poster, or photo).
The audience is coming to hear and see their
favorite celebrity perform, not the magician.
They have probably not heard of the magician
before they entered the theatre. Unfortunately,
they will probably remember him for about
as long.
Like
television, we should have at least one thing
that our audience can remember about us and
our show. TV executives feel that a sitcom
is successful if there is one good joke that
is told around the water cooler the next day
at the office. Likewise we as magicians should
have one good, strong effect that will keep
our audience talking long after they have
gone home. Dai Vernon's advice comes through
loud and clear, to do one thing better than
anyone else and to practice that one thing
until it is yours.
So
what can we do about this state of affairs?
Perhaps the first thing that we should do
is to recognize where we are in this profession
and how we fit in with the alternate forms
of entertainment. We should find a niche that
fits our performing style (e.g.; close-up
at restaurants, stand-up for corporations,
stage shows in Las Vegas) and do he best that
we can. Keep it fresh by updating your lines
and your props. That doesn't mean to keep
adding new "tricks" but to keep your show
topical and meaningful to your audience. If
you want your audience to remember you, then
give them at least one thing that they will
talk about around the water cooler the next
day at the office.
Andy
Warhol said that "everyone is famous for 15
minutes in their life." As professional magicians,
our goal should be to get a little extra time.
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